Gotta Love Deposits

So, some time last year I didn't have enough money to pay bills, so our power was shut off. Because of that, I had to put a deposit of apparently $405.72 (3 months worth) in order to restore the power. Well, since it was a deposit and I forgot all about it, I was obviously surprise when Unitil sent me a check for that exact amount! Happy Halloween!!

Finally, A New-to-Me Car

Since my adventures in finding a car, I ended up going with the VW Golf. Turns out it doesn't have a CD changer in the back, but it does have an amp. Anyway, thought I'd give everyone a heads up. There's a new car in town.

Car Shopping Results

I just got back from car browsing in Plaistow, and I think I may have found something I like. I tried out a bunch of cars, mostly the hatchbacks. I'm looking for a cheap, manual hatchback. I do think I found what I want.

2003 Ford Focus ZX3 SVT ($8k)
I tried this one a few weeks ago when LJ's car first broke down. I didn't try it again, but I did like the look of the car. It was pretty loud as it has a custom exhaust, and there was a minor issue with the seat belt. It wouldn't retract easily. I'd have to replace the stereo, but that's okay since I already have one. Overall, I liked it.

2000 Toyota Celica ($6k)
Then I got to try this baby out today. I do like Celicas, but this one had over 109k miles on it. It was a 6 speed and drove nicely. Dude, the doors open up (like physically up), like the Back to the Future car. It drove nice, but the engine is a bit loud. It runs at like 3000 rpm. I'm not sure about the miles and the age.

2000 Volkswagen Golf ($6k)
This I think is the one I want to get. It's got something like 57k miles on it, gets like 31mpg highway, and it's loaded! Heated seats, mp3/aac/cd changer, usb for music, full spare tire, moon roof, etc.! The thing was smooth and quiet. I think I'm sold, but I'm gonna think about it some more before I make any decisions.

Out with the Old Car and in with the New?

Well, 2009 is now done with. Let's see if 2010 will be any better. So, far... it doesn't appear to have changed. LJ's car's strut snapped in two. Sure that technically happened in 2009, but none-the-less, it's something we're dealing with this year. Funny thing is that the day before it all happened, I was telling LJ that I wanted to actually buy a new car with better gas mileage.

I'm starting off the year by looking at getting a new car! I'm actually pretty stoked about it. It's been over 5 years since I initially got my Maxima. It's time for a change. I'll be keeping the Maxima and be hopefully picking a Ford Focus ZX3. It'll get me better gas mileage and be more compact. I don't really need much anyway.

The cool thing is that LJ can keep my Maxima if she chooses. But it turns out that she'll be keeping her Helga after all. Her dad's Passat is unfixable, which means all parts can be pulled from that thing. Only labor is being paid for. It's a pretty damn good deal! Think about it. All those little nuances will be fixed. The doors will open, the windows will close, the e-brake won't stick, the strut will be fixed, etc. Maybe even the transmission can be fixed? Hopefully it's not too expensive.

Last night I took the Focus out for a spin. It's roomy, but there's a lot of minor things about it that annoy me. For instance, there's no tachometer, and it's a manual! What the dilly? It took me a good minute to figure out how to put the damn thing into reverse, too. It's nothing I've ever seen before. It won't go straight into reverse, and it doesn't let me push it down like a VW. Instead, I have to lift some switch to let me do it. It's a safety thing, but it was weird. The exhaust is freakin' loud, too. I know it has a performance exhaust, but come on. I need this to pass inspection. Overall, I liked it. But since LJ's fixing up her car, I really don't see why I need to get a new one anymore. Maybe I'll wait for my dream car: Volkswagen Jetta TDI