With Used Cars...Timing Is Everything

 Something arrived in the mail today...something most people look forward to getting, something they love to receive.

The title to my car.

It's all ours.

And, it's all broken.

Usually, our car is driven sparingly. We use it when I need to go somewhere and my wife needs the van, and perhaps most importantly, it's great in the snow. I drive the car mostly in the fall to go back and forth to my side gig. I was driving back from working down south last month then a noise--a very unpleasant and sad noise--came from the back end of the car. It was so loud we parked the car and made an appointment to have it checked out.

We drove the car to the shop, they gave it the once-over, and concluded the bad sound came from bad things. The transmission was dying. 

Funny how timing is everything.

The week in which we find the car is inoperable is the week in which we made our final payment.

I knew when I bought it three years ago that we were taking a chance. We also knew we wouldn't be driving the car much. Plus, it's a Subaru--a brand noted for its dependability. I've never had a car drop a transmission before so I didn't see/hear/feel the signs. Maybe it's been going out for some time--I wouldn't know.

My wife and I test drove a few cars to replace Donk, the Subaru. We found that many--costing over $10k--were in worse shape than mine, well...except for the transmission, of course. We're going to try and save it, give it not a new heart, but new muscles.

I'll keep you posted on the progress. But, there's one good thing, we at least own the car.