Introducing White Falcon

"All great changes are preceded by chaos"

I've been blog slacking!  Well, it's kind of funny and ironic, because I was about to blog about being annoyed with my car, only to discover this half finished blog from several weeks ago.....

(From 10/04/11)
Well, hopefully my carless days are over.  After weeks of waiting and looking for the perfect "affordable" car, I've finally got something.  My ultimate goal was to get into something quick, without a car payment.  This means an old car, with high miles.  Not the greatest feeling in the world, to go from a car from this decade to one that's nearly three times as old, with over 200,000 miles.  YIKES, but as long as this 96' 4Runner gets me through the winter, I'll be happy.

Surprisingly, I found it on craigslist. I think it might have been for sale for a few months, because when I saw the ad, the price had been reduced.  hmmmmmm....  worth looking at.  A bit of a lemon, but with a little work I can have this thing in tip-toppish shape.  It only needs a new window, a stereo, brakes, and front seat (stuck in recline, in the farthest back position - just doesn't work for this shorty), not to mention some serious DEEP CLEANING.  I went through deep clean, phase one, last night, and it is looking better.  I also started my search for a new front seat yesterday.  A tedious task of calling the local wreck yards and seeing if they had the right one.  I learned that the 96' model 4Runner was a new body style, so nothing older than that would work. Boo!!!!  I found seats that were in excellent shape, but the hardware was wrong.  That was at the junkyard in Bonner.  Those guys were super helpful, but suggested I call the Russians.

The Russians?

You heard me, and that's exactly what I said when they suggested I call them.  I was told that they had a junkyard and would quite possibly have many Toyotas to choose from....  that was yesterday.

So, today, I wake up in good spirits.  It's pouring rain, but that's okay, because I have a car now and I don't have to depend on anyone.  I covered all of my bases yesterday and updated the licensing and insurance.  I could legally drive my car.  I decided to get into town early, and take the Pattee Canyon route, just to see how the car (or is it a truck.....) drove.  As I was heading through town, down Higgins, I noticed the brakes grinding a bit, and so I was very much distracted by them as I came over the Higgins street bridge, nearly running a light, but decided to slam on my brakes to see how they sounded.  That's when I saw the motorcycle cop, waiting out in front of the Macy's building, getting situated to ruin somebodies day.  Suckers.

As the light turned green, the bike cop pulls into the right lane and stops traffic because he slows down.  Hmmmmmmm.  There is no way I'm being pulled over.  I pass him, hesitantly, but also trying to look as un-guilty as possible.  I am driving to work.  This is totally legal, even with a provisional license.  It doesn't matter what I do now, if there is a cop, I feel guilty.  Sure enough, the cop pulls behind me and turns his lights on as I turn onto Main Street.

Great. Just great.  Not only does this just suck.  I feel like a fool, because I still have a broken seat and I look like an asshole because my backpack is propped up behind me so I can reach the pedals.  Apparently I was speeding.  36 in a 25.  Whoops.  I've never been pulled over for speeding before.  NEVER.  And now that I have a restricted license, I get pulled over.  Awesomeness.  Great.  I'm just happy I woke up in a good mood today.  

When I got to work I called the Russians.  Fedan was his name and he was very helpful.  He told me to come out to the yard in the afternoon, which I did, but with my father.  You can't go visiting Russians alone.  This is common knowledge.  I probably sound racist, but if you are from Missoula, you've heard about the Russians being involved with stolen cars, so it's hard not to stereotype them, especially when the guys at the other wreck yard tell you that they had to stop doing business with these Russians because they were taking stolen vehicles and putting other vin numbers on them and selling them...... 

That's as far as I got, HA!

(We are back to our current date :)
What about the Russians?  I ended up getting a seat that almost matches identically, from the Russians, for $60.  I now know how to install a seat, so if you need help.  I'm just saying.  After that, I decided to change my own oil, since I now know how to do that, only to spend two hours trying to get the G D filter off, and failing. When I walked into my house, my roommate was real insistent that I take a picture for Eric, but I wouldn't allow it.  I was COVERED in oil, from head to toe.  HOW?  I have no idea.  Pure frustration I guess is a magnet to dirt and oil when you are a little girl under a car struggling to do something herself....  No thank you.  I'm over trying to change the oil on my own.  I did successfully change the battery, which died two weeks into my ownership.  :(  A bit of a lemon, but only because of it's age, if there's one thing about toyotas, they will last if you take care of them!  I also ultimately had to get the brakes fixed, so now I've pumped in another $500 into this rig, which, honestly, I absolutely LOVE.  I do.  I was meant to have an SUV.  Never again will I drive an old lady car.  You have my word!

As for my speeding ticket, that cost me $84.  I wont get into it.  It's kind of a sore subject, but that's over and done with, now can we please just move one without any more "incidents".  Cody teased me about my speeding ticket, only to get one of his own the very next day.  Karma?  Maybe.  :)

Here's me crossing my fingers that I make it through the winter with this blessed beast....  I've been told It needs a name....  White Falcon?