[V8] Selling my V8? ahhhhh, no.

[Roger M. Woodbury]

Well, I went through a hellish few days after that guy contacted me 
about my V8.  I was skeptical at first, but after a few emails, then a 
phone call, it seemed the guy was legit.

All of that gave me great pause:  the truth is I really LIKE my V8. I 
spoke with my mechanic and asked him to speak with the guy if he 
called.  John knows the car exceedingly well and knows how it has been 
cared for since I bought it in 2008.

The buyer arranged for shipping, or at least got his local shipping 
company to quote pickup and delivery to metro New York.  That was on 
Saturday and it seemed the deal was done.

He had told me he was looking to spend $3500-$4000.  I had been through 
it all carefully in my own mind. The car is probably worth ALL the money 
IF a few things are done to it:  1.A/C compressor; and 2) cluster 
overhaul for which I already have a price.  From my standpoint, the car 
is arguably past half way to a timing belt and at the rate I am driving 
it, it will be another two years when it becomes mandatory, 3) seat 
heaters have never worked on the car there is current to the seats so 
the fix isn't terrible; 4) the rear window defogger has never worked 
since I have had the car and to get ALL the money, all of those things 
need to work properly.     ALL the money, which according to the NADA 
Guides could be six grand. So, given what I know about my car, I felt 
that $4000 was not an unreasonable price, as to get another $1000, I'd 
have to have some work done and the car is not scheduled for any service 
until I put it back on the road in the spring.  I told the guy $4 grand 
was "in the game".

Later on, I asked him to confirm for me that we had an agreed price.  To 
my slight surprise, he made an offer of $3200.  I thanked him and declined.

So the V8 remains here and my plans for the car continue.  I would have 
sold it for MY price of $4,000, but I would not sell for less and I 
think the buyer expected me to make a counteroffer as his email after my 
declination obviously was a "door still open" kind of thing.  Nope:  I 
had told him what my price was and that was it.

It was a difficult few days.  I am surprised at how much I was "turned 
around" by the whole business. Had I made a decision to go out and sell 
my car, that would probably have been better and different at least. But 
this buyer came to me and we were close enough for me to seriously 
consider that my V8 might be sold, and another automotive chapter in my 
life would also be closed, perhaps permanently.  I felt somewhat similar 
to how I might feel were I told I would never drive again.

So thanks to everyone on the list who commiserated with me.  My car 
remains firmly in my grasp and will do so for some miles yet.  Today was 
an absolutely spectacular, mild fall day here. The leaf color is just 
starting to face from its peak and around quarter to four I left my yard 
to drive the 20+ miles to Winterport where my power lifting group 
meets.  The drive goes a few miles to Route 7, then five miles to the 
village of Brooks.  At the intersection in the center of the village I 
make a right turn onto 139 and stay on that for about fifteen miles. 
It's all two lane roads that roll over the hilly terrain.  Once I headed 
out of Brooks on 139, there was no traffic and for the next fifteen 
miles I saw only one or two cars coming toward me.  The roads throughout 
the drive have all been resurfaced this year, so it's an incredibly 
smooth and quiet drive during which I enjoy the Maine wilderness, the 
few small farms I pass, the sharply blue sky behind the brilliant 
foliage.  The V8 absolutely loves the drive and my challenge, as I am 
gauging speed by tachometer, is to remember that when the tach needle is 
approaching "4", I'm really pushing the odds and occasionally I have 
seen a county sheriff's vehicle on the route.  Today I was not in any 
sort of rush and merely enjoyed the sights listening only to the sound 
of the engine which is really just muscular enough while not being at 
all intrusive.

So, thank you very much, I'll be keeping my V8 for sometime to come. For 
me and the way I drive and the place in which I drive it, I think it's 
the perfect vehicle.

Roger