Step 3:The search continues….

So it’s a Thursday night and I figure I’ll check my auction watch list on eBay…  There is one ending in 45 minutes.  That’s great, it’s sitting at a little over 2600 with the reserve not met, so I figure it’ll get bid up over my ceiling, but I’m keeping an eye on it.  The ad barely has any pictures, never a really good sign, but there’s enough to see the interior and the body work, under hood pics are absent, but with so few, and the description listing the new parts, I’m okay with that.  The best part of the ad is the ownership records, 2 owners, and no issues on the vehicle check…  a rarity in this price range.  I’m figuring the car will go for over 4 grand, but I’m going to put a bid in and give it a shot.  But not quite yet, there is still 30 minutes to go, I gotta wait till the last minute.

25 minutes later and the bid has not changed.  I sit and wait patiently for the clock to tick down to 1 minute.  Now the race is on, I punch in my bid, $3166, and…  wait for it….  wait for it…  click submit and…  page loading….  Are you serious, come on you stupid slow computer put in the bid!  It went through, and says I’m the high bidder, then I refresh and viola, I’ve won the auction at $2800, and to top it off, the reserve has been met.  Once again, equal parts excited and terrified.  What have I done?  I just bought a car, a friggin car, sight unseen…  I told you I’m sick in the head, but now it’s official.

So now I read through the payment terms, yeah, probably could’ve done that sooner, but too late now.  Terms are good, $1000 deposit due within 48 hours and the remainder before the car is picked up.  Best part, they accept PayPal.  Pretty typical.  So I contact the seller, and ask how they’d like to handle the payments and could I drive the car home this weekend?  Silly boy, You can’t drive a $3000 corvette 9 hours on open highway, unless you have some sort of death wish or like walking to fascinating new places past the single stop light that marks the “main” street…  Do I hear banjos? 

The sellers suggest that I come see the car before any money changes hands, and they will let me back out if the car is not what I thought…  How cool is that, they are a great couple, and if they’re reading this…  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  They were great through this whole deal. 

So I send out a request for shipping quotes and set up a meeting with the sellers for Saturday…