Here's the deal. Back in the day I told the Private that he could have my rig when he passed Basic and AIT. I, like a champion, would go out boldly and get a new one, a better one, and he could have the old beast. But things went sideways, the plan went awry.
The new Specialist returns from Korea and truck$ were stupidly expensive, "Son, because MillSoc incompetence and wrecking you must wait." Then truck$$ get even more ridiculously pricey, thanks, Xiden, and the kid has to wait some more, until yesterday.
Cash in hand we marched into Barron's used car lot. "We want to buy a car, yes, cash on the nail." And that's exactly what happened. One 2015, 100k on the clock Kia later and the soldier drives off with his first vehicle. Nice and easy.
Great result, and so much better than options on hand in Killeen, where they apparently gouge the troops; he was fixing to buy a '12 Merc for 13k but had a moment of clarity... thank God.
So there you have it. Now the soldier's got a ride at a reasonable price and can nav the Fort on his own as opposed to scrounging lifts from somebody else. The plan evolves.
Parentally,
LSP
21 comments:
Huzzah! Who says military skills don't translate to the civilian world? Shoot, move, communicate, to say nothing of investigate and negotiate. Our youngest steps up to his promotion to supervisor in two days.
FIDO (ask the trooper). The minions of Mordor grow ever desperate as their grasp slips and their own evil consumes them. We will drive over them and leave them laying in the curb.
Every car lot around a base puts the prices ridiculously high. They figure they can afford them.
And first bases out of training, especially, since they haven't been able to spend much money.
Glad the soldier waited. God bless you all, Parson.
Smart move! I NEVER bought a car near a base in my entire career. Always went home to dealers I'd grown up with.
As someone who sold Kias and later tested prototypes I applaud your choice. One Warning!!!! Timing belt or timing chain? Check, please. If it is a belt, it must, repeat must, be replaced every 60,000 miles.
RHT, yes indeed.
They will be blown away as smoke before the wind. Congrats to your youngest! Evil is weird in its lack of substance, right?
The worry, Linda, was that he'd blow his signing bonus on nothing in Korea, but didn't, thank God. Well done, kid.
NFO, wisdom opened the door... fortunately :)
I was wondering about your call, WSF, and I'll be sure to pass that on. I think he can get belt work done on post pretty easily, but it seems a sound little run around.
When I was at Fort Benning 50-years ago, the unwritten rule was, no one below the rank of E-4 was allowed to buy a car without an E-6 handling the negotiations for him. There were bad reasons for that, all of them used car dealers. I am reliably informed that this proud tradition is still in effect.
I just turned in a rental Kia K5. Good car. 2021 shows new at 24k which if I wanted a sedan (over Tundra/Rav4) I'd seriously think of getting one.
It was a 4 cyl with turbo and Fast. Handles and brakes excellent. Comfortable and easy to drive. Good amenities and lots of driver assist doodads, a Couple of them actually pretty useful.
If we got another vehicle right now, I was looking at Tacoma, but that's 36K for one with the SR5 pkg, and I'm thinking we would not find a dealer willing to haggle on price :)
Well, good news for your son. Proper maintenance should get him at least another 100k miles, oil changes being top of the list of course.
btw - Say goodbye to haggling with dealers or lots of new inventory to peruse.
Yay! Happy for both of you.
Gouging the troops by car lots is an age old tradition. When I was selling cars in Spokane (our Nissan lot NEVER gouged) the lot down the street would sell a gazillion cars every weekend to the the troops at Fairchild AFB. After the bank kicked back all the paper on Monday, mainly because so many were ready to muster out within 6 months thereby rendering them "unemployed", they'd head out to the base and pick up all the cars. Finally, Fairchild banned anyone from that lot from coming on the base and forbid the troops from buying cars at that lot. It improved my business quite a bit, but sadly I had to tell many of them the truth that they wouldn't get financing.
And, WSF, is dead right about the belt (which is pretty much true of all cars.)
WSF, my brother discovered that on his Tiburon at 70K
I am embarrassed to say that when my 2001 Ranger with 240K lost the transmission last summer, I replaced it with a 2017 F150 and paid more than it went for new.
I won't say how much.
That seems to be the case in Hood, WWW. Thanks God.
Kid, he bought well, imo.
Crypto gains 10 years on? Let's see that monkey bark :)
Adrienne, what wicked people!
But all went well here, the kid got a loan off the credit union and... done. Nice.
Ed, I don't wanna know.
The handsome young man got financing because he's "employed" and will be for at least another few years (plus credit unions are better.) Good for him. You're a good dad, and he's a good son!
He's done well so far, Adrienne. Been choppy tho :)
I got mine his first non hand me down car from the Sheriff's auction. It came with brush bars and a spotlight. It absorbed the impact of an idiot who ran a red light. The idiot's car was totaled, but the kid just lost some plastic.
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