Gertrude!

One step in getting my life back together was getting a car. I have finally done that (with lots of help from my parents) You see I have always known I had a problem......more like an addiction. Ever since I was a wee child I have LOVED Volvo's (well pre-1999 volvos when they were still actual volvos and not some piece of shit that ford popped out and called a volvo.) 
The picture to the right was taken when I was maybe a year old and that is a 1975 Volvo station wagon. I have been told I named this particular car "big bird."  It was owned by a good family friend who was kind enough to baby sit me. For as long as I can remember I have been in love or at least lust with volvos. 
In 2005 I was able (with the help of my father) to purchase my very first Volvo. It was a 1982 240 DL, classic Volvo blue that had faded to the well known denim color. It is the only 2 door version I have ever seen of the 80's body style. I loved that car and was very sad when I had to leave it behind in Florida after I got married and moved to San Diego the first time. I know the person I sold it to, a kid still in high school that I worked with. I have since lost contact with him and his family =( Wish I know what happened to this particular car....I called her Loraine

 

Finally I have a Volvo again! For about a week I have been scouring Criagslist searching for a car with in my meager price range. I would accept anything that would run, but I deliberately wanted a Volvo. I found a few and they slipped through my fingers. I guess more people in California love them then I ever expected. I found a few "decent" ones 300,000 miles and made in 1987, meh I like my cars older then me. 250,000 miles and made in 1985 and in desperate need of a paint job blah no thank you. Then the day I received my cash in hand I saw it.......top of my price range......1982 <3 with only 104,000. I HAD to see it. I grabbed the man friend, because it is proven that men are helpful even if they have no idea what is going on, and called the owner. This is the story of Gertrude.....

Gertrude was owned by an unsavory character. This unsavory character noticed Gerty needed some work done and took her to a shop that specialized in foreign cars. Smart unsavory, thank you. The shop he chose was owned by a man named Pete, who usually works on luxury vehicles trained for Roles Royce. (I got to see the one he is restoring right now OMG it is so pretty. Along with his V12 Jaguar) Well Gerty needed about $2500 worth of work, new seals, gaskets ect. This was in 2009. While Gerty is in the shop, unsavory gets sent to the big house for about a year. So shop owner (Pete) looks after her. Unsavory gets out of jail and doesn't have the money to bail Gerty out of the shop and leaves her, never to be seen again. Poor Gertrude.

Pete, after 3years takes the steps to claim ownership on the car. Once he did that he was planning on giving it to his child. So he made sure she was in PERFECT working order. Everything was repaired with genuine Volvo parts or its equivalent. Excluding those little quirks that you can't avoid. However the state of California has this stupid law where if a vehicle is unregistered for any time, when you go to register it you have to pay all the back fees ect from the time it was last legal. Since Gerty wasn't registered since 2009 that adds up to about $714. YIPES. So for sale she went. $1200 and almost a month on Craigslist she sat waiting for me. No one wanted to take this little gem because of the fee's. Its like she was just sitting around waiting twiddling her thumbs.
I went to look at her on Friday night with J. We waited across the street for the Pete to get home. Watched his wife start up the car to work out all the funny stuff from sitting for so long (about 6months) She had that beautiful klunk noise that actual metal/mechanical engines make. J asked if that was normal. LOL Silly kids! Yes J that is how she is supposed to sound. We took her for a test drive and I was in LOVE! I had to tell J, "This is your call, I am blinded by love and want to take her home like a new puppy." He gave the Okay! and here we are now.
I got wonderful Florida insurance...because I am registering her there for the time being. I have no desire to pay the state of CA $714. WOO HOO $50 a month is wonderful. So much better then having a brand new car any day. I sent off the info to get my license plate today and should have it by Wednesday.

Power windows, door locks, and a sun roof, but that is hand crank. No radio at the moment, but Pete threw one in that I just have to install. The trunk lock is broken so the key doesn't work, and you can only pop it using the button in the glove box if the battery is turned on. I need new seat covers. Over all she is wonderful! These are all just minor things that I am more then willing to live with.

I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to BGraham for starting me on a love of something wonderful so young.
I am now off to have some adventures with my newest love Dirty Gerty!
For those geocachers out there I will be putting a TB on the window, I just need to get some funds first then you can track her travels.