| why the transmission was leaking oil after they rebuilt the transmission in December...and I walked into the show room and saw the black 94TT with dark tinted windows, 5 sp, black leather interior...had 7K miles and was a Dealer Demo...it was love at first sight...no doubt about it!! I think it was when I was laying under the car to get a good look at the underbody when this elderly Salesman came over and said "what would it take for you to drive this car home today?". I say..."too much probably". He INSISTED that he could make it my car and asked me to make a serious offer. I worked up some numbers, called the Credit Union, and finally offered a very low price of $32,500 (they were asking about $36,000 and it had a sticker of about $42,500 (some Dealer options installed). We dickered on the price for about an hour...we got to within about $1,000...when reality sank in and I said..."hey, I'm just here to get the 280ZX looked at...did not really plan on buying a new ZX. today"...and I left the Dealership...sadly (I really wanted that 300ZX and I really felt like I was going to get it...I could see visions of me driving it while nested in the drivers seat in the show room). Some wierd shit happened over the next month. I got stranded out on the highway a couple weeks later in a blizzard (January 17, 1996) and broke my right arm when the 70 MPH wind blew me down on the highway (I did not know it was broken until several days later). AND...when I went to get the 280ZX out of the ditch (from the blizzard) the next morning...some jerks decided to break out my side windows and search my car for valuables. Boy was I down & out...arm hurt like hell (was to find out 2 days later it was broken)...and my lovely 280ZX was full of snow and trashed. Glove box was unlocked but they had to take a screw-driver to open it (morons) ...etc, etc., etc. For the next 2 weeks I tried to clean up the 280ZX..but I knew it wasn't going to be the same car again. For some reason it doesn't even run right anymore. Now at the end of January 1996, I'm still trying to get my 280ZX repaired & up and running, I get this call at work from the elderly Salesman at the Nissan Dealership. He says, "What was that final price you offered for the 94TT?" (and I knew they had got me to go up in $$...but I said all the "numbers" are at home and I would have to check it out to be accurate". But he says..."Didn't you say your final offer was $32,500?". (and I am thinking...he's offering me the car for my original offer :). And after a few minutes on the telephone it was a done deal...I picked up the car the next Saturday (Feb. 3, 1996) ....with my right arm in a sling. Final comment (about time huh?)...when I was getting ready to drive the Z32 off the Lot, the Salesman asked if my arm was in good enough shape to be driving...he was concerned (and rightfully so...it really still hurt like hell and I had to use my left hand to lift my right arm up to the shift knob.). But...either me with my broken arm...or my wife or teen-age son to drive it??...not a chance! We all got home fine.
Take Care, Jim
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15:16:37 02/16/04
