The shiny, metallic green car was simply parked in my mother-in-law's front yard, as it had been since being repo'ed almost half a year earlier (It was owned by my wife's sister, who sold it to her mother, who sold it to a tenant of hers, who banged it up a lot and couldn't make the payments, so it was repossessed and was on the market again <Whew!>). It was gathering dust like some kind big lawn ornament, but there was something in the way that it bore its "battle scars" - with dignity; but it still looked like the powerful machine that I was drawn to in my youth (not too long ago).

When the radiator in my 1988 Mazda had finally become totally beyond repair, requiring a $250 replacement, my mother-in-law offered the use of the Camaro, and I gladly accepted. It was like "love at first drive". I had been so used to being without air conditioning (an option my Mazda was not equipped with) that the cool air flowing through the vents was quite a luxury. The car seemed to wrap itself around my body as though it was custom made for someone like me (6'0, 215 pounds). It was a big change from those asian cars, which had always seemed to me to be made for people half my size. Even my mom-in-law remarked about how the car fit me well. Before too long, we had arranged for me to buy it from her.

The power of the 4.3 liter engine was also a significant improvement over the 1.6 liter in my Mazda, even though it drank a bit more gas. It did seem a little on the sluggish side, but then again, that was before some necessary repairs were made. Since then, I had a tune up done (big improvement!) and replaced the power steering pump. There's still a few more things to correct, like replacing the rack-in-pinion and putting new struts on the front end. But, they are expenses I don't mind facing in order to get the green machine in tip-top shape.

The biggest expenses are going to come when I get the body work done. The body work isn't real high on my priority list, since it is simply cosmetic, but it will be nice to get taken care of eventually. The rear bumper is tweaked a little, there's a deep gash in the hood, and a scrape-like dent on a quarter panel (not to mention the scratches on the roof where it looks like things were tied to it... don't ask...). Also, there is a rip in the driver's seat which will need some attention eventually, but that too will get taken care in due time.

All in all, I think any money I put into this vehicle will be money well spent, as well as being an investment in a car that I will hopefully have for years to come.