One of the first things we did when we got the car home was call our mechanic and friend, Joe Frizell. I had interned at Joe's Garage two years ago, so when we zeroed in on this car, we sent the specs, along with pictures and video, to Joe, and he gave us a list of things to look for and questions to ask. Now it was time to get his seal of approval in person, and also get a better sense of what was going on underneath so I could begin to build a budget. It being summer in the Hamptons, Joe was swamped during the week, so he invited us to stop by on a Sunday morning, his day off.
Dad and I met Joe and his son at the garage at 9am. We checked the car outside, and then I maneuvered it onto the lift. It was pretty cool to see my car go up on the lift that I had seen so many other cars go up on.
Inspection confirmed most of the same things we knew from the seller. Power steering was leaking, probably causing the front wheels to be out of alignment, the rear needs work, brakes were leaking, and there were a few minor rust spots. The only real area of concern when it came to rust was the body underneath the right rear seat. You can poke your finger up through some of the little holes and push against the carpet. This is something I'll be working on.
Overall, Joe said it was in great shape. He said he would help working on the front end, and referred us to a colleague of his for the work on the back end. I'm set to do all of the interior work by myself, which will be fun, but quite a challenge at the same time.
Does your Dad remember our old Dodge station wagon that was so rusted out we kids could watch the road go by under our feet? We often joked that we could put our feet out to stop the thing if the brakes failed!