I apparently didn't post this here on Friday, like I did elsewhere. It's "new" to me. An '05 Impala shipped up from Florida that my former (retired) mechanic found for me. No rust. 79K original miles. No accidents. Shiny paint--might have been detailed, but there's no fading to the paint. Even the door hinges are shiny. Engine compartment is clean. No leaks. Smooth shifting. Current mechanic updated fluids, put new headlight lenses on it and undercoated it. It looks like it just rolled off the new car showroom floor. It's that pristine looking.

I feel sorry for this car. It was babied by it's previous owner for 10 years in Florida. It's reward: CAR HELL--Maine winters with roads with way too much calcium chloride applied to them. This is the first time I've ever wished I owned a garage. It's that pretty/shiny.

No "Learning Curve" on driving it as it replaces an '01 Impala. The '01 had 191K miles and was to the point where it was going to start costing me money. As it had a book value of three figures, I wasn't willing to put any more money into it. The only thing I'll miss from the old car is it had a moon roof. No biggie. Not like you could open that in Maine more than 2...maybe 3 months during the year anyway.

Did I mention it's shiny?

Oh, and cash purchase. No car payments. Big plus there when I work in a contract position that is renewed from year-to-year (so far).

The '01 lasted me nearly 6 years despite the harsh winters around here. I should be able to get at least that many if not more out of this one.

I did mention it's shiny, right? }:3