The search comes to an end!

There were many things which went through my mind, many of which still remain unanswered.

In deciding to purchase the 1977 Dodge Midas I considered many things. Several of these considerations were of space for myself and two children. I was actually shopping for older class A's.

We found one that wasn't running for $1000, which with a tow to our current residence was within our budget. I called and spoke with the owner and was told that it simply had no power to anything. Having been a mechanic for years I quickly ran down the possible list of causes and determined that at price it was worth the risk. I picked up the phone and called him back only to be informed that someone had put a deposit on it already, but, that he would contact me if it wasn't picked up before the agreed upon time. My heart sank. I had seen several in our price range on Craigslist but nothing which compared to the interior and exterior shape that this one was in. I knew something else would pop up eventually tho.

That same night I got a message on a Facebook buy/sell group I was a member of. The person stated they had a friend wanting to sell a 'sweet' RV. I gathered all of the information I could and called the contact which I had been given. After a short conversation I asked if they could send some photos, to which he responded he would be glad to do the following day. As soon as the pictures began arriving the following morning I was sure we had found our house. I called him back expressing my amazement at it's condition for the age. He then went on to explain that they had owned it since it was new (his grandparents actually), and that it had been under cover of a garage it's entire life. I explained my situation and time frame and asked if it was something they would be willing to work with. To my elation he agreed so I scheduled a meeting to give it an actual look over two days later.

This same night I saw the class A had reappeared on Craigslist again. I contacted that person and asked if his deal had fallen thru (intending if so to inform him I was no longer interested so he could remove me from second place on the list). He responded that he must have missed removing one of the ads and that it was gone. I looked at the ad again and noticed it was a new posting but whatever. Mere minutes after the end of that conversation he texted me with a name and number to the person who had bought it and said they were willing to sell it for $300! WOW I must have dodged a bullet on that one. Red flags went up all over the place!

Our meeting with the owner of the 77 a couple days later went very well. I knew from past experience how to look for indications of water damage, inoperable equipment,ect and had brought a new fuel filter with me just because. Well the filter was definitely needed so I was glad I brought it and installed it even tho no deal had been struck for sure. After crawling under, and over, and inside of it for some time I could honestly find nothing wrong at all. No sagging or wrinkled wallpaper, nothing. Ceilings all felt absolutely firm to the touch, the decor while vintage was not threadbare or torn anywhere! When I asked about hearing it run I was informed that they always stored it with the fuel tank drained. Having been a mechanic and knowing what problems stored fuel can cause over time I was even more impressed. The owner however went into a shed and came back with a fuel can. A few drops into the carburetor and it fired instantly (something a 360 was NOT known to do easily on a very cold morning).

After a little more discussion we went into the house and met his grandmother who actually owned the rig. One could tell that she didnt really want to sell, but also didnt want it to sit as she was no longer able to use it. After some conversation about her husband being a mechanic and the fact that I liked the vintage interior and was happy that it hadnt been 'upgraded' or 'modernized' one could see her face relax. We struck a deal on the spot and I explained to her that I was waiting on a check which was still a couple weeks out. I asked if she would mind holding onto it until then assuring her that myself and the two children were elated to have found something in such good repair. She agreed!

At this time my check arrival should be later this week. I am absolutely through the roof with anticipation.

In my next post I will have pic's of it at home, explain some of the why I wanted an older model, and a little more of the process to prepare.

Thanks