“I’m surprised, the current highest bidder is someone who didn’t even ask me any questions,” my husband tried to be matter-of fact about the bidding process that would take his prize possession.
My husband is selling his pet car on Ebay. He bought it several years ago the same way from “some dealer out of Ohio.” DAS, a shipper, dropped it off in Fresno, where he recalls that I took him to pick it up. As he remembers, I was very upset. I’m sure I was. I did not REALLY want him to buy it when I said, “WHATEVER if you want a car after we sell the condo, buy one.” What man doesn’t get that what I really meant was, “You buy it and suffer for the rest of the time you own the car”?
AND the car is GREEN! He bought it green, and its STILL GREEN after a $10,000 and 3 year paint job that almost cost him the car. I’m used to it now, and I think the car is pretty, but it is VERY LOUD, which to me is a minus. To Vince, it’s a MAJOR PLUS. In fact, it seems that is why he loved the car. (Other than the fact it was something on which he could shower gifts.)
Yes, he bought more than just a paint job. He bought it new wheels. I thought the original wheels were fine, and we certainly didn’t need THEM taking up space in the garage where I could NOT park my new car. He replaced the upholstery. Did he improve its look? NO!!! He found an exact replacement for the ugly green upholstery which was sun-damaged and worn, online out of Philadelphia.
I was sort of ok with the car until he took it to get the paint job. I was even sort of ok with that when I thought he might paint it red, but NO, he had them paint it GREEN! The shop where he took his car told him that they were going to film a reality TV show about restoring old cars, and Vince was excited that his NOVA would be famous. Vince was SOLD!!! Every week, almost every day for three years he went in to check their progress restoring Green Nova.
“How much longer?” I kept asking him.
“It should be done in October.”
In November I would ask, “How much longer?”
“It should be done in January.”
Finally I started going in with him, and asking the TV stars myself. I never saw ANY filming equipment. We bugged them EVERY DAY!
That was fortunate because others car guys met a sad fate at that same Reality TV body shop.
About a year into the restoration process Vince bought a gray racing Nova. Now he had TWO Novas. Yes, AT THE SAME TIME! Sort of. Green Nova STILL lived in TV land as she became beautiful and famous. I was too busy working, and wasn’t paying attention to what was happening in my driveway. The first time out on the Famoso race track Gray Nova’s hood flew into its windshield. I didn’t SAY much except, “I don’t like this, Vince. This is dangerous, Vince. You son doesn’t think you should do this either.” That wasn’t a strong enough deterrent to stop him. After each race, the car needed a $1,500 tune-up. His son and I both kept telling him, “GIVE IT UP!” That was in August, 2009. Vince is NOT a stupid man, SLOW, yes, stupid – NO. so with inward cringing he sold Gray Nova on January 24, 2010. Green Nova was still lying in pieces in TV land.
As it turned out, Gray Nova Guy’s brother was also a car guy who wanted to create a combo car out of a 56 Nomad and late-model Corvette. Vince recommended Reality TV Car Repair Shop to Gray Nova Guy’s brother. About two years later, only a couple of months after the GREEN Nova was finally set free, NOT FAMOUS, but beautiful, the Reality TV show came to a screeching halt. The police came and shut them down. Gray Nova Guy’s brother’s CorMad was still in pieces in the shop, and the doors were locked. I’m not sure if he ever got all the pieces, but he did PAY about $120,000 to the reality TV show CROOKS. The police investigated Vince because he had recommended the shop. NOT GUILTY!!! Vince had just been fortuitous that his own car had not been in the same state of disassembly.
After Green Nova came home, it mostly just hung out in the garage. It started to win awards, in spite of being GREEN. By this time in his life all Vince’s friends were tired of watching Green Nova win trophies. Once everyone else lost interest, Vince eventually lost his zeal to tote his car around California and then sit on the curb while others chanced by to gaze at it with longing.
So today we watched as the final minutes ticked by on the Ebay auction. 10 minutes – 1 bid for the minimum bid. 8 minutes – 1 bid for the minimum bid. 6 minutes – 1 bid for the minimum bid. 2 minutes – 2 bids!
“I’m surprised, the current highest bidder is someone who didn’t even ask me any questions.” This is where the story started. Then 26 seconds – 3 bids SOLD! The same guy who called last night and talked for about 45 minutes.
End of an era – farewell old friend.
Marsha Ingrao - Always Write 
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