by "Holden-SSV" (holden-ssv)
Published 09/05/2017 at 11:28
by "Holden-SSV" (holden-ssv)
Published 09/05/2017 at 11:28
No Tags
STARS: 13
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
Turn back the clock about 18 years. A once young Holden-SSV was given the opportunity to buy a new car on his parent’s dime. While I yearned for something along the lines of a 200SX SE-R or Civic Si, I was railroaded into a Sunfire GT. My parents “knew better”, since they were coming from a trouble free ‘91 Grand Am LE. Just my luck.
Fast forward to two months ago. While working abroad in Hawaii, a cherry 2000 Civic Si pops up on BaT. That’s
“Bring a Trailer”
to the uninformed, a boutique auto auction site.
I message the seller and asked him if he would hold onto the car for another month post auction, as I was away. He agreees.
It’s on!
The auctions are a bit different on BaT near closing. In that, I mean the auction resets to 2:00 every time someone bids within that window. The bidding for this vehicle is quickly whittled down to three people including myself. One individual bows out, the other tried to best my last bid but had network issues.
The car is mine!
I wire the seller the final auction price and he overnights the title to my hotel. Now I just have to wait (almost a month) before I can come home.
One week before I’m due to fly back, some loser breaks into our rental and lifts my backpack. The only item stolen contains mostly useless items (to someone else) and the title. I waste my time filling out a police report and don’t bother asking “What are the chances...”
Ugh.
No big deal, not much he can do with it anyhow. I call up the seller and he says he’ll apply for a replacement title. The last week drags out. Feels like a month.
Back home, I stay around a few days to beat the jet lag before I fly out again to pick up the car.
Upon arrival, the car is in even
BETTER
condition than I expected. Only 74K,
one owner miles
, but could easily pass for 40K. This has never happened to me before as most sellers (in my experience) try to intentionally hide or conceal issues by omission, hoping I won’t notice. In secret, I’m waiting for the car to fall apart on the way home.
A 1200mi journey home awaits.
A few miles down the road, I attempt to use the cigarette lighter socket to charge my phone. No go. Damn.
Further down the road I figure it’s time for gas. I apparently passed the closest station 20mi ago. Looks like I need to backtrack. Riding in on fumes, I arrive only to find they’re recalibrating ALL 30 or so pumps they have
SIMULTANEOUSLY
. Panic begins to set in as my phone’s battery is lower than a snake’s belly in a wagon rut. The next closest station is another 10mi away. Just in case, I draw out a map.
Whew, made it. Fill her up with the finest
swill
91 octane that Arizona offers. I promise myself to never run below 1/4 tank ever again. The inoperative cigarette lighter turns out to be a blown fuse.
All is right in the automotive world. The rest of the drive is uneventful.
Notice while I’m cruising at 70MPH the engine’s hitting almost 4K RPM. Sitting in my hotel room research determines one can swap out a 5th gear cog from a LS Integra to drop revs on the highway. Then I start looking at limited slips.
Damnit, this car was supposed to remain stock.
"Tapas" (tapas)
09/05/2017 at 11:36, STARS: 1
Way to go, dude! :)
"Arrivederci" (arrividerci)
09/05/2017 at 11:39, STARS: 1
Awesome! Glad it went to a fellow Oppo.
"Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To" (murdersofa)
09/05/2017 at 11:54, STARS: 0
Nice. Some guy wants to trade a mostly-stock ‘98 EX coupe for my shitty fox body and I’m sorely tempted to. I miss my sedan dearly.
"MonkeePuzzle" (monkeypuzzle)
09/05/2017 at 12:11, STARS: 1
Notice while I’m cruising at 70MPH the engine’s hitting almost 4K RPM. Sitting in my hotel room research determines one can swap out a 5th gear cog from a LS Integra to drop revs on the highway. Then I start looking at limited slips.
lol, this must be the first thing all of us with an SI investigate within a week of havign driven it on the highway :D
I daily drove mine on 65mph highways for over 10 years, not sure swapping in the LS 5th gear would be worth it unless you have another reason to be inside the transmissions anyway.
congrats on the buy!
"Xyl0c41n3" (i-am-xyl0c41n3)
09/05/2017 at 12:13, STARS: 0
Hawaii is not “abroad.” (Nor is it “overseas). Hawaii is part of the United States.
"Holden-SSV" (holden-ssv)
09/05/2017 at 12:26, STARS: 2
It counts as overseas when you work for the DoD, when you look at a globe, and it’s not a part of the Americas.
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
"TheHondaBro" (wwaveform)
09/05/2017 at 12:34, STARS: 1
Technically it is overseas, unless you’re in Hawaii when referring to it.
"arl" (arl1968)
09/05/2017 at 13:35, STARS: 1
Keep it stock! Nice story.
"Lokiparts" (lokiparts)
09/05/2017 at 14:37, STARS: 1
Or as we usually say, OCONUS. Which doesn’t really make sense to most non-DoD types.
"Lokiparts" (lokiparts)
09/05/2017 at 14:39, STARS: 0
Very nice find. My dream is to someday find a similarly clean EP3... Because I’m weird. So far it has not been a successful mission.
"JR1" (type35bugatti)
09/05/2017 at 18:54, STARS: 1
Please do the world a favor and keep it stock (or at least save the stock parts). There cannot be many stock ones left and I would like to maybe one day actually experience a stock si.
"briannutter1" (briannutter1)
09/06/2017 at 05:13, STARS: 0
Nice acquisition. I just embarked on the highest dollar, non-rotisserie restoration on the last non-rusted-out Ohio ‘99 Civic Dx D16 automatic. ...not quite the same I know....