Blacktruck14 now with less Blacktruck, and the best dealership experience ever (no sarcasm)

"blacktruck18" (blacktruck14) 03/22/2016 at 22:01 • Filed to: None

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I hadn’t planned on posting about my new car until someone noticed that I changed my screen name. However, I just had the best dealership experience quite possibly in the history of dealerships.

Over the weekend we bought a new car it is a 2008 Lexus IS350. I had been thinking about trading in Blacktruck for a while, since we are renting our house here I could no longer justify the 17mpg I average by telling myself I need the truck for Home Depot runs and stuff like that. I absolutely loved my truck but I was spending entirely too much money on gas for no reason besides I like owning a V8.

I spent the last month or so half ass looking for something, I couldn’t find anything I wanted until last Thursday. I was driving by Marion of Toyota (I am using their full name because they are awesome) here in beautiful shithole Marion, IL. I noticed the Lexus on their lot, I always thought IS 350’s were pretty cool and I have never owned a fast 4 door, I checked it out and it was in great, almost perfect condition. Also, somewhat important to me, being a member of the FFLP Coalition (F’ Front License Plates, uhhhh Coalition) it didn’t have a front license plate bracket or the holes drilled in the bumper. When I got home I looked on the dealers website and saw it only had 21,000 miles. Friday Mrs. Blacktruck Blackcar and I went to look at it and test drive it, she absolutely fell in love with it, after thinking and talking it over Friday night we decided to get it. The only problem with the car was it needed new tires.

We went back Saturday negotiated the deal and got the car, I am not exaggerating when I say buying it was painless. They offered me great trade in on my truck from their first offer and the price of the car was really good (I still negotiated but, I honestly would have paid almost what they were asking for it) as part of the deal I got them to throw in the new tires for free. After we got done with the paperwork we scheduled the tires for today. I told the salesman (Joseph) that I had class all day and I would have to drop the car off at 8:30 and couldn’t get it until 5ish. He says no problem we will give you a loaner (which ended up being a pretty nice newer Toyota Tacoma 4 door) Then he says “Hold on let me go talk to my manager.” He comes back after a couple of minutes and says since the car is going to be at the dealership all day they are going to detail it for free. I was pretty surprised but who am I to turn down a free detailing, even if it is a shitty dealership one (this is important later).

When we get done with the paperwork Joseph puts the back license plate on (in Illinois dealerships handle all the registration stuff and give you your plates, super convenient and all states should do it) then he hands me the front one, I had made it very clear that if they tried to put the front plate on the FFLP Coalition would blacklist their dealership, we got powers like that. He hands me the front plate which I proceed to mock and throw in the trunk. Then I opened the trunk again and questioned the morals of the license plate’s mother. It was all like “I am only a license plate, I don’t even have a mother.” And I was all like “Your mother fellates drunkards for a mere pittance.” Before I slammed the trunk again. (This is important later, not the fellating, the plate being in the trunk.)

Fast forward to today, I get to the dealer at 8:30, drop off the Lexus and head on my merry way. After class I go get the car, when I picked it up I didn’t really pay attention to the detail job, I didn’t expect it to be very good and I was more focused on checking the tires to make sure they didn’t pull something shitty and only replace two or none.

After I got home from the dealer I took my phone out to take some pictures.

Notice something funny on the front there?

ENHANCE

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FUCK!!!!! FUCKITTY!!!! FUCK!!!!! FUCK!!!!!

One of the detail guys found the front plate in the trunk and put it on the car. FUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I go back to the dealer fully expecting to have to scream, yell, probably throw a chair, basically cause a scene and lots of embarrassment on the show room floor to get it fixed. As soon as I walk in the front door Joseph sees me and says what’s up? I tell him about the plate in calmest voice I can manage. He says “go in my office I will be right there,” I don’t go in his office, I stood in the showroom where I can cause as big a scene as possible. The sales manager, Dave, calls me over to his office, and immediately, before I can say anything says, “We will fix it.” As he is saying this the other sales manager is calling the owner of a body shop they deal with on his cell phone and says to me “Shane (body shop owner) already closed and is home, can you be there first thing in the morning?” I was so shocked I couldn’t even respond. I tell him I will take it over in the morning. I said thank you to everyone and walked out a very happy customer.

Possibly for the first time in the history of car dealers one took responsibility for messing up a car and agreed to fix it without lawyers or bullshit.

If you are anywhere near Southern Illinois I can’t recommend enough Toyota of Marion. They are awesome their customer service is great (except the detail guy) and they have delicious fresh baked chocolate cookies in the waiting area every morning.

Oh ya, here is how “Ninja” Mrs. Blackcar though of that, it’s dressed in black and sneaky fast like a ninja, looked on Saturday without a front plate.

FFLP fo’ life.

TLDR: Bought a new car, dealer fucked it up, dealer agreed to fix it without me having to throw things in the showroom and they have great cookies. Buy a car from Toyota of Marion in Marion, IL

E92M3 > blacktruck18 03/22/2016 at 22:09

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Poor detail guy. I’m sure he thought he was doing you a favor.

bob and john > blacktruck18 03/22/2016 at 22:12

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hey, my mom has almost the identical car :P
but ours is a 250 and AWD.

tip: black out the grill and some slight ‘eyebrows’ on the front and rear really set it apart in the sea of other lexus’s

Tapas > blacktruck18 03/22/2016 at 22:13

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Wow....they’re so nice that they accidentally did something too nice for you. And then did something even nicer, when you didn’t like the way they nice-d you lol

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > blacktruck18 03/22/2016 at 22:14

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Beautiful car! Love the wheels.

Spaceball-Two > blacktruck18 03/22/2016 at 22:16

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That looks great! Congrats buddy!

blacktruck18 > E92M3 03/22/2016 at 22:17

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Ya, after I chilled out and thought about for bit I figured he just thought it was still the dealer’s car and he was doing the normal prep stuff. I asked and they said he isn’t going to get in trouble or anything he was just doing his job.

My irrational hatred of front plates is probably slightly not normal, there is no way he could have known to not put it on.

blacktruck18 > bob and john 03/22/2016 at 22:19

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I really like that grill. Is it aftermarket, or painted?

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > blacktruck18 03/22/2016 at 22:20

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my front plate is currently laying in my car behind the driver’s seat. and it will stay there... forever

blacktruck18 > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 03/22/2016 at 22:21

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Thank you, I love chrome wheels on a black vehicle. It is by far my favorite color combo.

blacktruck18 > Tapas 03/22/2016 at 22:21

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That’s hilarious but, yes that is exactly what happened.

N51fanatic > blacktruck18 03/22/2016 at 22:21

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According to fueleconomy.gov the is350 only gets 20 mpg mixed. Is that really that much better than the 17 you were getting with the truck? You must have not read Toms post about buying a new car because of poor gas mileage?

blacktruck18 > Spaceball-Two 03/22/2016 at 22:22

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Thank you very much.

bob and john > blacktruck18 03/22/2016 at 22:22

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plastidip, actually.

also, yellow fogs accent it well.

shop-teacher > blacktruck18 03/22/2016 at 22:28

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Looks good! Nice buy.

blacktruck18 > N51fanatic 03/22/2016 at 22:28

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I checked out the fuel milage before hand factory it is rated at 17 and 25, according to the readout in the car (possibly optomistic) I have averaged 23 since I got it. Seems to working out so far.

Also Tom didn’t factor in having my ass sitting in heated and cooled leather. So there’s that.

blacktruck18 > bob and john 03/22/2016 at 22:32

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I am going to have to do that, I really like it.

Do the yellow fog lights seem dimmer at all? I am half blind and I like seeing as much as possible at night.

blacktruck18 > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 03/22/2016 at 22:35

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That is usually where mine is as well, I have gotten pulled over 3 times with no plate, twice the cops didn’t say anything and once the cop asked me where it was. No, tickets yet. Knock on wood.

blacktruck18 > shop-teacher 03/22/2016 at 22:35

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Thank you.

bob and john > blacktruck18 03/22/2016 at 22:37

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the fogs dont really do anything to begin with, this is actually better for them to be used as fogs.

I just threw on a $5/sqft yellow film from the local tuner. 20 minutes, tops.

Big Bubba Ray > blacktruck18 03/22/2016 at 22:37

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Awesome! That dealer must really need to sell some cars cause goddamn they hooked you up haha

The paint looks like it’s in great shape, but the detailer missed the gauge cluster (if this picture is post-detail)! I’m a detailer and my manager would freak if the cluster looked like that. He’s a bit of a stickler haha

blacktruck18 > bob and john 03/22/2016 at 22:39

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I have read that it’s better if they are yellow, I have never asked anyone who had them though. I might give it a try. Now it just needs to get foggy so I can experience them stock.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > blacktruck18 03/22/2016 at 22:44

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Wait so you went in there ready to knock heads around because some poor guy decided to actually follow the law?

blacktruck18 > Big Bubba Ray 03/22/2016 at 22:44

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He was so busy putting the plate on he forgot all about it. Just joking, the guy was just doing his job.

The cluster and the back window were a little sketchy. Overall though they did a pretty good job detailing it. In my experience dealership detail guys usually aren’t the best but, it was free. So.....

Big Bubba Ray > blacktruck18 03/22/2016 at 22:49

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Back windows are always hard to get 100% clean and streak free cause of the third brake light. I spend 30 minutes on a single window once haha

But hey a free detail is a free detail! Enjoy the new car!

blacktruck18 > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 03/22/2016 at 22:51

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I definitely wasn’t going to “knock some heads around” but I fully expected to have to cause a big to do to get anything done.

You could look at it as some guy “following the law” I will continue to look at as, I hate the way front plates look and some guy without my permission drilled holes in my bumper.

If I am willing to risk a fix it ticket or maybe a fine the detail guy at the dealer has no say in that.

blacktruck18 > Big Bubba Ray 03/22/2016 at 22:54

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The only rear windows I have ever managed to get streak free are hatchbacks it’s just super easy to open the hatch and not have to squeeze in to the back sheet.

If only sll detail guys cared that much.

Thank you, I will.

E92M3 > blacktruck18 03/22/2016 at 23:06

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I hate front plates too. Somehow I always end up with cars that have the holes already in the bumper. I struggle with leaving them, or getting them filled and the bumper repainted. Resprayed bumpers chip a lot easier than the factory paint.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > blacktruck18 03/22/2016 at 23:07

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Really liked the truck but I’m a huge sucker for luxury sedans. Awesome choice! Think this is such a great body style too (really don’t like the new grilles)

Svend > blacktruck18 03/22/2016 at 23:10

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It’s always great to have a good experience. When ordering our new car ‘Piglet’, they offered us a loyalty discount for staying with Skoda, plus other discounts, we specced up the car and I asked if they were going to take anything else off. From going in to placing the order and leaving in half an hour, an order for a new £26,000 for £21,000. One very happy person.

bob and john > blacktruck18 03/22/2016 at 23:12

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its not for you to see, its for others to see you.

sit in the dark and turn them on. the beam doesnt actually do all that much.

the yellow makes it easier for ppl to go: oh, theres a car there. cut through the fog better then white (to the human eye anyways)

blacktruck18 > E92M3 03/22/2016 at 23:20

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The truck had one when I got then it got backed into and I had to get a new bumper, and I told them not to put it on. Never before had a car accident worked out so well for me.

I am kind of worried about it getting re-painted for that reason, most good body shops seemed to offer a lifetime warranty on stuff now-a-days. Hopefully this place does.

If it had come with the front plate on I definitely wouldn’t have fixed it but in this case I want it how it was when I bought it.

Spaceball-Two > blacktruck18 03/22/2016 at 23:34

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Now put it on a truck and move back! Ha ha

blacktruck18 > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 03/22/2016 at 23:34

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I am going to miss the truck, but I really didn’t need it anymore and like I said I couldn’t justify in my head paying for gas just to own a truck that I never really hauled anything in. Plus it was kind of a pain in the ass having the regular cab if we went grocery shopping or something in it.

A luxury sedan has been on my cars to own list forever and I have never bought one. I have now owned every body style I want except a wagon. So that’s cool.

At first I hated the new grills too, especially in pictures. The only one I see regularly is a black RC-F and it has definitely grown on me. It might just be because the grill blends in a bit with the black, it makes it look smaller

blacktruck18 > Svend 03/22/2016 at 23:39

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Damn, that paint looks amazing. And your license plate is awesome (even if it is on the front.)

My basis for a car dealership is would I feel comfortable if my Mom went there by herself? This is only the second time I have walked out of a dealership saying yes to that.

blacktruck18 > bob and john 03/22/2016 at 23:41

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That’s true the yellow does stand our more. I guess I will be going to Autozone this weekend. Thanks.

blacktruck18 > Spaceball-Two 03/22/2016 at 23:43

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Haha, I keep telling Mrs. Blackcar that we should just stay here.

She told me I can stay here, she is not.

E92M3 > blacktruck18 03/23/2016 at 00:07

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Maybe get a clear bra to prevent chips?

Frank Grimes > blacktruck18 03/23/2016 at 00:07

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They still make new non ugly lexus?

Svend > blacktruck18 03/23/2016 at 00:08

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It’s only a detailing plate (show plate) for when I clean cars to cover the existing ones.

It’s not the best dealership but it was so easy and relaxing to make the order.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Spaceball-Two 03/23/2016 at 01:02

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Me, blacktruck, and rpM3 all got new wheels this last month...

Hmm...

Interesting...

So like...

Where’s that LandCruiser dammit?

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > blacktruck18 03/23/2016 at 01:03

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U think ur better than me

blacktruck18 > Frank Grimes 03/23/2016 at 08:32

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It’s not new, it’s a 2008 when Lexus could still design cars without prolapsed grills.

blacktruck18 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 03/23/2016 at 08:36

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Noooo, your new car is better than mine because it has pop-up headlights. Also, you scored your dream car, I just got a car I that I thought would cool to own.

Spaceball-Two > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 03/23/2016 at 08:59

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Ugh. It's looking more like a CX5 for the Mrs. is in the works first.

haveacarortwoorthree2 > blacktruck18 03/23/2016 at 09:16

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I wasn’t aware that the Coalition existed — please accept me as a member. On a lot of cars, I don’t care (put as many license plates as you want on that Camry) but front plates just ruin the look of so many sports cars, luxury cars, etc.

blacktruck18 > haveacarortwoorthree2 03/23/2016 at 09:38

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You’re in, we meet at Bob’s mom’s house every other Tuesday. We just have to be out of there before 9pm. Bob’s mom starts watching Sex and the City reruns at 9 and you do not want to be around for that.

On most cars it’s whatever but yes, on sports cars especially there is no way to not make them look like a huge growth on someone’s face.

Dru > blacktruck18 03/23/2016 at 10:14

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How does that work in a front plate state if you get caught without it? Do you just get a citation for not having it?

blacktruck18 > Dru 03/23/2016 at 10:59

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I am not 100% sure for all states, in Illinois it’s a fix it ticket, or possibly a citation and fine. If I remember right the fine is less than $100 dollars. It is not an infraction that they can pull you over for though. They can only ticket you for it if they pull you over for something else.

I negotiated with Mrs. Blackcar years ago that I can get one ticket than I have to put it on whatever vehicle. When I lived in Washington (also supposed to have front plate there) I got pulled over 3 times (over about 6 years of not having plates on my vehilces) while not having a front plate 2 twice the cop didn’t mention it and once he just asked me where it was.

Dru > blacktruck18 03/23/2016 at 11:05

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So it's not necessarily something that could get caught at inspection?

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Spaceball-Two 03/23/2016 at 11:55

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I guess you’re gonna have to sell the Audi to get an LC now... although those first gen LXs are still stupid cheap right now.

blacktruck18 > Dru 03/23/2016 at 12:15

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For all states, I don’t know. Washington does emissions but no real inspections, you just drive through and they do the sniffer in the tailpipe. Where I live in IL they don’t emissions or anything. I know in some more populated areas the do emissions they might do an inspection there too.

Spaceball-Two > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 03/23/2016 at 12:33

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My dad has one. It’s in great shape. He’s threatening to buy a new 4 runner and I’m buying it off him. We’ll see.

Spaceball-Two > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 03/23/2016 at 13:05

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These need to stop being a thing. One of my completed houses in Mill Creek.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Spaceball-Two 03/23/2016 at 13:07

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Wow, that’s probably the worst one I’ve seen. That housing on the ceiling looks cheap.

Spaceball-Two > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 03/23/2016 at 13:51

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IKEA special clearance isle!

blacktruck18 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 03/23/2016 at 18:33

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You good buddy?

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > blacktruck18 03/23/2016 at 18:41

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I hope the sarcasm wasn’t lost over the interwebs!

blacktruck18 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 03/23/2016 at 18:46

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At first it wasn’t, but you never responded to my comment so I thought something was up. I was thinking about it almost all afternoon. I was kinda sad.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > blacktruck18 03/23/2016 at 18:56

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I thought I had starred it earlier... hmm. Well I hope you lost sleep as well!

blacktruck18 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 03/23/2016 at 19:02

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No sleep was lost since I decided last night was a good night for drunken Algebra, between the delicious Malbec and radical expressions my brain was done by bedtime last night.

Also, ya ain’t that important big guy.

Frank Grimes > blacktruck18 03/24/2016 at 03:00

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Ohhhh makes sense.

wunderwagen wants a longer roof > blacktruck18 04/03/2016 at 23:55

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Very nice acquisition blackcar, I was confused briefly when I saw the name change. I would like to join the coalition but gave in early and bought a custom aluminum bracket for the Dart’s front plate.

How goes life and school?

blacktruck18 > wunderwagen wants a longer roof 04/04/2016 at 08:57

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Hey man, thank you very much.

Like is good, can’t complain. School is going good, I only have 5 weeks until I am ff for a month between the spring and summer semesters. How have you been?

wunderwagen wants a longer roof > blacktruck18 04/04/2016 at 09:10

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Life has been a bit interesting as of late. I’ve got 3 weeks until the semester and finals end for spring. The last day of which I'll be driving to Chicago for a small vacation after my last exam. Then 3 semesters straight until next summer, gonna have so much fun over the next year. On the bright side, I'm scheduled to finish undergrad in Spring 2018 after all this.