I need a car...

I just got rid of one loan I couldn't afford...

...I couldn't afford to plate, insure, or keep gas in the '95 Mercury I bought from my grandmother. I'm going to be out of college, broke, and no income.

So, Monday morning, I sold the Mercury to a stripper (yup) and set out to buy a new car by the end of the day with 3 things in place:

1)Cheap
2)Fuel Economy
3)Cheap (also something cool would be nice)

Craigslist, here I come!

After spending the day emailing aobut several cars and hitting a lot of dead ends (or dead cars), I finally spoke to someone with a cheap car that "ran and drove." Two catches...it was a manual (never driven one), and I'd basically never heard of it. It was a Saab.

Wikipedia, Google Images, Youtube: Jackpot! I think watching the Saab stunt driving team commercials from the 80's was what did it for me.

Not only was it a unique car that no one I know has ever heard of, it was (supposedly) in good shape! For an '86 anything to be in decent shape in Michigan was something special itself.

Long story short though, I drove an hour to see it, at night. Liked it, despite the smashed in passenger rear door. Talked the guy down from $800. Bought it and drove home.

This is what she looked like after the first wash in my driveway.

Total spent to date: $500.