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"Bertha"
We decided she needed a hefty name... for the big, old, beat-up car that she is. Okay, so it's not exactly new...
I bought a 1999 Honda Civic from one of the teachers who is leaving Honduras. She is moving to Paraguay to teach and no longer needs her car. I've been without a car all year, which was WAY easier in Comayagua because you could walk anywhere, but virtually impossible to do without in Tegus, without paying for taxis to go everywhere.
Before I tell you about my car, let me tell you about how cars work down here:
*Most of the cars here are cars that were totaled in the States. They get shipped down here and then completely remodeled and sold for WAY more than they're worth
*The value of a car does not diminish with the miles or the year. For any car, you are looking at paying at least $3,000 regardless of its status
*You can most likely sell your car for as much as you buy it for, a few years later
*When you go to get your car fixed, it will come with all mixed matched parts from other places and cars
*Labour is cheap in Honduras
*Your logo for your car (ex. Honda symbol) will be stolen from your car if its only glued on, but have no fear; you can buy a new one (aka most likely stolen from someone else's car) for super cheap from the gas station and they will screw it on for you instead
*When getting your car fixed, they may purposely put some crappy old parts in your car so that you'll have to return again soon...
*Important to trust your mechanic
*Most Hondurans fill their radiators with water instead of coolant. This is cheaper but requires a weekly fill-up and careful attention to the heat gage of the engine. It may also lead to rusting out the piping systems in the car which lead to MORE repairs.
And this is where we begin the story of my car...
When a fellow teacher said she was selling her car, I jumped on it and said I wanted a car. I was so fed up with having to get taxis for things like taking Suki to the vet, going to get groceries, and taking horrible buses to Comayagua for visits to Walt's family and friends.
I hadn't seen her car, not did I need to. I wanted a car.
When we finally talked price, she asked for $3,500 for her 1999 Honda Civic, that had indeed been totaled in the States and she was the first to possess it since then. She'd been driving it for 4 years. She apparently paid $5,000 for it but had put a nice scratch it the side of it since then and said she got her miles and was willing to ask for "ONLY" $3,500.
I asked around and apparently this was a "GREAT" price. I didn't look at the car. I barely asked questions but told her I would do it.
So Friday I get my car... as her boyfriend is explaining things to me, I started thinking "what have I done?"
Here's what they told me:
- The Honda symbol on the back was stolen from the car
- The headlights don't match since one is the new one they replaced when they replaced my front bumper
- You need to use a different key to open the trunk and car door than the one that starts the car
- The jug we keep to fill the water in the radiator is in the trunk
- The passenger window doesn't work from the passenger side. You need to control it from your side
- The automatic locks don't always work so check your doors before going anywhere
- You can't lock the driver's door from the auto locks. You need to use the key (apparently a security feature to prevent locking your keys in the car)
- To pop the hood, just pull this string
- The gas door will not open if you pull it once. You need to hold it up until the guy who puts the gas in stops banging on your car for you to open it
Here's what I noticed:
- The VERY large scratch on the side
- The steering wheel that is flaking apart
- A dent on the top like a soccer ball landed on the roof
- A long horizontal dent across the front of the hood
- The clean interior but the STRONG scent of some gross car freshener
And you know what? Apparently this is normal. Every one of my friends who has a car here says this is how it works. Wonderful. lol. I plan on getting a cover for my steering wheel, a nice smelling air freshener, and labeling my 2 keys so I know which one is for which thing. I want to tint the windows so no one can see it's a white girl driving the car. I also plan on paying a mechanic to put coolant in the radiator instead of water. OH DEAR!
All this aside, I am SUPER happy to have a car. After school got out Friday (last day!), I drove Sarah K, Walt and I to the mall to cancel our cable (since we're moving) and have some lunch. I also drove around the girls that night for our girl's night out. It means I can't be drinking, but this saving of money on beer will help pay for the gas 😉
Yesterday Walt needed to go get blood-work done to prove he doesn't have HIV/AIDS to a very potential job. Yes, this is total discrimination and RIDICULOUS but at least I had a car to drive him around! Drove Kallie to the airport to catch her flight too. We also drove to the bank and the grocery store and all those places we've been taking taxis to.
Freedom is a wonderful thing!
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Uncle Wally
Wayne Willett
Congrats on the new car
Hope everything goes good with the new car. I'm sure it will open the door for a lot of new adventures. Have fun and enjoy yourself. Keep the blogs coming. Love you. Uncle Wayne