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Beat Up Old Suburban

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SaxMan

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I happen to know the seller of this vehicle, and know the vehicle a little bit. I've been mulling purchasing it off him, as he would come down from the $800 price point for me:

https://baltimore.craigslist.org/cto/5225351562.html

The things that appeal to me about this is that 1) It's four-wheel drive. I'd owned 4WD vehicles from 1996 - 2012 and you kind of get used that "Snow? What's that?" mentality. 2) It's large enough to handle the tandem bike without taking the wheels off. 3) It makes a good canvas for me to practice my bodywork skills, something I don't do particularly well. 4) With most major work on the Sprite done, it gives me a new project to take on. 5) For $800 how could you go wrong?

The downsides are 1) I really don't have room for it, I'd have to gravel up the side of my driveway to park it, and it would definitely have to go under a cover, as it would be an eyesore 2) It's a gas hog 3) I'm not sure how stout the Targetmaster 305 would be in moving a large vehicle like that along 4) My fear that this could turn into a money pit with little return...at least the Sprite is appreciating in value (although less than I've put into it!)

I haven't even broached the subject with Mrs. Saxman.
 
I'd say if the wife is in, then do it. With 4.11 gears that thing will do anything you need. As for being a money pit, isn't that where we live? :devilgrin: Set yourself a limit as to what you're willing to spend on it, and make that a realistic number and dive in.
 
I'm with Mickey set a number and don't go over it. Other than that though I see no reason to not go for it.
 
you can hang your sprite off the side like a lifeboat in case it breaks down. :highly_amused:
 
Unfortunately, Mrs. Saxman doesn't seem to like this idea very much. She thinks we have enough vehicles and would prefer the money be spent on fixing up the house so we can eventually move to a house in a school district that has a better special education program for our daughter. She's probably right, and as they say "Happy Wife, Happy Life".
 
SaxMan said:
She's probably right, and as they say "Happy Wife, Happy Life".
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Smart man.

Now, down the road, when you show up with that {fill-in-the-blank} that followed you home, you can reference this "sacrifice" you made for the good of the family! :angel::jester:
 
SaxMan said:
Unfortunately, Mrs. Saxman doesn't seem to like this idea very much. She thinks we have enough vehicles and would prefer the money be spent on fixing up the house so we can eventually move to a house in a school district that has a better special education program for our daughter. She's probably right, and as they say "Happy Wife, Happy Life".
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You could live in a Suburban that size, just sayin' :wink:
 
SaxMan said:
Unfortunately, Mrs. Saxman doesn't seem to like this idea very much. She thinks we have enough vehicles and would prefer the money be spent on fixing up the house so we can eventually move to a house in a school district that has a better special education program for our daughter. She's probably right, and as they say "Happy Wife, Happy Life".
Click to expand...

That special ed school issue is a tough one. Find a good one and your life will be considerably less stressful. Got to go with the Mrs on that.
 
It took my wife and I quite a while to find a school district that we were happy with the SpEd program for our oldest son. He is nineteen now and it made all the difference in the world. Lawton, where I teach, wanted to place him in a self contained class so we shopped around found a place that was more inclusive and we have never regretted the move (I don't even mind the 50 mile commute everyday).
 
We're currently in Montgomery County, Maryland, and have been less than pleased with the services. Trying to get additional services is like pulling teeth, and requesting a private placement is almost impossible unless you're prepared to drop $20 to $50k on a lawyer. At this point, Carroll County to the immediate north of us is the leading contender, but we've also received good feed back from parents in Frederick and Howard Counties. Best part of living where we currently live is that we are 10 miles or less from any of these counties, so it's only a short hop.

My daughter is in 6th grade, and the plan is to be in a new school district by the time she reaches high school. Our house is by no means ready for market, and the return on the improvements will definitely exceed the cost. We think we will need about 20k in improvements, but that we would get double that in return from being able to get a better asking price. The nice thing is that we've decided that the next house will HAVE to have a bigger garage, or even possibly an outbuilding that I can use as a shop, so that I can have the room to have something follow me home.
 
Sounds like you have a great plan, and it appears to be a win-win situation all around.

Good on ya!

:cheers:
Mickey
 
Having a building you can use as a shop or a big garage is always a good idea. I am always trying to think of a good place to build on at our house or looking at local properties I could get cheap enough to build a shop on.

I have no idea what the state laws are like in MD but if you ever have any questions about Federal Law in regards to SpEd feel free to shoot me a PM, I am a SpEd teacher and like I said my oldest son has cerebral palsy, so I have experience on both sides of it.
 
waltesefalcon said:
Having a building you can use as a shop or a big garage is always a good idea. I am always trying to think of a good place to build on at our house or looking at local properties I could get cheap enough to build a shop on.

I have no idea what the state laws are like in MD but if you ever have any questions about Federal Law in regards to SpEd feel free to shoot me a PM, I am a SpEd teacher and like I said my oldest son has cerebral palsy, so I have experience on both sides of it.
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Thanks, Walter. My wife is a special education aide, so we know the system from both ends, too. We really haven't dabbled too much with the Federal aspect, as our daughter is too young (And our income is to high) for SSDI eligibility. She is autistic/dyspraxic (basically non verbal other than saying one or two words together)
 
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