The Millennium Falcon of Used Cars!

Like the Millennium Falcon (ok, maybe an X-Wing), this car has seen a lot of love, had a lot of great adventures and has traveled all over the galaxy (sc. central Texas). Just like in Star Wars, the vehicle shows many signs of completely authentic distressing, adding to the sense of unparalleled realism, from a generous crack in the front bumper, to an unusually large dent on the right rear panel of unknown origin. Its light speed days are over, as the hyperdrive is basically non-existent. The motor needs to be replaced or completely rebuilt due to internal gasket failure, resulting in oil and coolant leaks. The radiator recently cracked, reducing the range of the vehicle to about 7 miles before the coolant needs to be refilled. With a new radiator, the coolant would still need to be refilled every few hundred miles, and it burns oil at a rate of 2 quarts every hundred miles or so. The tires are at their life limit, and there are several parts of the suspension that need replacing. The driver’s side window motor is going out, lower it all the way down at your own risk. I’m putting back in the factory radio, which is incompatible with the existing speakers. The interior leather is nicely worn, and many of the interior plastic pieces are deteriorating. There is some sort of short that happens when shifting into gear, which has been handled with a resettable fuse in order to protect the transmission computer. The transmission itself has been replaced and is around 6 years old. The cruise control function stopped working a while ago. No major accidents! Only rear ended once for a mild fender bender.

Yet, despite all this, it somehow drives really well, with excellent acceleration and handling (while the coolant levels remain high enough). The A/C still works, and keeps the interior nice and cool even in the Texas heat. And when it cools off, the sunroof slides open smoothly after only the slightest of pushes. The vehicle itself still draws compliments from friends, family, acquaintances and strangers, from the sensual curves of the body to the deep opalescent white coloring, still in excellent condition from being stored in a garage or under shady structures for most of its life, and the shiny spidery aftermarket wheels, which are probably worth more than the entire rest of the vehicle. Discontinued in 1999, this is one of the last of its kind, and I’m sad to see it go. I seriously debated repairing everything and giving it another lease on life, but sadly my life is going in another direction these days and this sort of vanity project is beyond my current means.

So I offer this opportunity to another, take this broken X-wing and teach it once again to fly! CarMax is willing to give me a few hundred dollars for this quarter-of-a-million-mile miracle, I will take any best offer above that. Drive away with a fading classic, if you are brave enough, or have it towed straight to your favorite mechanic!