|
That was pretty cool Bill. Happy Holidays!
alex Wm. R. Ulman wrote: ----------------- http://www.imperialclub.com ----------------- This message was sent to you by the Imperial Mailing List. Please reply to mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and your response will be shared with everyone. Private messages (and attachments) for the Administrators should be sent to webmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To UN-SUBSCRIBE, go to http://imperialclub.com/unsubscribe.htmThank you for this day, for being alive, free, healthy, an Imperial owner (still), the best of friends I value that I have made by merely owning a specific Marque. Thankful for a high metabolism that will allow me eat as much as I want, without cooking it all, cleaning it all, or being compelled to force myself to throw it all up (no offence, just my dark humor), and most likely given leftovers to take home for the cats who will undoubtedly, unintentionally, almost take a digit of one of my fingers as they snatch, and inhale the turkey I feed them by hand. Three things I want to share with you all. 1.) While touring the website, I went to the registry, and looked up statistics, and this may seem silly, or outright trivial to some, but I was immediately aware of how people rate their own cars. Not withstanding the rating score going up to 7, rather than the benchmark 5, and without getting into what the description of 6, or 7 is, I noticed and was impressed by the majority of folks who rate their car as a #3 condition car. A 20 footer, a driver, older restoration, or good condition original, or a mix of both, like mine. The reason I mention it, and what I noticed about #3 cars is the number of them. Take a look: http://www.imperialclub.com/cgi-bin/registry/reg_stats.pl I thought, at least, this an ironic Imperial trivia statistic. 440 cid wise, that is. 2.) Over the past couple of months I have had many stresses in my life, none of which anyone else need, or should probably give a rip about, but to me, significant. My current condo being torn apart, inside, and out by a construction company that is on my balcony by 7:00 a.m. each morning. Pounding, ripping, yelling, and basically seeing right into my unit. Bear in mind I have a studio, or efficiency, or even a Buffet, whichever name a one room unit goes by in your home region. Therefore my life is like a fishbowl every morning. The building wrapped in a cocoon to keep moisture off the building (this is Seattle), so no light, or much fresh air for the past 3 months, and at least 3 more to go. I will never take getting ready for work (showered and dressed) for granted again. Boy in the bubble thing. It's awful, but in the end, this building will be ascetically, or otherwise considered a new building, less current appliances. I have bet the farm as well that it's value will shoot up at least 30%, and hopefully, as we have been told by the architect, construction company, our litigation lawyer, and my real estate agent, up to 50% more the day it is completed. That would make my down payment on my new condo realized, and final financing assured. The current refi I just received got the earnest money hurdle over with, and I can keep my car for now at least, depending on what I actually can sell my current home for in the end. That is several stresses rolled into one package. The ill fated attempt to sell my car taught me a lot about prospective buyers, myself, my car, and how much I value owning an Imperial, especially a convertible. I have had a '62, '63, '60 vert, and currently my '66 vert. My '66 vert is not as purely factory original as my '63 was from the original owner. The '62 was a parts car I bought with rose colored glasses on, and was my first one, which in the end delivered me to the kindly, ancient, quickly fading in his 80's original owner of the '63 Custom, who wanted the car to be loved and cared for, so he sold to me for a song, even while some guy with a flatbed was pissed off in the background who had offered him twice as much as he sold me the car for. That is another story about how Imperial owners really choose who they pass on the torch to when the proper time comes to sell. It's a funny story. I'll share it with anyone who writes me about it. From there came the '60 vert. A basket case, but again rose colored glasses, and $25K minimum invested over 4 years, without the benefit of this website, which ultimately resulted in it's sale over a part I knew not where to get, to finally get me delivered to my current '66 vert. This car has really been my favorite in the big picture, despite missing the ostentatiousness of the '60, the Jetson's-esk dash of the '62 & '63, along with the pod headlamps. The '66 is really what I remember, actually being cognizant of as a small kid, and seeing driven, and owned by my father's friends, and associates, as well as all other premium cars from the mid '60's forward. The blue/white/white top/wide white tires being my favorite. In the end I had it sold, just hours short of the wire transfer, my mind overruling my gut instinct that this was not what I should be doing, until the engine not being the original 440 it, transformed my car into a pumpkin to the buyer, and further concessions were demanded, which I panicked and almost gave into, until some list members stepped in on my behalf to vouch for the quality of my car. I nearly sold it for less than it's lowest worst case, actual book value, much less than what I at least, value it at, which would have made me regret it the moment I signed off on the title. déjà vu of my '70 Olds 4-4-2 Convertible when I was 23. My current condo, new condo, financial standing to qualify, my lower than average (work for a non-profit) income, and being beaten up about my car by the last person who in the end was both demanding, and begging for my car, at a discount, after twice saying it was over, he had found another car, but each time, came back trying to snatch my Doris using my financial insecurity, exchange rate, shipping as weapons. Through sound advise, and Imperial personal testimonials, I knew I had a rare gem, decided to take a huge leap of faith that in the end I can really have it all, a better home I should not be able to afford, and my Imperial that it took me 11 years of learning, sharing, sacrifice, and at one long stretch of time, car payments on a 37 year old car, to get where I am today. Rare Imperial convertible, paid for, west coast rust free, never wrecked, well running, dependable, unique, strong #3 desirable car. Today, I am grateful for many things, the above is just a portion I wanted to share with my fellow Imperialists. Hopefully you don't consider it TMI. 3.) A poem I wrote when I was 12 about my family's cars. Copy-righted 1973, W.R. Ulman: Geoffrey has a heavy Chevy, He likes to drive by the levy, It drinks enough gas, When it tries to pass, A Chevy van that's twice as heavy. Granny has a Cutlass, Ha, Ha, To her I always say "Bah". It may have tinted glass, But it eats lots of gas, So to her I always say, "Ha!" Donny has a great Bonneville, It's so sick that it needs a big pill, As he drives down the road, It guzzles a load, Because it really is ill. Mom had a Dodge, a Colt, Sometimes it drops a big bolt, It rattles, and scattles, But she always battles, To drive it without a big jolt. But mine is the best of them all, It eats no gas, water, or oil, The power is mine, It drives very fine, For a bike, which sometimes I fall. __________________ May you all count your blessings, discount your troubles, and have a very happy Thanksgiving! Bill Ulman Seattle, WA '66 Crown Convertible Coupe named Doris Day, with plates that read: FIT4AQN ----------------- http://www.imperialclub.com ----------------- This message was sent to you by the Imperial Mailing List. Please reply to mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and your response will be shared with everyone. Private messages (and attachments) for the Administrators should be sent to webmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To UN-SUBSCRIBE, go to http://imperialclub.com/unsubscribe.htm |
Back to the Home of the Forward Look Network