so Tuesday my work was rained out

[a.d._510_n_ok]

and me and the old lady hopped in her Grand Am and drove to Oklahoma City (about seventy miles north of where we live) to an import salvage that said they had the 280z rim I needed.

 

When we got there they said, "Huh - must be at our other shop." So I drove a few miles to their other shop and they didn't have it there either. I drove to seven other salvages and had no luck.

 

Finally, I just started calling tire and wheel shops all of whom said, "Nope, ain't got it." I then got a hold of a major tire shop who gave me a phone number and said, "If this guy doesn't have it it's not in OKC". Well, that guy didn't have it, said there were none in OKC and offered me $100 for my three. I said, "Nope!".

 

After seven hours in OKC, I looked at the old lady and said, "Watch this".

 

I took my cell phone, dialed 411 and got the number for a pickup truck salvage in this tiny, almost dead, podunk little town where we used to live (about twenty miles north of the Texas state line) and asked 'em if they had any Datsun (not Nissan) 280z's.

 

The salvage owner said, "Yep! Just got one in last week!".

 

I asked if it had alloy rims.

 

He said, "YEP!".

 

I asked if the rims kinda looked like WW1 German iron crosses.

 

He laughed and said, "By God they do!".

 

I asked him how much for one.

 

He ignored my question and said, "Who am I talking to?".

 

(Bear in mind that we moved away from this place in 2004 and have been back maybe three times in five years.)

 

I said, "Mike, this is Dwayne - I rented Blacky Cox's place for about seven years."

 

He said, "Why sure, Dwayne - I remember ya. Hell, $40 ought to be enough for you."

 

I told him I'd be there Friday or Saturday and he said that would be fine.

 

I took a vacation day today (Friday) and drove down there.

 

The salvage owner met me at the door and said, "Yeah, it's the white one - you can see it there next to that '36 Dodge truck. Hell, it runs and drive but it's a mild roll-over".

 

Interior on the thing was mint and the body (except the slightly smashed roof) was very nice. Mileage was like 175k.

 

Anyway, an employee pulled the rim (with center cap) for me and I told him I needed one lug nut and that I wanted the school booster plate off the front bumper.

 

The employee handed me three lug nuts (all that was on that rim) and I pulled the booster plate myself.

 

The employee loaded the rim and tire for me and I hand-carried my other treasures into the office to pay for 'em.

 

I showed the owner what all I was making off with, asked him how much for it and he said, "Ah, Dwayne, for you - $30 oughta make it work." :lol:

 

On the way home I stopped at a second salvage owned by an elderly feller that I've known and traded with since 1992 to scout out some 14' tires for the rims.

 

I found two almost new matching 185 65 14's on the back of a late model Neon.

 

I asked Vic (salvage owner) how much for the pair and he said, "Oh, $15 for the pair, Dwayne - if you pull 'em."

 

I then asked him, "So four of 'em would be..........?".

 

Vic looked at me like I was silly and said, "Well, that would be $30 wouldn't it, Dwayne....?".

 

I laughed and said, "Yeah, I reckon it would be, Vic."

 

I located two more real nice 185 65s on a '96 Mercury Tracer, pulled them + the two on the Neon and got a set of real nice tires for $30 so now I got a grand total of $60 in a full set of iron crosses with caps, lugs and tires.

 

Actually, I guess I got $80 in 'em 'cuz I gave my bud $20 for towing my free 280z to his place :lol:.

[ggzilla]

nice one

[Figbuck]

All the stars and the planets must be in alignment. Time to play a lottery ticket. :P