I'm still in Iraq and will be until the last week of October. However, I've been monitoring Autotrader and Craigslist since I found out my redeploy date and pulled the trigger on a vehicle today. Called in and put a deposit down. On the 12th my wife and my mechanic friend are going to ensure its condition and pick it up for me.



Its a really out of my box kind of purchase. I'm not a big fan of SUVs and was originally looking for a truck. But being a Marine and in Eastern NC owning a truck leads to pissing matches that end in 4" lifts and driving down the highway with mud tires everyday. I wanted something different.



I needed something that could carry a small desk if I found one I liked at an antique store. I wanted something that was capable of driving to the Outer Banks to include fitting on the ferry, driving out onto the beach, and then taking us to a shirt and tie dinner later that evening. This vehicle is perfect. In addition it has the tow capacity to move around my 1987 BMW M6 restoration project on a flatbed trailer.



The interior is so excessive and eccentric its fun. I was lucky enough to find the 16" tires instead of the 18". Also one of the few options it doesn't have equipped is the air ride suspension which I didn't want.

The carfax came back and showed a ton of required dealer maintenance, which is reassuring. It also showed that it was a one owner car from New Rochelle, NY which explains why it looks like its never seen anything but asphalt. So long as its not a rust bucket it should be a slam dunk.

I'm excited. This is something totally different for me. And it green lights the M6 project as I don't need it as a DD anymore. The gas mileage is terrible but I live 6 miles from work and we use our 330Xi for anything that takes us as far as I-95. Since BMW can't be bothered to make an SUV that can drive in sand this is as close as I can get to preserving my fanboyism.

The only downside is I can't drive it for a few more weeks.

I've been lurking here for a while, even before I signed up. There is lots of great stuff here and I appreciate everyone that contributed to this knowledge bank. I look forward to coming home and doing the 60K service (it has 72K on the clock, might as well be safe) which I hope will make it outlast my USMC career.

 

nice truck!!! thanx for the pics don't forget the drive shaft rebuild along with the 60k service you read about. good luck soldier!

 

good luck on your purchase!