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Here I am with my little dream-come-true car. |
Back in the 1970's the Bertone styling of the Fiat X1/9 caught my eye. Ever since then I quietly thought that someday I would own one. In November 1997 I bought this 1982 X1/9. It took about a year to find it, and here is how it happened: Occasionally I would check the classifieds of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat and The San Francisco Chronicle. When I saw an X1/9 being offered for sale in the Bay Area, and the description sounded promising, I would clip the classified ad out of the paper and wait about two weeks. After waiting I would call to see if the X1/9 was still available. Perhaps you're wondering why I waited? The reason is quite simple: I only wanted the car if God wanted me to have it, and I figured my dream car would wait for me to come get it, if it was really meant for me. The first X1/9 which was still available, after my self-imposed delay, was in San Francisco. I went to check it out, but I could see that it was a bit too run down and rusty for me. It was not my dream car. A couple of months later another X1/9 was still waiting for me to check it out. This time it was nearby, in Santa Rosa. When I went to see it, it was love at first sight! It was well taken care of, had no rust, and it had a tan interior, which is my preference. The engine started up right away, as if it were new, and during a brief test drive the gears shifted nicely, and the car handled beautifully. The couple who sold it to me had recently purchased their own dream car -- a relatively new Camaro, and the X1/9 was now their third car, and they wanted only two. We settled on a price we both liked and I promised to return with a cashier's check. They were very pleased to sell their X1/9 to someone who would take good care of it. They could see that for me it was a dream-come-true. In my mind the car belongs to God, and I am its happy steward -- taking care of it and using it during this lifetime. |
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