Not only is it where I find my beater cars it's where I get unlicensed help!!!
Last friday bought another clunker... needs exhaust, charged battery, alternator, rust work... but it's the rare wagon body style of my car and lots of sedans out there can supply needed whatever. Logistics kicked me in the nether regions though and I wasn't able to get to it in a timely manner with the trunk full of tools and spare parts it deserves. Snow is forecast and I promised the PO I'd get it out so he could plow around it.
So I posted in the "automotive help" section that I wanted a tow, 32 miles, and there was $80 cash in it for whomever could do it. (If I couldn't have it done that cheap I'd have made time to get up there.) Some 20ish year old kid answered my ad; he is presently looking to buy his first tow truck but has "scrapped 1500 cars" using his pickup truck and equipment trailer. Uses a come-along to yank dead stuff up his trailer ramps.
Told him I had no key with the car and the car had no motivation but at least the wheel was straight and tires held air. He said he'd check to see if he could get in to load it.
He calls me unexpectedly (when I'm at work!) with the excited announcement that he got into the prior owners driveway just fine and already loaded my car! Great, say I, and he plugs my home address in his GPS and is on his way. His payment hidden in another vehicle on my property.
Wife calls and this goofball is backed in crooked and would really like the key to unlock the steering wheel. Alas, it's with me, as the dude said he didn't need it. So he rolls my car straight down the ramp in the dark at night with no working headlights or anything. Lack of power brakes might have suprised him as he ran over my (ice) sand bucket.
This is great! My $80 went right in someone's pocket for doing a couple hours' work. Nothing skimmed off for "the man"! Kid said he had something going the other way so this backhaul was very efficient for him. Maybe I'll get him a little closer to his goal of a real tow truck too!
So does anyone ever hire help through CL? Movers? Painters? Etc. It's already the awesomest way to get a real cheap car/tow...
Last friday bought another clunker... needs exhaust, charged battery, alternator, rust work... but it's the rare wagon body style of my car and lots of sedans out there can supply needed whatever. Logistics kicked me in the nether regions though and I wasn't able to get to it in a timely manner with the trunk full of tools and spare parts it deserves. Snow is forecast and I promised the PO I'd get it out so he could plow around it.
So I posted in the "automotive help" section that I wanted a tow, 32 miles, and there was $80 cash in it for whomever could do it. (If I couldn't have it done that cheap I'd have made time to get up there.) Some 20ish year old kid answered my ad; he is presently looking to buy his first tow truck but has "scrapped 1500 cars" using his pickup truck and equipment trailer. Uses a come-along to yank dead stuff up his trailer ramps.
Told him I had no key with the car and the car had no motivation but at least the wheel was straight and tires held air. He said he'd check to see if he could get in to load it.
He calls me unexpectedly (when I'm at work!) with the excited announcement that he got into the prior owners driveway just fine and already loaded my car! Great, say I, and he plugs my home address in his GPS and is on his way. His payment hidden in another vehicle on my property.
Wife calls and this goofball is backed in crooked and would really like the key to unlock the steering wheel. Alas, it's with me, as the dude said he didn't need it. So he rolls my car straight down the ramp in the dark at night with no working headlights or anything. Lack of power brakes might have suprised him as he ran over my (ice) sand bucket.
This is great! My $80 went right in someone's pocket for doing a couple hours' work. Nothing skimmed off for "the man"! Kid said he had something going the other way so this backhaul was very efficient for him. Maybe I'll get him a little closer to his goal of a real tow truck too!
So does anyone ever hire help through CL? Movers? Painters? Etc. It's already the awesomest way to get a real cheap car/tow...
