Finally picked up a new ride. Got a 2001 Audi A4 for a steal! Had to put a little work into it, but I think it is well worth it. I can see where the German fascination comes in. Even this old, lowly car has a bite on the road. The handling is crisp and makes the driving experience much more interactive. The fun part is having a turbo and AWD at the helm. I could get used to this set up. I was lucky enough to stumble upon an awesome mechanic to take care of the car too. He's a former Audi master tech who is now doing part-time jobs while he takes care of his two sons. I almost envy him when he's under the hood working on it. So far, completed the timing belt and water pump, various PCV valves and hosing, transmission fluid. Next up is a new radiator and heater core flush. Either way, he agrees the car is in very good condition and that I really came out ahead on the price of the car, SCORE! I already bought a pair of HID lights to drop in. Next will be new speakers and a new radio head unit with bluetooth. The upgrade bug has hit hard. I'm hoping for a set of Audi rims along the way too. I'll be thinking twice about lower the car because I've seen what the East coast roads and Winter have done to various cars around here. Don't see a lot of lowered Civics surviving the Winter. I'm hoping the AWD gets me through all that junk this year.
New windows in the apartment and I can already tell the difference. The coolness stays in the apartment, which means less A/C needed. More importantly, this should also translate into more heat during the Wintertime, which is going to be huge. No more incessant heater running day and night to keep the place above 60F. We might actually be warm in the apartment this time around.
Wife is home. Not a bad day.
