my life as a gearhead part V - Nouveau riche

I now had a steady job and a decent pay for the first time of my life.
I had been riding a lot, spent a few years without a car, left home in the morning on a dry road to reach the job in the snow, or noticing that the roundabout was covered with 1 inch of ice as I was already cornering.
Still riding the rex, i decided it was time I went back on 4 wheels for the winter. maybe THAT was it, my new big chance to buy some REALLY cool wheels.

I've always been a fan of full size US classics... satellite, LTD, polara, and most of all of muscle cars. Now I knew there was no way I could use or even buy a charger, challenger, barracuda, but I though a full size rear wheel drive could be affordable.
here in europe, there are several factors agains't US cars:
gas prices
taxes
size
import

the most perfect solution is a hearse. there is a long lasting tradition of american hearses. so most of the impala's you can find are ex hearses, because grave diggers do not pay taxes.
so the solution would be
- gas prices - LPG conversion
- taxes - register the ex hearse as a commercial break
- size - I used to be a truck driver. I won't use it much anyway.

but I could not find any real bargain and the winter was coming, so one night, in discouragment, I quicly decided for a more reasonnable 1989 Buick Regal. it looked like new the day I bought it.
ok, it was a V6 and not a V8, it was a front wheel drive and not a rear wheeldrive, and it was medium and not full, not classic in anyway.
so theorically, I should have bought it.


1989 buick regal
2,8 V6
power to weight ratio:
about 3400 Lbs / 140 SAE, you must be joking.
less than 1/12

eh. I souldn't have. it sucked. it was as old as the monzTa, but it was american and not german, so after a few month and a lot of new bits and pieces (brakes, shoks and every sort of pipe you can imagine), the furutistic (for 1989) pseudo digital dashboard was blinking about all the time, abs wouldn't work, windows wouldn't open or close, the stereo would be stuck on maximum volume, untill it began to start only when it would feel like starting, blame the oh so cool gear stick at the steering wheel. this and some shave monkey decided to invade iraq and the gas price doubled.

so after a year and a half (my average) I gave away the big sinkink boat on ebay.
no reserve, one buyer. cheap. i knew I wouldn't get any money back anyway.
end of the american dream.
back on full time two wheels.
time to save money for the next bike.