IMR: Things: 1991 Ford Taurus

1991 Ford Taurus Purchased July 4, 2003 — 51,000 Miles Currently — 51,500 Miles

This maroon 1991 Ford Taurus, named "Maggie" by my wife and daughter, was bought on the 4th of July. Although twelve years old at the time, it was a one-owner ride, with only 51,000 miles, an immaculate interior, and very little wear overall. We picked it up for under $3,000 to liberate my wife from the horrors of public transportation (which is good in Honolulu, but increasingly expensive, decreasingly convenient, and no picnic with two kids in tow). Maggie's arrival meant we had officially entered the "two-car family" demographic, as she joins my 1995 Dodge Caravan in the Ozawa fleet. The purchase was also rationalized by saying she could be a shared loaner between my wife and I and my mom and my brother, who share a car that was not coincidentally stolen just prior to the car shopping mission. Like the Caravan, this car was tracked down and researched online. It was one of fifteen candidates I had identified, all of which I had meticulously profiled in a spreadsheet with dozens of details. As the field was narrowed, I then hit CarFax with a few VINs to weed out any junkers. It took a week (and a once-over by my dad) to verify it was a winner. The dealer was Servco's Toyota City in Mapunapuna, and our salesman was Jim Lazo.

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