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saving a friend |
part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4
This page dedicated to the progression of restoring my 1993 Amigo ...part 1
the accidents
Bad 1999 holiday season for me - November 17, 1999
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| LA = cell phones & tight traffic don't mix . Pay attention asshole. | Bumper to bumper traffic on the damn 405! Holiday rush has started.. | Amigo held up okay with just a buckled tailgate. My neck is another story, whiplash. |
December 30, 1999
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2 accidents in 2 months & neither one my fault. Damn it! Just when I finish paying it off, everyone is aiming for it. In the last 6 mo. I have put new tires, new clutch, replaced the rear main seal, re-pack the wheel bearings & a major 90k tune up....almost $2000 worth of maintenance & now this. |
| Y2k desert bonfire. New Years weekend, Old geezer broad-sided me. | All loaded up with camping gear on the way to the desert. Just stopping to get firewood. |
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$4,800 estimate on damage (all body) Old Town Collision SD they let it rain inside my car on NYr weekend without even throwing a plastic tarp over it |
On the second wreck the insurance comany decided to 'total it'. NO........ not my baby the memories I just could not bear to think of my car rusting away in a salvage yard. It has way too much life left in it. The Amigo
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My estimated trip log with this vehicle looks like this: Sequoia NF- 8 times |
January 07, 2000
car shopping
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 $3000 for 1990 Amigo 4WD - no tranny? 180,000 mi. 2 shades of red paint ... accident ? Only 3 used Amigos for sale in all of SAN DIEGO county. |
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Start searchin' for a new vehicle.. Trooper 4WD - |
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January 08, 2000
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the examination Just hit 100k mi. & it's running so well. I was devastated about the
news. My pal Marcelo saw the pictures on line and said "
it doesn't look totaled, I'm coming down to San Diego to look
at this weekend". And just like a true friend Marcelo was
by my side convincing me my Amigo is definitely worth saving.
Went to the body Shop that gave the first estimate and examined
the wrecked baby. |
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| Test drove a new Amigo & went into "sticker shock"... I just got finished with payments last year. |
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My vehicle expert & great friend Marcelo from LA |
January 11, 2000
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inspection I was determined to see if my car drives okay. So I replaced my tire with a new one, drove it off the lot, like nothing was wrong.. drives great!!! -better double check it at a suspension shop. It passed with flying colors, no bent axles, nothing wrong with the drivability or the frame structure. Okay ....maybe the rim could stand to be replaced eventually. |
Insurance company gave me decent cash for my totaled car & then I bought it back at a salvage price; now it's mine to do with what I wish. I plan on keeping it as long as it lives & never selling it, so I am not concerned with the DMV 'salvage title'. I am just glad its back home. |
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January 23, 2000
it's way drivable
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Yes, it looks like it went to hell & back, but it drives perfectly fine. Putting a lot of miles (800+) on this totaled car. Went out to El Centrofor the day , to visit my brother who drives real 'rigs' cross country. |
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Even took it for a spin in the desert with my trucker brother & wife. Off roadin & all. Stopped at the middle of nowhere Mt.Signal cafe. |  |
Now, let's go find a reasonable body shop & search the wrecking yards for body parts....
part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4
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