posted 05-11-2004 05:48 AM                  

I am happy to announce that we have recently joined your ranks as Prowler owners. We purchased a 2001 Silver in Pueblo, CO and drove it back to northern California over Easter weekend. I only wish that I would have read these forums earlier to get to know y'all and maybe met up with some fellow Prowler owners on the way back.

The story of Easter weekend is one that my friends keep begging me to retell, which I happily do. I thought that I'd share it with y'all, but I must warn you, it is very long, and may not translate well via text or without alcohol. So, I will put it in separate posts so that it's easier to skip, or read in sessions, just in case. While some of it may sound like bad luck, I wouldn't change any of it. Even the difficult parts were a blast. Every time I tell it, I have to fight laughter to get the words out. So without further ado, here it is.

-Dan

P.S. I love this site and I'm happy to be part of it.

posted 05-11-2004 05:55 AM                  

I almost purchased a 2001 Silver back in 2001, but given the economy at the time, we decided to hold off and lease a lesser vehicle. Well, the lease expired and naturally we began searching for the coveted Prowler once again.

We kept our eyes open on the auction sites, local classifieds throughout the country, etc. in hopes of finding a Prowler for a good price. Unfortunately, most of the Prowlers for sale were low mileage and demanded a premium as a result. We had planned on using it as a daily driver, so we were looking for something without such a large premium. Luckily, we saw a 2001 Silver on eBay with around 30k miles. We called the owner, agreed on the price, and I wired him the deposit.

Now, here is where it gets interesting. My fiance and I decided that Easter weekend would be an ideal time to fly from San Francisco to Pueblo, CO and have fun driving it back. So we got the airline tickets and were about to get an "official check" from the bank for the balance of the car. It dawned on us that this was to be Easter weekend (i.e., no banks would be open in Colorado when we arrived), and even an official check can be canceled if we claimed that it was lost. If I were the guy, I know I wouldn't let the car go until I had the money in my greedy little hands, and being the guy that I am, I wasn't about to wire him all the money until I made sure the car was in good shape. What is a person to do?

So I drive to my local branch of my bank and withdraw tens of thousands of dollars in cash. For those who are wondering, yes, $100 is the largest denomination banks carry. Also, just in case you need some useless trivia, $5000 worth of $100 bills is approximately 1 inch thick.

So the teller goes in the back to have the machine count out a bunch of cash. He then brings the stacks of cash out to me and counts it for me. I then took the cash and counted it myself (I felt like a drug lord in a movie). Now it occurs to me that I have to transport this huge stack of cash to my car outside. I ask if they have a spare money bag or something to put the money in. It turns out that all they have is a big CLEAR plastic bag. Errr? great?.

So, now I'm more paranoid then I've ever been in my life. I look over at the bank guard and he looks at me like, "Good luck... you'll need it." So after I get out of the bank, I'm torn between "Do I sprint to my car, look like a bank robber, and get tackled by a bunch of people" or "Do I walk to my car with a baggie full of hundreds, and get tackled by a bunch of muggers?" I still don't remember what I did, but I made it to the car then made it home (where I proceeded to count the money three more times).

posted 05-11-2004 05:59 AM                  

While packing for our flight, I got the brilliant idea to vacuum seal the money into a bricklike form. Amazingly, it made the stack less than half its original size and gave me some added piece of mind. Now for another decision, do I put it in a carryon, or do I put it in my pocket? I was overruled by my fiance and the money ended up in my carry-on.

We get to the airport where, naturally, we were dropped off at the wrong terminal (I hate SFO). By the time we made it to the eTicket kiosk, we were running late. Of course we all know what the airlines do for passengers running late. That's right, full search. Woohoo!!!

So, we wait in line for about 30 min with several other people who look even more suspicious than us. I felt much safer after they confiscated the emery board from the 70+ year old lady in front of us.

Finally it's our turn. They put me and my fiance as far from each other as possible. We take off our shoes, coats, turn our pockets out, get patted down, they empty our bags, then they found it.... Yes. A large stack of vacuum sealed hundred dollar bills. Now the 3 guards become 7. "Son, how much money you have in here?" I tell him, and I get the distinct impression that if I would have said anything higher, I would have never seen my family again. As it was, he looked at me and grudgingly said, "Move on."

Now, shoeless and with our pockets turned out, we rush to repack our bags and make our flight. (Don't you think for a moment that I didn't check 5 times to make sure I had my brick o' cash.) We made the flight, and landed a bit later in Salt Lake where it was cold and snowy. Immediately, we saw the flaw in our plan. There are seasons in the rest of the country! Spend 6 years in California, even after spending the entire other part of your life in places like Pittsburgh and Boston, you totally forget about seasons.

So, while we were waiting for them to fix our broken plane in Salt Lake, we decided to change our route home. We would head south, go through New Mexico, Arizona, hit Barstow and Bakersfield, then head north to San Francisco. That should give us ample convertible time - after all, it's a desert. Finally, after a couple hours in Salt Lake, we got a replacement plane, flew to a snowy Colorado Springs, and took a minivan to our future Prowler.

posted 05-11-2004 06:01 AM                  

We arrive at the seller's house. There in the garage is our prize. The seller shows us the car in great detail. Points out a scratch that he told us about over the phone (man, it was tiny - I never would have seen it), and talks about the car. Man, this car doesn't look like it has 5k miles, let alone 30k miles. Absolutely beautiful. We got a deal!!!

So we went inside where I presented him with a brick of cash. He cut it open and proceeded to count it yet again. When he finished, he realized that he was now in possession of a big stack of cash with the banks closed, and became as paranoid as I had once been (ok, maybe not *that* paranoid, but he was a bit nervous). He then put the money in his safe, we took care of the paperwork, and we drove off in our new 2001 Silver.

Unfortunately, it starts snowing again soon after we leave. So, we drive nice and slow, knowing that when we hit New Mexico, the desert will be warm enough to put the top down and cruise back home. How sweet it is.

posted 05-11-2004 06:05 AM                  

We drive through snowy Colorado, knowing that Denver has been hit with a foot of snow and more is coming, filled with anticipation of sunny New Mexico. When we hit the border, I'll be a monkey's uncle if it isn't still snowing. I thought New Mexico was supposed to be a sunny and hot desert. Oh well, at least the snow has slowed to a trickle.

Our goal was to hit Albuquerque late evening and turn in there. When we went through Las Vegas, NM a bit after 6pm we had little doubt that we'd make it. Five miles west of Las Vegas, NM is when it started. I like to call it "The Great Desert Blizzard on Easter Weekend 2004 When I was Driving a Rear-wheel Drive Prowler" (I need to shorten the name I think).

The snow was pouring down. We slowed to a crawl, trying not to lose control. What should have been a "less than 1 hour drive to Santa Fe" turned into an "over 3 hour drive to Santa Fe."

We wisely decide to stay in Santa Fe for the night instead of trying to continue on to Albuquerque. After we got a room, we drove to this swank drive-in burger place that the hotel manager recommended. The problem was that the gentleman who placed the speakers where you parked, never planned on a Prowler using them, as they were about 30 inches in front of the door. But who cares, those were some tasty burgers.

posted 05-11-2004 06:08 AM                  

When we woke up the next morning, not only was the snow gone, but it was actually 60 degrees. Needless to say, the top went down, and life was good.

The reddish highways and the turquoise-trimmed overpasses added to the ambiance of the day. It was Easter Sunday and a beautiful day for cruising. It seemed that everyone who we passed or passed us, took a good look at the kat. We had one car buzz us, slow down about half a mile ahead of us to let us catch up, then had a small boy in the back snapping pictures of the car with a smile permanently affixed to his face.

The only downside of the day was that Stuckey's was closed. My fiance has never been to a Stuckey's, and I feel she has somehow missed out on a piece of Americana. How can you have been on a long trip as a child and not get a toy, a coloring book, and an unknown substance that they call "Pecan Log"? But alas, she will need to wait for another trip on another day.

We picked up a few souvenirs in New Mexico before crossing the border into Arizona, The Painted Desert, and The Petrified Forest. We stopped in the Navajo reservation to pick up even more souvenirs for a bargain.

A bit later, we stopped for gas, and a young blonde lady came running up to me to tell me how cool my car was. I think the car was an excuse to get a closer look at my windswept hair and my devilishly good looks, but my friends unanimously agree that she truly was interested in the car.

We made a slight detour in Williams, AZ to ride on Route 66 and have dinner at Cruisers Cafe. The people of Williams are great. People would stop and compliment the car. We even had a few ask to take pictures.

So, we drove out of Arizona and into California under the stars and stopped for the night in Barstow. I may not have been able to make lamb for dinner on this Easter, but it was one of the finest Easters I can remember.

posted 05-11-2004 06:10 AM                  

Woke up in Barstow to 70+ degree temperatures. We arrived at Bakersfield and decided that even though the previous owner had changed the oil and got the scheduled maintenance, it wouldn't be a bad idea if we got the full treatment. So we got a transmission flush, a radiator flush, new air filter, etc. I think we made the mechanics' day by stopping in. We got the royal treatment and even a free hand wash.

The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful, with the exception of the CHP officer who pulled us over (we weren't speeding or doing anything illegal) to ask what kind of car it was and what was under the hood. We stopped at a few orchards and just enjoyed the 80-90 degree weather until we arrived home that night. What a great weekend, and what a good story that came out of it.

Since then, we've started doing the mods. We started with front guards and front ceramic disk brakes. Next was the Bosch Platinum+4s. If y'all don't know about these, I can't recommend them enough. The power difference for us was night and day. We then removed the sun visors (seemed mostly pointless anyway), and installed a front plate bracket from carnuts.com.

Well, that's it for my novel. I hope you enjoyed it, or at least it helped you to fall asleep at night.

-Dan

posted 05-11-2004 07:00 AM                  

Totally Excellent Story!! Can't wait until you start writing sequels to your adventures in your new Kat...

Next Chapter? We are having a 'Sonoma County Mini Cruise' this Saturday, May 15th...Come Join Us!!

Meet at Krispy Kreme in Santa Rosa (Hearn Ave exit off 101) from 8-9 am...9 am cruise through some Sonoma County horse and wine land ... 10 am stop at a pre-1972 car show...special 'corral' parking for the Prowlers...old western style buildings, world's largest auto oil can/bottle/container collection (well, SOMEBODY had to have the largest collection!!), and more...noon short cruise up to our house in Windsor for lunch ... 1 pm cruise resumes through old town Windsor, Healdsburg, out to the coast, back through small interior towns and Redwoods, ending up in Cotati on Hwy 101 about 4 pm for 'goodbyes' and 'see you at the next cruise's'...

Let us know if you can join us...Cell Phone (707) 293-7493...

(And then get ready to cruise at least monthly with the NorCal Prowler group...we have WAY too much fun together!!)

posted 05-11-2004 08:07 AM                  

Great story and glad to have you aboard the website. Get with your local Prowler owners and attend some events,,,,you'll be hooked.

ENJOY THE RIDE

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Call 911 - there is a Prowler in my garage....
Y2K Silver Millennium Edition and '01 Orange Rolex Edition

posted 05-11-2004 08:10 AM                  

quote:

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Originally posted by Black Tie 161:
Great story...welcome!

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THANKS!AWAITING FOR THE 2ND NOVEL!

posted 05-11-2004 08:22 AM                  

Congrats on the Kat acquisition and enjoyed the story...

posted 05-11-2004 08:30 AM                  

quote:

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Originally posted by RADCAT RICH:
THANKS!AWAITING FOR THE 2ND NOVEL!

---

I can't wait for the MOVIE to come out!

J/K...I enjoyed reading every word of the story!

posted 05-11-2004 09:03 AM                    

WHAT a great story - just what I needed this morning ! Excellent !!!

Enjoy your 'Cat' and we're awaiting anxiously part 2 & 3 of your trilogy !

posted 05-11-2004 09:18 AM                  

Welcome to the POA!

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Cliff Watson See My Prowler Page

2K1 Mulholland, Colorshift Flames, Mud Flaps, TGF Side Panels, TGF Bumper Covers, Eric Wolf Chrome Tranny Cooler, Blueberry Shimmers, Front Ceramic Pads, Homemade Top Brace, SSS Muffler, Weekender.
2001 Dakota SLT+ CC (Patriot Blue)
1998 Durango SLT+ (Intense Blue)
X - 1998 Honda Accord
X - 1991 Dodge Spirit
X - 1965 Ford Mustang (289)
X - 1994 Dodge Daytona Turbo
X - 1971 Ford Pinto (The Rust Bucket)

posted 05-11-2004 10:20 AM                  

Al

posted 05-11-2004 10:40 AM                  

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Current mods: Mopar dual exhaust & front mudflaps; MacMotorsports Air Intake;
Real Rod Air Patrol; Graphics by Balistek Designs; ($8) Chrome grille; Chrome
tire valve-stem covers; Painted rear bumper lettering; Prowler Pro Gears; Synthetic
Oil; Raybestos Ceramic Brake Pads; TGF Door Panel Inserts & Headrest Covers;
SheepskinExpress Sheepskin Seatcovers; Grille Light; Pinstriping by Bo Boring;
Painted Valve Cover; Window Tinting; Windshield Visor Banner; Front Bumper
Removal / Relocation of Front Turn Signal Lights; Real Rod Transmission Cooler
Cover, Sill and Carper Covers, Aero Front Covers and Roadster Rear Pan, rear
bumpers removed; rear mudflaps; painted calipers; Prowler Products by Gary
Drilled Rotors, front and rear; Painted tach; Jay's Aluminum Billet Center Caps
w/shimmers, Chrome Lugnuts and Chrome Radio Bezel Shimmer; Dash Rings;
Windshield Wiper Arm Removal; Fender Trim; Speaker Replacement; Painted
Plenum; Painted Radiator Crossmember; Painted Rear Mudflaps; Air Patrol
graphics.

More 'Pumpkin' photos . . . . . More cars and other stuff

New pictures in Personal Scrapbook (02/23/03)

"I may have to grow older, but I do not have to grow up!"