For the most part, I was fairly limited in what I could spend on a car. I had planned to buy something older and just roll with it for a while, but most if not all of the cars I found in the lower part of the price range had mechanical issues. When this came up locally, I just had to have it.
It may look familiar. It's a 1997 Mitsubishi Verada, but they were exported to the United States as the Mitsubishi Diamante. Comes equipped with a 3.5L V6 paired to a 4-speed Automatic, Anti-Lock Brakes, Dual Airbags, Cruise Control, Climate Control, Central Locking, Power Windows, Power Mirrors, Power Steering, Leather Seats and a lot more I can't recall at the moment. It has 160,000kms (99,400 miles) on it, so it's only about mid-life as well. The leather needs replacement and the paintwork is in need of attention, but those are relatively minor things considering it's mechanically and electronically A1.
$1600 AUD. Same amount in USD. It's not the first car i've worked on or driven, but it's the first i've actually owned. It's a brilliant car, very pleased with it and I have some big plans for it in the near future. I've already replaced the wheels with Mitsubishi 380GT 17-inch rims and Kumho tires. I'd like to respray it, change the seat trims and drop the height a couple of inches when I have some cash set aside.
