Happy Valentine's Day!

This is the time of year when each of us gives thanks for those members of our families who tolerate our year-round Cadillac & LaSalle obsessions! Make sure you give them at least a hug or two. It just might get you off the hook for having used the dishwasher to clean your wire wheel hubcaps before that show last summer.

Along those lines, have you ever bought a car that once you got it home you wondered, what was I thinking? If you haven't, I'm sure your significant other thinks you have. (Which raises another really good reason for being really nice to them on Valentine's Day, so they don't tell you they think you're nuts.)

One of those just left my garage. As I mentioned previously, I bought an older Chrysler convertible. I thought it might be a way to be able to drive a convertible on a daily basis. Well, my memory is clearly going, as upon arrival, I found it to be much, much smaller than I had remembered (and no, it has nothing to do with the fact that I am much larger than I used to be).

The previous owner decided that it needed two alarm systems. Not sure why, but as a result, to start it, you have to disable both alarms and start it within 10 seconds. Well, as usually happens when you go to sell an item, something goes wrong. The buyer is coming, but it won't start. After fumbling with the alarms, the battery is too low for it to start.

OK, get the charger out, charge the battery. After 30 minutes, battery is still not up enough to start it. Hmm, wait a minute; I have one of those high-zoot chargers that has a 10-second, quick-start function. Stop laughing! You can picture me in your head, can't you?

Hit the quick-start function on the charger, run around to the door, again, and then give up. Oh well, I'll just move the other car out of the way; while I'm waiting for the original battery to charge, maybe I can jump start it.

Well, the two cars are in a conspiracy; it won't start either. Now what am I going to do? I can't start the car I'm selling and can't start the car I'm keeping, so they can take it?

After some effort, I got the keeper started, using the quick-start function. Then, I remembered I told the buyer to bring a battery, as I wanted to keep the now-apparent boat anchor that is in it. They then drove up, battery in hand. We popped it in and it started right up; they drove it away.

Hmm, as it drives away, I'm thinking it really wasn't that bad, maybe, I should have kept it? No, don't even think about it!

Happy Motoring!

-Glenn