Bringing The Sebring To The Seaside

After a frustrating search I have found a car to love! A 1998 Chrysler Sebring convertible, white with tan leather seats, power drivers side of course, and tan top. The stereo is a factory installed Infinity am/fm/cassette/cd player, amplifier and 6 speakers. It cranks. Great for top down highway cruising. What wind noise? I like the outside temp indicator with digital compass and trip computer displaying instant and average miles per gallon fuel consumption.

Originally I set a budget of $1500 and soon realised it was much too low. So I upped it to 2 grand. It was still kind of iffy to the vehicles available for the money. Most needed small things, like an transmission or engine. Then I happened on a green Sebring convertible in Plymouth, MA. If  the seller is in America's home time town must be trustworthy, right? Wrong. After showing up at the dealer to view the vehicle shown on his website I was informed that it was "being detailed". Ok, I can wait the 3 days. This time I called and was told the car would be back in 2 days. The next call I was told in a day and half. I decided to wait 2 days and when I called I was told it came in Friday night and was sold Saturday morning. So much for promises to call.

I then viewed a white Sebring in Randolph and went to see a white one Braintree, MA. The car in Braintree had been moved to Whitman I was told after being assured over the phone it was "there all day". I found the car in Whitman and I was as disappointed as I was in the one Randolph. I came home and the next day found a new listing for a white one in Warwick, RI. Emails were exchanged and finally I had found a man of his word. The deal was made and I got the car. Yay!

I have been driving through the back roads of Westport and Dartmouth, Swansea and Dighton, Marion and Buzzards Bay. Along the way I have been discovering road side art. I find them amazing pieces of Americana. For nearly 20 years I have had an idea for a magazine dedicated to the enjoyment of driving. I'd hoped to appeal to drivers of cars, motorcycles and trucks. Articles of a particular route traveled, say Routes 6 and 6A along Cape Cod were my target. Descriptions of sights along the way, areas to avoid and maybe a restaurant review too. I had an idea of a running topic of say, the best Hot Dogs or Quahogs found along the way. Originally I imagined a monthly distributed in a format such as the Neighborhood News. With the advancements in the web a webzine now makes more sense. My title for the publication was Mass Touring.

Now that I have a great vehicle for the 'research' and a new enough computer to make it a reality I just might. The Sebring fits the bill perfectly. 

She's a beauty. Only needs a swaying Hula Girl on the dash. I'd like to keep 'Ronald', the red Jeep and make it road worthy in time. But today the sun is shining and I hear the road calling. I don't have a destination but that doesn't matter when the top is down.