Well, not yet, but hopefully soon.

Last week, seven days exactly, our ‘97 Ford Explorer blew it’s transmission for the third time in three years.

I’m not a religious person, but I saw it as a sign. A sign to do what my family has been talking about doing for the past three years — finding a car that uses alternative fuel.

My dad suggested that we buy a Prius. I explained to him that was a fantastic idea, but I don’t exactly have 30 grand. Plus, I’m an old-fashioned gal.
I like old cars. I like the thought that I am taking care of something that has a history, a past. I like the idea that I am keeping something on the road rather than going out and buying something new that has taken a bunch of resources and materials to make. So there you have it. With $10,000 I set off with my partner to find something dependable enough to be our main vehicle (I have a 1959 Nash Metropolitan, but it’s not exactly dependable….); big enough to accomodate our family of 4 plus Wally, our lazy Lab; and to either have been converted to svo, or have the ability to be converted.

It took Katie, my partner, all of five minutes to find the perfect car. Amazing, huh?

We are lucky enough to live in Eugene, Oregon, the alternative fuels mecca of the northwest. She merely got onto the net, typed in “biodeisel” and “svo” and up came green eye auto. Green Eye Auto is in Eugene, Oregon and is a place to have your vehicle converted to either biodeisel, ethanol or svo, or to buy a car that has some sort of alternative fuel system.

On their lot they had a 1982 300D Mercedes.
It was beautiful. Classic. And even though it was white, I still fell immediately in love.

I have always liked Mercedes, but I have also stayed far far far away from them. Why? Because they have always been the kind of car that your grandparents own, or your friends grandparent’s, or something like that. Mercedes were never something that my parent’s drove and the reason why is very short and sweet: Expensive. Too expensive to buy. Too expensive to maintain.

Sigh.

But today is a different story. And the fact that this Mercedes was manufactured the same year I got my period (which was a long long time ago) means that I actually can afford it.

So, sometime this coming week, I will give the nice Green Eye Auto folks my money and they will give me the keys. Right now it is running biodeisel, but soon the adventure will begin with getting it set up for SVO. But that is a topic for another night…..