Our goal this weekend was to get a car - we have use of the Sentra until Thursday, so we need to get something fast!
So, after two days of driving around the island, following leads, searching through the phone book and the internet, we finally have...
Nothing!
There is nothing to be had!
On an isolated little island with limited resources, where you have to wait weeks for a shipment of anything - where the average earner makes about $25,000 and the per capita GDP is slightly higher than Mexico, you might think that people would make some effort to keep their vehicles running... right?
Well, err ... no. On Guam there seems to be a kind of "let it rot" mentality that really takes a toll on the used car market.
There are brand-new cars that cost more than an average Guamanian's yearly wages; there are a few clean-looking used cars that are almost as expensive; and then there are the neglected used cars that are already falling apart - high mileage, rust, missing components, and God only know what is growing under the hood... So, what does an ordinary Guamanian do when he needs a car? We don't know!
Another issue seems to be that the good old reliable Japanese economy cars - the kinds of cars we might realistically be looking at - fall out of circulation when enthusiastic young men turn them into street racers - even something as boring as a Civic sedan is not safe from spoilers and ground effects!
So, this is a new challenge. We haven't followed up on the Alfa or the Mustang yet, but we're beginning to wonder - will we be able to get a reliable car without financing?
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First of all, that yellow, fanged, jumping Hell spider from a few posts down was downright nasty!
ReplyDeleteSecondly... I have solved your car dilemma. What about a Nissan 350Z? That is a sweet car for not a lot of bucks stateside.
What about in Guamanian prices?
That IS a sweet car, although the street racers around here like to mess with them, too. But if we could find a clean one on a used lot, that would be WORTH financing...! Looks like Inifini of Guam has a 2004 350Z Touring, they're asking $17,674.... wonder what they'd actually take for it?
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