The Obstetrician Appointment had gone rather well. Dr Wainwright and his lab physician had both been very friendly, perhaps even eager. True, it would still be up to a further two weeks before Molly’s pregnancy would be confirmed, but we were both certain that it would be a positive result. Only two things remained for us to do. Sort out the last of the paperwork in the Billing Office. Then go ‘car’ shopping at the Ford Dealership here in Kalispell.
“Alright then. If you fill in the following points where stated, then we’ll send you the bill once all the details are taken care of.” The nurse at the office told Molly. Even with her larger paw-like hands, using the pen properly seemed to be a simple task for her. One fact that I was grateful for. Less than a few minutes later, everything had been taken care of, the next appointment time was set in a month’s time - assuming the result was positive - and we were free to leave.
“So how did it all go?” Meredeth asked us as we returned to the waiting room where she had been throughout Molly’s appointment.
“It went very well, actually.” I heard Molly reply. “Dr Wainwright was very friendly towards George and myself.”
“Well that’s great!” Meredeth responded cheerfully. “So, back home now?”
“Not yet. First we’re heading to the Ford Dealership here, and see if we can get a good enough deal for new transport.” I explained to her.
“Ah, well I know exactly where it is. So let’s go.” To this, Molly and I complied, returning to the Ranger and squeezing ourselves into the back seats. It was a tight enough fit now, but with Molly carrying up to four cubs inside her, it would become next to impossible for the both of us to fit inside in a few months. Then we’d likely need to be able to bring our cubs with us at times, and for that, the Ranger simply wouldn’t be able to work. I just hoped that it wouldn’t stretch our finances too much, I did want to keep flexibility in them to deal with any unexpected surprises. That said, being able to drive again would be very nice, for the both of us.
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It didn’t take us too long to reach the Dealership, and so - thankfully - I didn’t feel quite so stiff when I pulled myself out of the car. It wasn’t a particularly large one, but then Kalispell was a fairly small town, so I didn’t expect them to sell a particularly large number of vehicles, but clearly enough to justify keeping this one open.
A glance around told me what they had to offer. A number of used cars to one side, and a central showroom. But since that’s where the salesman was, that’s where he, Molly and Meredeth headed. Entering the building and approaching the salesman.
“Hello.” I began. Though when he looked up, he was a little taken aback.
“Ummm, hi.” He replied nervously. He seemed about average height, dusky brown hair, and dressed in the casual-smart manner. And spoke with a tenor tone. “Can, I help you, with, anything?”
“Yes. Me and Molly are needing a new vehicle. And we heard that you have one that can suit us.” I made an effort to speak softly as so to help calm him down. “Specifically the new Transit that you’ve modified. Mr?”
“Johnston. And I know which one you‘re referring to.” He had calmed down somewhat. “Well I’m afraid that that particular version won’t be available for another four weeks. Though there is one showroom model available here if you want to see it.”
“I see.” It looked like that we’d have to wait until Molly’s next appointment before we could receive it. “Where is it?”
“Right this way.” He left his desk and motioned for us to follow him, leading us to the other end of the showroom where it waited, just outside.
Size was certainly one thing it was not lacking in! it must have been at least twenty feet in length, and perhaps seven wide if the door mirrors were skipped. And easily more than eight feet tall. The double rear wheels also told me that it was heavy. For the most part, it resembled a curved box with a sharply sloping front. Heading back out and looking around it, I could see that the windows and doors had been made so they rose to near the top, while looking in showed three rows of seats. Two at the front, then two rows of three. And while height did not seem to be an issue, I couldn’t be too sure about legroom.
“By any chance, is it possible to get inside, there’s something I need to check.” I asked Mr Johnston. Referring to my concerns about the legroom.
“Give me a moment then, I’ll get the keys.” He quickly headed back and was back about a minute later holding a set of keys in his hands. “Okay, the remote lock buttons have been toughened up for the production version, but you’ll need to take a little care with these ones.” He explained to me and Molly, holding up the lock remote, before pressing one of them to unlock the Transit’s front, rear and sliding doors. “Now, this one has the electric sliding seats installed, so you can set both the height and where it sits for the driver and passenger. As well as height, rake and reach for the steering wheel, so you should be able to get comfortable in this.”
“I’ll try it then.” I responded, moving the seat all the way back first, before climbing in. At about twelve feet tall, I needed the seat near the back of its limit in order to reach the gas and brake comfortably, and even then, only with the seat not lowered all the way, though, thankfully, my ears didn’t touch the roof. The hole in the - very high - backrest was also a welcome feature for me, and probably Molly too. Since that would keep our tails from being squished like they often were in the Ranger. Adjusting the steering column also proved to be a simple task, and meant I was sitting quite comfortably in the driver’s seat, which, by default, meant that Molly would be able to as well. “I seem to fit well in here, I could drive it” I told them. “Molly. Want a turn?” I asked her as I got out easily enough.
“Of course!” Molly answered cheerfully, perhaps the appeal of being able to drive again lifting her spirit’s a good deal, as she took her turn, shifting the seat and steering wheel for herself. I had to admit, she seemed to have a lot more space than I did, though even I could fit well enough to drive it. Though that did bring up some inevitable questions.
“Mr Johnston? There’s a few questions I have about this van.”
“Technically, this would be a people carrier, a car, but I see where you’re coming from. So what questions do you have?”
“Price and features. Specifically safety. It is rather tall.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that.” He chuckled cheerfully. “Most of the weight’s at the bottom. And there’s plenty of stability equipment installed as standard, to keep it right-side-up. You’d have to drive it into a ditch to roll it over!”
“Ah.” While he was almost certainly exaggerating, it was reassuring to know they’d put some real effort into the safety of it. “But what about price? We need to be able to afford it after all.”
“Well, there are ways to resolve that, but let’s head back inside first.” This meant Molly leaving the Transit and us heading back inside to the desk, where I suspected the seats wouldn’t be able to take my weight, again. Though Molly could sit down, even if it did creak slightly.
“Now.” Mr Johnston began, as he pulled out some papers. “As a pre-order, there exists a discount of up to four thousand dollars, depending on the model. And is this a purchase only, or are you trading anything?”
“We’re hoping to trade in the Ranger we own for it.” I answered him.
“Well, I’ll take a look at it and see what I can offer for it.” He made for the door as Meredith spoke to us.
“I’ll join him. I know a thing or two about getting a good deal, it might help.” She whispered to us, just before joining Mr Johnston to talk about the Ford Ranger.
Molly and I looked at all the details about the Transit MPV. The prices seemed higher, but even basic versions had good safety equipment.
“Two point three litre engine? Isn’t that a little small?” Molly asked. I looked at the specifications to see that the engines did seem small on paper, however…
“Power looks okay though.” I responded pointing to the numbers next to the engine specs. Ranging from 140hp from the 2.4 TDCi to 264hp for the 3.5V6 Gas Engine. Though the diesel engines had far more torque. “This one looks best though.” I said, pointing to the 230hp 3.0V6 TDCi. “Still pricey though.” I mentioned. At $36,000 for a good one, it certainly was.
“I know, but if we can, that’s the one.” Molly said, staring at the price tag. Any further discussion would have to wait though, as Mr Johnston and Meredeth returned.
“Well. The Ranger is in very good condition. It’s quite young. And the mileage is nice and low on it. So I can offer you nine thousand for it.”
“Okay then.” The offer was higher than I’d expected, and made the deal look good. “We’re looking at the base version, with this engine.”, I showed him the V6 Diesel we’d gone for.
“Well, a pre-order of that gives you three thousand off. So the grand total would be $24,000.”
“Finance options?” I queried to him.
“Either a four-year or five-year plan. No deposit. Zero interest.” A quick mental calculation told me that that would mean as little as four-hundred dollars a month. “And unlike Stalin’s Five-Year Plans, these ones work.” Mr Johnston chuckled at his own little joke.
“Well, it certainly looks like a good deal. Molly, do you like it?” I asked her as she thought about it herself. Taking a minute to think it over before giving her answer.