Range membership, car shopping
News, Guns, Auto ·Saturday September 7, 2013 @ 19:49 EDT (link)
I stopped in to the Atlanta Conservation Club (ACC) this morning to submit my membership application, which required an online quiz, a paper quiz, an on-site safety check (which involved correcting common malfunctions such as a stovepipe, and shooting a line of steel plates), participating or volunteering at two events (I volunteered; I didn't want to shoot matches right now), and submitting rather too much ID (driver's license, license to carry handgun, NRA membership), which, although they are a private company, I blame the state for, as the sine qua non in the transaction. I gave the packet directly to Jeff Oakes, and a check for $150 for a year or so membership (they had some sort of deal for new members), and he said he'd put my gate code in that evening (and he did). So since I'd been waiting several months, mostly for the LTCH, but also do do the events and physical safety check, I was glad to finally be a member (or pretty close; it may require board approval?); unfortunately, I didn't bring cardboard for backing, and they didn't have any spare, so I couldn't shoot that day.
I drove around to a few gun stores, like Bare Arms (sic.), and eventually ended up back at the (Ed Martin) Acura dealer, where I took a 2013 TL (black, or crystal black pearl exterior, black leather, or ebony, interior, SH-AWD, Advance package, tinted windows) for a test drive. Very nice car (I had done another test drive in a similar vehicle in Florida, but it had been a little while). In fact, it was pretty much exactly the model and feature set I wanted, so I returned later in the day with Honey and bought the car. I also had a chance to go through Edmunds.com and request a price quote, using their "True Market Value" calculation, which brought it down some, and a little negotiation did the rest, as they really wanted to make a deal before I left. The car I was looking at had some "diamond cut alloy rim" wheels they wanted $2k for, which I certainly didn't value that highly especially as the package already came with 19" wheels, so they asked if I wanted them if they left them on and didn't charge for them, which was fine by me. They kept trying to get me to go a few hundred higher than my "buy now" price and I told them that'd be fine, but I'd take the numbers down and shop around first. I took the 0.9% financing even though it meant a 36-month loan. I pick the vehicle up Monday.
Books finished: The Subtle Knife.
