My very first car - a 1948 “Woody”, Willys Jeep, I had for less than three days. My brotherinlaw helped me get my money back on it after the engine totally conked out the morning of the second day I had it. We won the argument with the father and son that sold to me that my brotherinlaw’s mechanic was right in believing they had to have known how bad it wss when they sold it to me, and were just trying to dump it off on me. We may actually have been wrong, but they caved and gave me my $250 dollars back.
My brotherinlaw and I agreed we would demand any other car I considered would be looked at by his mechanic before we agreed to buy it; and we did.
I was not, for $250 dollars, looking for any particular car and not what a young college kid my think of an ideal college kid’s car. For that little money - all I could afford, I only cared about its condition, particularly its mechanical condition. I needed a car that to take me back from northern California to southern California and get me around for work and school for the next few years.
What I did get as by 2nd “first” car was a 1955 Pontiac Chieftan. Exterior (not a spec of rust) and interior were super clean and original. Engine was in great condtion. It drove beautifully and loved the highway. It even had the Chief Pontiac hood ornament that lit up as soon as you pulled out the headlight switch just enough to engage the parking lights.
I put tons of miles on the car over the next few years, and it not only ferried me between home, work, school and church, it took me and many friends back and forth to the southern California beaches many times, skining in the mountains, in and out to L.A. many times and a number of trips up to and back from my sister and brotherinlaw’s place in northern California. All that in spite of how little maintenance I could afford to get done on it.
Later when I was heading overseas to Korea I sold it for the same $250 I had paid for it, with the buyer knowing it then needed a new transmission.
If I’d win the Lotto and could afford to indulge in “collecting” any old cars, for sentimental reasons I’d get a restored 1955 Pontiac Chieftan. Yea, sure, it’s not the classic most seek, but its personal with me.
Sounds like you got yourself a real deal there for sure. 8>)