It is about this car.
Because the FUSO SANTEK 4x4 expedition vehicle is going to be build to become the new home, not only the Lazy Daze will find a new owner but also the Ford F250 Summerwind.
This Ford is quite a beast and has served for 5 years to be able to work at the remote location of Punta Marquez.
It has an 8-cylinder 5.4 litre gasoline engine with manual transmission. Great feature is the four-wheel drive that has been very effective on many occasions. It is loaded with all kinds of options, like air conditioning and comfortable seats, and has less than 10.000 miles (16.000 kilometres) on the clock.
Don Rafael lives in La Paz, although he is a ranchero. He has some cattle farms around town where his employees take care of the cows and horses. He is a good friend of Gumaro Gonzales and has heard from him the Ford F-250 is for sale. He considers buying it for his son.
This morning he will come to the large storage place where the Ford Summerwind is kept. He might even want to test-drive the beauty. And he even might buy it then and there. In the Mexican way: after some negotiating the price, a handshake and paying in 4 or more installments over a certain period of time. A deal based on trust and honour.
Some hours later…..
At exactly 10.30 h. this morning Don Rafael arrived at the place where the Ford Summerwind camper is in storage. But he didn’t come alone. He had his son with him and a cousin.
First there was a long chat about Gumaro and how long we know him and what a good person he is. The first stage of getting to know each other and develop a relationship based upon which a business deal à la Mexicaine can be made.
We went to see the vehicle and it was the son, who will receive it from his Dad as a present, who was very delighted.
Good salesmanship is to give the keys to the son right away who opened the hood, connected the battery and drove off like it was the Rally of Monte Carlo.
The father seeing how pleased the son was with the beautiful car decided then and there to buy it.
But things are not always easy and simple.
Don Rafael has just sold a piece of beachfront property near Todos Santos to an American for 1 million Dollars. That Gringo is going to pay in instalments and the first one is up this week. That money will serve as the first instalment on the Ford Summerwind of which the asking price, not mentioned yet, has been rising considerably after hearing Don Rafael hit the one million lottery.
But the next hurdle is that the Ford was bought in May 2002 but is a 2003 model. In Mexico the law says that a car can only be imported when 5 years old minimum. But Don Rafael wants the car now and the wonderful thing in Mexico is that there are laws but for one who has good connections and knows to play the game, there are ways around it.
It is claimed that for a mere 1.000 (70 Euros/92 USD) to 2.000 (140 Euros/184 USD) Mexican Pesos bribe money a temporary import permit can be required from the officials.
This is what Don Rafael is going to attempt and next week the result will be known.
If he is successful, we will have dinner, visit his rancho, he pays the first instalment, he gets the title and the keys. The son will drive away with it like a summer wind.
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