Van, Cars As Tools

[Clyde Hollinger]

Z! Reinhardt wrote:
> 
> I might add here that having a presentable, reliable car is part of the
> "Professional Image" equation.  About 5 years ago I picked up a 4-year-old
> Toyota Camry, got all of the bugs worked out of it, and have been carefully
> maintaining it since.  Furthermore, I try to keep it reasonably clean.
> 
> Perhaps I am making this up, but I swear my customers started taking me and
> my work more seriously when I turned up in the Camry instead of the clunker
> I had been driving.  Now it is obvious that it is not so new, but what is
> also obvious is that it is well-maintained. 

Z!, Susan, and list:

I know how I felt when I needed bids for some landscape work at our
house.  Rightly or wrongly, I wasn't sure I could trust a guy with
poorly maintained vehicles to pay attention to details in working for
me.  

Therefore I am almost meticulous when it comes to the cleanliness of my
rather modest cars.  I drove an '88 Celebrity 1993-97.  We still have it
(my wife drives it), and it still looks and works very well in spite of
its 196,000 miles.  But at that age I wasn't sure how long I could count
on it.  

Last November I purchased a '95 Ciera with 54,000 miles, almost the
youngest car I have ever had, and I like it!  I am almost certain a
respectable vehicle affects our clients' impression of the quality of
our work.  As soon as feasible after it rains, the car gets cleaned up.

I cringe a little when I see some piano technicians' vehicles in the
convention parking lot, dirty, dents, rust, etc.  I try not to be
snot-nosed, but a presentable vehicle need not be expensive.  And I've
bought my fair share, both for myself when money was scarce and for all
these teenage drivers we used to have here.  Our girls really loved the
'89 Omni until one of them rear-ended a rebuilt Studebaker Avanti with
it and totalled the Omni.  The Avanti was strong as a tank -- cost only
(!) $6,500 to fix it up.

Sure, we live modestly -- nothing very jazzy around here.  But we're
debt-free, so in our minds it paid off, and we feel very blessed.

Susan, I have always taken the standard mileage deduction.  When one
drives average quality used vehicles for a long time, like I do, you are
almost certain to come out way ahead!

Clyde Hollinger, RPT
Lititz, PA

P. S.  Sorry I got so verbose!