Saga of the Truck - Part Deux-2

Cyndee being the search genius she is I take notice when she says she thinks she has something.  Despite being disappointed dozens and dozens of times when following up on a lead we thought we had, I was willing to try one more time.  While I was getting excited about the prospect of getting an HDT I was more distraught about the cost.  I was having a hard time finding a way to fund the HDT purchase without resorting to a cat food diet.  Giving an MDT one more try was welcomed.

At first blush the prospect looked pretty good.  The information included in the posting showed that it met the basic specifications we had to have.  Many trucks we looked at had gotten this far, but when we called about it, only to be told they didn't really have the truck or that the truck they had was not exactly equipped as the ad showed.

It was seven in the evening on a Friday our time and I expected to have to call Saturday or maybe even have to wait until Monday.  But Cyndee said; "Call, it's in California.  Only four o'clock there".  When this saga started I would have said forget it, the logistics of getting the truck would be too cumbersome.  But now I didn't even bat an eye, if it turned out to be real I didn't care where it was.

I made the call and was directed to the fleet manager at El Cajon Ford in El Cajon, CA, a suburb on the east side of San Diego.  After all my previous calls I was dubious about this one, but the longer we talked the better I felt about it.  I went through my list of 'must-haves' and he replied "got it" to each and every one.  Then he went on to list more options that I didn't care about, like rain sensing wipers, but since they didn't detract from the purpose of what I was going for I didn't let them stop me from moving forward.

So here I am after more than a year of endless searching and disappointment I am having a twenty minute conversation with somebody I have never met almost 3,000 miles away and I hear myself saying; "I'll take it".  Upon which he replied; "It's yours".

Okay now it is time to get down to serious business.  I asked what I had to do to secure the truck, give him a card number, mail him a certified check for deposit, something else?  He just said; "Nope, I am a simple farm boy, you gave me your word that you want it and I'm giving you my word that it is yours.  Just come and get it".  Wow, did that really just happen?

So there it is, all this commotion over half a truck.
But this is exactly what I have been looking for, except the color. 

Compared to my 2006, the interior of this cab looks like a spaceship.
This thing is bristling with electronics.

Cyndee and I started planning the trip to pick it up immediately.  Do we drive out in one car and come back in two?  Do we fly out together and sight-see our way back? Or something else?

Because of cost, other commitments and time we decided that I would go solo by plane and drive long days to get back.  Our son graciously offered to get me to the airport by the required 5:00 am check-in time.  Cyndee would not have to drive that 3-hour round trip with her recently broken arm.

Things are moving fast now.  Locate the truck on a Friday, fly from Atlanta to San Diego on Tuesday to pick it up.