Hours and hours of late night web searches proved that 2002s are out there, but the right one was playing hard to get. There are far fewer on the road today, but this is something of a cult car and many remain. A significant percentage have been modified over the years and that did not appeal to me. Nor did I want to pay the high dollars required for one that had been restored. One night I came upon a random classic car site that had a listing for a round taillight, Inka 2002 that appeared clean and unmolested in the pictures. Great, right? The price was appealing as well, but there were a lot of reasons to think twice. The reasons to continue searching were actually many, so I did just that. And then I went back to it a few days later.
This car was 2,000+ miles away in Wisconsin, and hadn't been running in 23 years. Cars generally like to be driven and usually don't age well when left to sit. This one seemed to benefit from being stored in a heated garage and didn't have a hint of rust, which is always a concern in older cars. I decided to contact the seller and it was immediately evident that I was dealing with exactly the kind of person from whom you want to buy a car. The woman was clearly honest and was selling the car for her 87 year-old grandfather. She told me as much as she knew, but was also very forthcoming about what she didn't know. I took her up on her offer to speak directly with her grandfather and he was a gem. He told me everything he could remember, which was a lot, and said that he wanted the car to go to someone who would appreciate it as much as he had. Still, there was the significant issue of distance and the big question about how much it would cost to get the car road-worthy again. This was something that nobody could answer with any certainty, but my trusted mechanic, Rick of North Bay Bavarian, gave me excellent guidance. I had enough information to know that I wanted to go for it. But wait...
A 1972 Inka 2002 popped up on Craigslist and was available locally. Wow. The price was slightly higher but it was largely original and the modifications were tasteful and appropriate. I called the seller and we made an appointment to see the car on the coming Saturday, the earliest that he could do. A day later he emailed me to say that it had sold. I replied in anger saying - politely - that I hadn't been given the opportunity to see the car because he wasn't available. Of course, I knew full well that this plea was going to be in vain, but I wanted to vent my frustration more than anything else. The seller contacted me a couple of days later and said that the deal had fallen through and that I could make an appointment to see the car. Good news.
Wanting to be perfectly honest, I told the woman in Wisconsin that a local car was available and that I was going to check it out. She was fully understanding and wished me luck. My wife and I were loading our two daughters into the car in order to make the 1 1/2 hour drive to see the car on a Saturday when the phone rang. The seller had decided to keep the car. Now I was livid. This guy had yanked my chain twice - and hard! It didn't take long to realize that it was not meant to be, despite the car appearing to be a good example. I was almost relieved when I called to tell the woman in Wisconsin what had happened and that I wanted to buy her grandfather's car.
The next step was to make arrangements to have the 2002 loaded on a transporter and carried to California. I sought advice from a friend who had been through this process before and that helped me ask the right questions. The friend's Alfa Romeo had been damaged in shipment and I wanted to do everything that I could to ensure that this did not happen to the 2002. After paying for the car, it was picked up late one night in Wisconsin. The woman sent me pictures of the departure which were terribly exciting to see. Oh the anticipation.
Shortly thereafter the title arrived in the mail and the car was getting ever closer. 4 1/2 days after being picked up, the driver of the transporter called to tell me that he was just two hours away. Mamasita! I waited at North Bay Bavarian along with my best friend (there are about to be two Inkas in town!) and my sister. A short while later the transporter rumbled around the corner and came to a stop with the 2002 perched at the very rear of the trailer. What a site.
The car was unloaded and was pretty clean considering the journey. It was immediately clear that the car was exactly as described. Rick, my mechanic, told me that I had done well. What a great feeling that was! Now all we need to do was get it running...
Rick had been very clear from the beginning that there was potential for significant expense getting the car ready. The purchase price was reasonable enough that even the worst-case scenario made me feel comfortable going for it. Rick went through the car personally, changing all of the fluids and draining the gas tank.
As I had asked, he called me before trying to start it for the first time. One minute and twenty three seconds of coaxing was followed by the engine roaring to life. After being dormant for 23 years, it was alive! I have video of this moment which I have watched an embarrassing number of times. Rick kept the car and replaced the water pump, all of the brakes, and also installed shoulder belts in the backseat so that my daughters' car seats could be secured properly. He did an amazing job on all fronts, and the belts look like they were installed at the factory. After about a week and a half, my wife and I drove our "new" car home.
