My love affair, with the Chrysler Crossfire ... a Benz in sheep's clothing
“What’s behind me is not important.” — Raul Julia, tearing off his Ferrari mirror, in 1976's Gumball Rally
My buddy was in trouble.
Not only, did the taxman want his hyde, so did the cops over an assault charge, a minor thing involving a DJ at a party.
And, of course, the bikers were after him too, when the economy collapsed — they wanted their money, no matter what the economic climate was.
He needed a favour, and, I said OK.
He asked if I would take one of his collector cars, to keep it out of the hands of the feds. I said sure, why not.
So, I parked it in my garage — a beautiful, black Chrysler Crossfire SRT coupe.
And, I thought, well, what the hell, I'll insure it, and, maybe do some repairs. I changed the cracked windshield, detailed it inside and out.
Took it for a few rides in the country. And yes, I bloody well fell in love with it.
Until, the taxman phoned, and started asking questions. Uh-oh.
I had to do the right thing, and let it go. The taxman said they would let me know, when it was going to be auctioned, but, they never did.
Imagine that ... a federal taxman, lying?
My buddy is in Mexico, by the way. Can't come back to Canada. Cops, bikers and the taxman, are all after him. He wouldn’t last a minute.
What can I say, he had a leg in both worlds, and I warned him. I tried to get him to go straight, to no avail.
But, at least he is safe down there, and, is doing OK last I heard.
Meanwhile ... several years passed, when I got a head’s-up email from my friend Randy. It was a nicely priced, 2005 Crossfire roadster, in good condition.
Mileage a bit high, about 140,000 km, but, in general, it looked like a good deal.
I got it at a great price — however, I would soon find out, the previous owner, did not look after it well.
So I decided to make this little lady, whom I dubbed Nannerl, after Mozart's sister, the belle of the ball.
First thing ... new tires all around and a new AMA battery. Second, replace the cracked windshield. Third, fix the passenger side headlight. Fourth, replace the broken coffee cup holder.
Fifth ... take it to the best paint shop in Cowtown, Maranello, to get the front repainted -- to get rid of all the paint chips.
Cost a bit, but those guys are just fantastic, I highly recommend them. It gave Nannerl an entirely new look.
Sixth, a new module for the soft top — an expensive thing I had to find on eBay, as nobody stocks a lot of Crossfire parts.
Chrysler and Mercedes only made the Crossfire between 2004 and 2008, and, built only at Karmann of Germany. It's basically a Benz, surrounded by Detroit steel.
A strange marriage, but an interesting one.
Lastly, I bought a nice new Mercedes-style grille for it, from Zunsport in England. These guys are fantastic, in every way.
It gave it a cool new look, which has drawn some great comments from friends and onlookers.
The other day, I drove it in a Wendy's drive-thru, and the girl at the window was totally blown away.
The moral of the story is, no matter who you are, how much money you make, or where you are in life, take time to treat yourself to what makes you happy.
A Crossfire is not an expensive sports car, like a Ferrari or a Lambo ... that's way out of my league.
But there are some cool cars out there, which are just waiting for a good, responsible buyer. Someone to give it some TLC.
Keep it for a few years, and then sell it — you might even break even, and end up driving it for nothing.
It's not about the ownership, it's about the experience.
And don't get looped into a bottomless pit. As my friend Randy says, condition is everything. Let me repeat that. Condition is everything.
Don't buy a fixer-upper.
So if you'll excuse me, I think I'll take Nannerl out for another fall ride, while the weather is good.
Maybe for some ice cream in Cochrane. Or maybe to the cool truck stop diner in Crossfield, or to see that awesome restored Lancaster bomber in Nanton. So many great options.
Then, she goes back into the underground parking garage. Storage insurance only.
So far, she has never seen snow, and never will.
If I was to tell you anything, I would say live your life, and do it now. There are no guarantees.
If you’ve got a bucket list, do it. Just do it. Don’t wait. Don’t make up excuses.
Mine was going to Le Mans, the Mecca of auto racing, and surviving in the stands for the entire 24-Hour Endurance race, with my buddy Ben.
I still have to pinch myself, that I was there, and, drank in every ounce of Le Mans I could possibly handle.
To quote the great Ralph Waldo Emerson:
"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."