Getting into the business of repairing broken foreign cars is not so easy. First of all, you need to have the finances to buy such a car. Foreign cars, even in broken condition, are not cheap, especially the latest year of manufacture.
Besides, you need to find and have time to buy such a car. They don't always appear in ads. They often leave their people, for example, from insurance companies.
Ivanov knew how this business worked, because in the future, which was the past for him, he had been working as a reseller for several years.
You should also take into account the availability of cheap spare parts for a specific brand of car, which are often bought with disassembly. If the necessary spare parts are not available in the nearest city, then repairs will be expensive. In the year two thousand and three, transport companies in Russia were not very common. The Internet is also a problem. Therefore, it is fantastic to find spare parts, for example, in St. Petersburg with delivery to Chelyabinsk. It is still possible to purchase contract spare parts for Japanese cars through special offices, but their delivery will take a long time. They can only be brought quickly to the Far East.
Ivan began to solve all these problems systematically.
There are two ways to get the amount needed to buy a car and spare parts. The first was to engage in the bucket business for a long time and save up, but this did not suit Vanya. The second option is borrowed funds. He stopped at this option.
No normal bank will give a large loan to a person who does not officially work anywhere. The only exception is the granting of a loan secured by valuable property. In this case, the bank gives a lower amount than the value of the property, and it is even beneficial if the client does not repay the debt. Then the bank will become the owner of the property and sell it at the market price. Ivanov risked mortgaging one of his apartments and got a decent amount in his hands.
Then he began courting the director of a branch of one of the insurance companies, as a result of which he got a useful acquaintance and a coveted car. Naturally, the director had to be financially stimulated so that Ivanov, and not someone else, would win the right lot at the auction of usable leftovers. Prior to that, the entire list of lots had been thoroughly studied, and opportunities had been explored to obtain spare parts for the cars presented.
Everything went smoothly at first, but the repairs dragged on, and the first loan payment was approaching.
To pay off his debts, Vanya sold the four and was left without a means of transportation. But he quickly solved this problem. After paying off the loan, there was a small amount left, which was enough to purchase a penny. Its only advantages were its low price, as well as a lively gearbox and engine.
After spending three days digesting the leaky bottom and thresholds, Vanya didn't bother with the penny any further. The suspension might be a mess, but the car was moving, and that was all it needed.
By the end of the second month, the finished foreign car was quickly sold at the bottom of the market as not broken or painted.
Vanya could have paid off the debt to the bank in full, but did not do it. In this case, he would not have enough funds for the next project. He left the amount for exactly two loan payments and purchased A 'new' broken car.
That's how the business with foreign cars went. Ivan and Mikhail filled their hands on complex body repairs, which had a positive effect on the speed of vehicle restoration.
By the beginning of the autumn of 1944, Ivanov had fully repaid the loan to the bank, having significantly overpaid due to the high interest rate. At the same time, he had almost no cash left.
He continued to drive on a well-maintained penny. You can say that this is a step back, unless you look at Ivan's yard. In the courtyard, six cars of the same brand, but of different years of manufacture, were waiting for their turn to be restored - right-handed Subaru Impreza. The seventh, a Volkswagen Passat, was in a semi-disassembled state on the slipway.
He bought the right-handed cars through an auction in Japan at a very tasty price, imported them to Russia through intermediaries and delivered them by truck to Badgers. Now the battery from Imprez was waiting for inexpensive contract spare parts.
Contract spare parts for old Subaru Impreza are as cheap as new ones for Lada, and sometimes even cheaper. At the same time, the quality of spare parts removed from used Japanese cars is much higher than that of new Lada cars. It took all the money earned over the year.
The restoration and sale of Japanese foreign cars promised to enrich the overbought. But it's hard to call this process fast. Even according to the most optimistic forecasts, it will last for six months. One thing pleases: there are no more debts.
By this time, Mikhail's salary had increased to ten thousand rubles. Plus, he received small bonuses for completing assignments. A lot of money by village standards. It's not so easy to find a job with such a salary in Chelyabinsk. And then the expenses are much lower. His family rolled like cheese in butter, and Mikhail himself was happy with his work. He was slowly saving money, investing it in dollars on the advice of his boss.
If Ivan had been asked what to do with his savings, he would have boldly replied - buy dollars. It's not that he was a great economist, but this currency has always been rising in value in Russia. It is more accurate to say that it was the ruble that depreciated, but another point of view is also true. Periodically, the dollar rose in price very sharply, for example, as in the two thousand eighth and ninth years, in the fourteenth, twentieth and twenty-first, in the twenty-seventh and thirty-third years.
If Vanya understood economics, he would already be a millionaire. After all, knowing when and which securities to buy, you can get rich very quickly. And he didn't know anything about this topic. He didn't even know anything about sports competitions, because he wasn't into sports. If I had known, I could have raised money on betting. Of course, not in Russia. It is impossible to get a big win here, because there are scammers in this business.
As soon as someone wins a large sum, at best they will say that an error has occurred and the bet has failed. In the usual case, they will refer to the hacked account and hackers who stole the winnings. In the worst case, they will accuse the lucky guy of fraud and block the funds. It's funny that scammers dare to accuse honest people of fraud and thereby take their money. It is sad that their activities in the past and in the future were turned a blind eye by those who should stop it. There is also sadness and laughter through tears and the international hand-to-face gesture caused by the fact that many people knew about it. Bloggers and reporters have proven and told many times all the schemes of deception of offices that are engaged in sports betting. At the same time, crowds of people, knowing about this, like dumb sheep, continued to bring their finances to these companies. Particularly gifted individuals got into loans, sold real estate and became homeless or committed suicide.
So Vanya wouldn't bet on sports in his homeland, even if he knew the winning combinations. But in a more civilized foreign country, one could take a chance, but not fate. Easy money is not expected in the near future. It was only through hard work, through the sweat and blood of downed fingers, that he saw enrichment in the short term.
And yet he is not as dense a person as it may seem in the near approximation. Ivanov subscribed to many bloggers of various subjects, loved to read books and generally educate himself. His horizons did not stop at car repairs. So he was slowly hatching an idea, which he tried not to mention even once in his mind, so as not to scare off his luck.
It was unexpectedly pleasant to work with Subaru cars. It would seem that a broken car is also an emergency vehicle in Japan. But there were nuances that seemed to add to the hassle, but also gave pleasure.
Metal Imprez is of higher quality than that of domestic cars. It is more difficult to pull and tap it. But the welding points were drilled easier, their location was clear, and not like on a Lada, where they are scattered as necessary and you have to look for them with the help of some kind of mother. It is more convenient to cook a good metal.
Because of the many little things, there was a sense of reliability of these cars. They could have formed a muzzle, while the racks remained intact, and the doors closed perfectly. Thanks to this, there was also no need to pull the racks, which again made the work easier.
Cheap contract spare parts, which could be ordered directly in color, made them easy to install and not worry. Of course, in most cases they came with shoals, but for this it is worth saying thank you to the transport companies and their attitude to delivery. A toothpick came to the rescue. Small scratches were locally painted over without much preparation.
Instead of six months, all the cars were assembled in five months, and that was because they had to wait a long time for spare parts. The condition of the car, if you don't know about the accident, and it's not easy to find out about it, was close to ideal.
Ivan sold five of the six Subaru's, and kept one Impression on the box for himself.
He had a mountain of spare parts from Impres and other cars in his shed. If absolutely necessary, bumpers and doors can be repaired, and if it weren't for cheap contract parts, Vanya would have done just that. But why, if it's easier and faster to put whole elements?
The first thing he did when the money appeared was to order a batch of eight of the same wheelbarrows. It's the broken Subaru Impreza. Other Japanese, including those of the same brand, with the exception of microliters, are expensive to repair. And what's to hide, Vanya enjoyed working with them, and it was profitable.
He had a rough idea from the photos from the Internet, which he looked at at a company engaged in the import and unloading of Japanese cars, which spare parts would be needed. For example, he noted that after being hit in the face, the rollers and gears of the timing belt mechanism suffer. These parts cost a pittance, so he ordered them and belts with a spare. The fact that you need to change the fender, bumper or trunk lid is immediately apparent from the photos. So the body parts were ordered immediately.
As a result, the spare parts arrived a month earlier than the cars.
It seemed blasphemy to Vanya to store cars on the street in the open air. But it's also too fat for them to build or buy garages. But it's inexpensive to put a canopy, especially if you make it from budget materials - old pipes made of scrap metal, slate and boards from the nearest sawmill. Delivery of Japanese cars must wait two months. It was decided to spend this time on awnings.
The caveat is that building in winter is a dubious pleasure. And not because it's uncomfortable. You can get used to it. The main reason is the pouring of concrete and the related nuances, which prevented the garage from being built in winter.
In the end, Ivanov gave up on it. People just trample the pillars with broken bricks, and they have been standing for years. He filled the pillars with concrete and plasticizers. But I didn't fill in the parking space. Instead, I bought hand-made concrete slabs from a man who bought them a few years ago, but for some reason his construction site froze. The crane installed the slabs in place of the future canopies that had grown up around them.
As a result, a new batch of Impres took their places under the roofs of the canopies, each of which was designed for four cars.
If you look at Vanin's yard, it looks more like a paid car park. On the left there are gates and an entrance, on both sides of which there is a canopy with a bunch of wheelbarrows under them. There is a large garage in the back. To the right is a metal garage. And somewhere behind it, a gray house stands forlornly, which can only be distinguished from a garage by a more civilized roof. And on the right, a sagging wooden hut with peeling paint is completely visible. In the distance, there are sad-looking sheds littered with snow and gaping holes, like people from another world.
There are no pets that are usually found in rural farmsteads here. And if the animals have appeared, then they are either wild or neighboring. There are no vegetable gardens or greenhouses either. Vanya had no time for rustic "entertainment": he was making money. It is easier for him to buy ready-made natural products from his neighbors. The latter themselves gladly brought him milk, sour cream, butter, cheese, eggs and gifts from the garden, up to a year's supply of potatoes. Cheap, tasty, healthy and with home delivery. Where else can you find all these factors to come together? How can you not love life in Badgers after that?
***
On a cool April evening, the measured village life was diluted by an unknown element. This very element was a skinny young man with twitchy movements. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a black hoodie with the hood pulled over his head.
Mikhail has already gone home. Vanya was quietly preparing breakfast for the morning. At this time, the element climbed over the fence and headed for the new house.
Ivan was startled when he heard a knock on the door. He did not expect a visit, especially a knock on the door of the house, and not on the gate. But who knows, who and for what reason could have come? This is a village, maybe one of the villagers got sick and came to him to call an ambulance, because everyone in Badgers knows who is the only one in the whole village who has a cell phone.
Unaware of anything, Ivan opened the front door without asking, as he was in his home clothes - stretched sweatpants and a blue T-shirt washed to holes.
When he found a stranger on his doorstep, he was pretty surprised and wanted to ask who he was and what kind of yogurt had arrived, but he didn't have time.
By that time, the element in the hoodie had taken out a piece of pipe from under his sweatshirt and was clutching it in his right hand, which he hid behind his back. As soon as the owner of the house appeared on the threshold, the element delivered a sweeping blow to Ivan's head with a pipe, causing him to go limp like a winter one.
Ivan regained consciousness hard. He felt very sick, everything was blurry in his eyes. And not only for the reason that there were no glasses on the bridge of his nose, but also from the effects of the blow.
He found himself tied to a chair in his kitchen. His legs were tied to the legs, and his hands were tightly tied behind his back. In front of him stood a twitchy guy with a hood pulled deep.
Noticing that Ivan had woken up, the element addressed him in a low voice:
"Hey! Are you Ivanov?
- Yogurt on the lips! Who are you?
"Where's the money?"
Then, and without explanation, it became clear that the element was a robber. Ivan believed that life and health are more expensive than money, so he did not hide anything.:
"In a teapot on the kitchen counter."
The element hurriedly gutted the porcelain teapot and began counting the cash with trembling hands. When he finished with this fascinating action, his face twisted into an evil grimace. He jumped up to Vanya and yelled angrily:
- Why is it so little? There are only fifteen pieces!
- Sir, are you confusing me with Rockefeller? How much cash do you think I should have? Millions?
- Of course, millions! - the element stated with complete confidence. - You've got money to chew with your ass! Tell me where the money is, or I'll cut you!
The element of intimidation grabbed the largest kitchen knife from the table and began to brandish it threateningly in front of Ivan's face.
Ivanov's mind was swimming, he was stormy, but at the same time he tried to keep his cool.
- My dear Sir, you are mistaken. I'm far from a millionaire. It's all my money. I don't print them, and I don't even use a shovel.
"Don't fuck with me, four-eyed!" - The element sounded viciously. - You have such a domina, a lot of cars. You can't have only fifteen grand!
- Why should I bathe in yogurt? My dear Sir, you are not considering the fact that houses and cars cost money. It is in them that my mythical millions are invested. Choose whatever you like and go with God. There's no need to make things worse. Nevertheless, robbery is one article, and murder for the purpose of robbery is a completely different one.
- Do you think it's that easy to get off? The element flashed a mad smile. - Fuck it! I've been told everything about you. So come on, share your secrets!
- Yogurt is a healthy drink, but it also needs to be eaten... Sir, what secrets do you have in mind? I'm not the KGB archive to keep any secrets...
- Tell me all about the future! The pupils of the element flashed crazily in the light of the light bulb.
- It wasn't honey mushrooms... - Ivanov drawled, looking like a fool. - Young man, did you confuse me with Wang? I'm just an ordinary car mechanic, what kind of future is yogurt in my face? You don't know what's going on in the present.
"I know everything... - the element sounded breathy. - Svetka the slut told me everything about you being from the future! So you'd better tell me everything yourself: the winning lottery numbers, when and who will win the football game... Otherwise...
He drew the blunt side of the knife across Vanya's throat, which caused his knees to tremble and he felt very weak. Sticky sweat broke out on his forehead, and a shiver ran down his spine.
"Reverend Sir, you have been misled," Ivan's tongue began to slur in horror. - There is no such thing as time travel. Let's talk logically. If I really knew something about the future, I wouldn't be fixing cars in a remote village, but would be living in the Maldives surrounded by top models and security staff. How can the owner of a pile of broken car junk be who you think I am?
"Don't give me shit, Uncle! Are you saying that the slut lied to me?!
- I mean, not all yogurts are equally healthy... Everyone knows that Svetlana is a drinker. What kind of amateur is there? She's a pro at fighting the green snake! And alcohol does not have the best effect on consciousness. Who knows, who could have imagined what? Now what, believe in any nonsense? Reverend Sir, why do you suddenly believe that I know something about the future?
- Well, well ... - the element was confused, lowering his hand with a knife. "She told you.".. And you have mansions, cars...
- Please note, the only whole car that you could see was an ancient Lada of the first model.
Vanya did not mention that the second whole car, a Subaru Impreza, is in a steel garage. He continued:
- The rest of my fleet consists of pieces of scrap metal on wheels. Cheap Japanese scrap metal. If you were a time traveler and knew about the future, would you live in a remote village, repairing car junk from morning to night?
- Well... - the element scratched his chin thoughtfully with his left hand. - No, probably not... Definitely not! Whatever you need! I would have bet on Brazil winning the last FIFA World Cup and become a rich man!
"You see, sir? It's that simple. How could anyone not know about such a significant event as Brazil's victory in the World Cup in 2000?! This is nonsense!
Ivan had to make a lot of effort to speak seriously, without irony. After all, he didn't know about any of this. He also realized that he had met one of the believers in the opportunity to get rich on sports betting. He's also a drug addict or a madman, judging by his jerky movements and faith in Sveta's words.
During the conversation with the robber, Ivanov regretted the unforgivable weakness he had allowed himself a hundred times. One poorly spoken word to the wrong person, and that's the result. He is in the company of a madman with a fractured head, bound hand and foot.
'Well Baranova, well slut... He mentally sent waves of hatred towards Svetlana. - You should shorten your tongue too long and feed it with yogurt alone!'
Fortunately for Ivanov, the element found his arguments reasonable enough. The decisive argument for him was that a Russian cannot be unaware of who won the World Cup in 2000.
He left and began to rummage around the house in search of valuables. Half an hour later, he left with full trunks.
It took Ivan a whole hour to free himself from the ropes. He hopped on the chair like a saiga until he managed to break off the legs and free his legs.
With his hands tied behind his back and his head covered in blood, he left through the front door left open by the robber and reached the neighboring house.
When an elderly neighbor came out of her house to his screams, she was stunned.
"Good Lord! Vanechka, is that you? What's wrong with you?
- The robber, Aunt Masha. He broke through the door and almost stabbed me. Untie my hands, or they'll wither.
- Right now, right now, Milai... Oh, what's going on in the world! The damned Herods are already breaking into the houses... The police must be called!
- It is necessary. Both the police and the ambulance. Only my phone was stolen. Let someone run to Misha and ask him to take me to the regional center.
- Right now, Milai...
The commotion in the Badgers was notable. Nothing like this has happened here for a long time. A sweating Mikhail arrived on his six and stared in horror at his employer, who had become his friend.
- Yo... Yoshkar-Ola is a big city! Vanek, who's calling you that?
- Yes, some junkie broke into my house, bought a pipe and took out everything valuable. Come on, Mishan, run to my house for some spare glasses. Because that psycho broke my glasses. I think I stepped on them when I was leaving the house. It's like something snapped. They're on the bedside table in the bedroom.
- Now, Vanya. Hold on.
Vanya did not remember how Misha took him to the regional center. He lost consciousness from the shaking. He regained consciousness when he had to leave the car.
Then the epic began with the hospital and the police, who soon arrived at the patient's room with Misha.
"H-hmm... - an elderly policeman coughed. - Captain Kuznetsov. Here, the citizen assures me that you were robbed. Tell us how it happened.
Vanya recounted exactly how the robbery happened and described the criminal's appearance. Captain Kuznetsov filled out the protocol by hand.
"Well..." he drawled. - Are you saying that the criminal got into your house for a reason, but on a tip?
- He claimed that Svetlana Baranova had told him about my "wealth". She lives in Badgers on the next street.
- Yeah, yeah... - the policeman made an entry in the protocol. - What was stolen from you?
- Cash in the amount of fifteen thousand rubles, a computer, a Samsung Sync Master monitor with the operating system activation code written in an indelible red marker on the screen panel, a Siemens A35 cell phone and a DVD player. The total value of the stolen property is about thirty thousand rubles.
"Writing with a marker is good," the captain nodded. - This may help the investigation. Citizen Ivanov, sign the protocol...