July 2005

Craig Held
(aka DoHio)

First, I'd like to thank those who nominated me for the July 2005 DOTM. It's an honor and thank you very much!

I found the DOC after purchasing our first 2001 D at the end of November 2000. I renewed our Gold membership shortly after buying our current D a little over a year ago. I've thoroughly enjoyed this club and the people involved in it. I've met a few and look forward to meeting many more.

I've been married for 22 yrs next month and my wife Karla is a good and understanding woman — she has to be to put up with me and my car craziness! I'm a Chiropractor with a solo practice in Columbus, OH where we live. We have two children; Lauren, who's 20 and recently moved out to live with her friend and find her place in the adult world (She frequently tells me growing up stinks and it's not how she envisioned it! Ain't life grand? LOL) and Madison, who turned 4 in May and is as sweet as can be and loads of fun!

This is our second 2001 D. Our first was bought new with everything as far as options go and I was usually the only one who drove it (put about 16000 mi. on it in a year and a half, including a few family trips.) However, I became displeased with the "cost" of operating a D, gas, insurance, etc.…little did I know, and convinced myself to sell it for a very clean, low mileage, 97 Buick LeSabre (I know, it's ok to laugh!) I realized after just a couple of weeks I'd made a mistake and after a year told my wife the Buick was literally "sucking the life out of me!" My wife is a wonderful woman who's put up with my car obsession for a lot of years and, even though I've had a good number of different cars & trucks, her words have always been "If you can afford it, I don't care what you drive"…nice isn't she? So the hunt was on.

Trucks, cars, new, used, I drove a ton of vehicles but always kept coming back to the D and finally found our current one on the internet &mdash and it was about 30 mins. North of where we live! I went up to see it on a rainy Wednesday night and only drove it maybe 3 miles total. I couldn't come back Thursday but told the salesman I'd be back on Friday — which, as it turned out, I couldn't make either. However, on Saturday I went back, took the D out for a final test spin, made the deal and was gone! That first night after I drove it, I came home and told my wife it was like putting on a favorite pair of jeans. When she said you have to buy it, I knew I was going back to get it!

One of the first things I bought for this D was a FSM…what a great purchase. I’m crazy about that book and it's saved me a ton of money, time and aggravation already! As I said above, my first D was completely loaded but this one was missing a few options. Among other things, it didn't have an overhead console so I took up the challenge and, after some time digging through the FSM, doing research and homework, I found and installed a compatible console that works great! While I was researching it, my wife asked if I needed to add this and my reply was, "Need?? No!" But the challenge to do it was before me. It was a good challenge and turned out perfect.

Another big item I took up the challenge to install was a factory 2003 rear seat DVD player. It wasn't an option for the 2001 D and the "kit" doesn't include the mounting bracket! I discovered the player has its own option code and comes with a "factory welded" bracket under the headliner. If a D didn't come with the player factory installed, there's no bracket under the headliner and it's not available as a separate item! After some thought and thanks to running it by some in the DOC, I fabricated my own bracket, attached it to the roof and, once I saw the size of the hole I'd made in the headliner, told my wife it had to work! Well, another challenge, another conquest…and the 4 yr old loves it!

My most recent addition is another item not offered for the 2001 D, an RB1 navigation radio. Less of a challenge but a really fun piece. Madison likes to make wrong turns to "trick" the woman in the radio…she is fun!! Other things I've done are clear corners, Altezza tail lights, intake and auto-dimming rear view mirror (another fun item the FSM helped tremendously in wiring up.)

I've also got a list of other things I'd like to do and as time permits will hopefully get to them. I'm really looking forward to the upcoming plant tour so I can see first hand some of the things others have done, pick the brains of those smarter than me and I'm certain this will cause my list of 'things to do" to grow.

The first D we had I thought was a bit expensive to own and operate, I didn't foresee our current economic conditions but will I sell this D because it's too expensive to operate? Not on your life, it stays!

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