Author's Note: Thanks for the follows and favorites guys. And thanks so much to my reviewers. It makes me happy to know you're enjoying this little fic. Honestly, the brief flashbacks in 9 (tho we got no Dotty :( ) has made me really want a spin-off with the young versions. Like kind of how their life was before they pulled these mad jobs.
This chapter was inspired by the car restoration shows I've been watching lately. It's kind of light family filler. I'm planning a few sort of light chapters before we have to get to the heavy stuff.
Swap meet day
Chapter 12
Two weeks after the start of sophomore year Mia told Letty to come by the garage the following Saturday. Mr. Toretto was hoping to sell a couple of cars they'd bought cheap and fixed up to flip for cash. It was also a great place to get harder to find parts, especially for classic cars. They would pick up some items to keep on hand for the garage, or sometimes be looking to land something specific.
Letty thought it might be a good opportunity to get a few pieces she needed for the Chevelle. Aside from a new coat of paint she wanted to get better wheels, a new front grill and a door handle to replace one on the passenger side that was damaged. She might not find any of the pieces she was looking for, but there was also a good chance she'd find at least one thing.
Dom picked her up on his way to the garage that Saturday morning and she mentioned what kind of things she might be looking for. He promised to keep an eye out.
At the garage he and Vince and Mr. Toretto loaded the cars - a '69 Pontiac Firebird painted candy blue, and a red 1970 Chevy Corvette, onto a couple of their tow trucks. The boys would drive the vehicles over while the girls rode with Mr. Toretto in the company pickup. On the way over he reminded them not to make any purchases without him or Dom around as these collectors were sharks and would try and rip you off.
"We know what this stuff is worth," Letty said. "Why do we need you or Dom to help?"
"You may know but they'll act like you don't," Mia said. "I've been coming to these since I was like 4 with the same guys and they still think they can screw me over. Trust me, it's just easier."
"And don't ask Vince for help," Mr. Toretto put in. "He's gotten fleeced more than once."
When they pulled up Letty could see various sellers from the area setting up display tables to show off what they had or laying stuff out on drop-cloths on the ground. She spotted Dom and Vince unloading the cars. There were a few others around marked for sale, most of them junk that had to be fixed up. She would take a look at those anyway, you never knew when you might find something with potential.
They got out and helped Mr. Toretto unload a few things from the back of the truck. He didn't sell too many parts, usually they were useful to have around when you were running a garage, but since he tended to specialize in higher end motors and classic cars he didn't keep too many basic brand parts on hand. He had already arranged to trade them for a couple of items with another shop-owner and long time friend.
Once that was done they wandered the rest of the area, taking a peek at the items on offer before the crowds of shoppers were let in. Mia found a set of headlights her Dad had been looking for to use on a build, and they also scored a new set of handles Letty could use on the Chevelle. But it wasn't long before the space was swarming with people looking for the best deal and the guys had to go back to help Mr. Toretto try and sell the cars he'd brought.
Mia and Letty dug some water bottles out of the cooler from the back of the pick up and looked around at the other cars on offer, asking pointed questions about the frame and the engine and how much mileage they had on them. By the time noon rolled around they were all sweating under the California midday sun and one of the cars had been sold.
Dom and Letty walked down the street to a nearby bodega to grab everyone some lunch.
"You see anything else that caught your eye?" he asked her.
She shrugged. "Some guy at the far end has an old Gran Torino," she told him. "It's missing all the doors and the hood but the engine looks okay. He's asking way too much for it though."
He snorted. "They always do. I bet we can haggle him down."
They stood in line for a bag full of wrapped tortas and then walked back down to the meet. The first wave of people had come and gone and it was a little sparse at this time of day, giving them all a chance to sit down and eat. Mr. Toretto and Dom went to scope out the market and make a few purchases while the rest of them babysat the remaining car for sale. Vince and Letty got into a disagreement about what was the ugliest car ever made. He insisted it was the Bond Bug, but she put forth the Corbin Sparrow.
"I raise you both the '57 Fiat Multipla Marinella," Mia said.
"It even has an ugly ass name," Letty agreed.
"And those wicker seats!" Vince laughed.
He was soon summoned to help Dom load stuff into the pick up and Letty went to help them. Mr. Toretto was just taking cash for his last car when they returned. He looked over at them.
"You all have another hour to look around then we'll head out."
They'd sold everything they came here to sell, so unless they were buying it wasn't worth sticking around. They checked out a few vendors they'd missed earlier and Letty was haggling over a grill she liked when Dom said he would be right back.
She managed to knock 50 dollars off the original asking price and went to load it on the truck with Mia while Vince went off to find his friend so they could leave. She got back into the pickup with Mr. Toretto and Mia and they drove back to the garage.
"It was a good day at the meet," he said. "We all found something we wanted."
"And you sold both of the cars," Mia added. "That doesn't always happen." She groaned. "I like going but I hate when we have to sit around there allllll day waiting for a buyer that never comes."
"That's how it is," her father said. "Hit or miss in this business. You know that."
"I like more when it's hit and not miss."
They pulled up at the garage and unloaded the stuff.
"Why don't you leave the parts for the Chevelle here," Mr. Toretto told Letty. "Bring her by this week and we'll get her finished and painted up for you."
"Still need wheels," she said with a sigh, but nodded.
Whatever he was going to say in response was interrupted by the rumble of the tow engines as the boys arrived. Letty fairly stared when she saw what was on the bed of the truck Dom was backing in.
"I can't believe you got that," she told him when he stepped out of the truck and started to unload the Gran Torino.
"Why?" he asked. "You were right about it. We can fix it up nice."
She smiled at that, looking forward to working on the vehicle with him. Building a car with Dom. She couldn't deny the appeal of that.
"We got another surprise for you over here," Vince said, unloading some crates and boxes from the back of his own flat bed.
Letty went over to look. Underneath a tarp bungied down to the bed of the truck were a set of wheels and rims. They needed to be cleaned up and fixed a bit. But they would look great on the Chevelle.
"Whose idea was that?" she asked, looking surprised.
"My Dad's," Mia said, nudging her. "You've been waiting to finish that car for years girl, it's about time."
"I can pay for them," Letty insisted.
"You'll work at the shop," Mr. Toretto responded, knowing how hard it was for some people to accept a gift, let alone multiple gifts. "Won't take more than a couple days to work off what they charged for those, anyway."
"Is that your way of offering me a job?" she asked, looking amused.
"If you want it. We could always use another skilled mechanic. Part time after school."
"Not weekends?" she asked.
"Please, you're a teenager. You don't want to work weekends."
She grinned and then leaned into Dom when he wrapped his arm around her and murmured against her ear.
"Just say yes," he told her and she laughed.
"Yeah, sure." She nodded. "Thanks."
"Good," Mr. Toretto said with a nod. "Now quit goofing around you kids. We have stuff to unload and put away before the barbeque tonight."