Save the Black Pearl!

 

My name is Mattias, 31 years old from Sweden. 

Last summer me and my partner bought a van so we could live in it and travel around Europe during the spring of 2014 and onwards. Eventually perhaps finding a place for ourselves where we can settle down. We've spent a lot of money repairing "the Black Pearl" as we call her, and we're deeply saddened by the fact that she's a heavy drinker. Gasoline in europe is extremely expensive compared to, for an example, the united states. We do not have jobs at the moment since it's quite hard to find a job in Sweden these days. One thing that could help us(or the Pearl) is if we could raise enough money so we could switch out her 34-year old engine and replace it with a newer engine that runs on diesel, which is more energy-efficient and not as expensive in the long run as normal gasoline.

 

We love this van and would want nothing more than to keep her. Our other option would be to sell her, but then we wouldn't be able to travel and discover new places and opportunities with her. Both me and my partner have dreamt of having a van like this for years.

She's a real beauty and it would be a shame to let her go.

 

And why don't we get a new car? Well, we simply do not have the money for it. I'm a student which brings in a little money, but far from enough, and my partner is unemployed.

 

Anything would help. Many thanks in advance.