Grace, Raw and Uncensored
Grace can take a myriad of forms, but for a 16-year-old male who suddenly beholds the set of wheels that he has longed for all his life, this is Grace, raw and uncensored:
When he was about 4-years-old, I recall taking Number Two Son to an outdoor store in Bowling Green, Kentucky where he spied the ride of his dreams: a colorful mountain bike that was several sizes too large. He just couldn’t conceive of why he couldn’t simply drive it off the lot, and he cried huge, Cadillac-sized tears. My heart broke a little bit watching that, but I hoped the day would come when that would be replaced with a scene like that above and those tears would be a distant memory.
We made a deal with the boys a long time ago that goes something like this: make good grades, stay physically fit, work when you can, be involved at church and stay out of (serious) trouble, and we’ll make sure that you have a reliable set of used wheels in which you can begin to seek a little adventure and drive through college after which, of course, you should be able to more or less stand on your own two feet. Or four wheels, as the case may be.
For Number One Son, the ride consisted of a 2000 VW Passat, for Number Two, a 2000
Honda CRV. For me, it consisted of various cars that my Dad kept around, including a red 1967 VW Beetle with a stick, a–and as a die-hard Duke fan I hate to say it–sky blue Ford Rambler Fairlane (3-speed on the column), a puke-green Ford Maverick, an orange 1971 Subaru sports coupe and a yellow 1976 Subaru sedan.
Each one had it owns idiosyncrasies and created its own interesting storyline. Especially the yellow Subaru. The one that dropped its transmission about 15 miles west of Cookeville, Tennessee where I was stranded for 3 days immediately after I graduated from college in May, 1984. I left Searcy, Arkansas with a little under $700 in my bank account. I arrived home with next to nothing.
I’m hoping that my sons will never be stranded like that, but if cars follow their usual pattern of behavior, they most likely will. And do you think I’ll be receiving a call when that happens? You betcha.
So, what wheels did you drive during your formative years? Any special road stories?
23 Comments
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Mike the Eyeguy
That first picture is in the parking garage at Huntsville International Airport. Number Two had just arrived home from a mission trip to Mexico (see contractual agreement above).
Terri
1972 Ford GranTorino Fastback… I drove it for years until in a fit of disgust as the engine quit on me AGAIN, I gunned it backing out of the driveway and blew the engine. Daddy bought my next car, a Pontiac Sunbird at a yardsale. I totaled it when I hit the neighbor’s truck as he was backing out of his driveway. My daddy walked around a lot just shaking his head.
Alan gable
1986 GMC Sierra Classic. I called it the Death Star because it was a fully operational battle station…
Mike the Eyeguy
Terri–
Whoa, Starsky and Hutch had nothing on you.
Allen–
You scare me sometimes.
Hal
1966 Plymouth Valiant (3-speed on the column, like your Fairlane). And, it was baby blue. It was 10 years old when I started driving and I drove it 10 more years until I graduated from optometry school. By then the body had rusted out so much that I couldn’t put anything in the trunk anymore without fear of losing it along the road somewhere. So, I cut the top off of it and drove around in a “convertible” for a couple of months. Oh yeah, when I was living in Houston I mounted Steer horns on the front of the hood – that was a nice touch.
Mike the Eyeguy
Hal, as far as car stories go, you’re in the lead at this point. I’m not sure if anyone can top that.
Any pictures of the steer horns? If so, hang on to them lest someone try to blackmail you.
Hal
Oh yeah, I got a great picture of the car sans roof and steer horns on the front. Blackmail, heh, I’m proud of it.
Laura
a 2000 plymouth neon was my first car. I got it just before the start of my senior year it was brand new and supposed to be a great car.
it was a piece of junk. While I can admit that I was rough on the car when I was younger. I had the brakes replaced 3 times and when I was in a wreck about 3 years ago, it pretty much crumpled under itself. My poor parents spent far more than the car was worth helping me keep it up and running.
Finally they broke down and bought me another new car, which I am dutifully paying them back for.
My husband however, is still driving his first car. A 1986 Chevy Caprice. It’s got over 200,000 miles on it but it still runs pretty well.
mmlace
Hey! When I was a little kid, that’s what my mom drove–a Chevy Caprice, I believe from about 1985 or so, but I’m not sure the exact year. It was brown, two-door, and my grandma (her mom) had an almost identical one–I think the only difference was hers was four-door. It was still running when I was in high school, and when my granny passed away, my mom inherited it and my dad drove it for a few years. I’m pretty sure it even lasted through at least my first couple of years of college. In fact, I don’t think he ever really had trouble with it. If memory serves me correctly, he just got a good offer on it and sold it a few years ago.
My first vehicle was a red 1992 Ford Mustang. It was purchased brand new as a graduation gift for my cousin, who wore it out driving it to and from home and college. Then it was passed on to my older sister, who drove it for a couple of years. So by the time I inherited it in 1999, on my 16th birthday, it was pretty dirty, and had well over 100K miles on it. And not long after I got it, the a/c went out on it. (Did I mention that my bday is in August?) Unlike Laura’s parents, mine refused to spend more on it than it was worth, so I sweated it out for a little while. But never fear! At the beginning of my senior year my mom traded in her van so I could get a new (used) vehicle! So for my senior year and all through college, I drove a 1997 Ford Ranger. And since my parents were so kind as to make the payments on it for me all those years, I was so kind as to give it back to them after I graduated college. (That was our agreement!) I kinda miss that little green truck at times…like whenever I need to move stuff or haul something. Because now I’m the proud owner of a teeny-tiny Nissan Sentra, which I just recently realized is so small as to barely hold everything that I could pack into it for a week of camp!
Double vision
America Luvs Cars and Car Stories-my twin and I saved up some money $600 when we were sophomores and bought a 1971 Ford Pinto station wagon with dents on both sides and a smokin tail pipe due to burnt O rings. No AC-Am radio with fm converter and it was pee green to top it all off. We shared the car until we were seniors and we moved on to a lil brown chevette for me and a weak 4 cyl stang for him. LUCKY WE DID NOT GET HIT FROM BEHIND! EXPLOSION HAZARD!
Double vision
Send me a bill attorney–I’m drafting that contract for my kids tonight.
Ed
My first was a 1968 lime-green Mustang, which I adored. Joined the East Tennessee Mustang club and got saturated with everything Mustang. I sold it about half-way through school and bought a 1974 Formula Firebird. Think my parents were convinced that I would kill myself in that car because it had so much power. Went for the big ride after the firebird and got the 1976 Pontiac Bonneville, which I drove long after college. As you know, I’m prone to hit the road and wander … and the Bonneville was the perfect beast for doing that. Very smooth and quiet. Fortunately, I don’t recall any catastrophic events with those cars, but I had several friends that needed an assist every now and then.
Stoogelover
I think it was a 64 Buick Special. No A/C … only an AM radio. Plastic seat covers. Vinyl floor. The pits, but I got it free and it ran.
Carolinagirl
My 1st car was a 1979 Plymouth Horizon – yea one of those hatch back things. It was a stick shift and I think only me and one other gal in our class of 57 people knew how to drive a stick. The guys, of course were a different story. I had the car through my days at F-HU and then traded it in at some point around ’85. I don’t recall the price as it was a gift along the same line for good grades, etc., etc., etc.
Mike the Eyeguy
Ah, the memories…
Thanks for sharing those everyone. “Cheap and it runs” seems to be the common thread.
Cg–My current car has a stick and I’m teaching all my boys how to drive one. I learned on that ’67 VW, and I think everyone–male and female–should be able to drive one in an emergency. Besides, it’s plain fun and driving at its most elemental.
Jeff Slater
1974 Plymouth Duster. I had wide tires on the back and had the rear end jacked up. Thrush muffler so that it was nice and loud.
I wrecked it a week before I had to leave for college.
My son and I are looking for a late ’60s/early ’70s muscle car to restore. I wish I hadn’t wrecked my Duster!
Carolinagirl
ME – when I was home on leave in May/June, I got to see my niece and her family who were visiting from Ghana. They currently reside there as missionaries. I’m not sure how I ever drummed up the patience, but I headed out with my niece one morning so she could further pratice her shifting capabilities in a GEO that someone had loaned to them while visiting in the states. I say patience as someone else had already laid the footwork on the hard explanation of how to do everything. Still, I don’t know where all the patience came from to ride and softly explain the things that needed to be accomplished – perhaps differently.
In the end, I’ve had the pleasure of their passing through TN to stop at my house (twice) as they were traveling back and forth in that GEO. I guess I also mention it from the perspective that the GEO had no AC and no radio. Ah, the comforts we do with and without.
Donna
Jeff, I had a 74 Duster too! It was my first car of my very own. But in high school my Dad let me drive this 1968 Caprice with a rusted hood and straight shift in the column. It sometimes got stuck between 2nd and 3rd gear…..scary thing for a 16 year girl to drive with a car full of screaming girls!!
I agree that everyone should know how to drive a stick….it is the most fun on the road!!
lAURA
Fun times and fun memories. My first one was a 77 Cutlass Supreme with a 8 track. I loved it. Great memories driving my brothers cool cars. He was always getting in trouble and grounded so I got to drive them. Ed he had a Firebird with T-tops. Used to ride around with them out and the heater full blast because it was so cold out. Then he had a red Mach 1 Mustang. Too fast for me though. My brother totaled my Cutlass one week before we got married (Kent was glad he said it was a piece of junk).
Our oldest should find out tomorrow if hers is totaled or not. It sure is taking long enough. The guys insurance is Geico and they have been on vacation for last week. She saw it today and Kent said she got real sad. So we may be looking for another one for her to take back and forth to Lipscomb. Time will tell.
jon
1982 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais. Found it driving around the ghetto. Some old lady had it sitting in her backyard. The terms of buying the car were simple. If I could get it running I could buy it for $800. So I looked under the hood tinkered around, put a new battery in it, started it up, handed her $800, and drove home to the garage where she sat the whole summer while my dad and I put another $2,500 into it. That was ‘my’ first car, but the first car I drove was my dad’s old 1980 Ford LTD 4-door. It had 4-60 air conditioning and if the wind blew in just right you could inflate the entire headliner. Fun stuff…..can’t wait to buy a fixer-upper for Lawson!
Lynda Bee
Ahh the memoreez! Mikee – do you remember “The Bluesmobile”? 1975 Dark Blue Chevy Malibu. Being from Michigan, the floorboard so rusted in the front passenger side you could see the asphalt spinning below you! I had a metal Marlboro Man sign on the floorboard to keep our feet from dragging. It also had no dash lights, so I’d take it out on Hwy 67, use a flashlight to get it up to 65-70 and put the cruise on. Heaven help me if I had to hit the brakes.
It was a junker – but it got loads of us back and forth from Detroit to Harding many times. (The record was 9 of us crammed in – with Don Sides driving – he was 6’5″. – He also drove like a bat out of you-know-where. Made it home in 14 hours instead of 17!)
Thanks for the flashback!
Lynda Bee
P.S. – guess what I drive now….. 2000 Dark Blue Chevy Malibu! 🙂 See how much I like change? ha!
Mike the Eyeguy
Good stuff, everyone.
LBee–I’m sorry to say I don’t remember the Bluesmobile, but your description leaves little to the imagination!