I have gotten good at being the last owner of cars. The car doc came back with a grim prognosis for the Pathfinder. It will soon make it's way to "car heaven." The "end of the road." The "final chapter." Etc.
The first car I junked was some kind of British Ford that I can't recall. It was a four door and huge for British roads. One day I had to drop the Group Commander and the Group Command Chief at the airport in south London. The Commander was my bosses' boss. A big deal (incidentally, I saw him this week at the Pentagon but didn't say hi due to the story that follows...). It happened to be the hottest day of the year in England. And the same day my a/c went out... As a young Lieutenant I engaged in the most serious, deep-thoughted, professional, conversation I had ever had to distract my poor boss from the sweltering heat. The Chief, at the start, gave up and fell asleep--or passed out--in the back seat. Thankfully we arrived at the airport on time, despite a miserable delay in traffic cooking in the heat. After dropping them off the a/c magically came back on and I turned the car for home. 30 miles south of the house the engine exploded and I pulled over with a huge smile on my face. "Thank goodness I got them down there on time..." I thought. That's how my first car made it to the junkyard.
The second car was another Ford. A Mondeo I think. British car. I bought it for 1,000 bucks. The license plate kept falling off the back so I duct taped it. I would have to periodically reapply tape, no big deal. This car actually worked ok. Unfortunatly the British are extremely strict with vehicle inspections and the duct taped plates, among other small problems, just wasn't going to fly on Her Majesty's royal roads. So this one got junked too.
The third car was another Ford (maybe I should I try another company....). I bought the Taurus from my in-laws. It had low miles and ran great (right up until it didn't...). A certain unnamed driver in my household, who wasn't me and we don't have kids, did some significant "redecorating" to the rear passenger door. In fairness DC driving is brutal so it wasn't unexpected. But, despite the cosmetics, we planned to keep this car for a long time. One day, the same driver who "redecorated" the door, was driving along a bridge in DC and the freeze plugs gave out. The engine was shot. Instead of junking this car our pastor suggested we give it to a college kid who put in a new engine for himself. So I guess technically I wasn't the last owner on this one.
And now car number four, my Pathfinder. No great story with this one. It's just old and too expensive to repair.
While I don't enjoy driving cheap cars we have made the sacrifice so our "redecorating" driver can get some serious higher education. And all the trips to the junkyard have been worth it to see her go to school.
What "junkyard" tales do you have?
The first car I junked was some kind of British Ford that I can't recall. It was a four door and huge for British roads. One day I had to drop the Group Commander and the Group Command Chief at the airport in south London. The Commander was my bosses' boss. A big deal (incidentally, I saw him this week at the Pentagon but didn't say hi due to the story that follows...). It happened to be the hottest day of the year in England. And the same day my a/c went out... As a young Lieutenant I engaged in the most serious, deep-thoughted, professional, conversation I had ever had to distract my poor boss from the sweltering heat. The Chief, at the start, gave up and fell asleep--or passed out--in the back seat. Thankfully we arrived at the airport on time, despite a miserable delay in traffic cooking in the heat. After dropping them off the a/c magically came back on and I turned the car for home. 30 miles south of the house the engine exploded and I pulled over with a huge smile on my face. "Thank goodness I got them down there on time..." I thought. That's how my first car made it to the junkyard.
The second car was another Ford. A Mondeo I think. British car. I bought it for 1,000 bucks. The license plate kept falling off the back so I duct taped it. I would have to periodically reapply tape, no big deal. This car actually worked ok. Unfortunatly the British are extremely strict with vehicle inspections and the duct taped plates, among other small problems, just wasn't going to fly on Her Majesty's royal roads. So this one got junked too.
The third car was another Ford (maybe I should I try another company....). I bought the Taurus from my in-laws. It had low miles and ran great (right up until it didn't...). A certain unnamed driver in my household, who wasn't me and we don't have kids, did some significant "redecorating" to the rear passenger door. In fairness DC driving is brutal so it wasn't unexpected. But, despite the cosmetics, we planned to keep this car for a long time. One day, the same driver who "redecorated" the door, was driving along a bridge in DC and the freeze plugs gave out. The engine was shot. Instead of junking this car our pastor suggested we give it to a college kid who put in a new engine for himself. So I guess technically I wasn't the last owner on this one.
And now car number four, my Pathfinder. No great story with this one. It's just old and too expensive to repair.
While I don't enjoy driving cheap cars we have made the sacrifice so our "redecorating" driver can get some serious higher education. And all the trips to the junkyard have been worth it to see her go to school.
What "junkyard" tales do you have?
Just a minute, we're counting.....
ReplyDeleteThis is over the last 30 years, mind you....
3 Dodge Caravans - 2 blue, 1 red
1979 Chevy Chevette -bought for $50 - driven by Joy until hit by Victoria
1991 Ford Tempo -red
1994 ford Taurus - bought for $400 from Don H
1968 Ford 750 truck - totaled in accident when drive shaft broke
1989 Chevy 4x4 pickup
1989 Honda Accord - bought from Brad with ALOT of miles on it
May have driven the Tempo to the junk yard - hauled the rest.