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Wednesday, November 4, 2015

CARS IN MY LIFE

CARS IN MY LIFE
Cranky and Pop in 1963 with my 1958 MGA 

Some things in life you just do not forget, your dogs, your cars and your ex-wives.  In an older post I have chronicled my dogs http://joeh-crankyoldman.blogspot.com/2013/08/dogs-in-my-life.htmlI try to forget my ex-wives.   Here is my life as represented in the cars I grew up with or have owned.

1951 Buick - Pop’s- traded in 1959 for the Ford Galaxy.  It took us from NY to California in ‘51 and back in ’55.  (Summers and salt air at Jersey shore took its toll…traded in ’59.)

1955 VW Bug – Pop’s- It was totaled in an accident 1961 by my oldest brother (It was either brake failure or too much beer.)

1959 Ford Galaxy – Pop’s (Mine for a while in College) Older brother almost totaled running a red light in ‘60. I pretty much just ran into the ground.

1962 Pontiac Tempest – Mom’s - Broke down on a ski trip to NE 1967 with my older brother,  had to replace the fuel pump, don’t remember what happened to it after that.

1958 MGA Bought used in ’63 – Broke down 1967…scrapped (Still makes me cry thinking about it)

1964 VW Bug – Pop’s – Stolen 1968

1959 Volvo – Not mine, my friend Charley’s, but we spent a few summers in it not picking up chicks.  The engine caught fire on a test run when Charley was trying to sell it.  He told the prospective buyer, “It’s never done that before!”

1968 VW Bug – Sold for $50 in 1994 (it was still running great)

1972 AMC Hornet Station Wagon – Traded in 1981. (It was a dog, but all I could afford. Four years at $30 a month.)

1981 Honda Accord – The engine ran great, the body and chassis dissolved 1994.

1976 Cadillac Seville- (bought from mom in 1986)-Sold 1988 for $300. (A little beat up, but my first taste of luxury.)

1988 Mercury Sable station Wagon – Son took to Colorado 1993 and ran it into the ground...karma for me and the '59 Ford.

1990 Jeep Wrangler – Traded in 2007 (Ex-wife ruined clutch…did not believe in neutral at stop lights. Also major rear end dents…see 2006 Sequoia.)

198? Saab - Came with second wife, clutch turned to mush (see 1990 Jeep Wrangler), gave to charity for tax break.

1993 Saab – Bought used in ’97 Traded in 2000 (Stalled all the time, would not idle…best mechanics could not fix.  A cousin suggested the gas pedal cable connection had stretched; shortened the connection and it never stalled again.)

1998 Jeep Cherokee – Traded in 2006 (Do not miss it, it stalled going around sharp turns periodically…not good.)

2006 Toyota Sequoia – Lost in divorce, Son drives today. (Can be recognized by matching huge dents on rear bumper…reverse is not ex-wife’s strong suit.)

2007 Jeep Wrangler - Still running…love, love.

2004 Toyota Sequoia - Came with my third wife, traded in '12 for a Forerunner (The car; wife still runs good.)

2012 Toyota Forerunner- Still like new. (Wife will not let me drive it.)

My next and last car (unless my wife lets me drive longer) a new Cadillac CTS Sedan…Year yet to be determined.  

15 comments:

  1. lots of vws and a few other oddballs - like the amc. :)

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  2. I love to drive! My first Mustang, which I think was a ’69, was the first car I had which my husband hadn’t driven for years prior to my driving it. It was also the first car I had which (deliberately) could not hold a troop of Boy or Girl Scouts. The government had a ban on manufacturing convertibles at that time because of safety concerns. There were, however, no laws about making your own convertibles. We had the car decapitated & a convertible top put on! Once I was driving about 4:00am on a virtually deserted freeway when I glanced at my speedometer. I was going 105! I reluctantly slowed down.
    My husband, Bud, drives slightly differently. I have accused him of being a graduate of the HELEN KELLER SCHOOL OF DRIVING. He is apparently more comfortable driving by Braille, because he is constantly on the Bott’s dots (the little reflective markers used to separate lanes) so he can feel his way along the road. He used to travel. When he was out of town, I would sometimes drive over the dots so I could pretend he was still home.

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  3. Cars: assorted. Each gearbox completely ruined within 18 months by leadfoot, I know not how.

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  4. An interesting collection, for sure, and a mystery solved: YOU'RE to guy who bought the AMC Hornet! I always liked Saab's, but heard you needed a mechanic on retainer to keep one running. Remember the Saab Sonnet? And a '62 Pontiac Tempest....my dad had one, too. He and I both loved it. (But I was warned to never tell mom I ever drove it. I was just kinda under age. Shhhh)

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  5. A fun list! I always heard that the AMC Hornet was a lemon. Our worst car was a Ford Tempo.

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  6. WOW.....a lot of cars but if that is your enjoyment....do it.
    I still drive my 1989 Nissan pickup every summer. My
    gardening truck.

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  7. What? No AMC Gremlin or Pacer? Now those cars were chick magnets.

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  8. What a fun list. Now you have me thinking way back to my first car.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

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  9. Fun to chronicle the cars from over the years. Best one I have right now is my 1999 Olds Silhouette van; about 93,000 miles on it. I rarely drive but when I do, it gets me around. Sadly we are thinking of trading it in for something newer; with it goes all the memories of being a "soccer mom" though technically the kids didn't play soccer. But there goes my youth.

    betty

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  10. I had a '64 Bug that I drove into the ground ...roof first.

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  11. I also had a VW Bug. I bet most people our age had one.

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  12. I had a friend who owned a Saab in North Dakota one winter. He walked a lot.

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  13. Amazing how a guy can remember all that -- i can barely remember the one i drove before the Jalopy!

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  14. My favorite car was a 1990 Toyota Corolla 4-Door Sedan, Cherry Red, with gray interior. Like this one:

    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-awxbGtXc74g/TkQ6WoLLgnI/AAAAAAAABo8/S_PeAq-5FGE/s1600/88-92_Toyota_Corolla_Sedan.jpg

    It hugged the road like nobody's business. Great for my hour commute each way on two-lane winding blacktop.

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  15. This is a great blog idea! I'm knocking you off mister, so get used to it:)
    R

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