So glad to know that I am not the only heel about heels.
Hahaha.
I bet you didn’t realize you would be reading the website of the funniest girl alive, now did you?
*There’s that damn t-shirt agin.*
A long, long time ago there was a meme that traveled the intranets that urged participants to show their cars. My favorite was Carole’s (I can’t find the original post) as, to me, her car is very much like her personality - fun, free loving, and super cute. I never got around to showing my, or rather, our car. We are a one car family which was great in the city and is working out okay in the suburbs. I actually dread owning another car…they are damn expensive. But, I digress.
There are different “camps” when it comes to cars. My husband and I subscribe to the “we will drive you until you die” camp. My father bought my current car new in 1992, I obtained her in 1998, Rob adopted her via “the big move in” in 2003, we expect Sophia to assume possession in 2023. Hell, my first car was a diesel station wagon - Sophia will be way better off with a 31 year old car!
This car has seen me through seven moves in five states, too many road trips to count, one break in (we lost her stereo, although the perp was kind enough to unscrew the dash rather than tear it off, wish they had jimmied the lock and not broken the damn window…but beggars can’t be choosers I suppose), and 2 minor accidents. We dropped collision on her years ago so her blemishes have largely gone unpatched. Until now.
I believe I may have mentioned this here - but poor Robby got in an accident his first day back after Sophia’s birth. The accident was *technically* his fault as he failed to see a car before he took a legal U-Turn. Thankfully there were no injuries and both cars were relatively unscathed. Ours had a smashed in door - fiberglass body means that it essentially cracked.
Well, Robby and my Dad hit the junkyard and found her a new door - in a different color.
You can barely tell in the photo - but the gas cap is a totally different color as well. That fell off at the mercy of Rob’s hand who, in a fit of frigged winter terror, forced it open in below freezing temps. And open it did - permanently.
Not only did Robby do this but he also bought her some $5 mats
And a super wopish accoutrement. (Those two words together are making me giggle. I bet they never expected to meet each other).
All of this in time for the biggest, bestest, coolest thing in the world.
The rolling of the numbers.
…SUCCESS.
We love you little car. And we love that you cause us to get all kinds of looks as we travel the streets looking for a new home. Man, any house would be lucky to have you as a neighbor!
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Now that’s MY kinda car!! If you buy good cars they last a looooong time.
Saturns are the bomb!!!! I traded my old Saturn in for a VUE and I plan on driving that VUE to death. I lurv me some Saturn action.
Yay for your car! And even if your door doesn’t match perfectly, at least you HAVE doors. Which is more than I can say for my Jeep. LOL
My husband and I are of the same belief - drive ‘em till they die. Right now he commutes to work in a 97 Nissan pick up which requires a twice-a-year caulking session in order to keep the Washington rains out of the cab due to the fact that a 40′ fir tree became uprooted in a severe wind storm in February 06, fell across the backyard, then the second, detached car garage, and finally, onto the cab of the pick up. Smack dab in the middle.
We have a weird affection for it now. It may not have all it’s mirrors and a huge divot in the roof of the cab, but it keeps on truckin’.
Congrats to you and The Car.
In college I had a 1976 Ford LTD station wagon with wood paneling. We lovingly called her Wilma. During “cape week” of our senior year the odomoeter rolled over 10 100,000*. I remember pulling over into a parking lot in Truro and driving slowly in circles so I could record the moment for posterity. I still have the picture of Wilma being reborn with all zeros (the odometer didn’t have a 6th digit).
*The odometer had been disconnected for over 3 years of college driving, so who know how many miles Wilma really had on her.
I love it!
I so need that airfreshener. Italian Wendy’s unite!
i totally pulled over to the side of the road when my little ‘85 honda accord (….rip) clicked over to 200000 in 2003.
since the death of that hot little number (i miss it so!), i am now driving an ‘81 honda accord. it is older than i am. purchased in late 1980. beige with brown pinstriping, and chrome bumpers. ROCK.
Hey, I used to have a Saturn, too. Two of them in a row, in fact. That’s a big number for a car, 200,000–you should be very proud. I’m also glad to see I’m not the only one who likes the trip odometer “aligned” to the car’s odometer . . . it just looks neater that way!
I do, however, belong to the other camp–I like getting new cars every 6 years or so. In fact, much as I love my Volvo, it’ll be 6 in December and I’m starting to get a little “itchy.” (grin). Of course, I can’t compete with the mileage, either. I’m only in the 38,000s . . .
Oh you make me miss my Bessy so, sniff. She passed on at 198,000 - so close yet so far.
I really dig the car mats. Hot, totally, hot
The mats and airfreshener absolutely make it!
Too bad about the door, but it could have been worse. My older sister had a brown volkswagon Quantum. After taking off a door against the garage, my dad arranged for it to be replace with a blue one. It was promptly christened the smurf turd by her group of friends.
I am QUITE sure that ExHusband (of Sicilian extraction) believed that ALL WOP’s were Super Wops. Glad you are having summer, flames and multiple blues and teals in NY!!
the mini hopes to be nearly as awesome as the bookishmobile someday. my father worked in the automobile industry his entire career so we never had old cars. he either had company cars or replaced his (or my mom’s) every 6 months or so. but i have no interest in trading in miss scarlet anytime soon.
Thanking for sharing such a momentous happening with us! Ah cars. We too are “drive it until it can no longer be driven camp.” We tested this a few years ago when we bought a mini-van for super cheap (it was ridiculously cheap–from friends…sigh. It was a lemon) when we left the Boston area (where, truly, you do not need 2 cars), we drove it until it just wouldn’t start one day. We had it towed to a car guy who basically said, “it’s done, you have killed it.” We miss Schuster (our little Subaru, his name is Simon). Your car is the cutest, any neighbor should call him/herself lucky.
Your car is mas macho. I love it so much. I literally snorted laughing through the whole damn post.
I wonder how my mini-van would look with flamin’ floor mats…
i think the off tone door gives her a je ne sais quoi air! What a great way to celebrate her new number… rockin’ mats!
So glad I am not the only one who has taken a picture of momentous turn-overs of the odometer. I did it for 100,000. Working my way to 200,000.
My ‘94 Corolla tips its hat to your Saturn…
You are so awesome. Serious.
I learned to drive on a 1975 Volvo (I was born in 1978), dark green with gray fenders. Faux sheepskin seat cover to hide the hole worn into the upholstery of the drivers’ seat. I’m glad I’m not the only one to take a photo as the odometer rolls over!!!
I sat here looking at the odometer on your car thinking - WOW, 200 000? That’s super low for a 15 year old car… and then it hit me - 200 000 MILES not kilometres. Silly Canadian girl.
My dad had this Volvo station wagon he bought when they moved to the suburbs when I was two. When it turned 100000 miles my mom made a cake for it - a cake shaped like a Volvo station wagon. We had a little party.
He had that car until I was in high school. It was a champ.
Just curious. Did you require more than routine maintenance to reach that high mileage?
I hope you celebrated with cake! For you, not the car!
You crack me up - and make me miss my old Rabbit (banana yellow with black rustoleum painted over the rust spots by my idiotic ex - which then made it become the ‘rotten banana’) ;o)
I am definitely in the drive ‘em till they die camp. My first car I drove for 8 years until someone ran into me and the car was totaled. My second car was used and didn’t last nearly as long, so I bought a new car in ‘04, but I don’t plan on buying a new one for a good, long while. My bf loves to drive older cars, they just don’t last as long, as they are much, much older. I love the car refresher.
So freakin’ awesome to know they get to be 200K! Can you tell I have a Saturn too?
I absolutely LUUUUURVE my Saturn. It’s a 1993, I purchased her used in 1997 and she’s still running like a champ. I have put about $1,500 in repairs over the last 3 years, and 2 sets of tires. Many thingies are broken, one of which is the odometer,and also the glove box lock, we replaced both bucket seats with some from a friends car he was trashing but the seats were good. The exterior is great, except the spoiler has faded and already been repainted twice. The most fancy thing on my 2 door SC1 is the sunroof, which works when it feels like it.
I drive cars until they die and have not had a car payment since 1986, thank goodness. I was cringing at the idea of having to replace the hubby’s 1991 Ford Ranger truck this year, but my folks called me Thursday with the announcement that they want to GIVE us their 2000 4 door Saturn LS2. Oooh, fancy shmancy with many power things and side window defrosting mirrors, lol. So finally, at age 47, I will be driving a “silver plum (read rose colored) four door granny mobile - and you bet for the price (FREE!!) I will gladly drive it in a leopard print bathrobe and hair curlers.
I heart Saturns.
Oh, and I have flaming 8-ball floor mats!!
Hey, your car has quite the history and lots of cool tales. Love the floor mats. It’s good to see you giggling!
Makes me miss my 87 Subaru. Had over 230,000 (no I’m not kidding) miles and I still sold it for $1000. I took lots of pictures of her with different things on top - kayaks, mattresses, wish I could have gotten one with the couch on top. Old cars are the best.
Wendy, after a ute (I believe you guys call them pick-ups!) kindly removed the driver’s door of my little hatchback car (the very first car I ever bought, fortunately I had just let go of the handle before it was lost to me forever!), we, too, had to go and find a replacement. And we did. A red door. For my white car. I sold that little car a couple of years ago, to a learner driver, and I see her hooning around town. Still with the red door. And I still think it’s cool.
My mum’s first car was a little Datsun (I don’t know if that’s an Australia only car?) It was short and squat and white. When I was about 10, we hit a kangaroo (really) and the bonnet was mangled, so we got another - navy blue. I thought our car looked very flash with it’s white body (speckled with rust, I’m afraid) and it’s blue bonnet.
That car lasted more than 30 years, despite sproadic care and cold cold mornings, it still ran regularly and well. Eventually, though, it got tired and we had to admit defeat and gave it to a young mechanic who promised to try to breath new life into it. It was like saying goodbye ot a family member - I still miss that car.
I love your mats… did you know they are on fire? ;P
I feel the same way about cars!
My first car was my Uncle’s moss green wood paneled sides station wagon that we had taken numerous family road trips in, and had been owned by his daughter before me. Ah the memories.
My wagon had a mismatched bumper and a reddish hood on it’s gigantic green front.
Now I am wishing I still had that baby…
as i left the mets stitch and pitch the other night a friend asked how she could recognize my car if we were separated. I told her i had a rusty hanger for an antenna and then had to correct myself. My husband replaced the rusty one with a nice plastic coated white one recently. Way high class! Great car stories. I bought mine new in 1998 and will be riding her till she dies. its been clear since the beginning. (i just added you to my ravelry and am popping in to say “hey”–i went to school in Rochester and still come up once or twice a year)
ExcuuuUUUUUuuuuuuuse me! I drive a diesel station wagon around now and you will pry the steering wheel from my sooty d@mn hands, thankyousoverymuch.
Harrumph.
But I feel ya. My first car & this car, much love, many miles. Freedom, independence, safety steel and impulses of youth and distraction. Mwah, besos!
Love the new door! We suscribe to the “drive it until it is stolen and stripped” philosophy with our beloved honda civics. Who knew that Bostonians would love our cars so much that they would steal 2 of them in 2 years! On the brighter side, we did get some nifty new cars thanks to our insurance pay-offs (and one is even a hybrid–we’re throwing ourselves into the 21st century with environmental gusto!)
By the way Wendy…it’s a boy!!
Wow! 200k! That’s awesome. And I like the “super wopish accoutrement”, too.