My First (and second) Cars

This post is inspired by Niki at Debt Free By Thirty.  She wrote The story of my first car.  Please stop by her blog if you haven't already and read this post.  It's a great read.  Niki was inspired by Minting Nickel's post Signs My Car May Be A Hooptie.  Also a good post.

My very first car was a gift from my mother.  It was her car for about 6 years (she bought it when it was a few years old).  It was a little blue Hyundai Excel.  She had gotten a "new to her" van and was so kind to pass the car on to me. I moved a couple of hours away from home and the car was a real blessing.  I lived far from school and far from home.  This meant I didn't have to use the bus and I was able to travel back home to visit as often as was possible.  It was a great little car and didn't have too many problems....  just one really loud one!  The exhaust was leaking.  She was affectionately known as "Blue Thunder".   I sold here when I was done with school and moving on to the next chapter in my life.

Not my car, mine was blue.

My second car came along about a year after Blue Thunder and I parted ways.  My brother, a mechanic, had found a car that was perfect for me.  I paid cold hard cash for her.  She was owned by an older lady and had been stored in an underground garage for a few years before she decided to sell her.  I paid $800.00 for a 1986 (this was in 2002) Oldsmobile Firenza Coupe also in blue.

Also not my car since she was blue too.

She needed a name, so I thought and pondered.  I finally decided on Blue Retro.  It fit her perfectly.  She was a great car!!!  Not without her problems though.  She was aged and had been stored for too long.  Once she hit the air she started having some issues. 

She used to go through tranny fluid like crazy, so much so that I carried a 4 litre jug with me at all times.  The starter had issues so I also had to carry a metal bar with me so that I could "tap" the starter when she wouldn't start.  

But I think the worst issue by far was when her heater broke, in the middle of winter.  I was living in Ottawa at the time and my brother was in Toronto.  

One memorable journey, in particular,  I was heading back to Ottawa and my brother didn't have time to check out the heater and see if he could fix the issue for me so... I bundled up.  It was a very cold day.  I even borrowed a blanket from my brother so I could cover up my legs.  Keep in mind this is about a five hour drive.  During my drive I had to stop and scrape ice off the inside of the windshield and I had to stop at some rest stops to warm up.  I had that blanket tucked in so tight, I had sweaters and a jacket on.  A toque and mittens.  By the time I got home I couldn't feel my toes anymore.

But she lasted for 4 years!  I learned lots about cars from her.  She payed for herself many, many times over.  Yes she cost money in repairs but never that much at a time.  Sometimes I still miss her.  She certainly had personality.

Have a great long weekend for those of you who get it and a great weekend for the rest of you!