All I ask in a new car is that it works. The novelty of having a car since 2 000 that has a few flaws shall we say,has been character building. It has been driven a great deal, over country and city roads through severe winters and scorching hot summers and the sporty looking but rusty in places, tomato red car has just about come to the end of the road. At this point the signal lights don’t always work especially if you have to signal more than three or four times on your road trip. It’s a good thing I know my hand signs! It may or may not lunge ahead even if your foot isn’t on the gas. The air conditioner works only on full blast for a few minutes then shuts off and sometimes the steering fluid gurgles then the car seizes up completely. At this point it is like driving a sofa down the road rather than a car.
In recent repair history, the battery and alternator had to be replaced….again and again. Last year the struts under the frame of the car had to be replaced. Brake pads come and go like old friends. The tires lose air just to spite me. Every light on the dash-board indicator is on so I’ve given up checking the manual. About five years ago a maple tree fell on the car and took out the windows, damaged the door frames and broke the trunk and hood. In winter the defroster doesn’t work so the car has to be run for a while to get the ice chipped off the windshield. The gas tank cover came unhinged and had to be sawed off. The trunk doesn’t open unless it is popped from the inside. The seats are comfortable though. The radio works great. The clock on the dash doesn’t.
All in all, I am grateful that it was fixable over the years and roadworthy enough to take me to work. I certainly learned how to be a very careful driver.
It provided a great deal of mirth and conversation amongst my male teacher colleagues. However, I didn’t take much guff from those guys though as I merely shrugged off their comments and told them it was “just a car”. Their eyes used to get teary when I said that. Apparently that is a low blow to a male car lover.
When I shortly go and pick out a new car, I don’t care what colour it is or what style it has as long as it is a good deal. I want it to turn on, move along safely, have working lights, a reliable defroster, air conditioner, windows that open ( I forgot to mention about the windows not opening as they broke during a winter attempt to buy coffee at a drive through window) and a frame that has good struts.
I do intend to call up a couple of those old car enthusiast work colleagues of mine and tell them all about getting a new car. I told them over four years ago that when I got a new car they would be the first to know. Now that we are all retired it is time to retire the car too. I enjoy giving those old boys the gears.
An Embarrassment of Freedom 