Motor Memories

In anticipation of getting my truck back this afternoon from the fellow who has been working on it for two and a half months, I started thinking about the various vehicles I have owned since I began driving over 20 years ago. The following is a list, in somewhat of a chronological order, of every car, truck, van, and SUV I can remember owning (not including those bought while I was a car dealer) and the reasons I parted with them.

1. 1979 Chevy Monte Carlo. Electrical system repeatedly failed, driver door stopped opening, got lousy gas mileage. God, I loved that car. Mom said she'd have it sold at the auction she worked at, but later claimed it was stolen. I never saw a penny.

2. 1985 Mazda B2000 pickup. Overheated after head gasket failed, ruining motor. Sold at garage sale for $400.

3. 1989 Pontiac Grand Am. Bethany owned this when we got married. Traded in for new car after heater core failed.

4. 1996 Chevy Corsica. Purchased in 1997, our newest car ever. Head gasket eventually failed. Sold at auction.

5. 1978 Chevy K-1500 Pickup. Needed hundreds of dollars in repairs to pass inspection, so traded it for a newer car.

6. 1991 Pontiac Sunbird convertible. Had prior salvage title and electrical issues. Traded it before it died.

7. 1993 Isuzu Rodeo. Traded it after engine started making worrisome noises.

8. 2001 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab pickup. Bought this when 0% interest first hit the scene. Our first brand new vehicle we ever owned. Traded it for another one the next year.

9. 2002 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab pickup. Took advantage of a huge rebate and traded the '01 in for it. Got a new vehicle for a smaller payment. Loved the truck, but eventually sold it to get out of debt.

10. 1966 Chevy C30 dually pickup. The original tailgatin' truck. Motor blew on the way to dropping it off to a guy in trade for repairs he did on another car for me.

11. 1957 Chevy Bel-Air. Had a knucklehead "paint" it for me. He didn't use any of the parts from my parts car to repair any rust. He just painted over it. I was so disgusted I sold it.

12. 1957 Chevy parts car.

13. 1975 Chevy C30 dually pickup. The second tailgatin' truck. Transmission died. Sold at auction.

14. 1983 Chevy Chevette. One-owner car with only 30,000 miles when I bought it. Blew the head gasket and fried the motor within three months.

15. 1995 Oldsmobile Aurora. Fried tranny.

16. 1996 Honda Odyssey minivan. Fried tranny.

17. 1996 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. Great car. Sold to niece Jessica for her first car.

18. 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan. Fried tranny within a few months. Replaced tranny and still driving today at 175,000 miles.

19. 1998 Nissan Altima SE. Mom's car. We bought it for her at the auction I worked at. She paid us back. Then we bought it from her and gave her a cheaper, but paid for, Toyota. She hated the Toy, traded it for a Ford ZX2, hated it, sold it, and bought the Altima back from us. When Mom couldn't drive anymore, we paid off the Altima again, and took over ownership. Yep, we've bought the same car three times.

20. 1975 Ford F250 pickup. Three quarter ton. Four wheel drive. The third tailgatin' truck. Thought the tranny was fried, but later found out the rear end blew up. The four wheel drive transfer case was also damaged. The motor was weak anyway, so I had a guy replace all three components at once. If and when I get it back, it will be mechanically like new again. My six coats of paint should hold it together for a few more years before the rust takes over.

Honorable mentions. These are vehicles that my parents let me drive in high school:

1. 1975 Datsun B210. This was Mom's car that she shared with me when I turned 16. After a while it only ran on three of its four cylinders. It tended to smoke, so Grant dubbed it "The Fireball."

2. 1980 Ford Thunderbird. Dad traded his four speed Jeep for this automatic while I was learning to drive. I managed to learn how to make a 6 cylinder car go 100 miles per hour in Hannibal city limits.

That's quite a list. It seems I have owned 20 vehicles in the past 20 years. Hmm. That's an eye opener. One car per year. Wow. I don't know if I am proud or embarrassed by this feat. I should buy another car while I think it over, don't you think?