We'll take a little break from politics and baby stuff today, and talk about cars. Yes, I am a plane nut (wingnut,) but I am also into cars. Not fullbore, carshow every weekend, muscle car in my garage into them, but still, I like them. And I build them, but that's another story.
My tastes are a bit odd. Until recently I had not owned a single American car; now I have had two. Well, I had not had cars built in the USA before this most recent one- I had VWs built in Brazil, so they were South American, and a Ford Fiesta built in Mexico, so technically North American... In terms of what I have owned, VWs are in the majority. There has been a Honda or two, and may be another in a few years. Hondas/Toyotas/Nissans are great cars- dependable, economical, utilitarian. I find them a little boring, though. I like a car that is fun to drive. And yes, "real" car guys may not find my choices fun to drive, but within the economy cars I can afford they are still pretty fun choices.
My first car was a '71 VW Super Beetle. It was... interesting to drive, if not exactly fun. I got it for free, and kept it going for a few years during college. It got me around, got me home for the holidays, and gave me a lot of stories. Almost getting blown off an overpass. Overheating while waiting to get into a Dead show. Spewing washer fluid while I moved the spare tire. You know, the usual car stories...
Next I had an '81 Honda Civic wagon. It was bought specifically for a trip around the country with my brother. Cheap, reliable, economical, and big enough to sleep in if necessary. It made the trip, and survived several more years until I wrecked it. It was a good car. Fun to drive, super cheap, and incredibly practical.
Its replacement was a '72 Bus. Practical, cheap, and, well, certainly a thrill to drive on the edge. That is, when I could get it up to speed. I learned to hate highway entrance ramps that went uphill. It had even more surface area for crosswinds to push on than the Beetle. And it had essentially no heat, so plenty of times I drove in full winter gear with a blanket over my legs and a tiny plug-in heater trying to clear the frost on the windshield. It could be a handful, but it got me to lots of interesting places. It's the one car I wish I had kept.
I used the Bus as a trade-in on my first new car, a '93 VW Fox. It was the cheapest "real" car I could find, with standard AC, a radio, a passenger-side mirror, a full-size spare, and a car payment that strapped me. It was worth it, though. Dependable, comfortable, almost stylish, and, yes, fun to drive. Underpowered at first, till I learned how to make a few mods. I ran it into the ground after 17 years. It got me started on Foxes; I have had two since.
The second Fox was a '90, and was lowered. It was sleek, and handled well, and I still miss it sometimes. It and its stablemate, a Fox wagon, got me to work and back for years. If you have an old car, you really need two so that one will be running at least half the time. I took whichever was running best, and sometimes it was a tossup. The '90 was great until I hit a deer. I drove it home that night, but it was never the same again. When I finally took it to the junkyard they sensed that I needed a few minutes alone with it. I had some great times with it. I enjoyed driving it- small, quick, agile. It and the wagon were a litmus test for Miss Mox, that she passed with flying colors. She liked them, and still likes the wagon. One of many things I love about her.
The wagon, an '87, is perhaps the most practical car I've ever had as well as the most fun to drive. It has been modified with a turbo, better brakes, better suspension, etc., so it can get up and go (for a Fox.) I keep the rear seat folded down so that it is essentially a large hatchback, and I can haul all kinds of stuff in it; we've even sat back there at drive-in movies. I don't drive it every day anymore, but I try to take it out for exercise often.
When the Foxes got too iffy for reliable commuting I got a 2013 Ford Fiesta. A Ford? After we had a Pinto when I was a kid? Yes, it was a tough call. But we had rented one and it was fun to drive (for its category,) it got good reviews, and it was cheap to buy and operate. It had transmission problems which repeated visits to the dealer could not fix, so eventually it had to go. The next step would be something like a Focus, staying with Ford, but it had the same tranny. A Civic, maybe, or a Jetta, but I had driven them and been bored. I poked around a bit, and ended up with a 2014 Chevy Cruze. We had rented one and enjoyed it, both for driving fun and for comfort. And I am getting older, and comfort matters more than it did with air-cooled VWs or even Foxes. The Cruze is still economical, and I got a good deal on a new-used one.
Next up? A replacement for Miss Mox's car. We'll try to wait till the Cruze is paid off, when Lychee is about 3. The next car will be a little bigger, a bit more practical for a family. Maybe a Fit, maybe an HR-V, or an Element. (Honda is at the top of the list.) Something easier to get a kid and all her stuff in and out of, but still small and economical.
I like to drive, and will keep doing it as long as I can. I don't know if the wagon will make it till Lychee is ready to learn to drive- and learn how to shift a manual- but I can hope. I will report on that when the day comes. Over the next few months, I might post some old writings of mine, about cars and other subjects, since things are likely to be busy. I'm sure there will be politics, and baby stuff, and who knows what else mixed in.
