I didn't intend for this to become a theme. Let's just call this an inadvertent theme. Any time you call something first or one, it just feels obligatory to continue counting. This was my second car, a 1979 Ford Fiesta. It was a terrible car. Didn't get the gas mileage I expected, wasn't built for the cold South Dakota winter clime, and let's not even mention the 22.75% interest rate I forked over on the loan. But boy, was it fun to drive. I learned the manual transmission in this car and hauled more stuff than you can imagine in the roomy hatchback. Scribbled on the back of the above photo, Steve & Curt putting in my antenna March 1982. Steve was my boyfriend at the time. I found it amusing to see my itty bitty car with its doors all open and legs hanging out on either side.
They were not amused. A couple of guys, one of them well over six feet tall, were contortionally wedged under the dash in order to do moi a favor. And I was taking pictures. And probably snickering. All I can say is, if I hadn't grabbed my camera, there would not be a photographic record of this car. I took it on many road trips, including Arizona in August. Which painfully pointed out to me how impractical black vinyl seats are when you park in the midday desert sun. In my personal life, this car took me from first serious boyfriend to the man that I married. Who gleefully informed me that there were motorcycles with bigger engines than my car. I shot back that it isn't always about size. That I'd rather be in my car during a pouring rain than on a motorcycle. It significantly detracts from your badass persona if you deploy an umbrella while riding.
One other thing about this car...my brother Cullen and I were roommates for a couple of years in this duplex that had a long driveway with just enough of a grade to it that I could pop the clutch to start it while we were rolling backwards to the street. Once morning while giving him a ride to campus he remarked that I wasn't a normal girl after observing my nonstandard method to start the car. One of the best compliments ever!
It must have been nice to have all of that help getting your old cars all set up with the right antennas and equipment. Cars have definitely come a long way with new cars often coming standard with features like Bluetooth and satellite radio. Your post definitely took me on a trip down memory lane, so thank you!
ReplyDeleteVictoria Robbins @ Diviniti Auto