車壇雜記之二：車展

1. 1982 Toyota Tercel, 2 door, 4 speed, bought it for $800 in 1987, bone-stock car, no power steering, no AC. Drove 3 years, changed 4 tires + regular oil changes (DIY), sold to a fellow Chinese student for $700. I did my first drive on highway in this Tercel. On my way back, at the entrance of PA Turnpike, I looked at the signs (west to Pittsburgh, East to NY), I said “heck, let’s go to NYC”. So me and my girlfriend went to NYC without toothbrush or underwear or anything. Three hours later, feeling hungry and answering nature’s call, I exited at 55mph off a 25mph ramp. By the time I said “s&*t”, it was too late, I slammed the brake and the car turned 180-degree, facing on-coming traffic on the off-ramp! First lesson learned. Also got my first ticket on this trip. Picture is borrowed.

2. 1983 Nissan Sentra, 5 speed, $850. First car with power steering. Parallel parking was much easier. The most expensive repair was when the car’s alternator went on a trip from Chicago to NYC in dead winter. Managed to get to a repair shop in the middle of nowhere off I-80 in Pennsylvania. Was asked to pay almost $400 for the job. When my friend and I argued against the highway robbery, the owner went home and brought a gun. At that point, we figured that we would no doubt make a lot more money if we did not die as light as a dawn feather. So we sucked up and paid. Another memorable episode was once in a parking lot in Chicago, it received 3 bullets, shattered 3 windows. Borrowed picture. Mine was in better shape than this!

3. 1983 Chevy Cavalier, $15. It was a fellow student’s car. When he graduated, he had not been able to start the Cavalier for 6 month. He bought a new car and went on to his new job. I was the caretaker. Another 6 month later, police asked me to move the car or else. I asked AAA to tow it to the junkyard, but the tow truck driver was very nice, insisting on a last try of jumping it. I told him to forget about it since I had tried to jump-start it more than a dozen of times. He tried anyway and lo and behold, the dead beast cranked up! I went to a junkyard, bought a battery for $15, put it in. Drove it for 2 years. Sold for $250 to an Indian student. The most memorable moment of this car was once I took a friend to a road test. When it is his turn, the officer found that my car’s turn signal did not work. So my friend had to drive the road test while using hand signal. Amazingly he passed and got his driver's license! Borrowed picture, mine was white and was in about the same shape.

4. 1983 Subaru GL Wagon, 5-speed. It’s a workhorse. Only had two problems, one that every 3 to 6 months, one tire would go flat. So I got to know black brothers in the junkyard very well. Another problem was that we lost the only key, so for the last 1.5 years of its life, we had to pull out the lock and use a screwdriver to start the car. It’s funny that the car was never locked and a screwdriver was kept in the glove box at all time. Police because of the first problem towed the car in one winter. It's not worth to pay the fines and I let it go. Borrowed picture. Mine was blue and in much worse shape.

 

Those old cars were the most memorable for me. In later years, cars have been newer (6 straight Honda) with little memorable moments, (aka boring family life).

5. 1988 Acura Integra SE, 5-speed. First time went over 100mph in this car. It handled well and was fun. Borrowed picture, but it’s exactly the same color, body and shape.

 

6. 1989 Honda Prelude. Made my second cross-country trip in this car. Borrowed picture.

 

7. 1995 Honda Accord EX, had it for 8 years, got from A to B, never had any problems. Skipped two more Honda, don't know why WXC wouldn't allow me to post. Here are the rest. 10. 2001 Acura TL, it’s very comfortable, too comfortable to be fun. Navigation is nice though.

11. 2001 BMW 530i, 5-speed. No doubt the most fun car I owned.

送給車壇前斑竹，Daboys, how about this one?

 

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