Especially when you start looking a little harder from other angles.
Yes, that's Bondo showing through on the front. And it's showing through a we're-not-going-to-keep-it-too-much-longer home-done paint job from July 2004.
Which started to flake off quite impressively at some point in 2006.
Yes, those are machine screws, washers, and rubber grommets above the door. Because it's kind of hard to drive when the plastic trim around your door keeps falling down and hitting you. (Or rattling so loud you can't drown it out with the radio.)
No, that's not in "recline" position. That's a broken seat. Actually, it's the second broken driver's seat -- you'll notice if you look closely that it doesn't quite match the rest of the interior. Online junkyards are handy inventions.
Do I need to mention that this car only had one owner its entire 15-year life? And that he drove it without air conditioning for the last six years? And that nobody really knows how many miles are on it, because the odometer broke about 7 years ago? We're guessing a quarter million or so, though.
This car may well still have some birdseed in it from our wedding in 1996.
This car survived a 60 mile-per-hour slide down a rain-soaked Interstate median, backwards, in a torrential downpour, and turned out no worse for the experience (well, a little water got in under the door, but it dried). Had its inhabitants known everything would be okay at the end of that unintentional detour, they would've treated it more like the free roller-coaster ride it was.
This car has gone off-road through a rest area in an ice storm and delivered its passengers safely to the family Christmas gathering.
On Thursday morning, this car went to Local High School's automotive technology program. It was driven away under its own power. We were happy about that. The Alpha received a nice letter stating, "This vehicle will be put to good use training the students." We think it's the best ending this little car could ask for.
Listening to Car Talk on NPR this morning, we heard a theory put forth: you can get an idea of how dedicated and faithful a prospective mate will be over the long haul by looking at how long he will hold onto a car.
I've obviously got no worries there.
5 comments:
I felt the same way when I saw the 1989 Mazda 323 Pure Luck was still driving when we met in 2000.
What a wonderful post! what a wonderful car! I've had mixed feelings about my own cars ... some lemons in there... but maybe I'll feel that way when I finally put the Toyota out to pasture many years from now.
Great post, Typist. How I love Saturns. Our 1999 SL2 saved our lives when we plowed into a stalled (unoccupied) car on a foggy night, four years ago. The left front fender crumpled nearly back to the firewall, but the passenger compartment was intact, and we climbed out through the back seat and walked away. Needless to say we bought another one, which is going strong at 55,000 miles.
When I met the Scientist in 1981, he was driving a 1979 Toyota Corolla hatchback--an excellent car. We kept it until we moved back to Texas from California in 1991. Enough said.
Very awesome and fitting indeed! What a wonderful tribute to Old Faithful! Yep, The Scholar and I are hanging on to our 2002 Saturns until they ground out as well. Mine is worse for wear and tear at over 57K miles compared to his 43K or so, but it's still pretty freakin' sweet, even with the two big car accidents from years ago!
Nice that The Alpha got a Pontiac as well - my Pontiac Sunbird lasted from 1990 to I think 1996 or 1997, being put to pasture (for parts) at over 130K miles and existing in the Dallas summertime without a/c for over a year. I think that may be what actually killed it.
Love this post! I'm glad you donated its body to science. Sigh...
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