It is time for Memory Lane Monday and the ladies at MomsBlogging made this week’s theme “Your First Car.”

The first car my parents allowed me to use was a 1977 Chevrolet Station Wagon.  The car was only 10 years old but it drove like it was 100 years old.  Here is a picture I found online of what it looked like:

My car was yellow or beige instead of blue.  Here are some of the charming features it had:

1. It was never aligned properly.  It pulled - HARD - to the right.  There was a particular road that had a curve to the right.  When I got to this curve, I could let go of the wheel and the car would go around the curve exactly as if the car was designed specifically just for this purpose.
2. The car ate oil.  Actually, it had some kind of oil leak or something.  I had to check the oil every week and usually refill it with about a quart of oil a week.
3. The air conditioning did not work but the windows could be rolled down manually.
4. The key was not necessary to start the car.  If you did not turn the ignition all the way into the locked position, the ignition would turn to start without the key.  Usually, at school I would leave the car unlocked secretly hoping that someone would steal the car and we could purchase a new one with the insurance money.  Afterall, with all these undocumented features, the car must have been worth a brand new 1987 Grand Am.  For some reason, no one ever stole the car!

While the car was old and had unusual features, I did enjoy driving it.  It had character.  I was able to drive to school, church, work, and errands without my parents having to take me.  I was able to chauffer my younger brothers and sister around for my parents. 

Unfortuntately (or fortunately considering the car was not reliable) my parents did not allow me to take the car with me to college.  The first 2 years in college I was sans-car.  My junior and senior years my parents gave me a 10 year old 1980 Toyota Corolla to use.  The Toyota did not have all the extra features of the Chevrolet, except for the lack of a working air conditioner.  The Toyota was an old car but it was reliable, fuel efficient, working, and it was MINE – at least mine to use until I graduated.

Ironically, the fist car I actually paid for on my own was also a Toyota Corolla.  Upon college graduation and getting our first career jobs, my husband and I purchased 2 brand-spanking new Toyota Corollas on the same day.  Those cars lasted us until each car had over 180,000 miles on them. 

Be Sociable, Share!

•