so long, car, and thanks for all the memories.

"Sorry, but if I were you, I'd just get rid of this car and get a new one."  And with those words, my mechanic signaled the beginning of the end for our little Tercel.

You see, the car's front right suspension coil broke on Sunday.  Fixing it and all the other problems with the 20-year-old vehicle would cost us so much moolah that we might as well get a new one... or at least a new-to-us one. 

But since we prefer to do our research before making such a major purchase -- especially with our super limited budget -- and it's Spring anyway, we'll be car-free for a while.

Okay, call me crazy, but a part of me feels skeevy getting a replacement for our little Tercel, like I'm cheating on her or something.  You see, to us, she's so much more than just our car.
She ...
  • was the first one Roomie and I owned together.

  • was the one that Roomie taught me how to drive stick-shift with. 

  • had the awesome 12 CD disk changer that we would load up with music from The Cranberries, SClub7, and Weird Al and sing loud and crazy to while driving down the streets of Winnipeg.

  • was our carriage to restaurants, concerts, and festivals before we had our babies.

  • brought us through 2 provinces to the Tyrell Dinosaur Museum in Drumheller for our honeymoon.

  • safely brought our babies home from the hospital.

  • took us to countless trips to the beach and camping where we had fun with family and friends.

I know she has to go, but I'll miss her.  She played such a big part in many of the major events of our lives.  It'll be like losing a member of our family.

5 comments:

  1. If it had died last month you could have qualified for a little tax deduction under the Retire My Ride program, but that ended in March.

    When our Corolla was taken off the road (after 17 years, due to rust) we got a charitable donation receipt from Car Heaven - you might see if that is still available.

    No recommendations on replacements from me.
    But if you buy a minivan, there will be some serious mocking coming your way. :-)

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  2. Awe, that stinks Nenette. I had my last car for 14 years (a Ford Taurus), and I was sad to see it go. So, I understand how you're feeling saying goodbye to all of the memories you had with your car.

    But...

    I'm SO curious to hear how your going to make it going car-free for awhile. I hope you write about it here!

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  3. You know it's going to be an emotional day for Loulou when a post about a car makes her cry at work!

    But seriously. Aw. So many special memories! I felt that way when I traded in my red VW Golf for a more practical Jetta (and then Passat, and now back to Jetta!)when I was going to have a baby. I miss my little red car so, so much! But! I am back to stick-shift, and I LOVE IT.

    Good Luck looking for a new car!

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  4. Arnold Naimark14 April, 2011

    The last time your hubby got his paws on a nonfunctional automobile didn't it end up on the roof of a 5-storey building?

    And that was in an April too!

    And I seem to recall the last one was also a disgusting maroon colour!

    I'm not suggesting anything, but you know, should the mood strike you... :-)

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  5. Awww.... that car's been good to you. Ohh! Is that the same car you bought off Paul L?

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