I love cars

I have always been a “car guy.” I took great pride when I was younger on being able to distinguish between a Ford Taurus/Mercury Sable’s headlights in the rear view mirror and a Crown Vic. (A handy skill for someone who was in the habit of exceeding the speed limit)

So like I was saying, I have always been a car guy, I could rattle off stats and distinguishing characteristics of late model vehicles like Dustin Hoffman counting cards in Rain Man.

I know what you’re thinking---it’s not about bling, or materialism, or status—I just love cars. Especially cars that are “the best” at what they are designed for.

Even though I am obsessed with cars, I have only owned a few and the ones that I have owned have been predominantly boring…however I have had one great one—

When I was 18 I was involved in my one and only automobile accident….and it was a pretty good one. I hit a minivan head on—actually front left corner to front right corner at 50+ mph. No one was seriously hurt, but I totaled my Pontiac Sunbird. The silver lining of that cloud? I found a 1980 Jeep CJ-7 Laredo—black with a hard top and black vinyl seats—4 speed manual with an inline Chrysler 256 six cylinder. It was a great vehicle—purchased for 4750.00, driven for 18 months with only a couple of minor repairs (which was miraculous considering the way I drove it) and then sold for 4250.00. It was the kind of vehicle that you took the top off in April and put it back on in October….if it rains you drive it to a parking garage and leave it until it stops raining. It did not require keys to start---an unfortunate fact that meant that my friends were constantly moving it from where I left it… I sank it in a creek up to it’s headlights, I rolled it on it’s side in a field (no damage or injuries), I pulled out many other vehicles in precarious positions…it was a classic, the perfect vehicle for that time in my life. Fun, reliable, ready for any adventure, loud, obnoxious, tough and one of a kind. I am digging through old photos to see if I can find one of it. I found a stock google image of one, but it doesn't do it justice, mine was "cherry."