My first car was a 1986 Black Mustang
Oh my. I look at that picture and I just get happy:) That is not a picture of MY black mustang but it looks pretty darn similar to the one I had (don't think I had a spoiler on the back - did I Dad?)
So with all of my hard-earned muck money, I was able to purchase one used 1986 black mustang for $1500. I can remember driving past it with my dad and not really liking it or caring too much about it. But then over the next day or so I think I realized that I didn't really want to put any thought or effort into finding myself a car, so whatever my dad wanted would be just fine. I was a month shy of turning 16 and I had my first car. Gray interior. Steering wheel cover. Tape deck. Sun roof that could be fully removed. Two doors. 3 working cylinders. It was a beauty. Don't remember how many miles it had. Don't remember if it was in good shape or had a bunch of scratches. None of that mattered because it had wheels, it moved, and it was good. All was good in Jana's world now that she had a car.
I had that mustang through my first year of college. It took me so many places... to school and back every day, T. Dykstra & Son's produce, Rozema's Standard, Ben's, play practice, Rainbow Grill, Prince Manufacturing, Woodland mall, north of Cadillac to my friend's cottage, Calvin, Bill Knapps, and it even made it to Chicago and back to celebrate my birthday freshman yearof Calvin at BFWW's house during spring break (although that was a sketchy trip that I was pretty worried about).
My little Mustang was with me for 4 years and saw many changes in my life and in my music tastes. It heard many a tune from Motley Crue but also some Janet Jackson and some mixed tapes that I made. There are songs that I hear that put me right back in that driver's seat - That's The Way Love Goes (janet jackson) or You're The Only Hell Your Mama Eever Raised (Warrant). I hear certain songs now and I anticipate the song that SHOULD come after it (like it did on my mixed tape). I played my tapes over and over in that car, rarely listening to the radio. I can put myself there right now - windows open, music blasting, independent, free to go where I wanted.
My mustang was my first step towards independence, being my own person and having my own responsibilities. I'm so grateful that I worked and earned enough money to buy my own car and that my parents pushed me to do so. And I'm grateful that my dad paid for my insurance until I was married:)
Oh Beautiful Mustang. Where did thoust go?
I cannot remember the last time
I laid eyes on you, but fond memories I will always have of you, my first car.
Did you love me as much as I loved you or was it a one-sided affair?
Oh Beautiful Mustang, thou art truly the love of my childhood.
Question of the Day:
What was your first car and what triggers the best memory of you with that car?
getting to know me in 100 days - Day 5
8 comments:
My first car was a gray Ford Escort. Two doors, sunroof. My parents bought it right after I turned 16 so I could get to all the extracurricular stuff I needed to without them having to drive me (we lived about 20 minutes from school). The only thing I really remember about driving it was going back and forth to CCHS...and picking up Mark Meskimen and Julia Bowen when I drove past their bus stop. :)
aahhh, yes. i remember that car very well. it brought me to many parties on chester, torren, alexander, 28th & breton, etc. etc. i also remember the b-day party at my house for you during spring break. i think my parents never found out how the base of the cupboards broke and my neighbors never mentioned anything about half naked people running around the house during our game of "truth or dare." (if you're reading this dad, just ignore it:)
my first car (as you would also remember, jana) was a dark red 1990 buick regal. i bought it from my grandma and it was pretty sporty for a "grandma" car. some of my fondest memories of this car are (again, dad, if reading this please skip this part) driving back and forth from calvin to chicago and smoking with my friend natalie. we had a rule that we couldn't light up until we reached the expressway, but once we merged on, the lighters came out and the windows went down.
that car was great! it got me through 3 years of college and then i sold it to my sister-in-law the day before my wedding.
thanks, jana for taking me for a trip down memory lane!!
I have to admit that I never saved enough money to buy a car for myself. My parents rule was that if I was in sports, I COULD not work! Imagine that! My dad was the athletic director at one of the local highschools and sports came before anything else!!! I did get an allowance to spend, but never anything substantial enough to save. So, because they felt sorry for us, I think, my grandparents gave us (my sister and I) their old burnt orange cutlass that was more rust than orange. It had only an am radio, but WLS am was THE station for the first couple of years so it wasn't that bad. We loved that car! The best memories I have are driving around our town and doing chinese firedrills each time we were at a stoplight! Life was good and music was the best back then... is there anyone else out there that was spoiled like me?
My first car was a green PIECE OF JUNK called Kermit. Pontiac Astre, I believe. I think they are extinct by now. My "dad" didn't even buy it, he traded some mini blinds for it. It was awful. No radio. No air. No nothing. It barely ran. *I* got in trouble everytime it broke down. I got blamed. It was because of something I did. Never was it my fault, the car should have been burned. And all this came from a father who had five lovely" cars all for himself; including a red RX 7. Sweet. And 4 other sweet ones. LOL! ;)
Mine was a 1986 Mercury Sable the color of dirt. I got it from my parents for the bargain price of $2000 subtracted from my wedding fund. That beauty took many a trip to Denny's on 28th St, Studio 28 for midnight movies, and the "ethnic" Meijer. It also went on make-out trips to Immanuel Church on the Beltline. Great parking lot for parking when you live on campus.
I also smashed it up twice. The first was not my fault. I was on the way home from taking the ACT and got rear-ended and pushed into the car in front of me. Second time I rear-ended someone in the dark rain on Breton.
And of course it played Hair Metal all the time!
OH MY! My first car was not offically mine but when my aunt moved away I moved in on what I thought should be mine! A 1978 Toyota Celica, blue and my not so fond memory of it was hydoplaning in a rain strom and ending up facing oncoming traffic on the highway. Thank goodness angels moved my car because I swear I was frozen with fear and I don't actually remmber moving it off the road! I still get nervous driving in rain.
The first car I actually owned was a 1991 Subaru Legacy. Maroon four door 5 speed. I loved it until I totaled it!
My favorite car ever was a Nissian Maxima that Rick and I bought together when we were engaged. It was hunter green and had a Bose stereo in it and it went really fast! ;)
I should add that I'm now a proud mini-van driving mama! who would have thought.....
My first car was a red 1980 mustang with white leather interior and a hole in the floor under the gas pedal. It was a stick...remember those? Trying to learn how to drive that car was less than a fun experience. I remember stoping at a stop sign, killing the car and trying to restart it about 30 times...filled the neighborhood with smoke, the car jumped off the ground every time I let the clutch out, people gathered around to watch me repeated attempts only to be told by my mother twenty minutes into this whole mess that I had it in second and that was probably my problem. I never drove with her again. My dad taught me in like 10 minutes...don't have to put the clutch in all the way to the floor...just feel when it grabs...OH! I get it now!
I've never owned a car that was made in the decade I am living in...I do resent that! Please tell Dr. Beautiful for me!
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