Sunday, August 30, 2009

I live! But my cars don't...


RIP Bruce Bronco
1996-2009

I've not had a lot of time to blog, between work/househunting/other stuff. Here's a recap of the past year's events:

January:
On his way to work at 3 AM, Hubby hit a patch of black ice, slid into the side of the mountain, flipped, and skidded down the road on the roof/windshield of our beloved Bronco. Hub was fine, no injuries... Bruce was toast.


So, we were truckhunting again. Late one night (why is it always late at night when I see these things?) I spotted a Ford pickup along the lines of what he wanted... I was kinda meh because I hated the stiff seats and never was too fond of that bodystyle... but he fell in trucklust and bought it anyway. It's a nice one, but I was really hoping to go back to a Chevy.

We're still going with the blue theme. The truck is the same color as my Impala. It's the FX4 offroad version, with a leather interior and the bigger 5.4l engine. HE likes it, and as long as he keeps the rubber side down, it's all good.

Spring/Summer:
Carlisle, of course. We went to the Ford, GM and Chrysler shows this year. Test-drove a few, loved the new Ford Fusion Hybrid, wasn't too impressed with the Mustang. I'm still too short to drive one. It was an El Camino celebration at GM, which made me go *squeeee!* That and the Grand National and the Impalas made GM my fave show this year. The new Camaro does look better than the prototype we saw a couple years back, but it still doesn't grab me like the new Challenger does.


I got to go "behind the ropes" to sit in this $250,000 resto-mod '59 Impala. I managed to avoid peeing on the upholstery from excitement.. go me!


Hubby checking out the new Camaro. He liked it; I was too busy drooling over the Elkes.

Late Summer:
We gave my '73 Buick Electra to our nephew when he got his license. The kid did a lot of work, fixing it up and getting it ready to go. His mom didn't want him to have it at first, but she came around when she realized bigger cars are generally safer than these new little tin cans... and nephew proved this point, dramatically, in August.

August:
We get a call in the wee hours one morning. Like his uncle, nephew has flipped a car at 3 AM and walked away from it. He fell asleep driving home and ran off the road. Well, 5600 lbs of vintage Buick, with 50-mph momentum behind it, doesn't stop for a whole lot... took out a guiderail and a telephone pole (3 pieces) before it flipped and rolled, landing upside down in the creek. Kid's got a broken nose, and would have suffered far worse had he been in anything smaller or lighter. Buick is, of course, toast.





RIP Bodacious "Bo" Buick
1973-2009

I'm never buying a small car. I don't care WHAT the Obamverment wants me to do, or if I have to take a 3rd job picking tomatoes to pay for the gas... two of my family have miraculously survived horrible wrecks that probably would have killed them in a tin-can econobox. That and seat belts saved em, and no doubt some divine intervention.

We're now out of surplus cars, although Dad has his eye on... yeah you guessed it... another Buick. *sigh*