My car
| C3 |
| Character, Cars, and Computers |
|
|
My car |
Cars - My Car
Prologue
Ever since I started liking cars, the natural extension of my curiosity stretched to me one day driving them. My teenage years prior to my graduation had part of my thought wondering how cool driving would be. Reality is always lacking from the dream in some way, because we all cook up amazing fantasies of what we want, but ever since I started driving, it has steadily occupied space in my mind as one of the best ways of getting around.
There's something about getting in a vehicle and driving it yourself that riding a train, a subway, a bus, or an airplane just can't compare to. I guess that puts me right into the automotive enthusiast category. And I don't want to go anywhere else.
Don't get me wrong - a brief introduction into motorcycles as a kid (if you can call it that after having only one ride on a scooter) still leaves me curious about two-wheel antics, but my passion for cars has always ruled as a fairly consistent thought process through the many phases I went through in my adolescence and teenage years. I've wanted to get so many different vehicles, but the underlying feelings are the same: no matter what I drive, I want to have fun in it.
Driving will always be a joy for me, even in traffic jams. The only thing I don't like doing is driving in a hurry, so that I don't get somewhere late. The compromised thought processes that take place in a mode like that should only be preserved for true emergencies.
Or videogames. :)
My Ride
The vehicle I currently drive is a 1990 Grand Am LE coupe. It's body style is close to the last in the design scheme before Pontiac's redesign of the body and fascias (in 1993? 1994?). The automobile was purchased as a means of getting around back in 2001. After a tune up, it became a pretty decent person-hauler, and continues to accomplish what it was purchased for.
It came with alloy wheels and somewhere close to 100k miles. It continues to provide pretty reliable service, outside of the repairs that have been performed on it. To be fair, the repairs have really only come from the necessity to replace old components after our initial tune up (the radiator and oil pan have been two of the big offenders, but not much else).
One of the only serious problems of concern is the issue of rust in the body panels. It passed inspection last year, and I'm hoping it does again this year. I will probably be figuring out some way to deal with and hopefully repair the rust levels this summer. On the other hand, one of the fairly ironclad things about the car is the motor - a 4-cylinder engine that continues to provide reliable performance.
I am grateful to have transportation to drive around... it's always better than walking, as you simply cover so much more ground in so much less time.
My Wife's Ride
Holly brought her green 1994 Grand Am SE sedan into our marriage. It's body style is the next step after my model line. It's the car we normally use for our trips to New Jersey and when we are out together.
With alloy wheels, fog lamps, and a rear spoiler, it's a looker. With the V6 engine under the hood, it also has surprisingly powerful punch too. The interior has an overhead light, map lights, floor lights when you initially get in, a decent stereo system, and leather seats. It's still a great way to get around. We have made some repairs, but nothing extreme, thankfully (mostly age-related replacements).