The History of Cars
As we look towards father's day, I can't help but reflect on being so glad to be a father. Now, Part of fatherhood or husbandhood as you may need to call it has been owning and taking care of cars. I admit that before we were married, I drove a car, but it was really my Dad's. He owned it and paid insurance on it. So, as a tribute to father's day, I thought that I would talk about the many cars we have owned.
We have been married over 4 years, but not yet 5 (that comes later in August.) Two kids later, we find that we have been averaging just under 2 vehicles per year of marriage. So, here is the review of the cars we have owned. Pros and Cons. We are only including pictures where we have them.
We came into our marriage with two vehicles. Really, it was just one and the one I shared with my sisters. From the more comfortable and routine long distance driving side of the marriage came a Buick LeSabre 1992 (I think.) This was a 6 seater with 2 benches. We got around 25 or 26 miles to the gallon on the highway with that big V-6 engine and gas was about $1.60/gallon. It floated down the highway, Utah potholes and all. I had never understood why people wanted to get an American car until then. Now, it did have some problems, like the breaks had to be changed because one of the calipers stuck and bent the pads. A lady with 4 kids in a minivan turned into us on 100 S in Provo on our way to the Post Office totaling it. Fortunately, Rachael, Anna's roommate, came and saved us from a chilly mile walk home. That was the end of that car for us.
By this time, we had bought the Blazer from my Dad. We had a rod bearing going out on it and were trying to unsuccessfully sell it for my Dad, but it just made more sense for us to buy it and get it off his insurance. I have to say that this was an awesome car for us. We ran it a lot after the Buick was totaled. It made lots of trips to Orem, but never out of the valley while we owned it. The best part was the rear-wheel drive in the snow which made for a very forgivable clutch while my sweet wife was getting used to driving a stick. Despite my best efforts to get a new engine and justify keeping it because it could have (technically) fit a car seat in the back, we eventually knew that we would need a new car. The Blazer was eventually sold to some hispanic guys never to be seen again. Sniff-Sniff.
We went to a car lot after learning a bit of lingo and talked one of the sales men who let us get a 1995 Nissan Altima off the backlot. It had just come in on trade. It needed a new CV axle, but it was the right price - about what we got from insurance on the totaled Buick. It was also a gold like color. We really loved that car too. It did have a draw back though. The back seat folded down, buy only enough to put a set of skis through. That was kind of useless to us. You could put your arm through, but that was about it. We took that car to Texas to see Grandma Bowen before she passed away. It served us very well. We decided to sell it though to pay for the expenses associated with Michael's birth. We were glad to have the car and glad to have the money when we sold it.
To replace the car, we bought our first Saturn. This car was the first car this guy ever had. It was light weight and a standard transmission. I personally think that the 1992-93 range of Saturns had a really good look with the curved back windshield, but maybe I am just biased. We got just over 30 mpg on that car. It did have automatic seatbelts which lowered insurance prices, but we didn't like them. It drove right on top of the snow, but when it got really cold, that engine just didn't have enough to keep us warm in the car. We drove up to Star Valley one time and nearly froze including Michael in his carseat. A paper bag in front of the radiator helped us make it home nice and warm. We left it there until April when it got wet and fell out. We kept that car until right before we moved to Florida since the A/C system needed to be replaced - otherwise we may still have had it.
We managed to get two cars here for the price of one picture. The Saturn in the background was such a good car. We found the EIC and the Additional Child Credit to be most beneficial to us financially, but when FAFSA came around, we had too much money to qualify. They don't seem to care about the vehicles you drive, so we made a strategic investment in buying this Subaru. I had really wanted a Subaru since I was a teenager. This one was an automatic and had all-wheel drive. We had to put new tires on it. The car wasn't really that bad, but we just were not impressed. We thought the wagon feature would be good, but we learned that you can't really fit much more in the back. Bigger things can be fit in, but since you don't want things falling down on you or your kids, you can't stack things that high. So bigger stuff, not more. We ended up keeping this car for a while and eventually selling it to someone working up in Park City area. It met our purposes, just wasn't the car for us.
We were searching the board at BYU for a car that we could move away from Utah with (needed working A/C.) It was Autotrader that came to the rescue though. We found a 1995 Nissan Altima for sale for our price range. That was really good for us. We called up that day and made a deal that night. The car made it to Florida. Despite changing a few parts which wear out over time, we have been really happy with it even though it gets about 23 mpg around town with the A/C on. It rides really well and feels very secure. We still have it. Until we decide to sell it that is.
When we got to Georgia, we made a deal with my brother to buy his Ford Ranger since he was leaving the country for Brazil to work. We drove it around for a while, but we ended up selling it back to him when he got back. They needed a car and they still have it. It would be a funny sight to see him driving it around with the missionaries though. It was supposed to seat 3 (seatbelt wise) but it doesn't really work that way since the stick shift is on the floor. Michael used to try to kick it out of gear and was successful at times. It would have been nice to have my sweet wife sit next to me again on a bench seat, but that was not the vehicle for that. I do miss the ability to haul things, but it has kept us from accumulating even more stuff. I would like to be able to get a whole sheet of plywood again though. Gas mileage was not great, but it wasn't bad.
When we decided it was time to have a second car again, we looked a really long time. We finally ran across this Saturn which was not in the best shape. I replaced a belt and the head liner is falling down, but it was a good price. I took this one to Orlando and back for a conference. On the return trip I got 45 mpg. It is a 5 speed standard with out power steering and I was avoiding using the A/C. I also followed the semis on the road since there is no cruise control so there may have been some drag reduction and maybe a favorable wind to my back, but 45 mpg was great even if it was a little hyper-inflated from normal highway driving. I was paying $3.50 a gallon or so which means I was paying about $1 in gasoline for every 12 1/2 miles. Back to the Buick, I was getting 15 1/2 miles for that dollar. I miss the capacity and comfort of the Buick and the hauling capacity of the truck, but I don't miss the MPG's at this gas price. We will just have to bite the bullet though and get a minivan for this third car seat.
We have also had a bunch of scooters - 5 to be specific. Here is probably the best looking one that we had. It had that classic styling. I just fixed them and sold them really. I love the real old school looks from Honda and Yamaha when a scooter was a glorified bicycle. The Honda Elite 80 proved that things can be built to last, 20 years old when I sold it, and it ran great. This one was only 3 years old or so and I put at least as much effort into fixing it as the rest of them. Only one never made it back on the road, but it was just one of 3 that I bought as a lot. It has been a fun hobby.
We have also had 1 non-running motorcycle, a go-cart, and 2 trailers. So to make the final count, 8 "cars", 6 motorbikes, 1 go-cart, and 2 trailers. Totaling 17 in all. This is just in less than 5 years. So happy father's day to all you who made it to my tally. I know fatherhood is not about cars, but how could I have not put that red car at the top on there which belongs to my wife's great-uncle. It was taken the day we got married which is the day I became a husband and could celebrate father's day for me.
As we look towards father's day, I can't help but reflect on being so glad to be a father. Now, Part of fatherhood or husbandhood as you may need to call it has been owning and taking care of cars. I admit that before we were married, I drove a car, but it was really my Dad's. He owned it and paid insurance on it. So, as a tribute to father's day, I thought that I would talk about the many cars we have owned.
We have been married over 4 years, but not yet 5 (that comes later in August.) Two kids later, we find that we have been averaging just under 2 vehicles per year of marriage. So, here is the review of the cars we have owned. Pros and Cons. We are only including pictures where we have them.
We came into our marriage with two vehicles. Really, it was just one and the one I shared with my sisters. From the more comfortable and routine long distance driving side of the marriage came a Buick LeSabre 1992 (I think.) This was a 6 seater with 2 benches. We got around 25 or 26 miles to the gallon on the highway with that big V-6 engine and gas was about $1.60/gallon. It floated down the highway, Utah potholes and all. I had never understood why people wanted to get an American car until then. Now, it did have some problems, like the breaks had to be changed because one of the calipers stuck and bent the pads. A lady with 4 kids in a minivan turned into us on 100 S in Provo on our way to the Post Office totaling it. Fortunately, Rachael, Anna's roommate, came and saved us from a chilly mile walk home. That was the end of that car for us.
By this time, we had bought the Blazer from my Dad. We had a rod bearing going out on it and were trying to unsuccessfully sell it for my Dad, but it just made more sense for us to buy it and get it off his insurance. I have to say that this was an awesome car for us. We ran it a lot after the Buick was totaled. It made lots of trips to Orem, but never out of the valley while we owned it. The best part was the rear-wheel drive in the snow which made for a very forgivable clutch while my sweet wife was getting used to driving a stick. Despite my best efforts to get a new engine and justify keeping it because it could have (technically) fit a car seat in the back, we eventually knew that we would need a new car. The Blazer was eventually sold to some hispanic guys never to be seen again. Sniff-Sniff.
We went to a car lot after learning a bit of lingo and talked one of the sales men who let us get a 1995 Nissan Altima off the backlot. It had just come in on trade. It needed a new CV axle, but it was the right price - about what we got from insurance on the totaled Buick. It was also a gold like color. We really loved that car too. It did have a draw back though. The back seat folded down, buy only enough to put a set of skis through. That was kind of useless to us. You could put your arm through, but that was about it. We took that car to Texas to see Grandma Bowen before she passed away. It served us very well. We decided to sell it though to pay for the expenses associated with Michael's birth. We were glad to have the car and glad to have the money when we sold it.
To replace the car, we bought our first Saturn. This car was the first car this guy ever had. It was light weight and a standard transmission. I personally think that the 1992-93 range of Saturns had a really good look with the curved back windshield, but maybe I am just biased. We got just over 30 mpg on that car. It did have automatic seatbelts which lowered insurance prices, but we didn't like them. It drove right on top of the snow, but when it got really cold, that engine just didn't have enough to keep us warm in the car. We drove up to Star Valley one time and nearly froze including Michael in his carseat. A paper bag in front of the radiator helped us make it home nice and warm. We left it there until April when it got wet and fell out. We kept that car until right before we moved to Florida since the A/C system needed to be replaced - otherwise we may still have had it.
We managed to get two cars here for the price of one picture. The Saturn in the background was such a good car. We found the EIC and the Additional Child Credit to be most beneficial to us financially, but when FAFSA came around, we had too much money to qualify. They don't seem to care about the vehicles you drive, so we made a strategic investment in buying this Subaru. I had really wanted a Subaru since I was a teenager. This one was an automatic and had all-wheel drive. We had to put new tires on it. The car wasn't really that bad, but we just were not impressed. We thought the wagon feature would be good, but we learned that you can't really fit much more in the back. Bigger things can be fit in, but since you don't want things falling down on you or your kids, you can't stack things that high. So bigger stuff, not more. We ended up keeping this car for a while and eventually selling it to someone working up in Park City area. It met our purposes, just wasn't the car for us.We were searching the board at BYU for a car that we could move away from Utah with (needed working A/C.) It was Autotrader that came to the rescue though. We found a 1995 Nissan Altima for sale for our price range. That was really good for us. We called up that day and made a deal that night. The car made it to Florida. Despite changing a few parts which wear out over time, we have been really happy with it even though it gets about 23 mpg around town with the A/C on. It rides really well and feels very secure. We still have it. Until we decide to sell it that is.
When we got to Georgia, we made a deal with my brother to buy his Ford Ranger since he was leaving the country for Brazil to work. We drove it around for a while, but we ended up selling it back to him when he got back. They needed a car and they still have it. It would be a funny sight to see him driving it around with the missionaries though. It was supposed to seat 3 (seatbelt wise) but it doesn't really work that way since the stick shift is on the floor. Michael used to try to kick it out of gear and was successful at times. It would have been nice to have my sweet wife sit next to me again on a bench seat, but that was not the vehicle for that. I do miss the ability to haul things, but it has kept us from accumulating even more stuff. I would like to be able to get a whole sheet of plywood again though. Gas mileage was not great, but it wasn't bad.
When we decided it was time to have a second car again, we looked a really long time. We finally ran across this Saturn which was not in the best shape. I replaced a belt and the head liner is falling down, but it was a good price. I took this one to Orlando and back for a conference. On the return trip I got 45 mpg. It is a 5 speed standard with out power steering and I was avoiding using the A/C. I also followed the semis on the road since there is no cruise control so there may have been some drag reduction and maybe a favorable wind to my back, but 45 mpg was great even if it was a little hyper-inflated from normal highway driving. I was paying $3.50 a gallon or so which means I was paying about $1 in gasoline for every 12 1/2 miles. Back to the Buick, I was getting 15 1/2 miles for that dollar. I miss the capacity and comfort of the Buick and the hauling capacity of the truck, but I don't miss the MPG's at this gas price. We will just have to bite the bullet though and get a minivan for this third car seat.
We have also had a bunch of scooters - 5 to be specific. Here is probably the best looking one that we had. It had that classic styling. I just fixed them and sold them really. I love the real old school looks from Honda and Yamaha when a scooter was a glorified bicycle. The Honda Elite 80 proved that things can be built to last, 20 years old when I sold it, and it ran great. This one was only 3 years old or so and I put at least as much effort into fixing it as the rest of them. Only one never made it back on the road, but it was just one of 3 that I bought as a lot. It has been a fun hobby.We have also had 1 non-running motorcycle, a go-cart, and 2 trailers. So to make the final count, 8 "cars", 6 motorbikes, 1 go-cart, and 2 trailers. Totaling 17 in all. This is just in less than 5 years. So happy father's day to all you who made it to my tally. I know fatherhood is not about cars, but how could I have not put that red car at the top on there which belongs to my wife's great-uncle. It was taken the day we got married which is the day I became a husband and could celebrate father's day for me.
posted by The Pagets in Florida at 1:55 PM
6 Comments:
3rd car seat!?! Is there something about fatherhood that you aren't telling us?
We were going to invite everyone to dinner, but we figured this was the next best thing.
Truly, a car history of epic proportions. We have owned a paltry two cars, with no trailers or scooters, in our almost four years of marriage. Keep up the good work!
What does it say about us that we didn't even wait until the second one to get a van?? Congratulations!! I was going to try and catch up with you, but now I'm starting to think of calling off the Baby SUmmer 2008 until 2008. So just get pregnant next summer too, okay?!
I must have missed something.
It is 2008.
Well, Nana and Papa can't wait for the 3rd car seat!!!!
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