Hopeful Loser

When I go to the home improvement store I take my ’89 ford festiva so as not to get my other car more jacked up than it already is.

I bought the festiva for the sole purpose of leaving it parked at a train station. I would take it from the station to the office when I took the train to work. I wanted a cheap, crappy car that I didn’t have to worry about abandoned at the station for long periods of time.

Mass transportation is not very good in California. There are very few commuter trains scheduled, hence, I would always miss the train. Most days I ended up driving the Fest the whole 60 miles to and from work. For a period of time I lent it to a friend who also drove it a great distance through mountains! My point being, the car persevered through way more than its intended usage. Above and beyond that, I’ve had this car for about six years and never had to get any repair work on it, aside from new brake pads.

Those new over tightened brakes left me stranded at a bar one night. When the tow truck guy arrived he was cracking up. He told me I should have just carried the car home. The guys at Jiffy Lube also laugh every time I come in for an oil change, but they love the car none the less. It’s the best $1400 I’ve ever spent. Ha! Who’s laughing all the way to the bank!? Well not me exactly because I still don’t have money. But thanks to this car I don’t have even less.

Initially when you look at the car you might mistake it for a go-cart and not think that it is road worthy. It is a bit scary driving on the highways because it’s so small and light. If you have just the driver’s side window rolled down and a big truck drives by, the gust of wind might cause you to take flight. That’s ok too because I save a lot in gas fluttering through traffic in my magic carpet car.

It is very gas efficient to begin with. As Kevin pointed out, I can probably fill the tank, even today, for $10 because I think it has a less than ten gallon tank. (Hey, maybe I thought I was driving the Fest the other day.) I can’t remember the last time I put gas in it.

Anyway, I’m always so surprised by how much stuff I can fit in this deceptively roomy car. I fit about ten pieces of eight foot long molding inside and balanced a tons worth of bead board paneling on top. I might have gotten home quicker if I had created a makeshift sail by attaching a plastic bag to the top of one of the molding pieces and sailed home. But everything worked out great once I loaded the car, then loaded the car into the shopping cart and wheeled home.

Comments

yeah, FYI, that's about an 8 gallon tank on that baby. Gee, I miss mine...Had one of the white ones with the "pinstripe" down the side.

Posted by: Kevin at September 22, 2005 1:14 PM

oohh Kevin you lucky basta'd! :-)
The thought of parting with this rabbit's foot of a car would kill me. I want to submit it to "pimp my ride". At which point I should actually attach it to my key chain and preserve it forever!

Posted by: hopeful at September 22, 2005 2:10 PM

I had an isuzu like this. I paid 1100 for it, drove it for 4 years (oil and gas, baby) and sold it for 1100. Brings a tear to my eye. And let me tell you, that thing's probably *still* rolling on the last ten bucks I put in it.

I think you must be in So Cal? Notoriously hideous public transportation. The Bay Area (NorCal) has great public transportation. I didn't need to drive at all for 3 years!

Posted by: Mia at September 22, 2005 9:41 PM

OMG once again you have me rolling!

I lose 7.2 pounds this week. That is BIG, I know, but I started WW again and I always lose fast in the beginning.

Mia is right, except for Marin the Bay Area rocks on Public Trans!

Posted by: Princess at September 23, 2005 10:53 AM