Before my days at my first steady job, I babysat a lot of neighborhood munchkins. Each weekend babysitting job between the ages of 12 and 15, I’d spend a little of my hard earned money and save a little. I was saving up for one thing I dreamt about since turning 12: my first car.
I secretly hoped when I turned 16, my parents would surprise me with the ’94 yellow Ford Mustang (with black leather interior and a spoiler) I’d been eyeing for what seemed like my entire life.
Instead, on my 16th b-day, I got a toy model of a yellow Mustang. How cruel.
Regardless, I was determined to get my own set of wheels, so as soon as I got my license, I scoured the local classifieds until I spotted something I could afford. After a couple test-drives, I found what would soon become my most prized possession: a white 1991 Buick Regal. The year was 2000, so I thought I was getting a steal on a car that wasn’t quite 10 years old.
I’m sure it was the car of its day, complete with leather seats, a tape player, a digital speedometer and plenty of room for friends. I had worked hard to pay for it, but didn’t even think twice when I shelled out the $1,200 because it paid for something that was priceless at the time: FREEDOM from the parental units.
I quickly decorated the car to reflect my quirky 16-year-old style: I had cow-inspired seat covers, a smiley face dangling from my rearview mirror and countless vending machine stickers lining the inside of my car. I’m sure I thought I was the coolest chick on the road.
It wasn’t long after getting the car that things started going wrong. The heat stopped working. The air didn’t ever work. The door sometimes got stuck and one of the power windows didn’t go down. Out of frustration, I started calling the car Mussolini.
I drove Mussolini for nearly 2 years, until one day he sighed his last breath in a scary grand finale.
The engine frame attached to the bottom of the car snapped, which made me loose my power steering and sent me gliding across opposing traffic on the busiest road of my hometown (Grand River!!!! to those in the know). Thankfully, traffic was coming slow due to a light, but my near 18 years on the planet definitely flashed before my eyes.
I walked, crying my eyes out in defeat, to a nearby Arby’s to call my mom and the police from a pay phone (only the cool kids had cell phones at that time). A nice police officer drove me home as they towed Mussolini off for good. I let the cow seat covers go with him since it felt only right. It was the end of an era.
Although it really was just a piece of junk, I look back on that first car with many fond memories. It not only represents my first taste of freedom, but also brings to mind so many other firsts: kisses with boys, nights out with my girlfriends, driving to concerts and hanging out in the parking lot after school.
I’d love to hear from you – what was your first car?
This was written in conjunction with Mama Kat’s Writing Workshop. I chose prompt #3 about my first car.
Neat story! Well……I also chose this prompt today. And there’s just a tad of difference in your dream car and my first car. Both Mustangs, both yellow, but mine was (gasp!) 30 years older than yours!!! Yikes, do I feel old!
Jump on over to my blog and “read all about it”!
I loved it, Dianna! And I would kill to drive a ’64 Mustang now 😉
I got mine for graduation and used this prompt too.
To buy your first car at the age of 16? That’s amazing, never mind that it was a hunk of junk.
Mine was a locally made car by Proton (Malaysia) and although it was brand new, I still hated it. It was poorly made and caused me countless problems. I had it for SIX years. But at least I had a car 🙂
Yeah, I’m from the Motor City, so it’s kind of a priority to get a car at 16…I know that’s not the case all around the world. You’re right though – junk or not, it was a car!
How mean of your parents to give you a toy car instead of a real one. My MIL did that to my husband except it was a boat he wanted and for his bday she gave him a toy boat.
It’s a good thing you were okay when the engine snapped on your car.
My first car was a Ford Escort. Red. But no cow seat covers.
Cute about the boat! I would also love a boat…all in due time. It seems like a lot of folks that replied to this prompt had Ford Escorts. I guess they were dependable!
I got my first car at 17 and it lasted me until my senior year of college… when an accident left it so damaged that I had to cover sharp edges with duct tape and rain would puddle on the floor on the inside passenger side. You, my dear friend, affectionately called her “blinky” until I finally said goodbye and upgraded to a feisty, oil-guzzling Saturn LS.
Awww, Blinky. So many good memories in that car! I can’t believe it lasted until senior year…I completely remember the duct tape, the rain inside and the sound it made coming down the street. Good times, huh? 😉
Hilarious. I love the name. All the decorating you did reminded me of being a teen and pimping out your car. 😉 My first car was a 1990 Toyota Camry. It had a moonroof and I swore I was so cool because of that fact. 😉
WHAT!? You had a moonroof at 16? Go on, brush ya shoulders off 😉
Loving how you decorated that Buick Regal! There is something special about those first cars for sure. I remember all of them fondly.
At 16, I decorated just about everything. I was a bit of a rainbow child!
This story brought back a lot of memories of my first car. Mine was a 1990 red Grand Am. I think my parents bought it for me for like $500. The shocks were a little wore out or should I say non existent:) I remember purposely flying over the bumps on certain roads to see how high we would fly off our seat. Good times in that car. Thanks for taking me down memory lane! p.s. Ask Jason about the Doobie Bus:)
Thanks for sharing your story, Jen! That’s too funny. And oh good lord…can’t wait to hear the story of the doobie bus, although I’ll admit I’m scared 😉
LoL 🙂 Enjoy! Tell him I said hello and Kinley is beautiful! Love seeing pictures of her. Although I admit for some reason seeing my classmates become parents makes me feel older than having my own!
WOW! Admire your work ethic at 16 to save for a car.
I babysat every day during the summer and most Friday and/or Saturday nights from 12-16 years old. I did pretty good for myself. I don’t even know what the going rate for a babysitter is yet for these days, but I’m scared!
I sold my horse for a different kind of horsepower: a 1995 Jeep Cherokee Sport. If it hadn’t died on me (it would randomly stall and not restart, most often at stop signs and lights), I’d probably still have it. It vibrated badly when it was going over 60 miles per hour and had an interesting rattle sound when it idled. But, I still loved it.
Now I have a 2010 VW Jetta Wolfsburg and I love it! But, I still miss my Jeep days when I didn’t care if someone hit my door or if it got scratched up.
Lucky you! A Jeep would be an amazing ride for a youngster. But, I have to say, the Jetta is much safer and more economical I’m guessing gas-wise 😉
I’m so laughing. My first car was like a 1989 Chrysler Lebaron Coupe. And it was brown. And so not cool.
Why did they ever make brown cars??? Such a bad color on everything except clothing!
My first car had a AM radio and no air conditioning. I started hoping it would die, but it lived for years.
That always seems to be the way it goes, huh?!
I remember when your engine fell out! I think your mother was relieved when you got the red Oldsmobile? My first car was a 1998 Blue Ford ZX2 (which is like a cross between an escort and a focus) and I really hit the car jackpot, let me tell you! (I turned 16 in 2000) Except that it was a manual and I stalled it everywhere. Including a major intersection, where I totalled it. 6 months after I got her, she had a dent in the side forever more, and some engine belt squealed where ever we went. But such good memories in that car: concerts, field trips to places I wasn’t supposed to be, and feeling infinite.
Yes, I remember you stalling out all the time. Such adventures in that little blue car! Thanks for carting me around until I turned 16 myself 🙂
As you probably remember, haha, my first car was a bright red Ford Probe (which to me felt like the hottest sportiest car in existence at the time…never mind the fact that my friends *cough* loved to call it the anal probe). Oh good times…
I’ll never forget the anal probe!!! 😉 I was supposed to get a mint green probe until my bro wrecked it. It was such a cute little car for its time. Obviously not that well made since Ford only made it for a short time…
Ahhhh, the first car. Yours was much newer and cooler than mine. You had a TAPE DECK!! However, I did manage to upgrade to a CD player eventually 🙂
Visiting from Mama Kat’s
I know, it was kind of a BFD. I eventually did get a discman to attach so I could play CD’s too 😉 Love your story about The Brown Cow! Too funny.