The Joy of Automobiles: Part Two

Do you remember the second, third or fourth car you've owned? I do, very well.

Janet's (third car), was a dark green VW Wagon, with stick shift on the floor, the new "automatic" for VWs. Only had to shift once or twice. We went to a used car dealer to find that, and traded in the late model Rambler Tank. The wagon lasted 4-5 years, but in year three, we had a problem with it we couldn't fix.  The gear shift stuck in neutral! We couldn't get it in gear! Especially on cold winter days, Jan would start it no problem, but not be able to get it into a driveable gear. So I would go out, bang my fist on the gear shift, and eventually it worked. We had no money to buy a new shift mechanism or tranny (transmission), so we lived with it.

My VW bus, aside from barely getting up the Sourland Mountains in Hopewell Boro where our apartment was (after we married in June 1971), also had another big problem. Holes in the front floor boards in places we couldn't cover. The cold air rushing in didn't bother me so much, but Janet couldn't take it well. She's always cold anyway.

"Rod, feel my hand."

"Rod, feel my nose." Always cold. At bedtime sometimes this was a shock on my body.

Plus Jan had Renaud's Disease, where sometimes she'd lose blood flow to her tiny fingers. I think the cold was the problem that made us sell it. I traded the bus for a used faded light blue Pontiac Tempest. The dashboard had buttons you pushed to change gears, rather than a stick shift, and was an automatic. It had no power to speak of, and didn't last long. I got rid of it and bought a used 1962 white, four-door Chevy Nova. That didn't last long either. Owning that's a story in it itself, and is in my Youth of ABLiA book, coming out in the future.We got rid of that in Ohio, when the engine overheated and blew a head gasket on the Ohio Turnpike. We were vising the Baha'i Temple in Wilmette Illinois, then going to Janet's godparents in Michigan.We gave the tow truck driver the title to the Nova for the cost of the tow to the nearest Rest Stop.

After getting home by Greyhound bus, a few hundred dollars ($800?), bought me a used dream car, a gold, 1965 Chevy Impala. The year was circa 1973. I've talked about this muscle car before. I loved it. They cost over $5,000 new in 1965.

2-door hardtop, four-on-the-floor, black leather interior, mag(nesium) wheels, and 327 HP V-8 engine. It was fast! And I could lay rubber easily in first and second gears. That's where I learned my infamous jack rabbit starts, which I still do today.Janet could hardly push the clutch all the way down, so she didn't drive it often, but she did!

Then we moved to Hamilton Twp. in April 1974 to help form the first Hamilton Twp. Baha'i Spiritual Assembly, comprised of nine believers. Jan was teaching at Langtree Elementary School and this would cut down the 18-mile commute from Hopewell dramatically. I worked in center-city Trenton, so it was much closer to my work as well. We moved to a second floor apartment at 3302 Nottingham Way. Living room, bedroom, bath and eat-in kitchen with large pantry.

In 1976 Jan let me buy a motorcycle from Cooper's Ranch, just around the corner from our place. The bike had a light blue painted gas tank, 360cc engine, and was a Honda CB model. I later got the tank and side covers painted midnight metallic blue, along with my helmet. Quick, my 360 wasn't a 750 cc Kawasacki which could kill you easily. They popped wheelies in many gears - I saw it done. I only popped a wheelie once, and crashed the bike (no damage), when it came down hard on the shoulder after I crossed a full intersection in the air. And I still had the Impala. Fast was good.

By then we'd had it with the VW Wagon, and traded it in at Nitti's Subaru on Rt. 33 not far from us, for a dark green four-door 1970 Toyota Corolla. Sporty, yet family friendly too. Our son Jesse was born August 1977, and it worked well with a car seat. By then the Impala's clutch went, and after letting it sit in the driveway, I tried to replace the clutch -- but failed. I had it fixed, then we sold it. I got a ________. Oops! I forget! That happens now that I'm 63 years old.

During these years we had great mechanics from independent garages. These cars were to old to take to the dealers, had no warranties of any kind, so it was a crap shoot when they had mechanical problems. Independednt repairs will be another blog.

So tell me what cars you've had that you loved, I'd be interested to know . . . . 

By Rodney Richards, NJ