jeffslater.net
Archive for May, 2009
My Cars Through The Years, Part 6
May 21st
After our Jetta was totaled, we had to find another car in a hurry (the insurance company provided us with a rental for about 2 weeks). We didn’t really have anything in mind, but just started looking around at different dealerships. We stopped at a Toyota dealer to look at a used Camry, but the salesman directed us to a new Corolla that wasn’t much more than the Camry. We looked it over and did a test drive, but had no intention of buying that night. But every time we tried to leave, he came down on the price. After he had taken $2,000 off the sticker price, we decided to buy!
It turned out to be a great decision. That Corolla was the best car we ever owned. Solid and very reliable — it never developed a single squeak or rattle, even after 180,000 miles. The only service we ever had done on it was normal maintenance (tires, brakes, oil changes, etc.). The engine had no oil leaks — again, that was after 180,000 miles!
As our family began to grow, we had to move up to a larger vehicle. Unfortunately, that meant trading in our beloved Corolla (to this day, I wish we could have found a way to keep it). That will be part 7 of our story.
My Cars Through The Years, Part 5
May 15th
Jill and I were married in June of 1989, and we moved into our little apartment in the suburbs of Detroit. The little Dodge Omni was going strong, but since we both worked in different parts of the city, we needed a second car. So, after visiting a lot of dealerships and test driving several cars, we settled on a 1987 Volkswagon Jetta. It was a great little car with a 4-speed manual transmission. It became primarily Jill’s car, and she loved it. It was quick and reliable — which was important since she worked as a Social Worker in some bad areas of Detroit!
Unfortunately, our relationship with the Jetta was short-lived. In late December of 1990 we decided to go down to southern Ohio to spend the Holidays with Jill’s family. It started snowing along the way, and by the time we reached Dayton, Ohio there were several inches of snow on the ground. On I-75 in downtown Dayton, a car spun out in front of us, so I swerved to avoid it, and stopped on the left-side shoulder against the guard rail. It was then that I heard the frantic blasts coming from the air horn of a fully-loaded tractor trailer. I looked in my rear-view mirror and saw the tractor trailer sliding sideways toward our car. It smashed into the back of our Jetta and the trailer came to rest on top of the passenger side of the car (right over Jill’s head!). Thankfully, we were not hurt in the accident — but the same could not be said of the poor Jetta, as you can see in the pictures below.
So once again, we were in the market for a car. This time we would find a rare gem. That will be part 6 of our story.
My Cars Through The Years, Part 4
May 6th
After working as an intern with a church in Muncie, Indiana, I headed back to Harding in the fall of 1986 driving the big Buick. I was traveling alone because I had to get there early (I was going to be a Resident Assistant in the freshman dorm). My first problem came somewhere between Lima and Dayton, Ohio. Something didn’t seem right with the car, so I exited the freeway, pulled into a gas station and looked under the hood. I couldn’t see anything wrong, so I got back in and tried to start the car. Click-click-click. The battery was dead. Thankfully, the gas station sold batteries and I had some tools with me. I replaced the battery and continued on my way to Harding.
The next problem came about 45 minutes later. I was driving along just south of Middletown, Ohio when all of a sudden, the engine just quit. Just like that. I was going about 65 miles per hour, and the engine just stopped! Thankfully, I was right in front of a rest area. So I pulled to the side of the road and looked under the hood. It didn’t take me long to find the problem. The bolts that hold the fuel pump in place had somehow come out, and the fuel pump was just hanging there. I called a tow truck, had the car towed to a service station, and they quickly bolted the fuel pump back on, and I was on my way once again. Thankfully, I had no more trouble that trip. But my Dad and I agreed that the Buick was going to have to be replaced as soon as possible.
So when I came home at Christmas break, Dad and I went to Oakland Dodge and found a nice, clean and affordable 1985 Dodge Omni. It was bare bones — vinyl seats, no air conditioning, and an A.M. radio. But after 3 and a half years driving the big Buick, that little Omni was beautiful! The first thing I did was install an AM/FM radio. On my way back to Harding, I was happy to discover that it got outstanding gas mileage. I could drive from Detroit to Harding (900 miles) and only stop for gas one time.
The Dodge Omni served me well for many years — including my first few years of married life. But the time came when Jill and I needed a second car. That’s part 5 of the story.
Just Thinking Out Loud…
May 5th
It has been a while since I posted here, and my posts have been few and far between over the past year. Some of my friends have even dropped me from their blogroll (I understand and don’t hold it against you). So, I need to give an update to the handful of people who still stop by from time-to-time.
There are a few reasons for my limited and sporatic posting. I’ve been actively involved in Facebook and Twitter — and that only leaves so much time for blogging. Life in general is pretty busy these days, with my wife going to Grad School, my kids having a lot more activities, and me running on regular basis again. But the main reason is that I’m much more limited in what I can say here. A little over a year ago, I discovered that there were some people (both inside and outside our church) who were attempting to use what I wrote here against me. They were (without consulting me) printing out certain posts and passing them around in an effort to hurt me professionally. Because of that, I have been very careful about what I post here. My family and I simply don’t have the time or energy to deal with that kind of nonsense. So I have done posts on cars and sports and family activities — all of which are interesting to me, but maybe not to others.
So….. I say all that to say that I’m going to get back to posting on a more regular basis — and that will include posts on faith and theology (although I will be much more careful about what I post). I will begin later today by continuing the series on My Cars Through The Years.
Perhaps I can earn my way back on to some of your blogrolls!
Jeff Slater
Recent Comments