My Cars Through The Years, Part 4

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.