Wrenching on your car is not only a great way to learn new skills while saving money, but it’s also just a great way to make memories with your children. Even if your kid is too young to spin a wrench, but sometimes just being there is enough.
This morning, Mark wrote a Shitbox Showdown pitting a 1985 Chevy Chevette against a 1989 Plymouth Horizon. These weren’t cars known for their reliability. As such, who knows how many kids got to watch Dad or Mom wrench on these things. My Other Car is a Tetanus Shot made me smile:
The Horizon.
Anecdote time: When I was a wee one, my father was working under the hood of our family Plymouth Horizon one day. Sitting in the driver’s seat to keep me out of the way, three-year old me decided to push the horn button, because three-year old. With his head right in the engine bay. I don’t recall the exact string on profanity that emanated from him, but I do recall my mother rapidly escorting me out of there. In retrospect, probably not the best choice for keeping small child out of trouble.
I used to fall asleep on rides in that car fairly frequently.
Given the amount of time he spent working on that car because of mid-1980s Chrysler Corporation reliability, I probably have more fond memories of it than he does.
But I am morbidly curious to drive it, just to see how far things have come since then. But not nearly three thousand dollars’ worth.
A. Barth also got me:
When I was a kid, our neighbors (a very nice family) had an orange Chevette.
A vulture vomited on it. We (the kids) found that hilarious and had a good laugh.
However, that memory does not justify the $5000 asking price for today’s contestant, so the Horizon wins.
Earlier today, Thomas wrote about a Saturn Sky with a seven-liter V8. Now, that’s cool and all, but I like the way NC Miata NA thinks:
Sure, there are still four cylinders under the hood, but Mallett added another four cylinders
I’m left slightly disappointed there wasn’t a 2nd Ecotec installed based on this description.
Also, I want to see OrigamiSensei’s idea made reality:
My preferred destination for the second Ecotec would be in a Cadillac ELR if such a thing is possible. That’s one of my stupidly improbable dream builds, along with a Viper motor in an ’81 Imperial with full bordello interior.
Finally, Matt wrote about David showing up at a fancy restaurant with car parts in his pocket, as one does. Even as Hollywood is trying to take the Detroit out of David, Detroit David is still in there. NC Miata NA wins again:
The amount of content generated from Beau’s attempts to integrate David into high society could spawn an entirely new Galpin Media property.
Chewcudda has a perfect follow-up:
Basically, that one Three Stooges short wherein a society guy makes a bet with his friends he can turn the three idiots into civilized people. I recall that episode ends in a food fight.
Have a great evening, everyone!
I only remember my father working on his car one time. He had a 1969 Toyota Corona that he absolutely never maintained. It was the middle of winter in the middle of big snowstorm. The battery had died in the Toyota and Dad had called his best friend, a Lebanese guy named Ray, to come help get it started. Ray was a great guy who drove a gigantic 1967 Chrysler Newport. They had no jumper cables and the Toyota was a 3 speed manual, so they got another idea…Push start it!..now, you got to picture this…
We lived in a typical Midwestern subdivision. It’s snowing like crazy, Ray’s idea is to push start the Toyota. Now, this Toyota already had dents in every fender and the bumpers looked like pretzels. Dad liked to drink. A lot!
Ray carefully lined the Newport up behind the Toyota. He began to push it, with my father behind the wheel. This didn’t work. Now, they were about 1/4 mile up the street and somehow got turned around. At some point, the decision was made that they just needed to go faster. Ray didn’t speak English that well and just how much faster got lost in translation…..
I’m a kid watching from the front yard. The snow is about 4 inches deep and really coming down. I look to my right and here comes the old man in his beat up Toyota, being pushed by Ray in the old Newport… in a snowstorm. They’ve got to be going every bit of 40mph! As they went by, I could see the old man frantically waving one hand, trying to get Ray to slow down, while steering with the other! Dad’s eyes were bigger than I’d ever seen them. He was terrified! Unfortunately, Ray thought he meant to speed up! I heard the Newports engine rev when suddenly, the Toyota began a slow spin sideways. Then the Newport started to spin. They were now halfway down the street and all you could see was a huge snow cloud with a peek of car every time they spun around. Somehow, they managed to hit nothing! Both cars spun to a stop with the Newport stuck in some guys yard. They both got out, left the cars, came to the house and drank beer.
The couple of times my old man tried to work on his cars were complete shit shows.
Always, every time. Remember he tore down the engine in a SAAB in about 1961. It left a couple months later on a wrecker. Never to be seen again.
The Peugeot left the same way. And never returned.
Mom’s 66 VW Bus blew the engine shortly after an oil change and valve adjustment in the driveway.
He could turn a wiper replacement into a broken windshield.
Thanks Mercedes. Once more you have triggered my PTSD.
I have fond memories of me being 13 years old, and my dad and I both working on the ’79 Bonneville over some malt liquor during weekends. He needed it to get to work and to get me to school, and it was always having problems.
That look on Beau’s face! I can’t tell if it’s because David just plonked a car part on the table at Spago, or if it’s just because it’s a part from a make Galpin doesn’t sell.
Thank you for the tremendous honor.
When Beau creates his next multi-million dollar empire by giving David the “She’s All That” treatment, I will be more than happy to accept my portion of the credit in the form of a 911 Turbo.
I’m late to the comments, but I remember fixing my Mom’s Horizon one morning when I noticed a tube was disconnected under the hood and it wouldn’t run. I was maybe 9 or 10? It just looked like it should have been together so I tried it and it worked. We made it to school on time, so that was a bummer.
I was excited by “ stupidly improbable dream builds, along with a Viper motor in an ’81 Imperial with full bordello interior” but that’s because I thought he was talking about a 61.
I’d be much more hesitant to molest a nice ’61. I’d probably just restore it to stock.
Thanks for the COTD nod, Mercedes!