Got A Car!!!

[Sailor Steve]

Yes, for the first time in eight years I actually own an automobile. First, a little bit of my experience with driving.

I learned to drive in a 1962 Corvair Monza. That was 1966. Then I got my learner's permit and found out I could ride my dad's little 50cc bike without an adult along with me, so I did that for a year and finally got my license in 1967. When I joined the navy my dad took the money he had set aside for my second year of college and bought a '67 Corvette convertible. When I came back from Vietnam in 1970 my dad trusted me to drive the 'Vette, which impressed my girlfriend quite a bit.

After I moved to Utah I bought my first car, a 1963 Ford Van. I sold it when I got married, and we bought our only new car, a 1974 Mustang II. Since then I've owned a '65 Chevy panel truck, an '73 Pinto wagon, and '85 Buick wagon and a 1994 Ford Escort wagon which I bought almost new in 1996. I loved that car. It handled very well and carried a lot of stuff. I was sad when I wrecked it in 2005.

I haven't had a car since. I just couldn't afford one, especially when I went through my homeless phase. My dad's death last July left me a little (very little) insurance settlement, and I've been sitting on it while looking for the right car. I found cheap cars I didn't want and not-so-cheap cars I wanted but couldn't afford. I wanted another Escort wagon but there just aren't any. The Focus replaced the Escort, and they say it's a better car in every way, but I could only see one thing: They're UGLY! I drove one, and it was nice, but every time I look at one I want to run the other way. I saw some minivans that I could afford, but there are so many of them on the road that they get boring. Yes, I'm being obsessive about it, but that's just the way I am.

So yesterday I was looking online and something jumped off the screen at me. It wasn't a wagon, and it wasn't a van, and it wasn't like anything I had looked at. It was a 1994 Eagle Summit. The Summit was actually a Mitsubishi Mirage, marketed in the US by Chrysler's Eagle division after they bought out American Motors in 1989. They were built in the US in Normal, Illinois. The Summit was a rather nondescript standard subcompact sedan, and if that was all there were I wouldn't have given it a second glance. The Summit wagon, however, was a complete redesign and looked nothing at all like it's sedan brother. It's actually the forerunner of today's Mitsubishi RVR, though it looks nothing like that either.

The Summit wagon is, well, what it is. It looks nothing like anything else I looked at, which is why I like it.

The Bad: It's nineteen years old. It doesn't have a CD player. It's got some dents and dings. The gas mileage isn't going to be nearly as good as my old Escort got. It's not going to handle as well as the Escort did. Finally, it cost quite a bit more than I wanted to pay.

The Good: Despite the age, it only has 78,000 miles on it. That's pretty amazing. A CD player would do me no good, as all my music is on my computer anyway. The radio works, and if I like the car and keep it I'll add an MP3 player hookup somewhere down the line. The dents and dings are to be expected in a car that old. The fuel economy won't bother me too much because sooner or later all my "driving" will be on a bike anyway. The handling I can live with, since whatever bike I end up with will be a lot more fun anyway. I love the way it looks. Like a van it only has the sliding door for the rear seat. It has a stick shift, which is something I was looking for. I rejected several cars I saw on that basis alone. A minivan would have hauled more, but you don't see them with manual transmissions, and I like to drive the car rather than have it drive me. As to the price, well, they really did make me an offer I couldn't refuse.

So, all-in-all I'm happy with my new mini-minivan. It's just different enough to be cool, at least to me. And I can always trade it in or sell it, if need be.

[Buddahaid]

Now you'll have to drive everybody else to gigs! I'm happy for you Steve but my favorite part of your story was your Dad using your college money for a Corvette.

[GoldenRivet]

fantastic!

i will tell you what it is a good feeling to have a set of wheels. a very good feeling indeed.



congrats.

look like there is some utility there, a lot of cars lack usefulness other than moving warm bodies around, this one can do that and haul a bit of stuff to boot.

[Penguin]

Congratz, Steve, an.. ahem individual choice! In europe the car is known as Mitsubishi Space Wagon, a cool name. Much better than the Focus - we had the 2nd gen Focus station wagon for a short time in my company. First thought: "What a %§&%%&§& car!" I told this to the production assistant, he asked "why,it's a nice ride!" "Well, because you are also a %§&%%&§&." (didn't really like him either)
Wasn't really made for our demands, especially longer rides with 4 people were a torture.

Btw, I have a buddy who makes (car) stickers for a few bucks- so if you want to style your car a little more, drop me a message :

Originally Posted by GoldenRivet

[...] a lot of cars lack usefulness other than moving warm bodies around, this one can do that and haul a bit of stuff to boot.

d..d...do you mean Steve should use it to carry cold bodies of his victims around?

[Herr-Berbunch]

^

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Penguin

Btw, I have a buddy who makes (car) stickers for a few bucks- so if you want to style your car a little more, drop me a message

LOL

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by HundertzehnGustav

i see that in the pictures.
but even if they fold down you have a "step" in the trunk.
maybe you can remove them and put them in the passenger feet area, behind the driver seat in an extreme case.

Yeah. My old Escort back seat actually folded down into the floor, leaving a flat space. Of course that meant the rear deck was higher, meaning less space overall. On the other hand newer minivans have rear seats that pop out with a single lever. I would have to use a wrench to get this one out. Maybe it will happen, maybe not. We'll see.

enjoy your new found mobility!!!

Today I made my first real grocery run. No more walking to the store and only buying what fits in the backpack. Oh, right. The new backpack hasn't arrived yet and I don't need it any more!

Originally Posted by Betonov

built in the nineties means NO maintainance

That seemed to be true of my Escort. On the other hand it was only two years old when I bought it and eleven when I killed it.

Originally Posted by Penguin

Congratz, Steve, an.. ahem individual choice! In europe the car is known as Mitsubishi Space Wagon, a cool name.

That is a cool name!

Btw, I have a buddy who makes (car) stickers for a few bucks- so if you want to style your car a little more, drop me a message :

I don't think so though.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Buddahaid

Now you'll have to drive everybody else to gigs! I'm happy for you Steve but my favorite part of your story was your Dad using your college money for a Corvette.

I'm only happy that he let me drive it.

A funny story came out of that. In 1998 I drove the Escort down to Long Beach CA to visit my sister. She was telling me about the flying lessons our dad paid for her to take, and the bad experience that put her off flying forever. I said "Dad never paid for me to take flying lessons!"

My sister replied "Well, he never let me drive the Corvette!"

Considering that he sold the 'Vette when she was ten, that's not surprising.

The funny part came later when we related the conversation to him. He looked at her and said "Well, Steve never wrapped one of my cars around a tree, either."

[Catfish]

Congrats, a new car is always fun !

(OT We also had to buy a new (used) one yesterday, after the '89 BMW broke down some weeks ago - crack in the cylinder head, and not worth repairing considering the condition the rest of the car is in )

Looks pretty practical, and you sure sit a bit higher than in a "limousine form" car, i like that. I still have a '84 VW Quantum 'station' (?), with absolutely no performance or power, but at least the fuel consumption fits that ..

[Cybermat47]

Nice car bro.

[vienna]

Steve is now fully mobile...

So, it's kinda like "Grammar on the Go" now?...

Congrats, Steve, and good and safe driving...

<O>

[Herr-Berbunch]

Congratulations.

Doesn't matter what it is as long as you like it.

I'm really pleased for you as I know it's been a long time coming.

[Schroeder]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

It has a stick shift, which is something I was looking for. I rejected several cars I saw on that basis alone.

Are you sure you're an American?
I heard most of you guys don't even know that there are cars with three paddles.




In seriousness, nice car Steve. It's something I would have definitely not expected on a US road but rather in Europe. I don't think the gas mileage will be that bad, the car is still old enough to be rather lightweight compared to modern ones. Enjoy your new freedom.

[TarJak]

Well done Steve. Good to see you've got some wheels again. We've got a Focus too. They're everywhere!

[raymond6751]

Hope you have many happy miles in your new baby.