Chronicles, "Head Out To The Highway"

Would a trip down memory lane be complete without a page or two about cars? Of course not. Every young man anxiously awaits the day that he turns 16 so he can finally get his license and start driving. Even if it is just to the store and back, the thrill of getting behind the wheel in our younger days was incredible.

I had to wait until after I was 17 before I got my license. My father was none to eager to turn me loose on the roadways, but once I had enrolled in Drivers Education my senior year of high school, he had no choice. Getting my junior operators license was a requirement to pass the class and no child of my father's was going to fail a class if he had anything to do with it. Pops was not too happy with me for tricking him into letting me have my license, but he eventually got over it.

Even before I had my license I kept my eye open for a car. Even though I had no idea how to do it, I knew I wanted to get a fixer-upper and make it my own (as of 2007, I still have not done that...maybe that will be my retirement project). On the bus heading to school one day, I saw exactly what I wanted. Propped up on blocks in front of a junk yard was a 1963 split window Chevy Corvette (image for reference only...the one I saw looked like crap). It had a sign on it that said "For Sale - $500". It looked horrible but even then I knew that $500 for a 1963 split window in ANY condition was a bargain. Alas when I told my father about it he told me I was foolish for wanting it. He did not realize that I could buy it and do little to it and get 2-3 times my money back. Easy come, easy go.

Undaunted, I kept my eyes open and found a 1966 GMC stepside pickup in very good condition. While it did not look like much (it was rather plain), it ran well and it was easy to work on. The guy selling it was going to let it go for $600. Working up the courage to go ask for my money once again... my father (who had the keys to my savings) said "no". I was beginning to get a bit frustrated, so I just kept looking. I had big dreams, but the keys to my dreams were being held by a man who didn't want me to waste my money on something that I would soon regret. While at the time I was pretty angry at him, later on I realized he was only trying to help. Dad's do that.

My dad had two cars when I got my license, a 1972 Chevy Nova and a 1977 Buick Skylark. He drove the Buick everyday back and forth to work every day and once I got my license, he started letting me drive the Nova. He let me drive it to and from work but if I wanted to go anywhere else with it, I had to ask for permission. Most of the time he let me take it, but he would tell me "no" every now and then and I would either walk or ride KD's 10 speed bike, which he let me borrow quite frequently, where I needed to go.

I drove that car for a year or so, but I failed to perform most of the required routine maintenance. To be honest, my dad never taught me much about cars so I grew up ignorant about what to do and when to do it. When he found out that I drove it for a year without changing the oil, I thought he was gonna explode.

"The BSM" as it was known to me and my friends, was featured in at least one BSOB film, was put in a ditch by Ellen (who did not know how to drive at the time) out on a lonely country road, and was slid into a guard rail, scratching the fender and blowing the left front tire. The car was beginning to rust apart (it was in pretty bad shape when I got it) and I wanted something a bit newer...also something that was mine. I was getting tired of asking my dad to drive a car that he never used.

I did not have much money of my own but I had some money in a savings account that my father started when I was a kid. I figured it was about $400-500 dollars or so...plenty for a down payment on a used car. So one day I asked my dad for that money and he then told me he did not have it. HUH? He then reminded me about something that happened a few years prior that I had forgotten about. Back in the late 70's my dad was forced to take a pay cut just to keep his job. He took my money out of savings to repair our leaky roof but he kept track of what the amount was. He told me that when it was time to buy a car he was going to give me the Nova in place of the money he owed me. I was not very happy because I really hated that car. It was ugly and the body was rusting through. He agreed to sell it and use the money as a down payment on a car I would buy myself.

That money was used to by my first car, a burgundy 1978 Pontiac Phoenix. It had a v6, versus the straight 6 the Nova had, and had cloth seats unlike the vinyl seats that the Nova had. It needed a bit of work, but it was generally pretty nice for a first car. Dad used the money from the sale of the Nova to put a down payment on the Pontiac. I applied for a loan for the remainder, but since I did not have any credit, dad had to cosign the note. He was not happy about that but he soon learned that I was not going to default on the loan. That car provided my freedom and I was not going to let that slip away.

The Phoenix, dubbed "Broken Wings" by the gang due to it always breaking down, got me to and from work for almost two years. I have a lot of fond memories of that car. While I drove it a lot, most of it was local. I think I only took it on one road trip and that was to Ohio to visit my half brother. I did take it to Audra Park a couple of times, but other than that it was driven just in the county.

"Broken Wings" met her demise one night when I was at the mall with John and Rob, the Saltwell Hardcore Brothers. We were driving around the mall at night after it had closed (I was going to meet my HSS there) when I drove over one of the curbs at 30+ mph. Needless to say it really messed up the front end of my car...enough that the insurance company totaled it. I took the insurance money and started looking for another car. The car I chose was by far the worst car I have ever owned.

I put the insurance money down on a white 1981 Ford Escort station wagon. I did not have the car very long before it started exhibiting problems. Less than one year after I bought it, the head blew. I was pretty frantic because because a) I had a pregnant wife, b) cold weather was approaching, and c) I did not have the funds for a new car. My dad came to the rescue by selling me his tan 1977 Buick Skylark. he had purchased a pick-up truck a couple of years before and was going to sell his Buick. I sold all my computer equipment (a C-64, monitor, floppy drive, printer, and a ton of software) to pay for the Buick. Sometimes life can really suck. I miss that C-64. I still held on to the Escort for a year or so, trying to get the engine rebuilt, but it never did run right, so I gave it to my half brother.

We drove the Buick for about a year or so before it began to show signs of failure. I knew that we had to get rid of it soon so we took it it to a car lot and traded it in on a white 1984 Pontiac 6000 LE coupe. That was one sweet car. It also was a very rare car...very few coupes were made...a fact I was not aware of until after it was totaled. I initially did not want to buy it (it was more than I thought we could afford) but my (then) new wife/mother of my child would not take no for an answer, so we bought it. From the very beginning that car was more my (then) wife's than mine. I walked, she drove. While there are a lot of bad memories associated with that car, it was a great car for a while. When my wife and I split, she took the car (refusing to make the payments) and tore it up. By the time I got it back, the drivers door would not close properly and it had several large dents. I managed to drive that car until I was in an accident near Duke University west campus. The car was drivable, so I did not make an insurance claim. Instead, I opted to trade it in on a white 1991 Pontiac Sunbird...the first new car I ever owned. I hated getting rid of the Pontiac 6K coupe...I wish I would have had the time, money, and space to rebuild it. It was one of the most dependable cars Pontiac ever produced.

I had the 1991 Sunbird eight years before I bought another. It had been to WV more times than I could count and was one of the most dependable cars I have ever had. It became like an old pair of jeans or sneakers. It was not the best looking thing, but it was comfortable. Letting go of that car was hard.

By the end of 1999 I found myself in need of a new vehicle, thanks in part by an A/C repair man who decided to pull out in front of me one evening as I was on my way home. The bumper of his van peeled back the passenger side of my little while coupe like a sardine can, doing enough damage to total the car. While the process to get reimbursed appeared cut and dried, it wasn't. The driver gave me inaccurate insurance information, which sent me on a wild goose chase for several days until the real insurance company could be idnetified. Once located, they fought tooth and nail against giving me restitution for the damage the driver inflicted. It was not until a lawyer, who attended our church and was also a family friend, got involved that I finally was compensated. I only got about 3/4 of what the KBB value of the car was, but our friend told us she had pushed as hard as she could without going to court and if it went to court, the costs would be more than the settlement. I begrudgingly cut my losses and accepted the cash, but I insisted on keeping the car. After a few weeks, I was able to sell the car to a man who was going to use it for parts. Everyone was a winner.

I took that money and eventually found a slightly used 1999 Dodge Dakota pickup in Fayetteville, NC. Since I had been looking at Dakotas for a long time, I was very happy to find it. However, I learned my lesson about having my heart set on something and buying it without seeking wise council, so I asked my wife to be the thinker in the transaction. We took it for a drive and gave it the once over. I had done some pricing on line for used 1999 Dakotas and this one was well within the price range we were willing to pay. After some discussion, my wife told me it was the right vehicle for us. As of March 2007, I am still driving that truck. I find it simply amazing that I have only had two vehicles in the past 16 years. While getting something a bit more fuel efficient (the Dak has a 5.2 liter/318 CI V8 engine) is appealing, the cost of owning a new car versus keeping this one just does not make sense at this time, especially since we still have 10 months left to pay on my wifes van. The van makes her 4th vehicle in 16 years and marks the first new vehicle she has ever owned.

Thinking about my vehicles over the past few days has jogged some memories about the vehicles that the BSOB gang had. Holmes has been a lot like me in the fact that he has a love of Pontiac's and he keeps them until the wheels fall off. His first car, a red Pontiac Ventura (he seems to think it was a Chevy, but the only Chevy that it could be is a Nova...and he never owned a Nova) that he acquired from a relative. It had a very leaky exhaust system that very nearly gave us carbon monoxide poisoning before we returned home. Needless to say he did not have that car too long before he got his next gem, a gray 1979 Dodge Omni. I don't remember much about that car other than the fact that it overheated...a lot. The only real memory I have of it was the day that we coasted it home because it was spouting smoke and was over heating...I guess having four full grown young men in a small car with a weak motor will do that.

Holmes decided to give Pontiac's another try when he inherited a white 1972 Pontiac Catalina from a family member. As far as I can remember, that car ran very well, but it drank a lot of gas and would not fit into Holmes' garage. I used to chuckle when I drove by his house and saw the back end of the "USS Land Yacht" sticking out of his tiny garage. Sadly, no one seems to know what happened to the old girl. We do know that she exists by this one grainy still from a BSOB outing, courtesy of Knightmare Duck.
In 1992, riding the euphoric high of owning a reliable Pontiac, Holmes' purchased a burgundy 1991 Pontiac Grand Am. I think that is the car he owned for about 10 years...running it until she screamed for mercy. I only was in it a couple of times but from what I remember, it was a good car.

After the Grand Am had given her best years, Holmes' decided that it was time to let her go. He thought long and hard about what to buy to replace her. With 2 of his last three Pontiac's being winners, there only seemed on logical choice...another Pontiac! Holmes decided on a red 2002 Sunfire (the replacement of the Sunbird) and he says he has been pleased with her and plans on running the wheels off of that car as well. What will his next car be? Holmes smiles as he says, "Oh most likely another Pontiac." Figures.

Knightmare Duck drove an eclectic variety of cars during our younger years. While I personally did not get the privilege of riding in too many of his autos, I do remember a few of them.

The first vehicle he had access to was an old VW bug. KD learned to drive a stick in that old thing and his mom was kind enough to take me, KG, and Jeff's cousin Cammie along for the ride. Packing 5 people in a VW bug is an intimate affair that only gets funnier when Cammie sniffs the air and comments, "Smells like somebody is cooking out" just after KD lets out a quiet burp.

The next vehicle I remember was a 70's model Chevy...I think it was a Malibu. It was Butane Blue and more than a little banged up. KD, Carp, and I drove it up to Audra State Park on a gorgeous, but hot afternoon and cooled ourselves in the river for hours. I remember that car well because that day KD was soaking wet and he asked me to drive the car around to where we had decided to rest. I took of my shoes and waded across the river (the Middle Fork River was very clean then), picked up the car and drove it over to them. It was one of the first times I had driven a car since I got my license.

I do not remember the Vega (his first car) very well. All I can remember is the stop sign welded into it as part of the floor. I really do not think he had it very long, but I honestly cannot remember. I remember his white 1985 Renault Alliance much better but nothing stands out about it except that it always was having trouble.

The last car I clearly remember KD owning was a black 1987 Ford Mustang. It had a 4 banger in it and was not a fast car, but I think it was one of the nicer ones he owned. It was definitely more dependable than the other cars he had.

After he lost custody of his Mustang, KD owned a couple of 1979 Pontiac Trans Ams. KD always had a soft spot for those cars, much like I do for Corvettes. I am not sure what ever happened to those Firebirds, but I believe one caught fire and was totaled.

KD used to let us do most of the driving (actually Carp did the most) so I guess that is why I have trouble remembering much about the times he actually did drive. I cannot blame him..why drive if someone else will?

Stupid Bill had access to three cars when I knew him. Most of the time he drove an early 80's red Chevy Citation coupe. Although I do not know why, we nicknamed it "The Red Baron". It was one of the fastest cars I had ever seen at that time with a six cylinder engine. A 2.8 liter V6 with front wheel drive, The Red Baron would fly...maybe that is why we gave it that name.

Once in a while SB would borrow the family car, a white mid 80's mid sized Buick/Oldsmobile that was actually a very nice car...much too nice for the likes of us. SB did not take it out often, but when we did it was special. the cloth seats were comfy, the A/C worked and it had power everything.

The first car that SB owned was a black 1983 Ford Escort GT. It had a 5 speed and it handled pretty well. SB pushed that thing as hard as it would go anytime he could. He liked to drive that car and he liked to drive it fast. Once SB bought that car, whenever it was just him and I, he opted to drive. It did not matter if it was North View, the mall or Stealy...any place with twisty roads made him happy.

Carp had a few cars during the time we ran together, but none of them stick out in my mind quite like his primer black 1972 Ford Mustang 2+2. Carp ran the life out of that car, jumping it over railroad tracks, racing it up and down the unpaved and pot hole riddled Wolf Mountain Road and hitting fences as well as other inanimate objects as he parked. He never needed to change the oil because it leaked about a quart a week. He considered cars as disposable for the longest time...never taking any real care of them.

The nicest car that he owned that I could remember was a early to mid 80's Chrysler Laser... which I think was light Butane blue. That car has several memories attached to it for all of us, but the most memorable event tied to that car was when Carp, KD, and Holmes were in an accident and totaled it. Both Holmes and Carp sustained injuries but I think Knightmare Duck escaped pretty much intact. I am not sure why I was not with them that day, but my guess is that I was at work. I missed a lot being at work...sometimes that was a good thing!

I know that Carp had another car but I cannot remember what it was. KD seems to think it was an Escort, but I have trouble believing that that many of us would have owned Escorts during our late teen / early adult life. However, I have been wrong more than once as I have discussed these stories with KD and Holmes, so being wrong again would not be impossible.

Mwonga, the last core member of the group had the fewest number of cars during this time. He never owned one. He rode the bus most of the time, walked when he didn't have bus fare, and took a cab when he was in the mood to splurge. As a matter of fact, knowing how Mwonga is, I cannot imagine him behind the wheel of a car at all.