A few years ago I bought a domain in order to promote my artwork. I never really spent much time working on the site and the contract is about to expire (I'm going to let it). I did have a page on there devoted to the Cars of My Lifetime. An idea I stole from Jeff. It's a mini history of me and the five cars I have owned. I was looking at it the other night and thought it would make an interesting blog so here it is with a few minor edits.

1971 Chevy Chevelle Malibu
307 cubic inch V-8
period of ownership 1989 ~ 1992





This was my very first car and I loved it to pieces. I bought her from an 87 year old woman for $500. My brother Billy got me into American muscle cars when he brought home a 1970 green Chevy Nova. He gave my friend and I a ride in it and when I rolled down those schemey little windows in the back I was hooked. [ed note: schemey is not an actual word but it's the only way I've ever been able to describe those super-cool, quarter-sized, back-seat windows.]

Finding my own tribute to gas-guzzling steel was not so easy. After weeks of scouring the local want ads and test driving various rolling junk heaps I was finally rewarded for my patience. The car was quite sound and it's interior and newly replaced vinyl roof were close to mint. Sure there was some bondo in the rear quarters but with a bit of minor tweaking such as blackening out the grill and replacing the stock rims with some nasty chrome things I traded from my brother (hey, who needs winter tires anyway?) she was good to go. I'll never forget that car and still breathe a wistful sigh when I see a Chevelle on the street.
The enjoyment I had driving around with my friends was unsurpassed. Whether we were cruising down Wollaston Beach after dark, harassing our friends who worked at the local McDonald's drive thru or just seeing how many people we could cram into the thing (as we belted out Separate Ways by Journey at the top of our lungs) there was always a silly time to be had.

Unfortunately the car was old and after a few good years she was on her last leg. One day the engine just wouldn't turn and after some investigating I found the repairs would be more than I could afford. I sold her for $75 to a deadbeat friend of my brother, but that is another story altogether.

1968 Ford Fairlane
engine particulars unavailable
period of ownership 1992 ~ 1995



So much to tell about this car I hardly know where to begin. First of all my Dad hated it! I wasn't in the habit of doing things for the sheer purpose of pissing off my folks but if I was, this car was a gold-mine. He called it The Tank because you could hear it well before you could see it. A better name for it would have been Frankenstein due to the multitude of cars its parts had been harvested from.
Just look at the picture! Three different colors, dual straight pipes, air shocks that kept it's rear end as high as possible, aluminum rims on it's unmatched wheels. It was a three speed that had been hacked from the tree and put in the floor where the hole cut was still pretty wide open. The right rear quarter was a weld job from another car and as a result the passenger door was never quite right. It either didn't open or wouldn't close. The interior was blue, the front bench seat green and the headliner missing. No heat, no seatbelts, no power anything. It was a beast and I loved it. I was given this car by my boyfriend at the time. This sounds extremely generous and it was, to a point. It had been rotting away in his parent's back yard since he left high-school (we met when he was a senior in college) and we resurrected it when my Chevelle died.

Some interesting facts about this car:
When it snowed there would be snow inside the car as well as on top of it due to the hole in the floor and the bad right door.
Before we brought it back to life, a family of mice had to be evicted from what was left of the headliner.
One summer morning I came out to find a mushroom growing out the back of the front seat.
I never had to lock it even though I lived in Dorchester because let's face it, no one was going to steal it.
Not that I minded giving people rides but with this car I never had to because nobody wanted to get in it.
When I did have passengers conversation was impossible due to the volume of the car.
I was pulled over constantly by the cops just because of the look of it. Some reasons I was pulled over are:
"You're exhaust is making me sick!"
"This can't be legal."
"Put some air in those tires!"
"I could have sworn I saw you last month and your plate was expired."
"Have your boyfriend change that tail light."

I never got a single ticket or citation in that car but I was harassed to the point I was blasé about it. The lack of heat and the fact it was absolutely useless in anything other than dry weather forced me to give it up for something, dare I say it, practical.

1985 Oldsmobile Cutlas
period of ownership 1995 ~ 2000
(during this time I went through two of this exact same make & model, they were even the same color.)


On the way to the dealership for an upgrade.

The funny thing about this car was it was exactly what I wanted. Granted my only criteria when looking for a vehicle was something with heat and seatbelts. Not only did this grandma-mobile have those but it had power windows to boot. It was a luxury vehicle as far as I was concerned. It was reliable, got pretty good gas mileage and handled well in the snow. All and all utterly forgettable. Sounds sort of like the whole, "she has a great personality" line when someone asks if a girl is pretty. But I was destined for something greater. Something I wouldn't be ashamed to be seen in. In what was all too familiar I got $75 for the Olds when the time came. Hell I thought I'd have to pay the junk guy to tow it away!

2000 New Beetle
period of ownership 2000 ~ Present



Ah my dream car, my satellite, my Luna. I fell hook, line and sinker when the good fellows at VW came out with that very clever ufo ad for the New Beetle. I had it so bad that if I could not have a silver one I was not going to buy one at all. (although truth be told....I like the green too!)
Driving this car is a dream. I won't get all technical about the wonder and beauty of German engineering. You can read that at Jeff's site! (well you used to) The first day I had her I called Jeff at work and asked him one question. "Is it possible to be in love with a machine?"
Yes, yes it is!