While growing up, there was no such thing as a new car. Dad usually bought a used car, or simply purchased a wrecked car and fixed it up. Dad was a mechanic by profession, so this all makes perfect since. Well, when I got home from my mission, I needed a car for college and for my new job as the delivery boy at CTI Travel. So, I started watching the papers. One day I found an ad for a Honda Civic that only had 60,000 miles. The car was in great shape all except for a little damage on the front end, and it was located in Salt Lake City. Excited, dad and I called the seller and arranged to see the car. That same afternoon, I went with mom and dad to see the car. When I saw the car, I was really excited because it looked a lot better than the 1979 Buick Skylark that I drove in High School (You know the one that dad bought from the White family for $200. It had “just married” on the side and would shake anytime you went over 45 miles an hour). Anyway, the Civic was slightly damaged in the front end, but there was no major damage. So, I bought the car, and dad and I started driving it home, while mom returned home in the mini van. After about 10 minutes on the highway, I saw that the hood was shaking a little bit. So, I asked dad if I needed to worry about the hood popping up. To this he replied, “If the hood hasn’t popped up yet, it’s not going to.” About two minutes later, wham! The hood popped up and wrapped itself completely over my entire windshield. Suddenly, all the cars around me scattered to get away from me. I yelled, “Dad, the hood just popped up.” To this dad said, “Remain calm, son! Remain calm!” Yea right, I thought to myself. I am driving down the Highway going 65 miles an hour with a blind passenger, I can’t see out my windshield, and dad tells me to remain calm. Luckily, I did remain calm. I flipped on my signal, checked my mirrors and got off the highway as quickly as I could. Miraculously, I got off the highway without wrecking into anyone. When dad and I got to the shoulder of the road we stopped the car and tied the hood back down. I then drove the car home with a windshield that looked like a big spider web of cracked glass. Gratefully, we made it home. The car proved to be a good one, but I don’t think that I will ever buy a wrecked car and try and drive it home on the highway again. Crazy!
2 comments:
hahaha the old buick skylark. I remember my dad going on many work trips in that car and going with him from time to time. Then passing it on to Steve and Sandy. It had sooo many miles on it. I'm suprised it even worked for you in high school. That thing had been through it over at the white household. :)
Your civic was a sweet car, I remember you teaching me how the 5-speed shifting worked.
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