Goodbye Old Friend

My 1992 Chevrolet Cavalier

In June 2000 I saw a 1992 Chevrolet Cavalier on a Chevy dealers lot and fell in love. I had a 1985 Chevrolet Celebrity that was going to the shop for repairs for the last time under my care. I saw this car on the lot and told the salesman to look at the 1985 and tell me if he would take $1500 for her and $3500 additional for the red Cavalier. He liked the deal and we brought her home for the first time.

I can’t say that she hadn’t cost me a lot of money because she really did. But I was willing to keep her in running shape and spent what was necessary to do that. In June 2007 my grandson and I went to an Angels ball game which was sold out. They had fireworks that night and instead of being wise, we stayed for the fireworks. Then all 43,000 of us went to the parking lot and created another parking lot -- the 5 freeway. CalTrans decided to repave the freeway and took us down to 2 lanes going south. Came to a stop and stayed there. The car overheated but we didn’t have any choice but to stay with the car and hope it doesn’t burn up. I finally got the car home at 1:00 a.m. and the next day filled the radiator and drove the car to the dealer - about 4 miles.

The car overheated again and I left it for repairs. I believe I spent another $600 and they pronounced it well again. Didn’t ruin the engine and everything was fine now. I took it to Newport Beach for a luncheon with former co-workers at State Farm and on the way home it overheated again. Drove it directly to the dealers and this time they did $300 worth of work before they declared the engine is toast. A rebuilt one could be installed for $3,100. I said no and had it towed home where it sat in my garage for 14 months. After calling a friend of mine in the repair business, he had me tow it to his shop and after looking it over said I had blown the head gasket. A labor intensive job of $900 plus some other things I okayed. Total cost $1200.

This was the car that I used when I was alone like running errands and going golfing. Otherwise it sat in the garage. I am the only driver in the house with two cars so it came to the time to consider parting ways. Our granddaughter, Emily, is a Junior in Sonoma State University and needed a car. I wish I could have just said you can have it but I agreed with her dad for him to buy it for $1000 plus money in her account we saved up for her which came to roughly $1500 total.

Rick took the car back to my friend who has a car repair shop to check out if anything needs to be corrected before Emily takes possession. It did! New brakes and a new radiator and it is like new once again and ready for a Junior in college. I helped pay for the repairs from my “car repair savings account” so the car is a real bargain dollar wise.

On August 13th my friend had a new owner and I had a tear in my eye. Rick drove it up on August 22nd to Sonoma as his wife drove another car with Emily’s things packed away and a way for Rick and Anne to come home. I am very happy that the car stays in the family and that Emily will get some use out of it. She is excited and that makes her Papa happy. But it still is hard parting company. Here are some pictures of the changeover of owners.
　

Granddaughter Emily Moore and Papa standing by her new car!

Papa turning over the keys to his first grandchild Emily.

Emily ready to go one her own for the first time! Papa with a tear!