I got my second Volkswagen after my wonderful, huge Plymouth Fury conked out. It was like going from a mansion to a closet. I suppose nostalgia and the good memories I had with the first one played a part, but then, by now, this one just didn't have the same kind of 1st car love. It was basically the same V-dubby, but somehow newer and better in ways that didn't seem to matter.
It was kind of like the toy dashboard I had when I was a kid and would take it with me whenever we went with mark somewhere. It was yellow and you had to manually do things like love the wipers, and ignition and all that stuff. The folks knew I loved it so much that they got me a super deluxe dash for Christmas. It had battery operated wipers, an ignition that sounded like you were starting a real car. Guess what? I loved my little yellow one more.
One trip heading back to Denver for grad school after summer vacation, the new blue VW developed a really annoying problem. Somehow the heat wouldn't stop. I put foil in the heat vents but it still made the cabin pretty darn hot. Since there was scant places to service one of these (Burlington, Iowa was the closest) I tried to fix it myself, but failed.
Once I got out to Denver I looked for something else and found a 1970 Ford Galaxie. It was huge and robin egg blue. The previous owner was a Mr. Purdy and we always said it was a "purdy car". Of course, my Dad had a small fit: this was an older car, with more miles and he thought I traded down. he did';t think I got enough value for et VW. I think he was right. But it was my first non-consulted car
As you can see we weren't talking a lot of money in today's world, but for me this was a major deal. I suppose I did screw up by getting an older car with more miles for the trade-in, but for me it was a change worth taking.
This is the only picture I have of the Purdy car. Huge, glaringly bright blue, and built to last. Magic decides to pose with her on a bright summer day.
While Herb may have been a bit miffed by my independent move, it turned out to be a great move. The Purdy-mobile was a long-term winner. Great ride, reliable and maybe a little too blue to stay out of the spotlight, this was a purdy good deal. Fact was, it was a barge that would solidify my choices for future purchases. Size does matter. And I like them big.
This is the type of car that would look great at a car show nowadays. You honestly don't see many of these and since it was a 2-door, even more desirable. This also had a huge engine and infinitely more room than the VW. Herb may have not been pleased, but I was and I don't recall a bit of problems with it mechanically. But my luck was about to take a turn for the worse. Stay tuned for the next edition of My Cars.
Comments
Post a Comment