Flashback Friday - 1st Car

For most of us there is a defining moment in our teen years when we suddenly feel we have gone from being a kid to being an adult - it happens around the age of 16 when we get our driver’s licenses. Suddenly we feel this surge of freedom that we never had before - that is, until we realize we don’t have a car. But somehow along the way most of us do end up with our own car - maybe not at age 16, but at some point. This week I thought it would be fun to flashback to that time when you got your first car. How old were you? What kind of car? What led to the buying of it?


My best girlfriend (I often wonder what happened to her and if she is happy) was 6 months older than me. She got her learner's permit slightly after 15 1/2, which meant that I had to have mine then too. I had mine slightly before 15 1/2. We took driver's training together, which was way back when there was no cost for it and high schools still provided it.

She turned 16 while on a ski trip with me and my family during our sophomore year of high school. When we got home, she found her present - a red convertible mustang. It wasn't new, but boy was I ever jealous of that car!

I turned 16 in the fall of our Junior year - on a Saturday, which really bit! I had to wait until Monday to take my driver's test (yes, my parents allowed me to miss a few hours of school for the test). I took it and passed with flying colors. Just a few days before my birthday I came home from school to an empty house. My parents, it would seem, were in LA. They drove down there after reading about a car sale in the newspaper. They came home late that night with my present. A brand new 1989 white Nissan Sentra. It was less than $5,000 - can you believe that? Less than $5,000 for a brand new car?

Long story shortened, I didn't choose the car. It was a gift to me, and a wonderful one by very generous parents. The car served me well. I drove it for 7 1/2 years. During those 7 years, I changed out the am/fm radio only to a cassette radio. I bought an air conditioner for it (which never really worked right and caused sparks on the passenger side floorboard). It was even stolen from me once. Heather, if you are reading this, you can tell the story.

7 People Raise Their Wine Glasses to Me:

Rebecca said...

Hmm...Did Heather steal your car???

I took driver's ed at school when it was free too! LOL!!! I feel old! ;)

I'd have been jealous of the convertible too - but still, your parents were awesome going and getting you your car! Man, I wish you could get a new car for $5000 now....

Fratzels said...

Ummmm...as a matter of fact Heather did steal my car. The little sneak! I'm sure she's reading this lhbco (lauging her butt...).

Heather said...

YOU SOOOO GUESSSED RIGHT! I am laughing my butt off over here! You know that was the funniest stunt ever!!!!

Ok Rebecca....She was always complaining about that car. She wanted a new one and swore if someone would just steal it, she could get a new one. So, she left her car keys hanging on a peg board in her dorm room. So, I stole the keys, when to the dorm parking lot and just MOVED (NOT STOLE) the car to a far far far away part of the parking lot. So, we went out to find her car to go to the local grocery store for a our weekly cookie dough feast, and she couldn't find her car! Boy...it was SOO FUNNY! She didn't think it was so great that the car MIGHT have been stolen!

BYW...I loved that car! Jen had a two seater, my truck was a two seater, your car was our pimp mobile...carried all four of us!

Rebecca said...

LOL!! You are a sneaky girl! How did you ever keep a straight face? LOL

Queen of the Mayhem said...

I had a Volvo....with a sunroof that you had to CRANK open! AND...if you slammed on the brakes it would leak on the passenger side. That made for lots of fun times driving friends to school.

Fratzels said...

You do understand, my dear feather, that my mom reads this blog. She was none to happy to hear that I wanted my car to be stolen!
Isn't it funny how we look back at things from another perspective. When I was 18, I wanted the cool car like Jen's. Instead I had the practical car, which actually was a very good and cute car.

You drove a red ford escort. What truck are you talking about? Was it a truck that belonged to that douche bag ex of yours?

Heather said...

Ok....let me first say I am terribly sorry if I offended your mother! Sorry Mom! :-) But, in my defense, it did teach her a good lesson. She was paniced and learned to appreciate that car! I do believe I had my handy dandy video camera that afternoon and recorded your paniced face! Classic...that was sooo funny! Man..if I could find that I could so YouTube that one!


I started college with the red Ford Escort. Loved that car! It started dying everywhere. So my folks gave me that dark blue Mitubishi Mighty Max. Do you remember it? It was a small truck. It wasn't my favorite, but like you...I did appreciate the fact that my folks were kind enough to give me car!

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