17 years with ol Bess...and it finally makes the milestone. I said it early in its life as a goal, later as an excuse, and now as a necessary part of getting by in a perilous time.
In the early days, I remember it being new enough (hell, just from this century) that it occasionally impressed, if for nothing beyond its "new-ness." I was happy, more so because I didn't have a bad commute.
The first oddity was a unique sound when it idled after the gas was pushed for a while. It confounded mechanics all over town, changing belts (that didn't do it), changing fluids (a rip-off), or inspecting and leaving confused. I put up with it, but it wasn't much fun to have a car where everyone can say "here comes Trip" 100 feet away. That followed with a front mount which seemed to be ever-so-slightly disconnecting, leading to a low-level "hummmmmm" as the car moved along. Again, I put up with it.
What I couldn't have possibly known or foreseen was that I'd keep the car in the same condition with same, well, everything, for its first 10 years. There were a lot of "I should have" moments toward the latter part of last decade, and using my stash for a new car was one of the ideas. But...what? And why? So, I didn't...and Bess didn't meet the "cash for clunkers" threshold, either. So, we were doing fine, surviving...
Until a morning in the winter of 2010 when, simultaneously, as I was driving, the following happened:
1. The right front tire split
2. The right back tire split
3. The engine frame then got multiple holes in it from...what? Old age? Who the fuck knows.
I've never ridden a live bull, so I can't say the comparison is completely accurate, nor have I flown a private plane in a thunderstorm, but it's close. By the grace of god, I make it to a nearby service station, and it's one of those moments where everyone stops what they're doing to take a look. All other mechanics pitch in because, well, this is an all-hands-on-deck moment. I appreciate their technique, but can't help thinking...for this car?!
It's 2nd decade saw trips to the bay area (even sitting in a median while I quickly scanned my phone to figure out what freeway took me into The City, and which one was a direct shot to Mill Valley) and Las Vegas. The Vegas trip was noted particularly for the shock so many in my family had seeing it. "Wow, it still works?"
For the next few years, there were large/larger repairs that made me question keeping this going, furthered by the make itself no longer around. But then, glory be: I get a job 1 mile from home! Those 2 years bought me more than time, giving Ol Bess plenty of time to rest and store its energy.
Moving over the hill has, for the most part, kept a close commute (back when there was one), but a repair of a giant coolant leak gave me a serious lesson: that's the last time, Bess. That's the last time I'm forking out that kind of dough to keep you going. It's too much. Sorry, but it's true. When mechanics tell you to just rent a car for the weekend instead of push it to Las Vegas, and you know they're being honest, we have to start to have "that conversation."
But just as that began, I checked the odometer to see 95...then an oil change last October told the truth: the next one will be 100k plus. Now, it's just a matter of time. And here we are...
Ol Bess...I don't know how much longer we have, but I hope it's all good. We hit cruise control, roll down the window forever tainted by apartment building sprinklers, and let you do your thing. You know these roads as good as I do...where to now?
