my first ride

I've been reminded lately of my very first car. It was a 1989 Chrysler LeBaron convertible. It was completely unreliable. We had a love-hate relationship.

--Scanned off a scrapbook page--

Please notice to Hawaiian print seat cover. Man, was I cool.

A few Lebaron stories...

• After having to jump off my battery several, nay, tons of times, we determined the source of the problem. Some little relay box didn't want to turn off when the car did, so it ran the battery out. Thus, every time I turned my car off, I had to pop the hood and tap a little box with my key to make it stop. Yep, every single time. It was awesome...
• The Rhineharts got a Tivo when I was in high school. I loved babysitting or hanging out at their house so I could use it (and because I love them), so they told me they got me a Tivo for my high school graduation. It was actually a Tivo window cling, which I thought was awesome. I hung it proudly in the back window the whole time I had that car. It was kind of my car's trademark. (And the Rhineharts actually got me a REAL Tivo for my college graduation!! They are the best.)
• If you had the exterior lights on, none of the dashboard worked. None of it. Yep, at night I drove without the assistance of a speedometer, unsafe, I know. And because of my dad's insistence that I always drive with the headlights on (this was before he knew I'd be driving a car that made this little safety lesson actually unsafe), I was frequently unaware of how fast I was going or how full my gas tank was- even in the light of day.
• I got pulled over one time because I was driving with my high beams on, but had no idea. 1) no dashboard, remember? 2) my high beams were dimmer than most cars' regular beams.
• There were hills in Birmingham that the Lebaron just couldn't handle. For example, I couldn't drive up Columbianna Road.
• It maxed out at about 55mph.
• There was a leak in the top (it was a soft top), so when it rained hard, I found the nearest overpass. Or I stuffed my laundry in the crack.
• We replaced the engine 2 times. In 2 years.
• Linda, the manager at Grease Monkey, became a very good friend of mine. She was worried about me moving to Birmingham and having the Lebaron as my only mode of transportation, so the summer before I left for college, she had me stop by once a week so they could check my levels and get 'er in tip top condition. I would take them cookies, they would vacuum out my car, we had a good thing going. One day I was at the bank and my car died (go figure). I called my dad, who apparently either a) wasn't in a good mood or b) was regretting the decision to buy this car for the millionth time, told me to call Linda. Yep, Linda, our good friend at Grease Monkey. So, after I was done crying, I called Linda. She came to the bank, had my car towed to the shop and took care of it all.
• I drove the Lebaron for 2 glorious years. I decided that it was probably not the most reliable vehicle, particularly since I was away at school and didn't have my parents on speed dial to rescue me from the side of the road where I was stranded (regular occurence). So, I bought a 1997 Rodeo in November of my freshman year of college. Some how I ended up with both cars in Birmingham, and no means to junk the Lebaron. I ended up donating it to the Salvation Army, which was pretty cool. Unfortunately they had to come get it because it ran out of gas in an intersection in downtown Birmingham on our way (see point 3).

(Man, that list is long... sorry, I just couldn't stop.)

Lots of good things came out of having that car too:

• My friendship with Grease-Monkey-Linda.
• I became very good at jumping the battery off.
• I became very good at changing tires.
• I became very comfortable with popping the hood and checking everything that needed checking- regardless of what I was wearing, who I was with, or where I was parked.
• Lots of fun memories.
• Driving a convertible was pretty fun in the spring and fall (which, in S.GA is about 1 total month out of the year).
• I learned to appreciate the value of a reliable car. I will never take it for granted!

I've been reminded of ol' trusty lately because there is one that I've been seeing around town. David and I were on our way to Wal-Mart last week when I said (with great excitement) "Look! A Lebaron!" and then immediately "oh, that's not a Lebaron... it's a Jag." Cue David bursting into laughter. Clearly, it was no jag, and was indeed a Lebaron- two cars that can not be confused with one another. I saw it again yesterday and confirmed that it is a Lebaron- with a Jag hood ornament!

Yeah, I was frustrated for a while (approx 2 years) about driving that car, but it taught me a lot about life. I'm thankful for it now!

Note: When they turned 16, Ashley got a safety Saturn and Greg got a Jeep Liberty. I bet they don't appreciate the value of a reliable car nearly as much!

SO- what was your first car??