Wistful Wednesday: Dodge Charger and Other Vehicles

Back in late 1980-1981…I was looking for a car.  I was working nights 4 PM til 1 AM, and Far Guy was working 7AM to 4:30PM…we had just bought a house in 1979, interest rates were high at 18 1/2 %.

We think (since we are getting old) that we had the 1978 Plymouth Horizon Black with Orange/Red/Black custom stripes ( I know you had to see it to like it)  and an old 1972 Ford pickup (Black) for vehicles.

I had been drooling over the Dodge Chargers.  Zero to 50 in 6.9 seconds…and good gas mileage…a thoroughbred driving machine.   I only had to drive across town to work….all city traffic.
That car was calling my name…We found the “one” Candy Apple Red…perfect…and the Dealership in Moorhead was running a sale.  BUT we need to think about it a day or two…we returned to the dealership with a check in hand and they said the sale price no longer applied.  CRAP…I was so disappointed.  We visited a dealership in Fargo…they had nothing we wanted…wrong color… I said to the salesman “The car I want is sitting over in Moorhead.”  He said “If you want that car I will give you a deal on it.”  SOLD!!

Jennifer in front, Me, Trica, Far Guy

Trica was 12 years old and Jennifer was almost 9.

It was a fine vehicle we even had room for the dog!  We made a number of long trips (Texas and  Florida)…as the girls grew taller the back seat became a real pain in the neck for them and for us because that invisible line in the back seat was just not working anymore.  One day Far Guy said “Honey I think you are more of a Dodge VAN person now…so we traded my beautiful red Dodge Charger off for a blue 1986 Dodge Caravan …the girls had lots of room.  I sold it ( to my other baby brother) after I got stranded at Uncle Otto and Aunt Maries after a snowstorm, the last mile of the road home was not plowed…I needed four wheel drive.

Far Guy’s Dad knew all the car salesmen…when I needed the Four Wheel Drive…he took me to every dealership in the area “shopping.”  I am pretty sure he had a really good time looking at vehicles.  In Perham at the Ford Dealership we found my next dream vehicle (used).  I drove a 1984 Ford Bronco II until 2004 and I bawled when it left the driveway…it had been paid for a number of years.

That is Far Guy’s parents custom built Motor Home in the background.

Now I have a Sunday Car we only take it out on Sundays or for longer trips.  It gets great gas mileage a week ago we got 39.2 mpg.  Chance has the whole back seat to himself.  I woulda bought another Dodge Charger but they are considerably more than the $5,900 we paid for the one in 1981.  In fact the one I looked at was more than we spent on that house back in 1979.

Chance in the Sunday Car…it is black..shows every water spot and speck of dust.  Not sure if the leather heated seats trump Candy Apple Red or not..but it has the zero to 60 down just fine.

Modes of Transportation

We live in the "Boonies" sometimes this is very apparent.

A neighbor Bob, takes his bike into town, he has a basket on the front of his bike. He uses the basket for groceries, I have seen him with three plastic grocery bags, one in his basket and one each on his handlebars. He is retired and has time so if his wife needs something from the store, he takes off on his bike. I have seen him out on his bike when it was below zero, on those days he wears a scarf around his neck and face and the tail ends of the scarf trail behind him as he pedals down the road. He rides his section of highway several times a week, he is one of those guys that cleans up a section of roadway, collecting the garbage that others throw out of their cars into the ditch. He and his lovely wife have a big blue highway sign that marks their achievement. I feel sorry for him when it rains, although I think he secretly loves to ride in the summer rains. Sometimes when I go to town I see his bike in the ditch, and no Bob, my heart skips a beat...and then I see him walking a mile away. The way some people drive now a days, I would never attempt to ride a bike on the roadway. Some amount of bravery must be needed.

Another elderly gentleman, is almost always seen on his lawn mower. It is his preferred mode of transportation, he has a covered homemade trailer that he totes behind him. I have often wondered, what is in that trailer?

Then there is the elderly gentleman who takes his tractor to church. The church he prefers to attend is about ten miles from his rural home. You have to be really dedicated to go to church by tractor, I would be tempted to just open the good book and read something aloud and call it good. Another small tid bit about this individual, he lives in a barn, he moved in there after his house burned down years ago.

Are all of these country gentleman, making the best of what they have? Or are they making a statement? Are they so poor that they cannot afford a vehicle? Has their old age given way to senility? Two are dependant on fuel, one is dependant on pedal power, non of them are required by law to license or insure their mode of transportation they do not even have to have a drivers license. I have a theory about these men...they are all probably really wealthy, because they don't get all caught up in the material side of life. I bet that none of them have a credit card in their wallet and their homes are paid for, in this day and age ..that is wealthy. Do you know of any elderly gentlemen or women in your area that use a different mode of transportation ? :)