I will never forget the day that I passed my driving test and received my driver’s license. It was a hot day in June of 1988 and after saying goodbye to my mom in the parking lot, I drove to my dad’s work to show off my achievement. After impressing him for a brief moment, I picked up a couple friends and we cruised to Pt. Defiance Park in Tacoma Washington. It was there (approximately 2 hours after getting my license) I was pulled over for speeding.
I managed to talk my way out of it for fear of my life…and the taking away of this:
This red 1977 Buick Opel was my first car. I bought it from some nasty car lot for $700. It had 70k miles and ran perfectly! I loved my first car!
Unfortunately I didn’t have it for long as I was rear-ended in front of my high school by another student. It was a total loss…
I’ve had a lot of cars since then. I seem to get bored after a couple years and feel the need to sell and buy something different. Not always better…just different.
But of all the cars I’ve owned, none have brought more pain in my life this this:
My white 1983 Dodge Omni. I hated this car! I bought it in 1990 for about $2300 and can barely remember a day that this car didn’t cause me trouble!
It would not idle correctly, leaving me to throw it in neutral before coming to a stop. I leaked water in both side winds whenever it rained. But worse of all. It decided to literally drop its transmission on the road at about 40 miles an hour almost causing me to hit a telephone pole!
This is the worst car I’ve ever owned, and not because of the leaky windows or poor idling. But because that transmission cost me about $600 and my chance to take my girlfriend to the senior prom. That’s right, I didn’t go to my senior prom because I was broke from fixing my car! 20 years later and I’m still bitter!!! 🙂
We all have our share of car stories…what’s yours? What was the worst car you ever owned? Also, what was your first car?
Love and Peace.
Entering the Conversations 
My dad had a black Dodge Omni. Yeah, that thing was a pile. I also missed my senior prom, but instead of a car, it was because I decided to spend my prom money on this instead:
http://cgi.ebay.com.my/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230320449099
Mine was metal-flake black. I’ve had no regrets since. And as it turned out, I got to take my girlfriend (at the time) to her prom in Orlando, FL the following year. So overall, I’d say it worked out pretty well.
Funny story! Thanks for posting, this was a fun read.
My first car was a station wagon, because my grandpa held the firm belief that every 16-year old should start with a cheap station wagon. I think he only paid $800 for it and it looked the part, but I was not about to turn down a free car. It was supposedly “beige” but in reality, it was kind of a sickly pink. The ceiling had some sort of fabric covering that the previous owner had held up with multic0lored pushpins, so it kind of looked like a bulletin board.
Like your Omni, it wouldn’t idle correctly, but even neutral wouldn’t save it from dying so I had to learn to use the brake and gas pedal simultaneously. I drove it until, two years later, the transmission fell out just like you described. Fortunately, it happened to me in the entryway to a gas station, so no risk of an accident.
nice blog dude!
Well, I have owned 3 cars now. My first was a 65 Mustang and it ran well, well not to begin with. I just passed my test and so went to go pick up Jana and a couple of other friends to meet the people that were eventually going to be our youth pastors. well, because the car didn’t have all of its cylenders and was pretty weighted down it was a slow mover. But my dad ended up fixing that and it was the best car I have ever had.
I sold my mustang at the end of my senior year for my Cavilear, which I still have and it has also been a great car.
The one car that I inherited was my husbands 91 buick century and the thing ran ok but it was unconfortable. The seats were broken because his brother lived in the car for awhile, is had all sorts of noises and almost left us stranded in Eugene, Or. The dealership said that it was worther about as much as a pop can.
We now are proud owners of ad 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan. So my worst car was my husbands and my best and most missed was my Mustang!
First (and probably worst) car – 1979 Plymouth Horizon . . . which was the same as a Dodge Omni, so trust me, I feel your pain.
My first car was a lime green Buick Opel. Never left me stranded! But, drank oil by the quart! =)
I too had a lime green Opel as my first car. It never let me down but boy was it ugly. Rear ended and totaled.