A Life With Cars

How can anyone's life not include the cars that were part of it?
My particular journey with began at the age of 16 with my beige ford falcon, though I had many strings attached , Driving my mother and Father to work, doing everything that they needed a car , which I did , but I had the distinction of all my friends that I had that car at16.

Next up I became obsessed with upgrading to a newer more stylish 1967 Mercury Monterey , with it's midnight Blue finish 

Entering college and working full time working in the catering business my tastes started to increase with the ability to earn money, how could I not go for the distinction of not having a Cadillac, a Dark Blue Coupe Deville . The interesting story with this car was the way I bought it. I'm a 21 and I called the used car dealer and requested that I wanted to buy that particular car . He called the owner of the catering business that I was managing to see if I was for real. The owner, John Valley told the dealership that if I said I could afford it then they should give me the car because I would buy it one way or another.

  Now I was on a role, since John Valley acquired the catering rights to the Pick Ohio Hotel and I was the Catering Manager , I had to look the part so I set my sights on  Yellow with tan leather interior, Eldorado Convertible

As the Catering Manager , I convinced John Valley to allow me to open an unused reception room in the basement of the hotel and turn it into a Disco.  I was able to park my Yellow Convertible at the front door of the hotel thinking that the car made the boy man. My euphoria of a mega opening night didn't last but a few hours in that I received word that would change my life and How look at things. My rebound from a disastrous 4 months of being married divorced and loosing the job I went into a low point taking minial job assembling file cabinets and thinking I was now at the lowest point in my life. As my job fortunes changed and I got a job as the assistant cafeteria  manager at the Lordstown plant, I was once again being recognized for my ability to achieve goals and a promotion to Cafeteria Manager at the Coit Road Fisher Body plant in Cleveland , Ohio came to be. Being single and making rather decent money , I let my ego take over and I made one of the biggest mistake with cars that wold last the rest of my life. The three months that I owned the English Racing Green Jaguar XKE convertible, I probably walked more than I drove since that car was in the shop every week that I had it. Yes it was a chick magnate, but a terrible mistake

After getting frost bitten ears walking to work, because the jaguar wouldn't start, enough was enough and after I got it started I drove back to Youngstown and immediately traded in for a new two tone beige Grand Prix

The Grand Prix went with me to Toledo Ohio , where I was promoted to Cafeteria Manager of the Toledo Cheverlot Cafeteria, Athen the the District Office where I was the Assistant to the VP and finally drove me across country to arrive in Phoenix, where once again my life changed and stabilized   

with the meeting and falling in love with Jill. The next 40 years would be more reserved especially when it came to cars. My dependable Grand Prix showed the wear and tear especially one very hot summer day as I was changing a tire and the luggage nuts on the wheel turned into candy kisses as with each turn the lug nuts twisted off looking like candy kisses. Since this car was so dependable , Jill and I made the decision to by another Grand Prix only a newer Version

Though it was new the first night Jill and I were driving from our new house all the lights on the car went out. this was the first sign that this car wouldn't live up to our expectations. Next up was the little car that Jill absolutely loved  but became impractical when Jaclyn was born. The Little Red Honda prelude was a very dependable and a lot of fun to drive

With Jaclyn we had to become more practicle  and the fact that I had started our new Business we bought the White Toyota Previa to achieve two purposes. 

That Previa became my main  advertising venue when I first placed the Fast Frame logo and then shortly there after the Nick's Frame Shop. I was putting over 25,000 miles per year so every 5 years I was forced to get new vans like the Blue Purple Dodge Caravan 

The Nick's Frame Shop logo stood out on that Blue Purple Finish. 135,000 later I wanted something more of a car but still the ability to pick up moulding and deliver picture frames

The Chrysler Pacifica was exactly what I was looking for because the car looked so nice I decided not to put logos on it. After 125,000 this was the first car that left me stranded as the transmission failed at the intersection of the 101 and 59th Ave. I had a pizza that I was bringing home for dinner and the tow truck driver said good the pizza smelled. 

During this period we also had two other cars that Jill had been driving

the Toyota Camry that we eventually gave to Jaclyn to drive herself to Xavier the second was the Honda Accord that Jill still drives

Now that the Previa failed I once again wanted a car that could be used for the store but was more of a car  and the Honda Crosstour fit the bill. Within a week of having it Craig was driving it doing pick ups he got a rock going through the grill whereby the air conditioning failed. I had to argue with Bell Honda stating that they created a poor design to the grill and they were trying to make me pay for it. After they replaced the air-conditioning they informed me that this was a one time and if a rock were to do that again It would be on me. I immediately ordered custom grills for both Honda;s so that particular problem wouldn't happen again

Now that I have decided to retire and my needs are no longer for the business but rather for the comfort leasing has become the way for Jill and I to pursue our retirement way of life and  the Genesis G90 ultimate fits the bill 

Only time will tell what other cars our in our future but I can say I along with Jill have had a very good run when it comes to cars