My Pride and Joy: My '86 Ford Escort

Senior year of high school: If you were to go into the parking lot at my high school, you would find many nice new and nice used cars in the lot that various parents had bought for their children.

About halfway back in the middle row, parked between 2 *much* nicer cars, you would find my eye sore: my 1986 Ford Escort (mind you I graduated in 1997).



 She was gold with red "racing stripes." She was well rusted. In theory, she was fuel injected, but she wouldn't stay started unless you pumped the gas pedal and applied a little bit of pressure after starting her up. The heater: was a joke. I could start the car, make my brother scrape the windows (this actually made him so mad he *stopped* riding to school with me...but hey I was driving AND someone had to keep their foot on the gas pedal to keep the car running), and then make the 10-20 minute drive to the next town over (where my high school was located) and my heater would kick on about 2-5 minutes before we arrived at the school. The stereo was nothing to write home about, but the air conditioner amazingly did work. The driver's seat was so "broken in" I had to put pillows down so I didn't sink to the bottom of the car.

She didn't have a souped up engine, or any of the other bells and whistles many of my classmate's cars had, but she was mine. I loved that car. I think I loved her so much because she sort of reminded me of me. She may have not been much to look at, but she was strong and dependable. She safely delivered my friends and I all over Northwest Ohio...ok and maybe Southeast Michigan...for the better part of two years.

She was my ticket to freedom. No more being stuck at the school until whenever Mom could come get me. Gone were the days of worrying that I was going to be late for work. I could come and go as I pleased...and I took full advantage of that.

Somehow, she managed to "collect" Happy Meal Toys in the dash (Like when they had the characters from the movie Babe, or the little Beanie Babies)...I think that was Brandi's fault actually.

I have many memories of her:

Two weeks after I got my licence, I drove her to work. It had been raining all day, and when the sun went down, the roads froze over (black ice). I was being very careful, but when I turned on to 582, my car slid into the ditch. It took multiple tow trucks to get me out of the car swallowing ditch, but when they pulled her out, aside from a little dent, she was fine.



We bought her before I had my license, so Dad drove her occasionally. As a result, you never knew when ammo boxes, evidence (unused of course) tags, and other items would just randomly roll out from under the seat.


The defrost didn't always work...this made highway driving a bit perilous... especially at night, in the rain, after prom dress shopping;


We put 9 people in her and drove from Elmore to the University of Toledo to watch a DCI competition (like any good band geeks would).

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 She kept us safe when we were lost in the ghetto (Wait...did we just turn down Collingwood? Fan-tasic. Laura..please roll up the window...they don't want to help us. Why yes, that probably was a drug deal.)

She was there that night we almost we busted for partying on Holcomb Road (btw: I would like to point out it was Sam's car that broke down that night).


 I found a drunk cast mate sleeping in the back seat during a cast party for our production of  "Jesus Christ, Superstar."

(sorry no picture on this one)


 She drove us everywhere our little hearts desired, until the day my Dad decided she might not be road safe anymore.

I was very sad to see her go. I knew she was destined for the scrap heap. I don't think I ever changed her oil. I'm pretty sure I had killed at least 1 of her 4 cylinders. She wasn't going to a new owner, she went to a junk yard in Genoa. I would see her when I drove by for quite sometime, but one day she was finally gone.

She was a good little car...and she will never be forgotten.

Mama’s Losin’ It

Comments

Paulette said…
Loved the walk down memory lane via your first car! The pictures were extra special touch. Too bad no evidence of drunk cast mate.
Alison said…
Aw what a sweet little tribute. Cars sure carry a lot of memories don't they?

Stopping by from Mama Kat's.
Jessica said…
I can't believe you fit 9 people in that car. I had an Escort for my first car too but I can't remember what year it was.
Anonymous said…
Love this post! Jealous your car had racing stripes...at least that kind of "pimps out" an Escort ;) Looks like you had some amazing memories in her to last a lifetime! Visiting from Mama Kat's (I'm from SE Michigan, so you're not too far!)

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