Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Rocking in the Fiat


I am attempting to cement my early childhood. The cavalcade of cars we had was varied and probably a good indication of the times. Please fill in the years and other details I leave out. There is no order.

1. Red Fiat - Dad would stop at a stop sign and make the whole car shake up and down. It was the greatest thing in the world. 1980?
2. Powder Blue Mini-van -Ahhh, who could forget this one. You couldn't go into a drive-thru for fear of offing pimply Mcworker. The tires got so bald that Dan and I hydroplaned into a great southern yarn. I believe it was sold last month. 1997-2009
3. Grey Cavalier - This is the one I remember driving the most. It had the standard mom upgrades (AM radio, no power windows). Sadly, us kids beat the hell out of it. 1990?
4. Some sort of Volkwagon? I believe it was a yellow beetle. 1978?
5. Grandpa's old brown Oldsmabuick. I believe it was 140ft long and 25ft wide, and went down off the coast of England in 1647.

The rest is where you take over. I remember little of other cars, as the majority of my time was spent memorizing oldies in either the PBMV or the Cavalier. A severe damper on my high school dating life. So was my hair.

6 comments:

John Chandre said...

We owned the Fiat when all three of you could fit in the rear seat!!!
I can't remember the year, but I sold it to Uncle David. Maybe he could shed some light on the year.
The mini van was purchased off the show room floor the day after Thanksgiving 1989. It was a 1988 model.My first new car was a 1969 VW Beetle. Dark blue and it cost $1898.

Carolyn Miller said...

There was an AMC Spirit in there somewhere, as well as a light blue Ford Escort hatchback. Somewhere between the Oldsmabuick and the Cavalier I believe.

I remember learning how to drive on the deserted streets of Milwaukee on Sunday mornings. The only thing on the AM radio that early was the Greek Orthodox church services. Oompah!

Chris Chandre said...

Dad, I need a little more detail. The escort? I remember it, but vaguely. Why the love affair with powder blue?

AMC Spirit? was it gray with a little wood panelling? years?

Karen Chandre said...

I remember the Escort cause I was going to UWM at the time and I always carried a case of oil in the trunk-had to replenish the oil a couple of times a week! The gray AMC was the car I hit that was parked in the driveway waiting to be traded in when I backed out of the garage and forgot the car was there. By the way, nothing wrong with AM radio.

Carolyn Miller said...

Did we trade the AMC in for the Cavalier? Suspect trade.

The mini-van was awesome. Nothing makes people stand up and notice you like a light blue van puking blue fumes out the back. Wait a minute, people weren't standing up and noticing...they were bent over coughing.

Cheddar said...

Let's not forget that I drove that mini-van to school as a senior. The seats were always removed from the back, so it was just a big empty space back there. I'm surprised girls actually got in that thing with me! At least the way I remember it they did...