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Health & Fitness

The Evolution of MY Car

Your first car: beater, hot rod, or something in between? Remember when.....

You’ll never forget your first car.

Mine was an Oldsmobile Achieva.  All black.  SPORT, I used to tell everybody.  To the best of my knowledge, they didn’t even make a “Sport” edition.  But after  my high school principal Mr. Vincent nodded his head in approval upon seeing it for the first time and said, “nice car, sport,” it stuck.

That car was HOT.  I mean that quite literally.  The air conditioner didn’t really work 100%, the ride was always a little loud, and potholes felt like sinkholes.

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But it was mine.  I decked that thing out with a neon light that pulsed to the music, some manly stuffed animals and action figures on the rear dash (shut it), and upgraded to a CD PLAYER!  I paid a fair price for it from my dad, and made sure I paid every single penny.

Then I bought my first brand new car.  It was a Chevy Cavalier – SPORT.  Legit “Sport” this time.  That little thing was a lady killer….almost.  It had the weirdest blind spots and I almost backed over my neighbor more times than I can count.  But the rims on it….oh, those magical rims! 

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After beating that car into the ground, it was time for me to really step up my game.  It was a proud moment to buy a fully loaded 2008 Pontiac G6 GT – Sport!  Heated leather seats, sunroom, six cd changer….it was a car meant for cruising around, looking cool, and trying to pick up ladies.  In the evolution of my car buying, I had made great strides in the quest to look like THE MAN.

Then it happened….I became a homeowner.  My priorities shifted seemingly overnight.  “Yeah, you can pick up girls, but you can’t pick up LUMBER,” I found myself frequently complaining.  And this vehicular love of my life suddenly became like the annoying little kid you’re babysitting.  Your priorities go from washing and waxing your car….to power washing your siding.  You stop using the car to cart around your buddies bar hopping to instead Home Depot hopping. 

After a nasty accident in December, I found myself car shopping again.  I walked around a corner, and there it was – a gorgeous new Camaro.  The NEXT BIG upgrade.  I gazed longingly at the sun reflecting off the windshield….the rims sparkling….the paint shimmering.  And I heard three voices in my head (again, shut it).

1.) Quinn, my beautiful fiancée: “It’s definitely YOU, but in the long run, is this the most practical car?”

2.) The little devil: “Buy it, you’re not married yet….and you can always trade it in.”

3.) The little angel: “Buy the 2012 Impala because it’s a real MAN car….and then utilize the long-lost-art of puppy dog eyes to convince your better half that a CORVETTE would make a really, really nice 10-year anniversary present.”

And the win goes to the angel.

With a little luck and some blessings, the next vehicle will be an Equinox or some other non-soccer-mom vehicle.  Or Maybe a big ole’ Silverado.  Now THAT is an acceptable alternative.

What about you?  Do you remember YOUR first car?

Kyle S. Reyes is Director of Marketing for Carter Chevrolet and Mazda of Manchester.

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