Dad bought her when I was a sophomore or junior in high school. I believe she had been a company car, so she was in top condition. That is, until I backed his Crown Victoria into the back door a couple months after I got my license. Dad replaced the back door and window that were busted in the mishap and she was good as new. He drove her for a few years, until I had all that I could stand of the Mustang(don't expect a tribute post when that evil thing dies! The hatred is mutual by the way.) and then I took out my very first loan to pay for her. I was a sophomore in college at the time, and making plans to move to Denton to finish school. I loved her. I loved how much room I had to throw all my stuff, I loved the exact height I sat at when I was driving her. Shortly after I purchased her, some idiot that wasn't paying attention rear ended me at a light. I was so angry at him. The only damage was the left light and part of the back panel, which was quickly repaired. I drove her to Breckenridge, Colorado with a spare starter in the back. Um, I didn't know how to change a tire, not sure what I would have done with a starter! But she made it there and back and then some before that became an issue.
After I moved to Denton I(as a poor college student!)had to replace the battery and all 4 tires. There were various other issues that came and went. The most interesting being that one Memorial Day weekend I got on 635 to head back to Denton late that Monday night, and just as I approached the High Five the car died. Like no power steering, no electricity whatsoever, died. By some miracle of God I made it from the far left lane across 3 other lanes of traffic and into the shoulder just as she stopped rolling. Except then I was in the G-H-E-T-T-O!! But I made it.
Just before I graduated in 2006, I decided that since I would be living in Ft. Worth I needed a car that was a little more dependable and wouldn't possibly leave me stranded where I would have to wait over an hour for Dad to rescue me. So I bought my Jetta, and since Micah was in Abilene driving the Mustang, and resembling Mr. Incredible driving around town in that tiny thing, I passed Black Beauty along to him. He drove her for a few years until last summer when he bought his truck. She went back to Dad's care, and he did some work on her to get her back into shape, including giving her a brand new transmission. He has been driving her for awhile, until last Friday when she met her maker.
As Dad was returning to the bus barn for his pick-up route, a lady pulled out in front of him and he T-boned her car. Her company car. I find this ironic, since Black Beauty started out her life as a company car, and she was ultimately taken out by another, newer model of a company car. She did a most excellent job of protecting Dad, and just by looking at the pictures of the aftermath it wouldn't look so bad, but at 250,000ish miles and as a 1993 model, a good hail storm would be all that was needed to total her, so she is unfortunately toast. Once I found out that Dad was ok, despite a few scrapes and bruises and having bent the steering wheel with his chest, I was seriously bummed this weekend thinking about us not having that car in the family anymore. I mean, yes its a car, and thank the good Lord that Dad was ok, but I loved that car. We all loved that car.
So I am not sure where that leaves Dad on the car situation. Today he got a rental until they can figure things out with the insurance company. I have scoured my Shutterfly account in an attempt to find pictures of Black Beauty in her better form, but as I purchased my first digital camera around the same time as my Jetta, and none of my pictures from before that time are digitized(is that the right verbage??), all I have is what Dad took at the scene of the crime last Friday.
RIP, Black Beauty. You were a great car.
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