Since I sold my Sentra and I am vehicle-less, I have been borrowing my parents’ pick-up to give me transportation until I figure out if I’m going to fix the Jeep, or if I’m going to find me something else to drive. When I started checking into fixing the Jeep, I realized that I would be spending 4,500 just to get it going. Which is only about 2,500 more than it’s worth. I, being “Money-conscious,” don’t see the benefit of pouring money into something that may not last long after completion; so I’ve re-thought my position.
During my teenage years, I was embarrassed to drive the pick-up to school because it was so big and ‘ugly’ to me, but I was young and stupid then. When I drive it now, my mind goes back to when my Paw-paw was alive. See, the truck was his and my mom got it when he died in 1990. It’s a 79 Chevy Custom Deluxe and is it ever clean!! It has 36,600 original miles on it, and runs great. A/C still blows cold, which is a good thing because the vinyl, red and beige hound’s tooth seat will still burn the fire out of your backside on a hot August day, and a lot of you will probably remember this, it has the little silver foot button for the high beam lights on the floor. EVERYTHING is still original, except the wheels and tires, including the bumper that has a hint of the faded red, “Bill Bates Chevrolet, Iowa Park, TX” painted on it.
It’s funny because when you first get in it, at any time, it still smells like it did when I was little and Paw-paw would load Lori, Kassie, and I up and take us to United to buy us candy cigarettes that my mom wouldn’t let us have if she were with us. I guess she thought we’d end up smoking or something, but we just loved the candy. It wasn’t the fact that they were cigarettes that we loved them so, if they’d have made candy water meter lids, with that same sugar flavor, we’d have gotten that too! I also remember the wrecks he had in it and how my mom and dad worried that he didn’t need to drive anymore. I remember how in his last days here, he’d have my dad or my uncle Jimmy, open the shade in his bedroom so that he could see his pick-up. He was so proud of it! I don’t know if he laid there and reminisced about the days when he drove it, and all the good times he had; or if he just liked looking at it, but I know that it sure meant a lot to him, as it does all of us now. I think back to the hours before he died, when I told him I loved him and looked out the window to see the ole Chevy sitting there, in it’s spot, like all the times before, like it was waiting for Paw-paw to come out and go for a ride just one more time.
It’s not as shiny as it was then, it may take a few minutes to get from 0 to 60, and you can forget getting above 70 without your foot feeling like its going to fall off from pushing the peddle through the floor; but I love driving it, even if it gets 12 gallons to the mile.
I think I’ll take my time finding a new ride, if my parents will allow me. What other vehicle could reward me with so many memories like Paw-paw’s 79 Chevy anyway?
During my teenage years, I was embarrassed to drive the pick-up to school because it was so big and ‘ugly’ to me, but I was young and stupid then. When I drive it now, my mind goes back to when my Paw-paw was alive. See, the truck was his and my mom got it when he died in 1990. It’s a 79 Chevy Custom Deluxe and is it ever clean!! It has 36,600 original miles on it, and runs great. A/C still blows cold, which is a good thing because the vinyl, red and beige hound’s tooth seat will still burn the fire out of your backside on a hot August day, and a lot of you will probably remember this, it has the little silver foot button for the high beam lights on the floor. EVERYTHING is still original, except the wheels and tires, including the bumper that has a hint of the faded red, “Bill Bates Chevrolet, Iowa Park, TX” painted on it.
It’s funny because when you first get in it, at any time, it still smells like it did when I was little and Paw-paw would load Lori, Kassie, and I up and take us to United to buy us candy cigarettes that my mom wouldn’t let us have if she were with us. I guess she thought we’d end up smoking or something, but we just loved the candy. It wasn’t the fact that they were cigarettes that we loved them so, if they’d have made candy water meter lids, with that same sugar flavor, we’d have gotten that too! I also remember the wrecks he had in it and how my mom and dad worried that he didn’t need to drive anymore. I remember how in his last days here, he’d have my dad or my uncle Jimmy, open the shade in his bedroom so that he could see his pick-up. He was so proud of it! I don’t know if he laid there and reminisced about the days when he drove it, and all the good times he had; or if he just liked looking at it, but I know that it sure meant a lot to him, as it does all of us now. I think back to the hours before he died, when I told him I loved him and looked out the window to see the ole Chevy sitting there, in it’s spot, like all the times before, like it was waiting for Paw-paw to come out and go for a ride just one more time.It’s not as shiny as it was then, it may take a few minutes to get from 0 to 60, and you can forget getting above 70 without your foot feeling like its going to fall off from pushing the peddle through the floor; but I love driving it, even if it gets 12 gallons to the mile.I think I’ll take my time finding a new ride, if my parents will allow me. What other vehicle could reward me with so many memories like Paw-paw’s 79 Chevy anyway?
-approved by Farley Wells, CMDI who has one that matches!
1 comment:
I always wanted a late 70s Chevy truck. My Dad wouldn't let me get one, so I had the 90s version. I still miss it, I'm a truck girl...I hate cars LOL! When the kiddos are gone, I'll get me a truck again, I'm think King Ranch Ford or Dodge King Cab...or maybe I'll get Billy to soup me up a 70s Chevy, it sure is pretty!
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