A little more than 15 years and 8 months ago, a sheet of metal was placed in a press. Several thousand pounds of pressure later, the side panel of a car came out. Hmmm, no roof. Ah, a convertible.
The rest of the pieces came together, and robots and humans worked to assemble them. Then, the body was finished. No hood scoop, so no Type S. Soon after, a dip in the primer bath, then off to the paint shop. Horizon Blue, a nice choice. Next came the rest of the choices that were boxes checked on the order form. The “standard” 5 spoke 16” alloy wheels. Black non-leather interior. Harmon Kardon 10 speaker sound system, an excellent choice for a convertible. Cold weather package, heated seats are always a plus. Bi-Xeon Headlamps, all the better to see the road ahead with. Chrome grill, headlight surrounds, tail light surrounds, mirror caps, jeez, so much chrome. And here comes the top. Uh oh….it’s the brown top. Yikes, not good. But it’s time for the marriage. When the powertrain and the body come together. And yes, whew! It’s the proper 6 speed MANUAL transmission.
And so, on 2/25/10, the final result rolled off the assembly line. Only then would her journey begin. First a long boat ride, then a short truck ride to the Maryland dealership. Her protective coverings were removed, everything tidied up, and placed on the lot. Now all she needed was……well, a home.
However, that was not to be. For see, she was to most, an ugly duckling. So, she sat, and sat, and sat. Many months went by, however no one wanted her. Then, over half a year later, someone inquired. You see, it was the end of the model year, and dealers wanted to clear their inventory. One dealer in Virginia offered $6300 off of each of the two manual transmission convertibles on their lot. Would the dealership in Maryland do the same? Yes, they said they would. A picture was emailed:
Hmmm, could the brown top be dyed? The chrome should be able to be covered or replaced. There were possibilities…..hopefully. Could this ugly duckling be transformed? Well, after the initial $6300 off, plus a $2000 coupon for attending a local event, suddenly the $27,700 MSRP turned into $19,400. Yep, for that, let’s roll the dice and see what we can do. At the end of October, paperwork was signed, and she was driven to her new home.
Slowly over time, things began to happen. With a VERY lucky warranty swap, we suddenly had a black top in place of the brown one. Black mirror caps, plastidip for the rest of the chrome, black boot and bonnet stripes, and a find of someone selling their 17” wheels to replace the 16” silver ones. Yes, things were coming together, and the ugly duckling was now……a beautiful swan.
But, much more importantly during this time, something also happened. I cannot tell you when or where it did. Most likely some curvy back road. The love affair started. Driving was something to look forward to. Excuses were made to take the “back way” instead of the interstate or such other major road. With each curve, each shift of the stick, the relationship grew and grew. You were there in the good times. You were there in the bad times, especially when the (now ex) wife purposefully dragged my son’s battery powered car across your hood, you still kept my other possessions securely locked in your boot as that was the only safe place in the house during the bitter 2 yearlong divorce.
Now that we’re both free, we can go anywhere, at any time. You’re there for me when I need a pick me up, a night time drive with the top down after a long day. Carving up a twisty road, with both of us getting a good workout. Or just running to the grocery store.
So, to you, my love of the past 15 years……….
Happy Anniversary! I’ve enjoyed all of our adventures, and can’t wait for the next ones.
Speaking of which…….look, our favorite sign is up ahead
Left foot at the ready, hand on the stick, and smile….well, that’s been there the whole time.
