Love the Beast

This is a bit of a different post from me, but it’s still in keeping with the site’s goal. The actor Eric Bana has created a documentary about his love for his Ford Falcon, and the story behind it. Watching the video reminded me that no matter how hard I look at other cars, nothing will quite replace my rusty, beat up, and very quick Impreza.

It’s very hard emotionally to own something that you care very much for and see it suffer through car accidents, rust, broken parts, and all the while you’re literally powerless to fix it. I have enough money to live, but buying car parts is something I can only sacrifice so much of that life for. I walk the line very close some days, and I definitely take care of the car’s internals as best as I can, but it’s not so easy to come up with a few grand every time someone decides to take a key to my car, or the minute rust rears it’s ugly head.

My love for my car is likely very different than a lot of people’s love. I don’t work on it endlessly, I don’t pile up the credit card debt to make it faster, and I don’t keep it locked up in a garage. I wish I could leave it safely in a garage until it was time to race, and I wish I could spend double what I make on it, and I wish I could make it perfect, but I can’t.

There are only two times I know I love my car beyond what is considered the norm; when I shop for a new car (not that I can afford one mind you), and when something bad happens to it wherein I cannot fix it easily. So far every car I have looked at new does not have 300hp, All-wheel drive, with $0 monthly payments, and anything even remotely in my price range sits well below the horsepower and features I have.

When something beyond my control happens to my car I get upset, when something beyond my control happens that I cannot fix easily (rust for example) I lose all of my self control.

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t baby my car. She’s been my daily driver since December 21st 2001, and I don’t wash her enough, but my love isn’t one that fits a stereotype. It’s less of a “look at my pretty perfect car” and more of a “my car is faster, cheaper, and it has been for years.” Function over form.

Anyways, enough with my mindless rant that no one but me will understand. Watch the video.