“I think we should sell the Volvo,” Steve declared. “We should get a minivan. It’ll be more practical for hauling kids around and all their gear. Maybe we’ll drive down across the border and get a Honda Odyssey or something.”
Within weeks the Volvo was sold. It had been a good car for us. Initially I had scoffed at the thought of a minivan. Minivans are for soccer moms who wear tapered jeans and have fuzzy hair, but not for me! However, I gradually warmed up to the idea. A Honda Odyssey could be cool! I could rock the minivan, so long as it was relatively current and in a colour I didn’t mind.
So. Can you imagine the sheer delight that burst forth from my soul this weekend when Steve pulled up into the driveway in THIS:
It’s a 1989 Toyota Barfmobile and I hate it. Steve paid a thousand bucks for it and I was ready to knock his block off. It’s painted a steely blue, the same colour of the cold tears I cried when it was parked in my carport. Had I known that this was the van he had in mind, I would have never agreed to sell the Volvo. Where is my Odyssey? Where?
Steve’s reasoning is that we should drive this beast of a van for a year or so until we can save up a little more money to buy a better one. He said that money is kind of tight right now. I didn’t know it was THIS tight:
Yes, that is duct tape on the tail gate.
Oooo, there were some rather heated discussions spewing from this house all weekend long. I was dragging my heels like they’d never been dragged before. I pulled out the “YOU LIED!” card and then I tried the “It doesn’t even have air conditioning so Avelyn and I will seriously DIE in that musty excuse for a vehicle this summer” card, followed by the “Why don’t YOU drive it and I’ll drive the farm truck, you big meanie” card.
None of them worked. And as we got to the root of the issue I saw some things in myself that needed adjusting. Steve asked, “Do you think you’re too good for this van?”
“Yes. Much too good,” I hissed.
“Well then, you need to think about that. Because you should drive this van with pride, Amanda. We’re lucky to have a vehicle. And by driving this we’re being financially responsible so that in a few years we’ll actually be able to afford something better instead of spending money we don’t really have right now,” quoted that wise and learned husband of mine.
I took a day to simmer down and did a little soul searching. So what if it’s the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen? So what if I throw up a little in my mouth whenever I look at it? So what if it’s almost older than I am?
I am not too good for it and I am going to hold my head high when I drive it.
54 Comments
Wow Amanda, very big of you to realize that you should drive it with pride. It might be a little fugly (sorry, honesty is the best policy, right?) but to think that it will enable you to have a much nicer car in a couple of years, great! Not to mention all the stuff you can cart around in a car that size.
And if my husband happens to be reading this and gets any big ideas, sorry honey I am not nearly as big of a person as Amanda is ; )
Wow, you humble me.
Also, my first thought was (sorry)- “she’s pregnant!” ???
I had a very similar experience last year.
I had been in my first serious “real” job for a while and decided i needed a car.
I was all set to go out and finance a shiny, new, pretty car with all the bells and whistles for what seemed like a low monthly fee.
My dad kept telling me how i didn’t need a new car and i should save my money. I told him it was my car and i would buy what i wanted.
One day, my dad called me up and said he had a car for me. “You DO???” i asked unimpressed.
“Yup!” and i got it for $200!!
I told him he must be out of his mind if he thinks i’m driving a $200 car and told him No thanks, and refused to even look at the car.
A couple of weeks later my dad decided to just make the 4 hour trip with the car to give it to me.
Although i thought it was the ugliest car i could ever own, it did have a few very good qualities about it:
Insurance was uber cheap! I don’t have to worry about scratching it or getting it rust proofed. And it only cost $200. Although i still long for a pretty car, this one will do for now until i kill it, i mean, until it dies, naturally of course.
Dude… honestly??
It looks pretty good to me. (Don’t hit me – I love my 1990 Chevy Cavalier that rattles at stoplights, so what do I know?) I would say it’s “old-school.” I’ll cross my fingers for it during the winter… that seems to be my main problem with older cars: stuff breaking down. And I second the argument about saving the money and buying sth. REALLY nice in a few years’ time…
[…] Check it out! While looking through the blogosphere we stumbled on an interesting post today.Here’s a quick excerpt “I think we should sell the Volvo,†Steve declared. “We should get a minivan. It’ll be more practical for hauling kids around and all their gear. Maybe we’ll drive down across the border and get a Honda Odyssey or something.†Within weeks the Volvo was sold. It had been a good car for us. Initially I had scoffed at the thought of a minivan. Minivans are for soccer moms who wear tapered jeans and have fuzzy hair, but not for me! However, I gradually warmed up to the idea. A Honda Odysse […]
yeah, the whole car debate strikes a chord with me. We’ve decided to keep driving the car we have and deal with the one-car household issues until we can afford a van that will suit us for a while. Yay, a van… I’m jealous.
One day, when you are in shiny new car, you will look back on this and laugh. And hey, at least it’s a decent color blue and not orange or some other crazy car color!
Amanda
that thing ROCKS! crap cars are the best! have fun with all the adventures you are going to have cruising main street in that baby!
Well Amanada I am feeling your pain, I drove a Dodge Dart when Tianna and Kirbey were little. It was like a tank. No power steering and I would build up leg muscles holding down the clutch. But you are early in your years and things will get better. You will not died without air, we are all still alive! You will look back to this van with memories, maybe not fond one but surley memories.
awwww poor you lol. that vehicle is… well… not good! ;)
good for you to come to grips with your ‘new’ car – and hopefully the money you save will come in very very handy for something really really nice. My car’s crap too – but the money we save is coming in very handy for extra mortgage payments that have cushioned us from some interest rate increases – so I’m glad we didn’t spend more.
Oh man! We just upgraded to a minivan this weekend. I would have (and still will if you want it) sold you my Ford Exploder for 1500.
I can’t stop laughing. I’ll post something wonderful about how great of a guy Steve is and how mature you are for seeing past it all when I stop busting a gut.
Uhhh, would you mind parking down the street when you come to visit?!!! Just kidding…when Bob told me, I sighed. Yep it was ugly when Laurie drove it & it’s ugly now. But you should have seen some of the beasts that I rattled around in..not a pretty sight! As long as it’s reliable (that’s a husband quote!)& you’ve got your own wheels to get around in you’ll do fine.
Come by anytime, I’ll be happy to see you girls & the blue whale!
xx
Wow. You have a good guy there. I had a friend who had this exact same minivan (except puke brown) when I was a kid. I loved it and wished we had one instead of our Ford Aerostar.
Pride is a wretched thing, hey?
Oh I kinda like it… aside from the duct tape on the back…
Ha! I totally would have cried too! Eh- it’s not so bad… maybe you can put some tie-dye curtains over the back windows and pretend it’s a hippie mobile?? : )
I like it. It’s practical. Think of how easy it’ll be to get the groceries out of the back of it. And the blue isn’t that bad. It’s cool.
I once owned a toyota van — when i got rid of it i was in the mindset that i deserved something much better – too cool! Today I drive around, after owning many other dilapidated vehicles, and I am ALWAYS amazed that the Toyota vans are still on the streets — running! I sometimes see my old van – he was called “yoda” and I wish that i had never sold him. He was the best vehicle mechanically and it was truly soo fun to drive. It was the quickest vehicle to heat up on a cold day and great fun to scare passengers with when you pull up “dangerously” close to the vehicle in front of you as there is no engine in your way. You can fit an entire party in that vehicle and… the back seats reclined in mine ; ) I count the money I might have saved on car repairs had I swallowed my misplaced pride and kept that van. I really hope it grows on you. Just think — you will appreciate your next vehicle soo much when the day comes to upgrade. Hang in there!
I’ll trade you that van for my granny car! heehee — We have been having the same conversations at our house — apparently cars are strictly for getting from ‘a’ to ‘b’. Unfortunately, I like to look good while doing that, but I’m getting over it. Those boys sort of, kinda, might, maybe have a little tiny miniscule point there. but it’s still hard.
I love it! My friend had a volkswagen version that we used to call the OW-TOE-BOOSE (as in autobus but trying to sound german). We would shout “OW-TOE-BOOSE” everytime we got in or out of it. I have very fond memories of our adventures in that van (camping etc). You need to think about creating your own.
Your husband sounds very wise!!
Well,Missy,I knew driving you around in our old blue tank of an Oldsmobile would be good preparation for something—and here it is!!! I seem to recall having a similar conversation with you when you were 14. Steve seems to have persuaded you better than I did.
DO IT UP!! Sew some groovy curtains for the back. Have fun with it! Make it your wonder bus!
Steve is right, you will reap the rewards of saving money now… and you will be so happy for it! :)
I have the 1985 version of that van and I LOVE it. Those Toyota LE vans sure aren’t pretty, but they run forever. And they handle way better than newer minivans. You’ll grow to love it!
Sweet van, my friend.
At least it’s a Toyota ;)
Wanna drive it over here one day this week? :)
I would much rather drive that then a modern mini-van. I’d even drive a hearse over today’s mini-vans. At least this one has some soul, some character, some life.
While I too, would bemoan the lack of AC and the such, I’m impressed with your husband’s (and your) maturity!
Isn’t it frusterating when husbands are sensible and actually right? I think I’d feel the same way you did if my husband pulled a fast one. I actually have an Odyssey and LOVE it, but it sure cost way more than $1000 and I had the car payments for years because of it. It really could be quite worse…and just think how much more you’ll appreciate the Odyssey when you get it.
Have a great evening!
My best friend in college, he used to have this same van. We called it the “shaggin’ Wagon”. I have a feeling there will be about as much shaggin’ going on in your wagon as there was in his…
Live it up girl! :)
This made me laugh. Why? Because I am a co-sufferer… except ours is a 93 Dodge Caravan. Your paint job is better, though. Ours has a huge red rusty spot on the roof. And the white paint is falling off.
oh boy. it’s really really humungous. i would’ve been pissed, and demanded it be resold. but i’m really vain and stubborn. not a good combination in a marriage. we’d be fighting over it forever, so i salut you for goin with the flow!
New cars aren’t all they are cracked up to be. I bought a used 05 Pontiac G6 to replace my 1994 Plymouth Sundance and boy am I sorry. It has not even been a year and a half and I’ve had all four brake rotors replaced and the steering is getting replaced for the second time (among other things!).
Now my pride is hurt because I apparently have really bad taste in cars! When you said this “Can you imagine the sheer delight that burst forth from my soul this weekend when Steve pulled up into the driveway in THIS:” – I thought you were serious and thought to myself …”good score. That is one funky car.” I am also seriously anti-minivan, the typical ones but that one at least has some style, slightly off beat style but you can work that! I agree with the person who suggested curtains etc. You can totally rock it. You define cool, not your car or what you own. Good for you for realizing that!
1. You (and your ride) are awesome.
2. I sort of dig the duct tape.
3. I’m really not kidding.
Hey, a Toyota!!! Nice! I remember driving around with my brother in his (first) car…When we’d drive to church we’d have to turn off the highway into the strip mall we have, turn around and then merge back on the highway so we could avoid the lights! We couldn’t risk stopping! I’ll have you know he now drives a NEW Honda, so there is hope!
Ugly? Amanda, that van is WICKED. You can do everything with it…shopping, camping, sleeping….um……ya, that’s all i got. Sometimes things are so ugly and outdated but it actually makes them COOL.
I think it’s kind of cool, too, in a seriously retro so ugly it’s AWESOME kind of way.
Whoa, whoa. Did your husband say those things or did mine? Sounds just like a Mike speech.
Hi….I’ve had brand new mini vans, a K-Car from the 80’s, old beaters from the 70’s and my most favorite was my precious old ’76 VW Van….her name was Sera. She was sweet. As I like to say, Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff, you will be super cute driving around in your van!! Give your van a name….and enjoy it, and dream about your future vehicles to look forward to….
Love your blog….I used to live around that area!!
I have to say Amanda, I would probably feel the same way you did….however, that was really very smart of your hubby and good of you to come to the realization that is probably is for the best…and really, the van isn’t so bad. Kinda square…but in the long run, it doesn’t matter!
I don’t know; I kind of think it has a Eurofunky thing going on with the cubist boxiness. Seriously. Very cool.
i think your van rocks! we have a 86 vw vanagon that’s the same colour. next time we drive it up there (if it makes it) we can drag race our sweet rides!
Really, it’s not so bad. And it will help you save $$ so you can get a nicer vehicle in the future. And look at it this way…you can do anything to it…like decorate it with stickers, plaster the back end with bumper stickers, you daughter can color the ceiling with markers on long trips, you won’t have to worry about dings from other idiots flinging their doors open in parking lots, you won’t mind if someone runs into you a little bit in the winter, it won’t matter if you’re sprayed with gravel when someone passes you, and all sorts of cool things that would totally drive you crazy if it was NEW! You can even paint it yourself. And glue all sorts of crazy things on the dashboard. Like Jesus. And a bobble-head dog. The sky is the limit! Just stock up on barf bags!
I like your maturity in agreeing with your husband. I hope the car lasts that year so you can get your Odyssey.
it’s vintage!
vintage is in these days. :)
Vintage is in! But I have to agree with you, but what a wonderful husband you have to be so humble like that. It’s only a year and then 2007 Odessey here you come.
Whoa! Who knew all you have to do to get people to comment was to talk about your oooglay ride? Yes, it is oooglay, but I love it. It’s so….Steve. And I’m proud of you for seeing things in the right light. Easy for me to say, right, I don’t have to drive it.
Patience is a virtue, darling. Or so my mother says.
And, well, I’d have cried in your boat.
Kudos to you for being the bigger person and just going with it. When your time comes for the sweet new ride it’ll just be that much sweeter.
I feel your pain. It hurts now, but in the long run being financially responsible will pay off. I was very sad to lose my VW for a more family friendly car, I did get a nice car, but I felt that the VW was more of my image. Even though it isn’t easy, you aren’t what you drive or what you have and who knows what blessings you will get as a result of letting go of your pride.
I’m thinking you should pimp this ride to make yourself feel better. There’s nothing a leopard-print seatcover can’t cure!
LOL – it’s a goat van! My brother & I have thought these looked like goats ever since we were little… of course, maybe we are the only ones in the world who seem them like that ;)
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