'Triggers'

My $750 car repair morphed into $2,200 when I picked it up last Wednesday.  This, after plunking down $3800 three months ago.  Hate to do the math, but that's $2,000 more than I paid for it in 2018 and about one-half of my annual Social Security.  Ouch is right.

But I'm feeling pretty good, considering the considerable hit my budget just took.  It's a good car, my 2004 Volvo, with about 160,000 miles on it; I've been told more than once they're good for 200,000 at least.

But I knew that, for I once owned a 1979 Volvo, built like a tank.  Ex-man #1 and I were returning from our first tour in Europe, and like so many other servicemembers, we bought a new car and had it shipped directly to the States, tax free, I think it was.  We'd gone through five cars in three years living in Kaiserslautern, W. Germany.  I worked in the MP Station Traffic Section, and it seemed I was always filling out a report for myself, although not all the cars were totalled.

The 1969 VW bug we shipped to Germany had belonged to Wally (now deceased) before we married.  It was already pretty banged up from minor smacks when shortly after our wedding, one hot New Jersey night, we'd stopped for ice cream cones.  Driving home the car in front stopped suddenly and Wally hit him; not very hard, but you couldn't go very fast along the beach.

We didn't wear seat belts of course, and while Wally hit the steering wheel I went head-first into the windshield, giving it a good smack.  Once my groom righted himself he turned, saw the cracked glass and reached for my head, still face down in front of the dash.

As he would tell it, his hands felt wet as he touched the sides of my face and, frightened, thought, "Oh my God, I've disfigured her!"

Until he heard, "F____g  ICE CREAM!!"  Yep, I'd grabbed the handle above the glove box, and on its way to the windshield my face went straight into my double-scooped.

Anyway, that kind of 'tap' seemed to happen all the time; so by the time it arrived in Germany it looked rough enough that the Provost Marshall left a copy of Grainger's catalog on my desk; should've kept it.  I'm dusting off old memories...how did it go?  

Oh yeah, we needed a second car because I worked in K'town and the missle base was on top of the mountain; we lived 1/2-way between.  I'd been catching the local bus to work and was thrilled to hear a friend from the base was being redeployed and selling his car. It was December, and they were on their way to register the car:  Frank in our VW and Wally driving Frank's car; which made sense to them considering the beerfest they'd just had when they stopped at a Gasthaus for lunch.

Wally slid on some ice, crashed Frank's car into a telephone pole and was picked up by the Polizei for DWI and destruction of property.  After an eventful night they turned him over to the military, and  I became the sole driver for a very long year.  When Wally got his license back we bought a car totally unsuitable for European driving, both size-and-gas-wise.

It was a beast; something like an old Chrysler Imperial, 4-doors.  I remember backing out of the parking space one afternoon, turning and looking towards the left, when the right side of the car drove up onto the door of the car in the adjacent space. The MP owner was very nice and said not to worry, the damage wasn't bad; but the incident haunts me still in crowded parking lots.  Eventually, one evening parked outside the apartment, half up on the sidewalk as they do, a drunk driver plowed into and totaled it.  

At some point the bug gave out and we bought old VW wagon which was so rusted, there was a sizeable hole straight through the floorboard (driver's side), which made for some chilly rides.  Poor thing, I don't remember what happened to it, but something.

Next was my favorite:  a four-door Audi with the softest Flokati seat covers, a very comfortable ride.  I felt badly when, after we left, we heard that the transmission dropped, or something.  It had been running just fine, can't explain what happened, and we felt badly, but what are you gonna do?  I see that even this car had a ding in the hood.

Maybe my transmission trouble 3 months ago was payback.

Months before leaving Germany we went around to different dealerships looking at new models.  We had a bunch of Savings Bonds which Wally's Dad offered to redeem, so we had cash in our pockets.  As Wally was being shown around the showroom I walked over to a kiosk and watched a video about Volvo's safety features.  I watched a car being smashed from all sides plus the top, but the occupants were safe inside their 'steel cage.'

"THIS IS THE CAR I WANT," so that's how we ordered a 1979-242, like this one.  I really liked the slate-blue color Volvo had been using so was disappointed to instead discover this baby-blue on the loading dock in Newark, but I got used to it.  It had a sun roof and was comfortable; and besides, for my birthday we bought a '79 MG Midget for me. 

Trigger

Fast-forward, so I'm paying through the nose for my current car's repairs, but I'd still rather pay the credit card than have a monstrous car payment.  The last time I financed a car was in the '80s, $167 a month for a Honda I called Trigger.  I loved that car and doubt I could get a payment so low nowadays, which would be hard to afford anyway.  Should the car be irreparable, I weighed buying another or just calling a cab and taking the bus for the few times I actually GO somewhere.

The entire steering column mechanism needed replacing and Volvo has discontinued the part.  But the mechanics found one and they managed to put it on.  When I was paying the bill I heard, "What a job that was," in an honest, still pleasant, way; explaining the part is originally assembled on the line before the top half of the engine, then the chassis, or something; but they were successful.  They kept me updated, and after the 3rd quote of $2,100, then hearing about the additional work required, I told myself to expect $3,000; anything less is good.

It took about 10 days from the time I dropped off my latest Trigger until pickup; which gave me time to get used to the price.  I rationalized and justified for days until I decided it would indeed be worth the repairs; and when I finally picked it up their final quotation remained unchanged.  I asked,

"The last time I was here (transmission having to be flushed 3 times was only one thing) I asked if I would be welcomed back and you said 'Yes.'  If I ask the same question now will I get the same answer?"

"Of course!"  They can spot a cash cow, I tell myself not to be cynical, for they are good mechanics and many here use them - it's not their fault I've neglected servicing for years.  It's a good car, and if I want to travel any distance, I can always take a plane.