The first car I ever owned was a 1987 Toyota Corolla SR5- hatchback.  It was red with black trim, stick shift and best of all, it had a rear wiper (which I thought was amazing back then).  I bought the thing for $400 which I paid for in monthly payments to a woman who was probably getting an amazing deal.  I didn't know how to drive stick at the time, so I brought a neighbor with me to test drive it and then drive it home for me.  I spent that first night with my new love cleaning it inside and out. I can still remember that feeling, sitting in the driver seat, thinking that this red speed machine was all mine.  My then girlfriend (now wife) was even a little impressed.

 

My new pimp ride had the type of headlights that would flip up, but one of them stuck and wouldn't go down, so it looked like the car was winking at you. It had that old car smell in it, which can best be described as old plastic with a slight tint of mold.  Because I didn't know how to drive a manual, I asked the same neighbor to give me a lesson.  I knew that if I had my dad teach me it would only end up with him getting frustrated and me even more frustrated.  My neighbor was pretty cool about it, which  kept me calm and within about an hour I was ready to take the red bullet out on my own. 

 

I  have plenty of stories to tell about my Toyota such as the time when I asked my now wife to jump out while the car was still moving because the clutch went out and I couldn't stop the car without it dying.  There was also the time when my brakes went out and I had to use my emergency brake to stop the car. 

 

When I traded in my first love (the Toyota that is) it had no heat, no a/c, no radio, 3 of the 4 cylinders worked, no power steering, and it burned a quart of oil per week.  But that car never died on me.  I would speed on the highway, drive up steep hills, drive in the snow and overheated it 3 times, but it never died.  I had a connection with that car and I will always remember how it raised me to be the man I am today.

 

I think we all remember our first car and how special we felt the first time we got it home and parked it.  Think back to sitting there, looking at the radio, the dash board, holding the steering wheel and thinking about your next destination.  I can remember just driving around, having no place to go, with the windows down and the radio turned up.  Those were the good days and I will be sure to bring you back with me to those days telling more stories about my first set of wheels and the glory I felt filling them up with air because all the damn rims leaked.....