With reference to my previous
blog ~ “Parting company ....” ~
https://southshoretidewatch.blogspot.com/2021/05/parting-company.html
~
After a number of offers, I can to report the Honda Civic
was sold today at over the asking price. I had
placed an advert with the same photos and script, on a number of Facebook Buy
and Sell pages, on Auto Trader and Kijiji, the responses and feedback were incredible.
The Civic was my third Honda, last
week I bought my fourth a 2021 CR-V, I have huge passion for the make and tend
to keep them for a long time. My first Honda was a 1989 Accord, which I believe
will always be known as my best car ever. I adored that car, loved driving it
and thoroughly enjoyed working on it.
Today as I saw the Civic drive
off, I felt sad to see it go. It reminded of a day of great emotion in July 2008,
when after almost 20 years, my Accord was taken away to the scrap yard, it had
been written off by the actions of a careless driver and was deemed unrepairable.
Below is a script I wrote at that
time about parting with “My Accord”, I have also included photos at the end taken
on the day the car went off to be driven through the gates of the scrapyard ……
From July 2008 ~
The insurance offer is about to
be made and very soon I will say a very sad good-bye to what has been a very important
part of my life for almost 20 years, my 1989 Honda Accord.
Anyone who has followed this
story over those years will know exactly how I felt about this car and the high
level of pride I got from her. It was never my intention to part with “My Baby”.
I had clear visions of the joy of a future one-way drive to either the
Maritimes or coastal British Columbia at the start my retirement chapter. In
typical fashion, I had already prepared a list of items I would do to the car in
readiness for the long journey, which I hoped would no more than ten years away,
a time when the Accord would be approaching her late twenties.
In all the years of this
relationship, I never allowed anyone to work on the car I did all repairs and
maintenance myself; I washed, vacuumed and cared for her in all our seasons and
extreme temperatures, never once did I tire of this duty. I kept a detailed
record of everything I did on her and as an example of this, I can tell you I
did 53 oil changes and fully intended doing at least another 53 such was my
commitment.
As mentioned, I never once
considered that I would part with this car, but I did know of one scenario that
would end it all, and this is what exactly happened on Wednesday July 2nd
2008. While sitting three or four cars down from a red light
in downtown Oshawa, my car was the victim of a careless driver in her Chevy
Blazer, who briefly allowed herself to be distracted and rammed into the back
of me. I immediately knew the car would be “written-off” or as they say here a
“total-loss”. The cost of repairs would far exceed the book value of the car. During
the years I had the Accord, I never once considered the dollar value, I did however
know its true value to me and that was exceptionally high.
To further compound the issue of
whether the car could be fixed, each collision shop I went to for an estimate,
told me that all the required parts for the repair were discontinued, meaning that everything would have to come from a breakers yard, this would result in work
having no guarantee. Also, a couple of repair shops, looked at the car and seeing the incredible care and attention that had been given to it, they
told me that even with their best effort with the inferior parts, I would never
be happy with the result, which is probably very true.
Along with many others, I always knew
just how fond I was of this car, but during the last few days since the
incident, I have realized how deep that was ~ I hear you say “ridiculous”
and yes that is probably very true, but some of us do occasionally allow
ourselves to get over attached to things, I have now decided now that I will
never do that again with another car…
Thanks babe, for a great and
memorable 218604 kilometres.
Photos from July 2008, ready for the
scrapyard ~
