My Accord ...

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 ~