Boys and their cars and the girl who loves them

While we are technically a family of five, when Michael’s Fiero came to live with us, we felt like a family of six. Goodness knows we’ve spent enough on that little car to count it as another child. If only there were a tax write-off for that…

Warming up over dinner after loading the car.

We would, of course, spend whatever necessary to help one of our human children to overcome disease, but we’ve had to draw the line on the Fiero. This last breakdown put us over the edge. Something about an axle and the transmission – it’s complicated and messy and really, really expensive. And once the mechanic told us the price tag to simply look for the problem, we politely decline any further life-saving measures and asked him to park the little car until we could go get it. Which Sean and I did on Monday.

Sean borrowed a friend’s Chevy Silverado, rented a U-Haul car trailer, got the whole thing hooked up and off we went to find the little red car. We picked up Michael at school and he drove with us to the lot where the car waited for us.

Of course, we waited until the first day it snowed. Man, it was so stinkin’ cold.

Because the car isn’t running, we had to push the thing wherever we wanted it. Pushing the Fiero has never been a problem because it’s so light, but we’ve never had to push it up a ramp onto a trailer. There was no way Sean and I could do it, although we tried while Michael steered for a good long while. Thankfully, some of the men at the shop took pity on us. Four strong guys worked with us to push the car on the trailer.

Once it was safely secured on the trailer, we got some dinner with the boy, then drove him to his dorm. He had a moment with his car, and we were off. To say he was sad to see the Fiero drive away on a trailer is a massive understatement. Massive.

I’ll spare you the details and say we finally got the car home and parked in the driveway. Pushing a non-running car is no fun. I do not recommend it.

Michael’s plan is to save enough money to fix the Fiero. Not sure when that’s going to happen; certainly not before summer. Until then it will sit in the driveway.

Michael is so thankful we aren't making him sell it. Quite honestly, I’m shocked we aren’t. It is the very definition of a money pit. But as much as I hate that car right now there is no way in the world I could make the kid sell it. Yes, I complain about it, but that little red two-seater has worked its way into our hearts and there’s no way we can part with it now.

Love really does make you do stupid stuff.

Making sure it's okay on the trailer. Also, notice it's now dark. It took a long, long time to get that thing on the trailer.

Boys and their cars. I totally blame Sean for passing the car-loving gene on to the boy.

Michael, having a moment with the Fiero before we hauled it away.

And it's off.