Before continuing the ministerial auto saga, I have to stop and answer a question that was put to me. Why did we drive such heaps? The answer was, we drove what we could afford. During all this time I was in school of one type or another. For some of it, Marsha was in school, too. Also, I was in ministry and the ministry is a much lower paying profession than most people realize. They see the big televangelists on TV and assume we are all like that. Big homes, fancy cars, nice clothes. That is not how it is at all. In those early years it was far more important to me that my wife and son have the things they needed rather than me having a nice ride. Besides, I had my trusty tool box.

         A ‘69 Nova followed the Honda Civic. This was in 1983. As I said, I drove what I could afford. The Nova stands out in one important way. Some of the teeth were broken off the flywheel, so on occasion when I turned it off the flywheel teeth and the starter drive would not sync up. When that happened I would have to get the crowbar and crawl under the thing and pry on the flywheel until the teeth lined up. I hated that car. Next, in ’84, came a ‘72 Torino wagon, which was actually given to me in exchange for working on a fellow student’s VW 412. (This particular student had been paying me in rabbits. He would call me and tell me his VW was ailing and I would go wherever he was and get it running. Within a day or two there would be a couple of dressed out rabbits ready for the pot when I got home. Finally, I went way out in the countryside to fix his VW. The next day I came home to find the Torino.) His name is Ray and Ray reads this blog sometimes. Hey, Ray.

          In 1985 we bought a 1981 Ford Escort, which was one of our great cars. From 1985 through 1987 we drove that car well over 100,000 miles. In 1987 we bought a ’73 Pinto for $50 as a second car. Within a week the Escort threw a rod and we were left with the Pinto. That was fun.

          Shortly thereafter, still in ‘87, we bought a Mercury Bobcat. We were back to two cars. Until the Merc threw a rod less than a month after we bought it. The Pinto held up until the very first day at our new church. I was the new pastor and I wanted to make a good impression. I wore my best suit that first Sunday and my wife wore her sharpest outfit. She had our six year old son looking like a little preacher himself. Everything was great as we neared the church. Then, just as we turned into the church driveway the Pinto’s engine seized up. Something let go and oil spewed all over the exhaust system. Two of our deacons were standing outside the door of our new church to welcome us and we rolled into the drive in a cloud of blue smoke with an engine that was making banging noises. The car stalled and we coasted to the pastor’s parking spot in a cloud of smoke. All three of us bailed out of the car gagging and hacking with eyes watering. I sure made an impression.

          I needed another car quick and the only thing I could find in my budget was a 1979 Mercury Capri. Cost me $150, and I got what I paid for. It had been in an accident and while at the impound lot someone had removed the stereo with a crowbar. The accident had been on the passenger side so the passenger door wouldn't open. Since it was just a two door, that meant only the driver's door opened and we all had to climb through it. Adam, our son, first, climbing over the seats to the back, then Marsha, climbing over the gear shift, then me. It was 1988 and I thought I could have nothing worse than the Capri. Then I bought a ‘78 Chevy Chevette. Never, ever think it cannot get worse. I bought that car from my sister for $80, and with that she was ripping me off. The floor on the driver's side rusted out and I had to hold my feet up while I drove or they would drag the road. At stop signs or red lights I would take the opportunity to put my feet on the roadway to rest. It was a miserable ride in the rain or snow because anything on the road wound up in my lap.

          In 1989 things began to look up. We came into possession of a 1985 Gran Fury. I loved that car. We drove it 182,000 miles and enjoyed almost every mile. As a second car we bought a 1976 Mercury Comet. Very low mileage and also a very good car. It had a big V-8 in a very small engine compartment. It also had a racing cam and it would FLY! We were set for vehicles until 1995 when we had to let the Fury go. We bought a 1993 Geo Metro, at that time the smallest car sold in the USA. It had a weight limit of 680 pounds. 10 inch wheels. The doughnut spare was larger than the regular tires. Every time you got in you felt like you were strapping on a coffin. But, it got 54 miles per gallon. Our son was soon to be 16 and he had plans for the Comet that could FLY! So I sold it and bought another Ford Escort. Two cars great on gas. This got us through till 1998 when both cars died at the same time. Out of desperation we bought a 1991 Subaru. That’s when I found out what desperation really was. In March of 2000 we traded the subaru in on our first new car ever, a Hyundai Accent. Since then our automotive life has been much more normal. I have decided I don't like working on my junk just so I can drive to the hospital in the morning to be with a family. It really is nice to to just go out and start the car and go.