by Amy Louhela

Created on: October 29, 2009

"Will the real Hoopty please pull forward"

Recently I've had the pleasure of having my non-Hoopty car (2006 Pontiac Vibe) break for the umpteenth time. My father has been in the process of fixing my non-Hoopty car for the last two months. Today when I walked into my garage I found him crawling on the floorwith a garage lamp. When I asked him what he was doing he stated that he had lost another part I was joking and said maybe it fell back there and I pointed behind our truck tool box and beneath our John boat that is currently perched upon some buffet tables, he informed me that is where part of engine had fallen, it could possibly be back there. He stated I am going to make the partHmm.... Sounds a bit complicated to me. I am wondering if at the end of this project I will be given a baggie of leftover pieces like I had the last time he fixed my car.

Currently I am driving a 1991 Corsica, the Corsica looks like a Hoopty. You can't open the doors from the outside- I leave the door open or the windows down. It's lacking a rear view mirror and the broken taillights are fixed with red duct tape. Due to The mufflers desire to be freed from the body the Corsica is very loud. My neighbors are probably beginning to wonder if we have a helicopter pad hidden in our back yard.

The Corsica was also Rissa's first car. I had always thought that Rissa's excellent coloring skills would be the precursor to her ability to stay within the lines while driving. I was wrong. The car is dented from front to back. Rissa always had a story to justify the numerous dents Grandma got in the way or oops, I didn't see your car in the driveway

The most exciting thing happened today on my way to Duluth today- I looked to the right and lo and behold I was passing an identical maroon Corsica. This Corsica also had Character evident by the multiple dents in her door! After passing her I saw her speeding up to pass me I first thought we were going to race but the owner pulled up steady next to me and waved. We had bonded! Nothing like that would have ever happened to me if I were driving the Vibe.

I am starting to enjoy driving the Corsica it runs and has character. I love picking up the boys from school and watching them hide once they are in the car. I don't have to dress up to ride in the Corsica, in fact I look rather out of place when I am dressed up when driving it. The car gives me the freedom to wear sweats and grubby t-shirts. The Vibe sets standards that I don't always want to live up to.

Maybe my dad will lose too many parts and I will be stuck driving the Corsica.

Learn more about this author, Amy Louhela.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.