Is it always this upsetting?!

My husband is the owner of a red 1991 318is. Last Monday, he spun out on a patch of water, oil, or something driving in Chicago on a rather fast 4-lane one way (Lake Shore Drive, if you are from Chi-town...) and slammed several times into the inner concrete barrier. Our baby kept him safe and sound, but the car is totalled. He bought it only 2 years ago from a single owner who also loved it, and now our "little tank" is gone. Notwithstanding the fact that we only had liability insurance so we are out of luck with that, the loss of this car has come close to emotionally devastating us. We call(ed) it Tank because it has been rear-ended four times, sitting at stop lights, in the city and suffered absoultely no damage. It ran beautifully and other than a few minor problems was the perfect car. Now its been taken from us, and we feel like we have lost a close friend. Someone wants to buy it for $300 for parts or maybe to repair, but we know its worth so much more to us.
Has anyone else had this kind of experience? Is it always this upsetting?

Reply » Is it always this upsetting?!

On Christmas Eve 1988, I picked up a new Mazda 626 LS. My son was not quite 9 months old. A perfect car for a us - sporty enough to be fun to drive, but with four doors so we could carry passgeners and get the car seat in an out.

We drove that car all over the country. I commuted to work in it for years. I passed it on to my son when he turned 16, got his license and needed something use for his commute to school and sports practices.

In September my son pulled out into traffic from a parking spot and was hit square in the driver's door by a Dodge 3/4-ton 4x4 pickup. My son has a couple of minor scratches from flying glass, but otherwise was fine. The left side of the car is indented 6-8 inches from where it is supposed to be. Even though the engine was still strong at the age of 350,000 miles, it's life is over. Even if it had been insured, we would have only gotten a few hundred dollars - nowhere near enough to repair the damage.

We've had that car for just shy of seventeen years - we have had so many experiences in that car. My son was devastated - his first car and a string symbol of is new found adolescent freedom.

Yes - when a car has been with you for so long, it is that upsetting - it's a symbol and tangible reminder of all the things that you and your family have done in the time period you owned the car.

On the other hand, it is just a car. Celebrate it's memory, send it on its way and get another one! The X's do great in the winter (hint, hint) and are great fun to drive!

Reply » Is it always this upsetting?!

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We've had that car for just shy of seventeen years...

17 years? Wow.

Reply » Is it always this upsetting?!

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17 years? Wow.

My family has had our 1967 VW Beetle since 1967... 38 years or so... I'm positive I would be very upset if something happened to it...

Reply » Is it always this upsetting?!

Sadcat26, I 'm very, very sorry to hear of the loss of your beloved Bimmer

; I'm glad that your husband was kept safe!

Yes, I think humans become very attached to even inanimate objects such as cars, and there is a sense of loss, even grief, when the object is stolen, destroyed or disposed of.

Even though I wasn't all that attached to this particular car, every time I pass the Denny's in Riverside near the 91 Freeway, I recall that it was in that parking lot that my yellow 1985 Toyota Tercel SR5 Wagon finally gave up; it had about 229,000 miles (366,400 kilometers, Herr Moderator ).

The spouse wanted to put another engine in it, but I, recalling the words of Ecclesiastes where it says "there is an appointed time for everything/and there is a time for every event/...a time to keep and a time to throw away" - I said, "This car has enough miles to have nearly reached the Moon! It's time for a new car!!!!!"

I think of that car every time I pass that spot....

Reply » Is it always this upsetting?!

It sure is upsetting.

My most upsetting crash was back in 1992, as my Ford Escort was rear ended and was estimated as total by the insurance expert (bent roof etc).

The sad part was that it had only 6 miles on the odometer and I was only 6 miles away from the dealer.

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