It saddens me to say that the Fusion probably hadn't had a bath since, er... November? This is one of my least favorite parts of winter: having to drive a filthy car. So today I did the whole spring cleaning treatment inside and out. The rubber floor mats were caked with salt that had started showing up probably in December; there were various crumbs under my seat from eating fast food while driving; the cupholders were coated with dried coffee spillage... you know, all that good stuff. Now it's back to being clean as it was the day I got it, and that's how I like it!
It's not really a secret: I'm a little OCD about the cleanliness of my car. I definitely get that trait from my dad -- he washes his truck about every other day, and washes my mom's car at least once a week. I'll even admit, that's a little overboard. But I started showing signs at the early age of 15, when I bought my first car. If you didn't know me back then, I'm sure I've at least told you one story about it and how it was the love of my life. I've had high school friends tell me even now, That car was so much fun, I wish you still had it...
I don't have any digital images of it (come on, it was 2000 and we still used cameras with film), but this is pretty much it right here:
It was a 1986 Camaro Z28 305 V8, and the only reason anyone in high school ever thought I was remotely close to being cool. However the major difference from this picture to mine was that my dad made sure I had the original red painted wheels and Goodyear Eagle GT II tires. I was only the second owner -- it only had 52,000 miles on it when I got it.
Saying that it was fun to drive would be an understatement. I freaking loved the sound it made when I'd start it up. I've never had another 8-cylinder engine since this car, but I'll always remember hitting the gas pedal and the thing would just take off.
My dad taught me how to wash and polish it on the outside; as soon as it started showing signs of dirt, it would get washed. The process would always include sweeping the carpet and floor mats, cleaning the seats, Windex-ing the windows. The dashboard would always get a fresh coat of Armor-All, and I'd use a toothbrush to clean the harder-to-reach spots, such as the gas pedal. Don't judge.
I get sad sometimes when I think about washing my car, because it always makes me think of this one. I'm always telling myself that I'm going to have another one someday. I'll park it right next to the 3rd generation Corvette I'm going to have... and when I look at those two cars together side-by-side, all will finally be right in my world.
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