funk in deep freeze

Damn it Gen!

12 Jan 2012 11 Comments

by meganfinley in cars Tags: grandpa

Did I ever tell y’all about how I inherited a ’71 VW bug from my grandfather? The car used to be my mother’s when she was college age and then, when my dad (her brand new husband) surprised her with a new car, her father took over the VW and kept her running and in good shape until he got too old to work on her anymore. So she’s been sitting on my grandparents driveway dying from neglect for about 3 or 4 years now.

When I inherited her I decided to name her “Gen” after my grandmother. I did so because when it breaks down I can yell “damn it Gen!” just like my grandfather yelled at my grandmother. It kind of became his catch-phrase. (My cousin likes to tell the story of how it took him a while to realize that my grandmother’s name was actually just Gen and not “Damnitgen.”)

Exactly two months ago my father and I had her towed to a body shop that specializes in Volkswagons. Good ‘ol VW Joe has been fixing her up and getting her running again. We went to pick her up yesterday, but my dad drove her around and said he wasn’t happy with a noise coming from the engine, and Joe said he’d keep at her. So I’m still VW-less.

I’m both excited to inherit this car as much as I’m frightened because, well, Aaron and I don’t need a fourth car to take care of (we already look after his car, my car, and the car that my parents leave at the apartment). AND it’s a stick… and I don’t drive stick… in fact I’m TERRIFIED of driving stick.

Sitting at the body shopping signing my name to a check of over a thousand dollars I started to think “mayyyybe this isn’t such a good idea.” Perhaps, once again, my sentimentality was outweighing my logical mind. But then my dad started up the car and when the sound, the smell, and the sight of this little green bug combined, I swear it was like seeing my grandfather again.

It was right then that I realized, there was never was any other choice. This car was and is going to be mine. No matter what, I’m not letting the story of this car die with my grandfather.