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I heart my Ford Laser

Monday, October 06, 2008

At just over 17 years of age my dearly beloved blue Ford Laser, 'Renee' (RNE 496) has finally celebrated 160,000kms.

Thecarsguide.com.au recently published and article proclaiming the Ford Laser KF/KH (produced between 1990-1994) as 'fun little machine full ofspirit'. Thats what i have always said!! RNE has a real heart and soul. She feels pain. God knows she has endured the effects of my driving for the last 9 years.

I've crashed her badly. Twice. Shes had minor (but expensive) scrapes and dings. Three times. Most of her panels have been replaced, so really she is like brand new.

She has had afew near death experiences. Firstly five days after i got my P Plates, i got totalled by a fat fucking semitrailer across the rear drivers side. It was like a slow motion scene from Days of Thunder. I was so scared to tell my Fairy God Mother, who at that stage was still thelegal owner of RNE....

Then there was the time 3 years ago that GIO wanted to scrap her after a Psycho Un-insured Islander Woman (PUIW) spazzed out and took a right hand turn into the front of her, causing permanent brain damage to the air-conditioner. I managed to convince the GIO man that $4500 AND getting to keep her was a fair deal. 10 weeks later she was back on the road.

Mechanically she purrs (just as long as the radio is turned up). Apart from
a)the time the whole transmission conked out when my Mum yelled 'watchout' at me for no apparent reason while driving in Rookwood cemetery(cost to fix $1900),
b) the time that the water pump died and i nearly 'cooked' the engine (cost to fix $600) and
c) the other week when the alternator wouldn't alternate (cost to fix, including full service and rego check $850).

RNE IS in tip top shape. She might even do the City-to-Surf this year.

Wehave had some good times. Especially since the installation of the CDPlayer. Numerous trips to Grassy Head and Newcastle, driving Debatingkids to debates and excursions, and of course the epic journey to TheFalls festivals with a newly de-Hare Krishna-ised Radhika Nupara in2005... ahhh, get your motor running...

Each year on RNE'sbirthday (aka 'holy shit my rego is due today' aka May 6th) I take her to the car wash and get her jazzed up. Armour-all works wonders. She comes out oozing confidence and purrs along in the gritty city.

I would like to thank John Novak of John Novak Auto Repairs (02 97445353) for his handwritten invoices and quality service. Mark Rogers at Hale & Crighton Smash Repairs (02 9744 0462) for being a smarmy wanker, but whose panel beating got RNE back from the dead. I of course have to thank Margaret Hislop RNE's original owner for gifting her to me. To the NRMA for taking my money even though i never really need your H-E-L-P.

RNE i love you!