Defenseless Driver...

I’ve always been a rough driver. Heck, I learned how to drive on our old dilapidated farm tractor...the one with no breaks, a screwdriver for a key, and a sticky clutch. I even wrecked the drivers Ed car the first day I drove it. I’ve been through so many cars its ridiculous; but one car sticks out the most in my mind. My El Camino. It’s the only car I wish I still had. That thing was sooo sweet! It was a 1979 El Camino Conquista Super Sport Black Knight series. It was metallic silver on glossy black, black leather interior, chromed to the max, and that baby could fly! (Well it did after my brother dropped a 454 engine and Edelbrock carb in it!) I took it to the track and raced it against Mustangs and rice burners on the weekend and blew them all out of the water. I had the fuzzy dice, zebra stripped seat covers AND zebra striped jacket to match. Hell, I was even bumpin two Rockford Fosgate 10’s and an 800 watt amp. It was known as the Cheech and Chong mobile, The Silver Bullet, Black Beauty, or the Party Wagon. Even though it had a bench seat, we still managed to cram everybody in, and whoever didn’t fit in the front rode in the back. People knew it was on when that beauty rolled up. I loved that car! Unfortunately, it too met the fate that so many of my other vehicles before had met. I wrecked it. It was a dark rainy night and I was headed to see my brother. I THOUGHT that I was exiting the freeway on the appropriate exit ramp...Wrong. The rain had skewed my sight and I exited between the off ramp and shoulder. I hit the concrete culvert at about 65MPH, was briefly airborne, landed and spun out in the mud on the other side of the service road. To my amazement the car was still running! I cautiously drove off, but the road was sideways? I made it to my brother’s place and the next morning, to my horror, we discovered that I had bent the frame. SHIT. I was only 16 and in no way could I afford to repair it. Luck was on my side and I met a collector who offered me 5 grand for it! Not bad considering I purchased it from the overgrown front yard of an elderly fellow for 1,000. To this very day, I still wish I had that car….