‘She’s a write-off mate’ – the dreaded words no owner wants to hear.
I was on the receiving end of this news recently, as my 2003 Honda Jazz made its last road trip to the big Autobahn in the sky.
A steep hill in Belgrave, Victoria pushed old faithful’s transmission one step too far, and it was wrecker-bound from there.
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The ‘blue beast’ was coated in that sparkly pale blue that was only pretty in the early noughties, but had some nifty aftermarket gear installed in it by its previous owner – a carefree hippy from Far North Queensland.
To quote Han Solo: “she may not look like much, but she’s got it where it counts.”
Roof racks, a subwoofer, a touchscreen and a spoiler for good measure made it ready for almost anything, apart from steep inclines it seems.
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Shoutout to Luke from Bosch Car Service in Ringwood for getting the car in on short notice and giving me the final diagnosis.
Losing your daily driver in this fashion can be like losing a pet or a loved one.
It’s been with you on a daily basis, getting you to special occasions, or just helping you grind through that work commute.
It’s taken you to dates, weddings, funerals, school, footy games, moved you across the country and down the road.
There’s nothing quite like the connection between man and car that you only get with a car that’s been around the block a few times.
Who knows, but I don’t see someone reminiscing about their Tesla in 25 years the way a Holden Monaro owner would.
This edition of Australian Car Mechanic is dedicated to all those good littler runners, fixer-uppers and old faithfuls out there.
Thanks for all the memories.
Harry Murtough – Editor