Site map

Story

Specs

Gallery1

Gallery2

Gallery3

Links

Mopar images

PEI Ferries

The True Story of a boy and his Aspen

Once upon a time a little Dodge Aspen sat forgotten at the back of the Lunenburg Foundry Garage car lot. He had been built in May 1979, but perhaps because he wasn't flashy or fast like an R/T, or luxurious like a Special Edition, nobody seemed to notice him. Worst of all, now it was January 1980 and he was already last year's model! How the little car wished for a good home. " I could be fun to drive."� He said. "And my little 225 gets great mileage. Oh if only I wasn't so plain looking maybe someone would buy me." An Omni heard him and said" Anyone looking for an economy car will buy me because I have newer front wheel -drive technology. You'll never sell; you're much too odd, with that silly long shifter and only three speeds. I have four! " He boasted. This made the little Aspen sad.

But then one day a young man came to the lot shopping for his first new car. The little Aspen tried to look shiny. Naturally, the young man would have preferred a 360 R/T or Roadrunner or maybe even a Charger, but suddenly, as if by fate, the young man spotted the little car's grille. It was a pretty grille. He came over for a closer look. The little car held its breath " He's looking at my shifter! " He thought excitedly. "Drive me! Drive me!" It didn't take long for the young man to make up his mind. The more he thought about the little car, the more he liked its cool shifter. He could add a spoiler like an R/T, maybe even replace the wheel covers. Yes, the little car seemed right for him. The young man had his new car.

The young man was good to the little Aspen and the two became close friends. For many years they went everywhere together, winter and summer. The little car even got a spoiler and a set of Rallye wheels. He loved to be washed and waxed and kept his promise to give great gas mileage. He moved to Halifax with the young man and learned all about city life. When the young man got married, the little car was there. When they decided to have a family, the little Dodge proudly brought the new baby home in his new car seat. Then something happened. Another car came to live with them. A family car for the kids (three in all). The little car was getting older and he was afraid he might be sold.� But when the young man (who, incidentally, was not so young anymore) transferred to Bridgewater he couldn't have been happier. Once again it was just the two of them going to work everyday, just like old times, only smokier. You see the little Car was getting older, too, having driven over 200,000 kilometres in his lifetime. He wished that he could retire and just go for rides on sunny days. He found it more difficult to get around now and sat out the winter of 1989 with a badly stretched timing chain and a burnt valve. After a spring fix-up, he bravely returned to work but didn't feel the same. Then one December evening, disaster struck- an 8-point Buck ran in front of him and he couldn't stop in time. He felt his hood and fenders bending and hot steamy prestone sprayed from his broken radiator. His pretty grille was shattered in a million pieces. He was hurt so bad the insurance company wrote him off as being too old to bother fixing. The young man could not part with his loyal friend and found a spot to keep him, planning someday to repair him. Years passed, mice chewed his wires and pooped on his inner fenders. The young man's children played in him. They drove him thousands of imaginary miles. He enjoyed their company, though; as he was lonely and wondered if he would ever feel a real road again. In 1993 the young man, who was now older and balder, decided it was time to bring the little car out of storage. "Would he even remember me?" He thought. That day, although initially discouraging was the start of a slow process to turn back the clock. Over the next few years the little car got a few new parts and a few used ones. Almost every weekend in the summer his owner would take off the tarp and work away at the little car, from time to time turning down offers to sell it for parts. Winters were spent in his basement storage with the mice and dampness. There were times, especially when the little car was all apart that he had nightmares of winding up in the crusher. He was glad in 1994 when he began to get some of his parts reinstalled. A substitute motor found its way between his fenders in 1995. Although it too, was a high mileage piece it would have to do until he could have his original rebuilt. In 1996 he achieved another milestone- his first inspection sticker since 1990. He spent that winter in a much nicer garage at his new home in Bridgewater. Next spring, he happily received a new coat of paint and attended his first ever show and shine. It didn't matter to him that he still needed a bit of work. After all, he was eighteen years old now and if he wanted to smoke who was going to stop him? As he looked around at all the other lucky cars shining in the bright sunshine he heard someone say" Look at the cool shifter in this old car!" That made the little car feel real special- even if he wasn't an R/T.

�

I took this picture in the summer of 1999. My entire family is in the car but you can't see them right now because I told them to keep their heads down so they wouldn't spoil the shot. They gladly obliged, saying they were embarrassed to be seen in it anyway. Touch�.

��