Journey's End

[Jim Wright]

My SE-R adventure of 16 years, 5 months, and about 260k miles will be  
coming to a conclusion later this month, going out, not with a bang,  
but with a whimper.  As far as cars go, not going out with a bang is  
probably preferable, but still, a sad moment.

A recent hail storm in Austin took its toll on my trusty '91, and  
because we still carried full coverage, my wife has convinced me to  
turn in the claim.  My car has definitely seen better days, gone are  
the days of regular washes and waxes, pampered storage in a garage  
when not in use, regular maintenance to correct the slightest of  
squeaks or rattles.  Years in the Texas sun have ruined the paint,  
hail has pelted the body more than once, a nasty dent to a rear panel  
when I had the car parked on the street, and my wife backed into  
it...  The passenger door that refuses to unlock, another round of  
suspension replacement long overdue, the barely noticeable feel of the  
clutch just barely beginning, again, to slip, AC that hasn't worked in  
years, more rattles and squeaks than the car has bolts, the floor mat  
my heel has worn a hole through, and another year of wondering if I'll  
be able to get it to pass the emissions inspection again.

I've abused my car, and it has taken the punishment, but still it  
responds faithfully when I demand the performance it was designed to  
deliver, pulling me through tight curves, accelerating away from  
traffic, and stopping those times when I needed braking power the most.

The circle is now drawing to a close.  My SR-R was the first on the  
road in St. Louis, I remember exchanging waves with fellow SE-R  
drivers on the highways those first few months, with the cars in short  
supply, we all knew we had something special.  The roads are once  
again sparsely populated with '91s and again fellow drivers wave, at  
least, those who know what they have, and still appreciate it.

But, even though my days with 'Bob' are numbered as my appointment  
with the insurance company approaches, my SR-R journey is not over.   
My project car, another '91, still waits in the garage, the  
replacement engine sitting on the stand next to it, waiting for the  
day that I will finish the work once began, before the project car  
became a source for spare parts.  With my remaining days, I hope to  
donate a few parts back to the project car.

And while I may never again pull up in my black SE-R and hear someone  
say, "Oh, it's you Bob",  <http://www.youtube.com/watch? 
v=lgKtihDtooQ>, I still plan to Enjoy the Ride <http://bad321.buzznet.com/user/video/118649/nissan-toys-gi-joe-barbie/ 
 >.