The best vehicle I ever owned was a 1987 Ford Temp LX. This was my first car, of course it was used when I bought it. I need a vehicle to get back and forth to college, so I babysat full-time all summer to save up for the $1,600.00 price tag. I was working over forty hours a week, and often wondered if a car was worth all of the trouble – but I trudged on. By the end of the summer I was ready to purchase my very own car.
I thought this car was the greatest thing going! It was shiny black, without a drop of rust and had a super clean red interior. It had about 86,000 miles, however that was not important to me because this awesome ride had a sunroof! When the sale was final and I drove that car off the lot I felt like the coolest person going. Of course I had to go show all of my friends the best car in the whole wide world, to my dismay they just did not seem that impressed.
I didn’t realize how great this car really was until winter reared it’s ugly head. Living in the foothills of the Adirondack mountains means dealing with less than perfect driving conditions. We deal with snow, sleet, freezing rain, black ice, and frost covered windows on a regular basis. My Ford Tempo LX could handle it all. I was certainly not an experienced driver, so I credit my first car with my safe travels. That car did not slip and slide in even the iciest of conditions.
Often times cars do not want to start up on frigid mornings – but my Tempo always did. The front and rear window defrosters were the absolute best! Frost and ice would almost immediately melt off of my windows as soon as I hit the defrost button. The heat this car produced was unbelievable, often times I would have to take my coat off – which is unheard of in January and the wind chill could turn you into an ice sculpture. My Ford Tempo LX braved any and all weather like a real trooper.
It has been over fifteen years since I purchased my first car and yet I still compare cars to that Ford Tempo LX. As winter begins and my mini-van is hesitant to start I remember how my Tempo would start right up. When my windows are taking forever and a day to defrost I think back to my first car. When I am driving down the road and my mini-van is sliding all over I think back to my wonderful first car. I hope one day I will own another car that is able to measure up to my 1987 Ford Tempo LX.