The Model T

Submitted by windupkitty September 20th, 2010
Certifikitsch WinnerClassique d Camembert

I think are quite a few car lovers on the AWMOK and I’m certainly one of them. I grew up working on cars with my dad (or well, getting in the way) and I loved every minute of it. We always had old american cars (I would trade my internal organs to have our 54 Chevy and/or 63 Chevy Nova back, not to mention the 72 Ford F150 Camper) and I will always be partial to the classics. My car turned 21 this year (she’s an official oldie!) but she’s very modern and runs without fail. Recently I finished decorating her a bit, so I thought I’d share…..By the way, she’s an 89 Honda civic 4 door with a paint job to rival Earl Scheib (and by that I mean, I get out a can of Rust-Oleum once a year and touch her up!)

Here’s why she’s called the Model T (I can’t wait to get in a televised car chase with a police chopper):

Try not to be intimidated; the interior is pretty high class:

Welcome Mats in lieu of car mats are a family tradition! They never wear down and I’d much rather have my mats say “Welcome” than “Honda” Man, I need to vacuum!

This sticker was part of a bumper sticker for the wonderful dog rescue group Bad Rap (www.badrap.org). I had to stick it there because the first night I had this car, someone stole the H off the trunk lid! Who can blame anyone for wanting to wear that beautiful H, but alas, it’s absence resulted in 2 holes that allowed water to leak in….

More bumper stickers in case I haven’t fully proved my dorkiness:

This is Andre. He has ridden with me for years and is good company:

And, of course, I can’t leave out Cosmo (short for Cosmonaut since he clearly wears a little black space helmet), who followed me out to my car this morning to see what was going on :) He is an incredible cat with a very gentle nature and highly developed sense of aesthetics.

8 Responses to “The Model T”

  1. Allee Willis

    Bravo! Bravo! Such an excellent post! Such an excellent car! And what excellent Rustoleum care you take of it.

    Really incredible that you put Mr. T. on the roof and not on the hood or the side. Such an act of restraint on your part.

    I’m very impressed at how neat the car is. I’m wild about the bumper sticker. And how cute is the kitty?!!!

    • windupkitty

      Yeah, it just seemed right for Mr T to be on the roof…..I mean, I don’t want my car to look tack or anything….

      and Cosmo is a brilliant cat…he came to us with the back of his head torn entirely open (I mostly rescue ferals) and was thankfully one of those boys who decided I could treat his wounds…
      I’ve never met a cat like him….every morning his recovery cage was IMMACULATE (not a piece of litter tracked anywhere,not a thing out of place) yet he enjoyed rearranging his blankets in various formations every night. BUt, not the way a cat or dog would bunch things up to make a comfy bed…he would actually fold things in strange geometric patterns…he was seriously designing his cage in the most modern of ways and kept everything tidy and aesthetically pleasing..when he was finally healed, he wouldn’t leave the cage! He wasn’t about to give up the hand delivered canned food and Eames House! I talk about cats too much…..:)

  3. Mark Milligan

    I’m with you on the ’63 Nova Chevy II, Windup, my very first car was a turquoise 2-door hardtop ’63 Chevy II. My Mom gave it to me, it’d been her car! That was 1971.

    The accordian bumper sticker just made me laugh so loud in a hotel in Seattle I’m afraid the other guests will complain.

    And that Mr. T paint job is the best!

    • windupkitty

      SHUT UP!!!!!!! YOu had a 63 Nova? Where are the pics!!!!!!????? OUrs was that same greeny-blue color but a four door sedan (not a chevy 2) just the bare bones model..My favorite thing was her “trick ignition”.

      Growing up in the heart of the rapidly developing silicon Valley,(a movement my family was never a part of,and in fact mostly resented as our beautiful land was destroyed in front of our eyes!)plenty of my playmates from school had folks who buying all sorts of new fancy cars (electric windows! a speedometer that read like a digital alarm clock!). But, I would always inspire screams when I’d reach over and pull the key out of the ignition while my mom was driving (of course the car kept going)! Got ’em every time! :)

      Glad you like the accordion bumper sticker! I couldn’t find one that said “i’m a chubby shut-in with too many cats” but with that sticker, it’s pretty much implied. :)

  4. Mark Milligan

    ours wasn’t bare bones, or top of the line. But the color, and and the “hardtop” model (no roof post between the side windows) made me think it somewhat alright.

    But here’s what made me love it: my older brother in law took the straight 6 out of it and put a 283 V8 in (a souped up one to boot) it for me for my 16th birthday! Not that fast off of the line, but the top end would take anything almost because it was geared so high for the little 6 cylinder that was supposed to be in it. Nobody knew I was driving it 120 mph until I passed my brother in laws friend in his new chevy pickup who couldn’t keep up with me. The guy I passed was-and I’m not making this up-a stock car driver. My parents didn’t think it was as funny as my brother in law who put the engine in it for me.
    I keep asking my dear old Mom if she has pix of my cars from those days, and she doesn’t seem to find any. I’ll have to head home this fall for a quick weekend to the midwest to rummage through her photos. It seems odd to me that I wouldn’t have any pictures of my cars because I loved them so much. If I find them, I’ll post!