After all these years, fifteen or more, my 1972 Buick Skylark convertible came out of the garage, into the sunshine, and is moving again. Moving, but not exactly self-propelled, not yet. After years of hanging out inside, under a protective tarp, it was time to send her off to the auto shop for a check-up, time to get her running again. Then what? I don't know yet.
I am the second owner of this old girl, and we have a lot of history together, hundreds of hours of local adventures and one memorable west coast road trip south to Palo Alto for a summer computer institute. Most of these fond memories involve carefree, top-down cruising in the sunshine, and not so much the slipping and sliding on Seattle hills during a rare hit of freezing winter weather.
RL was a hero when he found this car thirty years ago after my red '66 Chevy Impala convertible was totalled. A Subaru 4x4 traveling at 50 mph ran into the back of the Chevy while I was stopped in traffic. This yellow Buick brought a bright beam of sunshine back into my driving life and we cruised along happily for years. She handled like a dream, and what's not to love about a soft ride and classic lines?
And then...? Then a smaller, sportier, more-fun-to-drive stick shift convertible seemed an absolute necessity, an antidote against the reality of an approaching major birthday. The Buick went undercover in the garage and remained there until this week.
What's next for the Skylark? her long-term future is uncertain, but it will be comforting to know she is still in great condition in my garage this Spring. I will enjoy driving her again in town, and perhaps someone else will have the opportunity to treasure her soon.
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| Photo: This Buick is smiling again! |
