USA Today Says I Can Afford the Car of My (teenage) Dreams

As I started my morning surfing today, I kept seeing  the headline, “Boomers finally can afford the car of their (teenage) dreams on my Google News homepage. After the third time or so, I decided to check the story out. The article mentions the Dodge Challenger and Charger, Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Mustang, and Pontiac GTO as the most popular for boomers who are trying to relive their youth.

“Ah,” I thought, “To have another Mustang, but a nice one this time; one that can go 55 mph without sounding like it’s going to rattle completely apart, one that has a smooth paint finish, one that doesn’t leave me stranded on the side of the road when it feels it can no longer go on.”

I am referring to my very first car, my 1968 Mustang, white with a black top. Here’s a representative photo:

The car in this picture resembles my Mustang, except mine suffered from badly patched sections, performed by yours truly in an attempt to cure its rust affliction. I’d sit out in our yard with pieces of sand paper, a tub of Bondo, and a can of white spray paint for hours trying to keep up with the disease that was spreading faster than flesh eating bacteria.

When I think about it now, my Mustang was only about a decade old when I owned it. Most products today don’t last as long as they used to, but I’d have to say the opposite is true of automobiles, wouldn’t you? Daughter Kasey drives a 2004 Honda Civic, and it has aged much better than my Mustang did.

Anyhow, back to the article. I didn’t get past the mention of the Mustang before I was on the Ford site, building my new car. Oh, it was fun. Heated seats, navigation system, all-weather floor mats. Oh, there were a lot of sporty things you could put on the outside, but I’m all about comfort these days. Hmm. I could get into one of those for about $30k. Not too bad, but when I got done, I noticed that the car had only two doors. What? No rear doors? No, the Mustang is not a sedan.

Hmm, perhaps what I want is not the car of my dreams when I was a kid. Perhaps I should look into the type of car that my parents drove when I was a kid. The one I remember most is the Chevy Caprice. It was a pretty car, a soft metallic blue with a black top.

So, Google Chevy Caprice. What? They still make the Chevy Caprice? “Let’s check this out,” I thought. Here’s what the Chevy Caprice looks like today:

Truth be told, the car I’ve really always wanted is the Jaguar. And it has four doors. Entry-level model: $53k. I wonder how they drive in the snow?

Well, enough dreaming. Time to start my Saturday chores. I think I’ll stick with Plan A. Drive the 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid into the ground and beef up my retirement account.