Daily Prompt December 26, 2025

 What is your all time favorite automobile?

The first vehicle I purchased in my life was a dilapidated 1974 Datsun pick-up truck.

It was far from road worthy to say the least.

In fact it was a death trap.

After running my credit cards to their limits I managed to get it certified and on the road.

Then the many adventures I would have in it began.

I named her “Baby Blue”.

To give you a hint as to how ‘rough‘ Baby was, every Friday night I would get out my paint brush and give her a fresh coat of blue paint.

(Looking back I now realize that having driven her for two and a half years meant she had a minimum of 130 coats of that cheap metallic blue paint.)

Oh the memories this resurrects!

She had a four speed manual transmission and a loose nut on the steering wheel.

The passenger side floor was made out of multiple layers of Pizza Pizza boxes.

(For their personal safety I would advise all passengers to not stomp their feet while the vehicle was in motion.)

At one point the hood hinges had completely rusted out. So I installed hood locks on all four corners.

When doing over twenty miles an hour the hood would flutter and bounce. I could tell my speed by how much noise that bouncing created.

Did I mention that during the time I drove Baby Blue I had yet to get my driver’s license?

I had my “learners permit” only.

(And man oh man I quickly and certainly “learned”. Every time I drove her I would learn something new.)

Yes, looking back I realize that I was a criminal road warrior driving an “accident looking for a place to happen”.

(But, that accident never happened.)

(Thankfully!)

In fact I never once received a traffic ticket of any sort or even came close to having an accident.

(Again,Thankfully).

I loved that piece of junk.

I truly did.

However, I betrayed her.

I replaced Baby Blue with a spanking new Chevy Cheyenne.

I hated scrapping Baby.

(Although I bet that wherever her carcass is there is no rust on her remaining parts. Not after having over 130 coats of hand brushed cheap paint.)

I was very proud of owning the Chevy.

Extra proud of the fact I paid cash for it and owned it outright.

But, I never was able to get as attached to it as I was with my “Baby Blue”.

Perhaps it was the “newness” or that everywhere I looked there were identical Chevy trucks.

Or perhaps it was because I had finally got my full driver’s license.

Or maybe it was the five serious accidents I had following the two years after betraying Baby Blue.

I still get the”Blues” when I reminisce about her.

I still miss shifting up and down her four speeds.

I still miss the Friday evening paint parties.

I miss my Baby Blue.

I certainly do.

Which proves that there is no love like your first love.

And there’s no sun like a Datsun.