When my wife, Lyn decided to buy a car for my daughter, Beth, I think she gave her Mom about 5 seconds to start asking when that would happen. 

The arduous task of finding just the right car for my youngest that we could afford took much time and patience on the part of us all. We finally found the spiffy Honda Prelude SI that was just right. FYI: this model has four wheel steering and are fun to drive on winding country roads.

Beth drove her car through the rest of high school and college. When she scored a career job in Chicago, it was time to park the car for occasional use by the Dadster. Oh yes, I coveted driving that car. It became my non-business mode of transport. Driving it made me feel decades younger.

Then the time came when the cost of repairs were too much to argue away. Fate intervene in the form of my friend, Rich Weiss. He’s a talented mechanic and was looking for a fixer-upper for his 16 year old daughter, Shannon. We made the deal, and I accepted the old Prelude would go to someone who will revive it and give it to someone to care for it.

Today, I spoke with the Weiss family at the Memorial Day services. Shannon is now a freshman at my Beth’s alma mater, Kutztown University.

I broached the subject of our common car.

Shannon told me she was tee-boned by some yahoo who continued through an intersection. She was unhurt, but the Honda was damaged enough to be totalled by the insurance company.

The Weisses told me they had a closure ceremony for the car with a wreath on the hood. Rich drove the Prelude to the salvage yard. He said the drive train was still very strong.

We had a little mourning party for the old car as we stood there.

It’s hard to imagine cars can take on a personality, but if they can, this little Honda Prelude SI had a truckload of it.