Tiger came into my life in November of 2004.
I had recently moved back to Nebraska following college, and alas the Volvo I was driving was ceasing to run any time that it rained (sort of a problem). Thus, Violet found her way to car heaven and my dad and I went in search of a "darn good deal" car for my driving needs. At the time I didn't know it, but Tiger would be the last in a long legacy of darn good deal cars purchased by my father. These good deals ranged from the Omni driven by all three Meyer daughters (which, by the time it got to me, no longer required a key in the ignition for starting), two little VW Beetles merged into one tiny red bug, a VW van (painted bright turquoise with large "Lutheran Student Center" magnets on the side), and my favorite, a string of three white Reliant K-Cars (you heard right, three in white) all driven by yours truly.
I digress.
So my father and I pored over the want ads. I found the ad for Tiger, and seeing as my father's latest love was Hyundais, I figured he'd jump at the chance to go check out this little Hyundai Accent.
Dad went to meet Tiger. He came home to tell me the news - good little car, nice engine, great mileage. Some hail damage.
"Some" being the understatement of the year in this case. Tiger had narrowly avoided death in a hail storm two years prior. He resembled a black golf ball more than a car.
But, I needed a car, so my father and I drove back over to the apartment of the Russian foreign exchange student making the deal. We drove up, and I could not hide my shock at the dented body of the little guy. And then, in what could have been one of his proudest moments, I turned to my father and said, "Dad. I don't care what the car looks like. It is a good deal and you can't beat the mileage."
That afternoon, in one swift and small check to the exchange student, Tiger became a Meyer. My father was tickled pink, and I had a car with a CD player and automatic locks and windows for the first time in my life. It was good.
Three and some years later, Tiger has earned his name as the little car that could. He has traveled endless trips between Lincoln and Ashland, Lincoln and Madison, Madison and Chicago, Madison and Minneapolis - you name it. 70,000 miles later, Tiger was continuing to get great mileage, although little issues had started slowing him down (who needs windows that roll up or doors that shut anyway, right?).
And then it happened.
On Thursday, January 31, at 7 a.m. in the morning, Tiger Meyer died. His transmission went out smack dab in the middle of an intersection on Northport Ave. His final days have not been good to Tiger, learning that indeed, it would cost more to fix his little body than my father paid for him in the first place. Tomorrow, Tiger will go to scrapper heaven.
He will be remembered, he will be missed. The little engine that could, and much more than that, perhaps the greatest car deal of my father's lifetime.
Farewell, little Tiger.
4 comments:
I TOTALLY remember when you got that car...and I will never forget all the giant hail pock-marks on the hood. Nor will I forget how proud your dad told me he was of you that you wanted to buy it.
I mourn today for the passing of Tiger.
A Hyundai bites the dust. May he rest in piece.
Our 2 that we have, seem to run well (Accent over 124,000 miles and Santa Fe over 90,000 miles). Yes, your dad had a little influence on those purchases too.
Maybe you can have another one someday.
Are you sure Tiger wasn't a better deal than the first K car he bought for you? 'Cause I remember how proud he was when he got back to the Center with it.
I think I've bought shoes for more than your dad paid for that first car. :)
okay scott - the first K car did not have a roof on the inside. remember that? we had to put one in, and it was crackling foam before we got that done
that particular k-car was named clarise the beast.
and did clarise make it 70,000 miles?
tiger was still the better deal. :)
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