My husband’s great uncle passed away a few years ago and he left his 1974 Dodge Dart Swinger to my father-in-law. He knew he couldn’t properly care for the vehicle, so he asked us to take the car and keep it maintained. We were absolutely thrilled to keep it under our watch.
The car was transported from California on a truck and we met the driver near the highway. I was the one who got to drive the car home which took about 20 minutes. I was a nervous wreck that I was going to damage it somehow, but of course, we made it home safe and sound. That weekend, we gave the car a massive cleaning, inside and out.
My husband’s great-uncle had three rules for the car: 1. It must be garage-kept. 2. It cannot be driven with salt on the road. 3. All dogs are always welcome to ride. We were worried that the dogs wouldn’t like the car because it is louder than a normal car, but I was very wrong. The keys are different enough that if we pick them up, the dogs know, and they start jumping and barking. As soon as the front door opens, the dogs run to the garage and wait to get in the car.
We find ourselves taking random drives around on a nice day. Sometimes we may take it to get ice cream, but we have been known to drive it around for 15-20 minutes just for the fresh air and fun. It mostly is driven in the spring and fall. Winter is out from the possible snow and summer can be too warm with no AC. We could open the windows, but J likes to stick his entire body out of the car if the window is open. Our girls love the car just as much as the dogs, so anytime we take it out, it’s a family affair.
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