Kerfuffle-to-Go: So Long Atilla, my old friend

Thursday, October 16, 2025

So Long Atilla, my old friend

I have a history of getting way too attached to my cars. Back in the early 1980s, my first car, a 1979 Honda CIVIC had fallen into so much disrepair that was getting a little embarrassed to be driving it around. I had it painted because its brown paint had oxidized. under the steady California sun's UV rays the car's synthetic seats fell apart. I had pulled T-shirts over the two front seats so it wouldn't look so crappy.

1979 Honda Civic Hatchback

But finally, although the car, at 80,000 miles was still running well I bought a new car. I took the dealership's offer of a measly $200 for my old car.

The very night I sold the car I had a heart wrenching dream. I had an old hound dog which I hugged and wept over because I was being forced to give it up. Next morning I woke, called Honda and got my car back! Shortly thereafter I sold my old friend to a nice Hispanic man who needed a car for his daughter. I gave him my auto maintenance log that listed all car services and its milage per gallon of gas. When he drove off with the car, I felt good.

Skipping over the car that replaced my brown bomber, in 2004, my friends Jeannie & Ron went with me to bargain and purchase a new car. I got a Mojave Mist color (brown again!) Honda CR-V. That was 21 years ago. I remember being horrified that this first car I was buying all on my own, cost as much as I thought my first house would cost, being approximately $20,000. My brown CR-V ran by the name 'Atilla the Honda'. For years I commuted to the light rail in that car, as well as birded, including 2 trips to Yellowstone and a b'jillion wildlife refuges all over the western USA.

My 2004 Honda CR-V

Alas, no car, not even my dear 'Atilla the Honda' can run forever. Last January after 21 years and over 280 thousand miles of faithful service, my poor old CRV suffered an oil leak. Two different Honda dealers couldn't stop the leaks. Anyway it was time for a new vehicle. The Honda was dead - long live the Honda.

I donated Atilla to National Public Radio. It was picked up from where it sat in my drive way for 2 months while I worked up the courage to say 'goodbye old thing'. My next door neighbors commiserated with me, as they too had known and lost cars they loved. It was nice having the moral support.