In 1987, I had just graduated from college and was flat broke. I sold all my movable property to get through my last semester. I even sent my Ruger 10/22, my Ruger M77 and my (Savage made) Enfield No.4 Mk1, home with my girlfriend so I wouldn't be tempted to sell them. After I graduated, I got a job but could only afford $250 to buy an 1972 Mercury Cougar coupe (with a 351cu. in. V8 = 5.8 liter = 300 h.p). Tons of power but too dangerous to use in that car. It would have probably twisted the frame and broken the rusty motor mounts.
image from here
Not my actual car but it looked like that, except mine had a lot of rust on it.
After 15 Minnesota winters, it was pretty much shot. Shocks, tires, body, brakes, battery, you name it; they all needed to be replaced. As was typical of those old Fords, the rear quarter panels were rusted out and you had to drive with the windows open as the exhaust fumes would come in through the trunk. Every time you went over a bump, it would shimmy from side to side, as the Pittman arm was shot. You had to follow a very precise sequence of actions to start it or it would flood and then you would have to wait for ten minutes before you could try starting it again.
I used to have to be at work at 7:30am and had to negotiate a set of railroad tracks on a curve, on the way to work. Every time I hit those tracks, the lights would go out. The first few times that happened, I almost soiled my pants as I was on a curve. In the winter, at that time in the morning, it's usually icy and pretty dark. There was another bump a little further down the road and if I hit it right, the lights would come back on. Once I figured that out, it wasn't such a big deal anymore.
I lived on a hill and one morning after a big snowstorm, I watched the snowplow come whipping around the corner towards my totally buried car. He saw the antenna sticking out of the drift and lifted his plow at the last moment and cleared the car. I remember hoping he would hit it and put it out of its misery, but ... no such luck.
I lived with that thing for a year, till I could buy something else.
