Having the Blues Over Little Red

Some days I just miss my Festivas so much. Last night I was checking out the "Festiva Festival 2005" pictures from the last club rally. In that row of nice-looking Festies was a bright red one just like one of mine. I miss Little Red's flat dash and zippy little 1.3L 4 cylinder. I miss the way the red and grey striped, velour covered bucket seat cradled my shoulders perfectly. The seats were a bit firm, but they were "Mary-sized."
Sometimes I think driving around in this flashy Echo is just the height of hubris. I actually make car payments, tossing away money on a depreciating asset. I wonder if I should just sell the Echo and buy another $800 sub-compact. I could spend an exciting weekend shopping for cars, test-driving rusty little hatchbacks all over the Twin Cities. Then, out of nowhere, that perfect little car would appear. Maybe not a Festiva, but a car as special and unique as Little Red. I'd write my check, and take my new toy home.
Then there would be the weekends filled with changing belts and hoses, replacing the air filter, buying new tires, and maybe attaching a new muffler. Of course, the best time of all would be the happy hours I'd spend sanding, priming, applying Bondo and painting. The body work is my favorite part of owning an old car. There's no chance to have fun like this with a fancy new car.
At least I didn't have to give up the joyously firm handling of manual steering when I lost my Festiva. The Echo is a part of the elite 10% of cars manufactured without power steering in 2004. This is the one link back to Little Red that is a part of my daily driving experience. May you Rust in Peace, Little Red. I miss you.