It was Motor Trend’s Car of the Year, proving what they were forced to
admit later, ad dollars speak louder than reporting integrity. It was to be
Chevy’s new car, and to have a revolutionary new engine design, even the ads
touted Reynolds Aluminum in the ads. But then there was the car, Jim Castro had
one, a blue 1971 hatchback, blue. That always smelled like bad meat. Which one
Sunday when we took off the door panel to install speakers with his 8-track, we
found remains of a sandwich hanging inside the driver’s door. Confirming the
urban legend about assembly line workers, who were bored or upset leaving a
screw loose in a panel to roll around on turns, the legend of the Monday built
car. My brother Nicky had one, a burnt green/brownish color, the basic two door
sedan with Powerglide. A two speed automatic that either shifted too early, or
too late, but shook and vibrated no matter what. A different vibration than the
one telling you the engine was out of oil, just before the warning light came
on. “Fill the oil, and check the gas please,” was said by many of its owners.
And one time while following him, we passed and risked getting lost rather than
endure all the oil leaking and covering us. It either leaked it, marking it
spot ala Harley or a hound dog, or burned it up, either way miles per gallon was
secondary to miles per quart, of oil that is. But Christo had one, a brown with
white stripes, wide oval tires, and it ran fine, although he was always working
on it. What are we talking about? The new 1971 Chevrolet Vega, the competition
to the Ford Pinto and Chrysler’s Simca, another French joke better left untold.
From a company that gave us SS396’s, Olds 442’s, Buick Wildcats, and the great
Cadillacs, they also gave us this turkey. And every time I see the “what
happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” ad I think of Jim’s car, for what happened in
that Vega stayed in that Vega. Choose your own Vegas, Chevy or Las?
They even came out, over budget and years too late with a Cosworth model, a
twin cam overhead engine. And for the price of a Corvette at the time, you
could have a Vega. Which in GM’s logic soon became a badge engineered Sunbird,
or morphed into a Monza. Same car, different name, and they sold thousands.
And we wonder how the one time great General Motors, who once was going to be
broken up because they sold almost 50% of all cars sold in the US of A could
fall so far, and today we have Government Motors, selling a total of less than
Chevy alone used to sell. Who said the Obama administration hasn’t accomplished
anything? But the Vega soldiered on for over 5 years, new engines were replaced
under warranty, if you could wait after convincing Chevy you really needed one,
and the rest of the car didn’t rust apart around you. It was supposed to be the
car of the seventies, and it turned out exactly being that. If you could ever
safely get it up to that speed....
But somewhere out there are the Vegas, and like the Pinto, they are nowhere
to be found. Maybe a thank you is in order for whoever or whatever removed them
from the roads or our memories, just add this to the lore of GM, who took an
unknown lawyer, who didn’t have a license, who wrote book bad mouthing the
Corvair, and who when they assigned private investigators to follow him, was
made into a best seller when they got caught. Ralph Nader. Just a few years
before the Vega, no one has fessed up to that one yet....
But today with disposable cars from Japan, Korea, and other parts of the
world, it is hard to not see that even cars 10-15 years old are missing, except
in So Cal where the weather enables them to outlive their usefulness. We have
become a disposable society, which in some ways is coming around. As kids we
scoured the lots for empty bottles, turning them in for deposits. Then the one
way bottle came out, that now has a deposit on it. No deposit, no return, just
like some people live their lives. Live for today, for there is no tomorrow.
Party hearty for tomorrow we may die. With no concept of the reality they live
in. Like product cycles, we have life cycles, that only after we go on to the
next stage do we appreciate the ones behind. And we find that we wish we had
taken better care of ourselves if we knew we were going to live this long.
Bottles and cans and cars may be throwaway, or recyclable, but lives aren’t.
And often damage done early can lead to long time injuries. Just how important
is your reputation? The legacy you leave behind? What is your life style
telling others? Some profess “live like hell and you’ll go there.” Not
considering hell is a real place. They ditz on Jesus, make fun of those who
believe, even denying Christ in their religion, but deny making the same choice
they made when buying their cars. A price to be paid, and just because the
payments stop doesn’t mean the maintenance does. Some admit to debauchery, but
“hey I’ve outlived many who were worse,” not seeing the patience of a loving
God. They joke of hell, worship the devil, make Halloween a holiday, and curse
God. Not knowing that hell is real, and Jesus saying if it were not he would
tell you so.
Hell was not made for man, but for the fallen angels and demons. Yet on
the day Adam and Eve sinned, and sin entered the world, all who have been born
are born into it, falling short of the glory of God. The laws couldn’t save
them, or even reunite man to him. So he sent Jesus. The gospel to reunite us
and forgive us. So we don’t have to go to hell. God doesn’t send anyone to
hell, Jesus came to rescue us from it. But it is a choice we get to make, for
love demands a choice, not being forced on us. You cannot legislate love. And
God has sent his spirit to remind you until the day that you die that you need
Jesus, and how much he loves you. That you are not forgotten, not a throw away,
but that Jesus is the way.
Today many flock to Vegas, to become themselves, to shed their inner
inhibitions. Even billing it as a family place for vacation. The two week trip
may end, but how many lives are ruined? Sin City it is proudly referred to, and
in the saying, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” having some Biblical
truth. For once you are in hell, you stay in hell. No release, no relief. The
gates don’t keep you out, only Jesus keeps you out, the gates keep you in.
Forever, weeping and gnashing of teeth, unbelievable pain and torment, complete
darkness, and loneliness for ever. God gave you your desire, to be separate
from him...and you got it. And it’s too late. But not today...
Today you can trade the Vegas life, or the Vega you have been driving for
Jesus. He accepts trades, all qualify, condition isn’t important, and you can
be born again. Assuring heaven, and eternal life. Forgoing eternal torment.
Vegas and Vegas will both let us down, only Jesus never will. Today is the day
of salvation, for some the day of eternal damnation. You decide, the choice is
yours. Trust him today before your oil light comes on and you seize up and
die. That loose nut in the car just might be you, don’t end up in a door panel
stinking. Now that you know the truth, wouldn’t you really rather have a
Simca? Happy now Bruce?
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com