Hello everyone, Bryce here with Pimp My Ride! Just kidding… but seriously. I’m going to share some of my favorite memories of the cars I have driven over the years, and my dream car. What are some of your favorite car memories or favorite cars?
The first car I ever drove was the red hand-me-down Plymouth Sundance that had been handed down through one uncle’s family of kids, through another uncle’s family of kids, and through our family of kids. It ran like a dream, even though by the time I got to use it the radio that didn’t work had been torn out of the dashboard by some thief, the pull tabs to lock the doors had broken off and were held up by zip ties, and it eventually couldn’t make any more long range trips. We also have a history of naming cars in our family, and so when my sister drove it was dubbed her little Red Rhonda. When my oldest brother drove it he and his friends called it the Crimson Healer, after a friend who wasn’t feeling well climbed in and started feeling better.
By the time I was driving it was simply dubbed The Sundance. It was the car I learned to drive in, going on trips with my dad and brother to eat out at a German Delicatessen, another trip with dad to visit the Manti temple and get shakes and burgers, and I only drove over the speed limit once or twice… Eventually my younger brother got into stencil and spray paint art, and somehow got permission from everyone else in the family but me to paint a giant snake head on the hood of the car.
The Cobra was born, which I drove to high school for a year. I met several people who took pictures of it and thought that it was the coolest car they’d ever seen! They must not get around much. A year later, as the sun continued to eat away at the paint, my brother had even bigger plans. He taped up the car and painted it all black with the bat symbol on the front. I then drove The Batmobile to school for my senior year and again the car became a sensation. I was later told that a friend and neighbor drove by one evening and one turned to another and said, “That’s where Bryce Wayne lives!”
The Batmobile finally gave up the ghost and was totaled while I was away on my mission, so when I got home I rode the bus for my first year of college and eventually used another loaner car from our aunt before my brothers needed to use it more than me. I worked as much as I could during school and eventually was able to “purchase” a used Ford Fusion from my cousin with an interest free loan from my mom. (Thanks mom!)
The car was charcoal black and was quickly dubbed Dusty, because he was always a little dusty. Dirt showed up on him, but I didn’t mind. Dusty got me all through college, working late nights at the Marriott Center, through dating, and eventually to my first full time job. We worked hard together, going through young adult life well, until Dusty had a few too many parts fail on me to keep him running.
I had worked my full time job for a year and a half at that point and saved up my money enough that I felt confident enough (with some coaching from my mom and coworkers) to go out and buy a brand new car. I knew what kind of car I had my mind set on trying to get, and quickly set out to find a new Hyundai Elantra. One of the reasons I wanted one was because my favorite living author Brandon Sanderson had written a fantasy book called Elantris, and I had always imagined customizing the insignia to match the book title.
After leaving the car dealership having signed my life away, I was now the proud owner of a silver Hyundai Elantra. I was ready to take on the world, and none too soon as I needed a reliable car to go see my then-girlfriend named Esther who lived an hour away.
As Esther and I got to know each other and my car better, our car took on the name of El. This name represents many of the nerdy references we enjoy. From Elantris, to Eleven from Stranger Things, and our Elytra as in Minecraft. El has gotten us through the first few years of dating to now marriage in style, as only our nerdy car could.
The only other thing I could want in life is a dream car that is even nerdier. Until I was a missionary, I had never really been into cars, but being surrounded by other young men and dudes, I was quick to realize I knew little to nothing about cars. I tried to get into liking certain models or styles, but never truly fit in. Eventually I realized that I didn’t need to, and went back to my childhood movies and decided that if I ever could, I would like to drive a Delorian one day. To be able to cruise around the streets in a time machine, pop open those seagull wing doors, and hit 88 miles per hour would be a dream come true.
I finally came to the understanding that my relationship with cars didn’t need to be anything other than an extension of my personal lifestyle. Instead of trying to find just the right sports car or ideal car make or model, what I enjoy most is being me. That is what my car means to me and why I love being able to use it as a means of getting from point A to point B, as well as sharing the journey with those I care about. Because for me it’s not so much the destination, but rather the journey, the road-trip snacks, carpool karaoke, and meaningful conversations along the way.