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BBHQ Boomer Essays: |
| Our Boomer-In-Charge here at BBHQ, Hershel Chicowitz, writes frequently about current events... from a boomer perspective. He is sometimes funny, sometimes provocative, sometimes a little of each. We hope you get a kick out of our Boomer Essays. |
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In the first essay in this series, I introduced
you to my wonderful 1981 Mazda RX-7. You may want to read that first.
This week I bring you up to date with a tome of the Mazdamobile. My 25 1/2 year old car, which has lasted longer than most boomer marriages, has aged gracefully. It was never the "babe magnet" that I hoped it would be, but it got me from here to there and back nearly flawlessly. Who could ask for more?
 But... basic mechanics, physics, and plain, old common sense says that it could not last forever. One of the two of us had to go first. I guess I should be grateful that it was the Mazdamobile and not me. With that in mind... It is with considerable sadness, and yet, great pride, that I notify you of the end of an era. Last weekend, the Mazdamobile suffered a partial engine failure, and is now resting comfortably, though in critical condition, in my heated garage. It still runs, but at a sickly pace. The Mazda RX-7 has a rotary engine, with two rotors that power the drive shaft. On Saturday, the rear rotor failed, leaving only half of the engine functioning. Driving the Mazdamobile now requires me to have one foot on the accelerator at all times to keep it from stalling, the other foot on the brake, as necessary; one hand on the manual choke, one on the gear shift, and the other hand keeping tabs on the turn indicator, which suffers from automotive dementia. This is not what I think of when I listen to Steppenwolf's "Born to be Wild":
"Get your motor running The "adventure" is not supposed to include limping down the road, hugging the right lane, at 15 miles per hour, with the turn indicator lights flashing. Nor is it a viable way to navigate the roads, is it? Top speed in the Mazdamobile is now a little over 40 miles per hour... with a strong tailwind. This is the second time the engine has failed. The last time, in 1990, I was 890 miles from home. I was able to drive to Atlanta, where a super technician replaced the engine. At the time, he said that the rebuilt engine would last as long as the first one had. He was wrong. His rebuilt engine has served me well for over 300,000 miles. At 25 1/2 years old, the Mazdamobile has over 525,000 miles on it. That's right.... over half a million miles. But now, I think that the end has finally come. We are, literally, at the end of the road. My local mechanic (Jeff Gladish at Maztech in Tampa), who has been tending to the Mazdamobile for nearly two decades, says that there are so many things wrong with my little car that is it not worth the $2,500 it would cost to repair the engine.
I'll bet you thought I was making up that part about the vice-grips, huh?
 On the plus side, the radio works well, though the antenna no longer goes up and down. Oh, and there is hardly any rust on the body. And the DVD player in the back seat has not caused a problem in ages. Oh, wait..... I do not have a DVD player.... or a back seat.
 So, it appears that I will have to do some quick, serious car hunting, huh? It is a task I have not had to perform since... well, since you know when. I love the Mazda rotary engine. But the current model, the RX-8, runs close to $30,000. Heck, that's almost as much as I paid for my 3-bedroom house, in which I have lived for 30 years. (I am pathetically loyal to my surroundings, aren't I?)
The Mazdamobile story is a four-part series:
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Exploring My Roots: A Chicowitz History
Membership details here.
Terrific boomer memorabilia!!
Remember this?
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If you like what we're doing here at BBHQ, please help us by buying stuff through our link to Amazon.com:
| The BBHQ Album of the Month is "Old Friends Live on Stage (Deluxe Edition) (2 CD/1 DVD)," by Simon & Garfunkel. If you were fortunate enough to see them in concert last year, I do not have to sell you. The concert was terrific! This album collection includes 55 songs, plus their new recording, "Citizen of the Planet," and one of the songs sung by the Everly Brothers during the concert. The DVD was recorded during their concert in Madison Square Garden in 2003. For any S&G fan, this is a must have! But then, you knew that already, didn't you? |
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The BBHQ Book of the Month is
"Vinyl Highway," by
Dee Dee Phelps. You remember her as Dee Dee, of Dick and Dee Dee.
Together, they took a decade long ride on the rock and roll roller
coaster. It was a heck of a ride! Dick Clark, Quincy Jones, the Beach
Boys, Glenn Campbell, Dionne Warwick, Bobby Vinton... Dick and Dee Dee
rubbed shoulders with all of them. This is her "behind the scenes" story.
It's pretty cool.
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