I'm a monogamous kinda guy. Married my first real girlfriend, we met when I was 24 and we've been together a decade this summer, and married 5 years. Which is why we are taking the 09 Challenger on its first real road trip, 5000 miles round trip through TX-NM-AZ-CA-NV-UT-CO-KS-MO and back home to Arkansas.
I'm just as monogamous with my cars. My previous cars were cheap beaters that I ran into the ground, but the Challenger is mine forever, barring something unforeseen (my dad totaled his '69 Charger when I was like 4 or 5 in the mid 80's, so stuff happens sometimes.) Its at 10,000 miles right now, so I expect it to be quite a while before I hit 100,000+, its mostly a weekend car, which is fine with me. She's not a garage queen and I don't store it for the winter, though I do drive it less in winter. I just prefer to keep it as more of a recreational experience, than a daily driver. Also, it eats too much gas to drive every day
I first saw the new Challenger when they launched the official site before they started sales. I was in love immediately and said I must have this car, knowing full well this was my car for life. I waited through the 2008's because I refused to get an auto, so as soon as 2009's went on sale, I ordered one from the dealer. 6-speed black and zero other options, exactly like I wanted it. I waited and waited for my vin number so I could follow it as it was getting made, and picked it up early May 2009.
Only a month later, the body was destroyed in the worst hail storm this area has ever seen, and I was right in the epicenter of the absolute worst part of the storm. The car looked like a golf ball it was covered in thousands of dimples. Insurance estimate was $7000, replacing the hood, decklid, front fenders, and cutting and replacing the whole frigging roof, along with lots of paintless and painted dent repair on the doors and quarter panels.
I was told that if I pushed, I could get a new car instead. But y'know what? I was already attached. I hadn't even gotten to 500 miles yet, but I was already connected to this car. Her name was Jennifer and I couldn't just toss her out. So instead, I decided to go one step further, from my near perfect car, to my actual dream car. I had thought from the start that this car would look fantastic in matte black, and thought maybe at some point I would pay to have it done (honestly, I didn't care too much for the pearl black, it was too "sparkly", like a moody teenage vampire). Well, here was the perfect opportunity, because with all the body work, they were going to have to repaint 80% or more anyway. So I tossed in an extra couple hundred bucks to sand and paint the bumpers and paint the doorsills and such.
So in the end, I found myself thanking God, literally, for the hailstorm. Because who knows when/if I'd have ever gotten around to getting it repainted. So it was a blessing in disguise, as I went from having an awesome car, to my absolute dream car.
Looking forward to the trip this summer, and more like it in the future. The eco-nuts will have to pry this car from my cold dead hands... because I think I want to be buried in it