Total Eclipse of the heart

I love cars and talk about cars quite a bit. My first car was a ’95 Chevy Cavalier and what my father would call “Basic Transportation” meaning, it was a no-frills, no extras, get ya from point A to point B kind of vehicle. I didn’t know much about cars when I owned my Cavy, and the only thing I ever did to that car was install an aftermarket CD player, severely damaging the passenger side airbag panel in the process, because I couldn’t find the last two screws to get the dashboard off so I just pried it up far enough to get at the radio. I learned that those airbag panels don’t exactly return to their original position after a move like that.

After I graduated from college and started working at Praxair, and after my nine month stint in Boston, I decided to upgrade the six year old car and get myself something nice. I always liked my Aunt’s second generation Eclipse, and when the third generation Eclipses came out I hated the more aggressive, less smooth design with it’s side strakes and gaping mouth front end. Hated it. But the more I saw it, the more it grew on me. Soon enough, I was “in love” and decided to buy one.

Buying the Eclipse really piqued my interest in cars. I ran across a website of other third-generation Eclipse owners (Club3G) and all these people were talking about how they customized their cars, DIY maintenance procedures, performance adders, and of course why the Eclipse was the best car in the world. I started with little mods, like coloring in the wheel cap logos with red reflective tape, and moved on to things like adding a short ram intake. I never strayed far from the things I could do myself, and I was never really liked the idea of spending a lot of money replacing parts that were still good, so my modding was considered pretty light by most standards. I always got a kick out of electronics, so I started playing around with interior neon lights, back in the days before The Fast and the Furious came out and then everyone got them. I was dating Amanda when I started getting into the neon thing, and Amanda and I actually worked on them together making it our project.

In 2002, Amanda and I decided to drive to Normal, Illinois for the annual Club3G meet at Mitsubishi Motors Manufacturing where the Eclipse is assembled. It was pretty wild seeing so many Eclipses in one spot, and right in front of it’s birthplace no less. It really solidified my love for the car.

I used “SolarEclipse” as my handle on car forums, SpeakupWNY.com, Geocaching.com, and a bunch of other websites. Amanda and I were going to call our Jazz duo “Neon Moonlight” after our customizations. The Eclipse was instantly recognizable to our friends wherever we went. The car really became a part of both of our identities. But after six years, five Buffalo winters, and nearly 94,000 miles, I’ve decided to part with it. It’s bittersweet, to be sure. Sure, it’s great to have a new car, but unlike the Cavalier, this one will be a bit difficult to part with. It was both sad and exciting as I unmodded the car in my garage this afternoon, snipping the wires leading to the neons and pulling cable out from under the carpeting, not knowing what would become of my baby, but knowing what would be replacing it.

So what am I replacing it with? (The car guys out there have skimmed right to this point in the story, completely ignoring my overly sappy soliloquy on the subject.) Not surprisingly, it’s a car I’ve mentioned right here in the past – a new 2006 Subaru WRX Impreza Sport Wagon. West Herr Subaru has had this ’06 sitting on their lot for quite some time now, so Amanda and I stopped by to take it for a spin on Saturday. It’s got more space, more doors, more wheel drive, and more horsepower than the Eclipse, and even with two less cylinders and the word “wagon” in it’s name, it’s anything but a step down. The WRX seems fast even when it’s only idling, and it’s certainly going to be a huge improvement in winter handling over the Eclipse. I’m ecstatic that it looks like we’re going to have a few more days of snow, because I couldn’t find a snow covered parking lot during the test drive. I’ll be sure to find one once the keys are my own.

So, come Tuesday I’m starting a new chapter in my vehicle history book. I doubt I’ll dedicate a page on this site to it, since these days I don’t have the same time, money, or energy to devote to my car anymore, but I’m sure I’ll still get the bug to tweak and improve the WRX a bit here and there. There is certainly no shortage of aftermarket parts available for the Scooby. 🙂 Anyways, au revoir, Eclipse. You were a fun, dependable, and all around enjoyable car to drive. I’ll miss ya. Don’t mind the WRX growling at you as we leave you in the parking lot. It’s nothing personal, it’s just in it’s nature. 😉