Since we're off topic to start. I know I do tend to park next to nicer vehicles, don't think any of mine are slouches but I figure the person that owns a nicer car will be careful with mine and hopefully they will think the same way when they see how nice my car is, that I may have more or less helped "protect" one side of their car while they did the same to mine.

Other point, know where I kind of like to park? Apart from the big superstores I like to park next to the cart return . My thinking is 1. the cart return usually isn't as big as the space which means I can use a little of that space to give me more room on the other side and 2. People that will return the cart to the cart return will usually be more careful. Park far away, someone doesn't want to walk to the return and leaves the cart sit, rolls and hits your car. That being said there have been a few occasions where I've had a cart left right behind my car... what the extra 2 feet was too far?!?! So far *knocking on wood* nothing bad has happened to any of my vehicles.

Back on topic. Had a 95 Z34 that I sold to a co-worker who was moving and needed better more reliable transportation then she already had. Pretty much have regretted it ever since, that's why when looking for my newest car had I pretty much decided I wanted a Monte again.

 

So did I... until I saw a kid running the cart back for his mother and just THROW it at the cart return. If he missed or the cart went another direction that would have been worse than the wind blowing the cart into my car.

I now stay away from those things. I don't need someone throwing a cart at my car.

 

I drive around till I find a space with a curb on one side, or no parking spot on one side. Then I favor the side with nothing on it, or the curb. If I cannot find a space like that, then I look for a nice wide space with nice cars on either side of it. I am super picky about where I park my car! But so far (knock on wood) I have no dents or scratches.!

 

....In keeping off topic here; I even park my 96 S10 a long way from the other shoppers and the ever dangerous soccer wagon with the kids flying the doors open ! And yes, I avoid shopping carts when I can. I have had my MC to a couple of parking lots and I am very cautious on where to park it.
Back on topic: I haven't owned a MC in the past but a friend of mine had a 73 with swivel bucket seats, Black w/ red interior. It also had red pinstripes on it, Crager wheels. Very nice car. Don't know whatever happened to it ?

 

Here's my story:
in october 2006 right before i turned 17, my parents were finally considering getting my first car. i had been looking a little to see what i could really see myself in that was reasonable for a first car. i always had my eye on my grandma's black 95 Monte carlo LS. we had talked about it before but she was unsure. she loved that car. but she couldn't drive anymore so there it was in their garage sitting for months. maybe driven once or twice a month. finally she gave in and she knew i'd take good care of it. she had owned the car since late 94 when she bought it new. the car was in amazing shape. the paint was bright and glossy, hardly a scratch or dent, interior was clean and bright, the engine ran smooth and quiet, and it had 54,000 miles on it. she gave it to me for free. i couldn't have been happier. it was the car i had been looking for. i loved this thing to death

summer 2008 came and it was time for me to go off to college. I went to UTI in chicago, IL. and it's about a 400 mile trip from my home in Minnesota. this was quite a change for the monte considering over half it's life it's used to small town driving to the store and back. and about once a month i'd make a trip home which is a 800 mile trip. i was a little worried at first but she held up like a champ! minor things here and there but it was a 14 year old car.

the weekend of january 23rd 2009 will be a weekend i'll never forget. it was 7 oclock and i had just gotten off work in chicago. all of my things were packed and in the car so i could leave for minnesota right after work. it's about a 6.5 hour drive but i like driving at night so i had no worries. i was going home to see my family, my friends, and ask out this girl who i am still currently dating so i was excited as ever. i'm about 2.5 hours in and i decide to make my regular stop in the wisconsin dells for a quick snack and bathroom break. i notice my gas gauge is reading just under half. it's strange because i'd normally be around the 3/4 mark and i filled up just before i left and checked tires and was cruising between 65 70. something is wrong but i couldn't figure it out and i wanted to get home. so i fill it up and keep going. i cross the minnesota border and i'm going to need to get gas soon again. normally i could make it on 1 tank. not after being 10 miles in minnesota, i happen to look down and see my temp gauge practically running up to the 260 mark and suddenly back down again. i had felt a shutter and a loss of power within that small time period. i still had 100 miles to go and it was close to midnight. i knew something was horribly wrong because when the trans would shift into overdrive, there was a terrible shimmy. but i made it. scared as hell. driving at low speeds, the problem was bright as day. i had a terrible misfire.

saturday came, brought the car to the shop and went up to mall of america which is about 60 miles from my house with my friend and my current girlfriend. all day i'm wondering what's wrong with my car and when i'll get it back, and telling myself that i'll be back soon to pick it up. i'm at the top floor of a furniture store in a small room when i get the call from my dad. as soon as i pick up he says ....i have bad news. i drop my phone. he tells me that there is no compression in cylinder 5 and that the spark plug had exploded inside ruining the cylinder wall, and ruining the engine. and telling me that the car isn't worth fixing and just to have the shop scrap it. i said there is no way in hell you are scrapping my car. it was 5 in the evening on saturday and i was going back to school sunday and i needed a car. i was told the dealership down the road is still open and has a 98 honda accord with a new tranny. i said no way. if i need to get a new car, then i'm going to pick it. we decided that i could take my dad's scion tc and he could drive my mom's car and she could drive the monte until we figured out what we could do because she just works a few miles from home.

sunday came. i was cleaning out my monte. i couldn't stop starring at it, because i knew i'd never see this car again. this is one of the worst feelings ever. it's like someone close to you had died. i did cry a couple times on the drive back to chicago putting an image in my head that one day i'll come across my car again, and the keys will be back in my hands, with the song "Fix You" by coldplay playing in the background lol. i still get teary eyed when i go back and look at all of my pictures of her.

what had happened to my car on that friday night was the coil pack for cylinders 2 and 5 had blew out, exploding the spark plug, melting the piston and tearing up the cylinder wall and blowing the head gasket. Jan. 30th a week later, i found a car 15 miles from my home in minnesota. told my parents about it and they went and picked it up. it was a red 2005 Monte carlo LT. i was looking at all kinds of different cars, but i couldn't see myself in anything else other than another monte carlo. a month later Feb. 25th i drove back home to pick up my new girl. and say a final good-bye to the old one that weekend i took out my speakers and my black tail lights and radio and returned everything back to how it was when i first brought it home. i sold it to a friend for 1000$. he owned it for awhile. and one more time i came back and i got to see her and sit in the drivers seat. after that, it was the last time i saw her, and probably ever will. he sold her to somebody out of town, down in iowa i think. i miss her dearly everyday. and hope she's in good care. but i still have the VIN number so i will still be able to find her someday
here is a tribute video i made. hope you enjoy it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBUuRCoX_8U

 

also here are some pictures:

 

Good stories. Every one at some part of their life will have stories associated with their cars. Thanks for people sharing such stories.

 

the first monte i had was back in 97 when i was 17 i baught it for 3k the body was in mint condition it was the 5th gen. the week later i was thinking on gitting tint and different rims for it right befor i got to the tint shop some one in a toyota camery doing about 70 in a 45 ran a red light and hit me. the impact made the 5th gen turn into a u insted of it being in the regular shape. i ended up getting some pins put in my right sholder and arm and pins put in both of my legs still have some pain do to it but i am glad that i wasent killed. i am impressed that the monte was built better than i was expecting. because i had my nephue in the back he walked away with out a scratch but freakin that i was hurt. i am really suprised i wasent hurt worse or my nephue was hurt but i was glad he was not.

 

When I was a teenager my cousin and I used to ride everywhere together.As the oldest of three boys he was like the big brother I never had.Our car of choice?Why a late 70 model Monte of course.When I got older I saw the 84 SS and fell in love with Monte all over again.My cousin is dead now a few years ago and I just bought my first Monte-79 Landau- and my first parts car for my first Monte =).When I drive I have this amazing feeling that I am actually in the passenger seat and we are driving around Seattle once again.I love it.

 

sorry guys im diggin this up lol, but i park out in the middle of nowhere usually, and then i love when some random person likes to come and park next to me when theres a 100 spots elsewhere, i usually yell at them