I want a hippopotamus for Christmas!

Well, it’s not exactly brand new, but Joy and I picked up a “newish” car last week, a 2005 Pontiac Vibe. It’s really nice, with power locks, windows, and keyless entry (Joy’s favorite part) and handles like a dream. Why did we get a new car, you ask? Well, Joy had been driving our 1998 Chevy 1500, but it started to develop a bad ticking sound in the engine. This could’ve been either rod knock or a stuck valve or lifter. We new the engine was probably due some work since it had a slow coolant leak somewhere so we took it into the shop.

We’ve been looking at the Vibe for a long time but they’ve always been just beyond our price range. When our truck started sounding like it was going to go “boom” we started looking again and Joy found this beautiful Vibe for sale in Fayetteville. We couldn’t believe the price and after a good inspection and test drive, we took it home that night.

It turns out the truck had a collapsed lifter and a leaking intake manifold gasket. All the lifters were replaced and the motor was flushed and filled with new coolant and oil. The manifold gasket was replaced at the same time and the truck sounds and runs like brand new! So, guess who gets to drive the truck now? Me!!! Don’t get me wrong, I still love my little VW Beetle, but now I can drive something safer and take Pokey off the road so I can start restoring him maybe next year.

Oh yeah, in case you didn’t know, Pokey is the name of my Beetle. All classic bugs are supposed to have names! Well, since owning my Beetle, Joy and I have started naming all our cars. The truck’s name is Hank, and the newest addition to our family, the Vibe, is named Lucy, Lucy the Hippo to be exact. You’ll have to ask Joy about the Hippo part. You’ll have to catch her first, though. She’s usually found now zipping around town in Lucy with a giant smile on her face!