Well, this is kind of how I feel today. A coworker accidently backed into the Jelly Bean this morning (aka, my 1991 Ford Festiva that I've had since I drove it, brand new, off the lot with only 4 miles on it - which was abour 126,000 miles ago) with our BIG Dodge truck. She felt horrible, I felt worse - It smushed in the hatchback -

I talked to my boss, and took it to one close by, local auto body shop guy who said - "If we could find the parts it would cost about $1400 to fix, but oh, it's soooo old they no longer make "new parts", so we'll just total it - you could get a new car."

"And what, pray tell, would I drive then?" I asked him - "would I buy something "new" with the $1500 (maybe) that they'd give me for it's "street value"? The guy was clueless - would I be driving a 1991 Ford Festiva if I could afford a new car???

So I went back to my office, feeling very, very sad - other coworkers were very solicitous as I was practically crying - we googled "ford festiva parts" - one looked on Craigs List - and then I walked by one of the guys I work with - well this guy knows everybody - he's worked for my boss for over 35 years - and, he's a "collector" - so, I said "Dean, MP backed into my car - you have to find me a new hatchback" And Dean says, "Oh, you need to call Roger at Auto-B-Craft - he bought three Festivas a couple of years ago and used the parts to build himself an Electric Festiva. I bet he still has some parts around."

I hotfooted it back to my office and called Roger - sure enough - if he doesn't have the part (his were all 93's) he thinks he knows where he can find one. Could I bring it by this afternoon before 5?

Over the years, The Shepherd has given me a bad time about The Jelly Bean. The back seat is "kind of full of stuff" - old papers that I was reading at noon, this, that and the other thing - you know, "stuff" (like, I'd never be accused of littering type stuff) - well maybe I have a car full of "stuff", but I've always tried to keep the outside looking pretty decent. No dents, etc., which worked in my favor with Roger at Auto-B-Craft. "Not many of these around any more," he said, and kind of astonished, "yours is in pretty good shape...no dents...even on the top (we think they used one step up from tin foil for the roofs on these little cars). He took all my info and promised to fax me a bid "soon" - but before I left, he said "do you want to see my Festiva?"

Well sure - and we went thru a door in his shop and there it was - SWEET - a shiny Midnight Blue Festiva - That's not a Festiva color - I queried - No, it was a Volkswagen color that he really liked - obviously, he owns his own body shop, he can paint it any color he wants - and he's converted it to an electric car. The whole hatchback is full of batteries (must weigh a ton!) I didn't think to ask him how far he could get with it, but I think I'll get to talk to him again - (I'll take my camera)

So, hopefully "Roger of the Electric Festiva" will be my hero - I'd hate to lose the Jelly Bean - it still gets 35 mpg and costs practically nothing for maintenance. I'll keep you posted.

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