In what feels like a lifetime ago I drove a 1990 Honda Integra.  My first car.  I owned that car for 7 years, and in that time managed to scrounge together enough money to buy new wheels, a trick stereo, sports exhaust, and lowered springs.  I loved that car at the time, never thought I’d get rid of it.

But then, one fateful morning while driving to work I was hit in the side by a P plater that didn’t give way.  I can still vividly remember the moment, and whenever I think about it I can see it happening in slow motion.

The accident occurred on a very large roundabout, 4 entrances/exits, 2 lanes on each entrance/exit.  I was exiting the roundabout when it happened.  My passenger front quarter was the first to be hit, spinning the car 180 degrees, and with such force that halfway around my passenger side rear quarter window and panel smashed into the rear corner of the P-plater’s car.

My Integra was written off that day.

Everything happens for a reason, is what I was told.  At the time I didn’t believe anyone that said that to me.  It was only after a few months that the reasons started to make themselves known.

A few months after the accident I received my insurance money, far less than what it should’ve been (lesson to anyone out there reading this, if you’re insured for market value change that now.  Make sure you’re insured for agreed value), and with cash in the bank well on it’s way to becoming a house deposit, I decided to buy something for me.  Something selfish, something I had desired for quite sometime, something that was silly to spend such money on at that age.  I felt I had to get something back.

I bought a 1997 Series 2 Nissan Skyline.  The day I was told I could pick her up felt amazing.  Excitement, happiness, and joy that could not be touched.  I felt like a child, a child on Christmas day receiving that gift that they had been wishing for all year.  Nothing could get me down, and everything in the world looked like it had a golden glow.  The world was mine, and I was taking it for all it was worth.  I was king for a day.

Back then Skyline’s were few and far between.  Their cost slightly prohibitive.  There was no “hoon-stigma” about them at that stage.  No P-platers had them

This car would be the catalyst for everything in my life today.  Without it, I would not have met my beautiful girlfriend, Amanda.  We met the day of a Skyline’s Australia Show N’ Shine.  Which I wasn’t going to go to, but John a friend from Skyline’s Australia, convinced me to go.  We drove up together that day.

For the many years of ownership I’ve spent tens of thousands more on the car.  It now makes over 270kw at the rear wheels, and looks a little different to when I first picked her up.

If it wasn’t for the current stigma attached to the car I would still be in love with it.  But for every look of awe that I get when driving the car, I get a look of disgust from another.

One other thing changed that day of the accident.  I received a permanent lower back injury.  It flares up once in a while, and when it does it practically turns me into an invalid.  Just this weekend past I could barely walk.  I am still in a little pain, but significantly less than on the weekend.  This is the main reason I haven’t updated notonmonday in awhile.

I wanted to make a different post which required me to take a new photo, but at the moment I’m unable to setup the new photo, so that will have to wait.

For every bad, there’s a good.