Wrong End of the Deal

One of the best ways I feel that my efforts in preserving my first gen are appreciated, is through chance encounters with people on the road.  What happened just yesterday, is a great example.  I was on my way home from work, and I had just got off the freeway when I pulled up at a stop light next to a slightly modified, first generation Miata.  I knew that the light would be long so I grabbed my phone and started messing with it when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something moving.  I glanced to my left to see a young man in his early 20's waving at me.  I rolled down my window and he asked,

"What year is that?"

"An '85", I replied.

"SI?"

"Yeah!"

"Yep.", he said, nodding his head, "I had one of those!"

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah, it was blue."  He paused for a moment and starred longingly at the car.

"I like your Miata." I said, sensing the moment getting awkward.

"Yeah, I actually sold my SI for this." he said in a forlorn manner.  He seemed disappointed, so I tried to lift his spirits by pointing out that both cars were great drivers cars, but he wasn't convinced.

"I've had this car for a while, and I don't think I got the good end of the deal."

"Well..." I replied, struggling to find a positive and reassuring response, "...they're both good cars."

He clearly regretted his decision to sell his CRX, which is completely understandable.  It's encounters like that, that make the months of blood and sweat I put into the car totally worth it.  It's also nice to meet people that you would never meet, simply from the mutual love for the first generation CRX.  I have never met someone who owned one, that didn't regret getting rid of it.