A Poem about an Adventure I had Last Summer

[way2blu]

“Learning the Easy Way”

I woke one 2020 summer’s day
And thought, these mountains need a proper climb
I start my MR2 and drive away
Reliable, Toyotas make great time

An hour away we scale Mt. Palomar
We’re halfway up just like the coolant temp
Wait, no, the gauge is at the top! The car
and I have nowhere safe to stop and vent.

We flip a U and zoom back down the grade
Pull over? No, no space and that’s unsafe

Full send, for twenty minutes’ overheat
“My engine’s toast, I know it’s so,” I feared
Low coolant (didn’t check before), I think
Yet overbuilt, the motor persevered

We find a space to stop and cool on off
So scenic, this disaster is, I thought
Flatbed to shop, the coolant filled to top
And my mechanic found no other fault

To be so tough as this lil’ car, I strive;
It still survives, despite the way I drive.

[way2blu]

This was where I eventually found a tunout to pull over:

To this day, I’m still in awe that the 5S-FE “Camry Engine” still starts up every time I ask it to. Toyotas are epic. I do check the coolant level every day now though

[Taylor Martin]

@way2blu said in A Poem about an Adventure I had Last Summer:

It still survives, despite the way I drive.

The same could be said about my car, and many others here on Oppo haha. Nice rhyme and rhythm pal. Sounds like a real adventure!

[Taylor Martin]

@way2blu That's a beautiful photo btw. Did you pick one of those oranges (or whatever fruit they are)?

[way2blu]

@taylor-martin Didn’t pick any oranges; assumed they’re property of whoever owns the orchard.

There was a fruit stand where I bought some fresh strawberries across the street though, and those were delicious.

[Nauraushaun]

Nice flowers!
Nice story. I ran out of oil once in my 3S-GE. Started rattling something fierce. Got told it wasn't too bad, so I drove it for 5 months or so. Later found out a few of the bearings were c h e w e d.
But the crank was fine so we replaced those and on she goes.

[Otto]

This was lovely to read! Great imagery and a sort of melancholy but ultimately positive feeling.

So much great content on Oppo, I'm so happy it still lives and thrives.

[way2blu]

@Otto Thank you! I enjoyed writing it as a poem. Oppo is an amazing place and I’m glad to contribute.

@Nauraushaun That’s pretty amazing. Toyota engines really are a step above other OEMs in terms of durability. I’m still not sure how my 5S-FE survived 20 minutes of driving at such high temperatures without anything but coolant needing to be replaced.

[Nauraushaun]

@way2blu So good right? I especially like seeing more modern cars on the side of the road apparently broken down. Meanwhile I'm in a 30 year old sports car that always seems to work.