Adventures of Big Red: Part 3 - The Case of the Missing Engine

Adventure 3:
Scenario: Fall 1998, Football Practice
Major Problem: Big Red "STILL" falling a part!

So once again this story revolves around me driving to football practice in the morning sometime in the fall of '98. Please note that I can't say one particular morning because the events of this story occurred at least 4 or 5 times throughout the year. If you remember that in "Adventures of Big Reg Part 2" that I had to pick up my friend Josh up each morning you will be a fully aware that "Big Red" did not almost just take my life, but my friend's life as well in the story.

So here we are cruising to school driving west bound on Highway 26 in Grapevine. No problems as of yet, except that it was freezing cold. For the most part we were always heading the opposite direction of the Dallas Morning traffic, so it was usually an easy traffic free ride. However, as luck would have it we did at the very end of the route have to cross the Dallas morning traffic to get into the football field house parking lot. Thus the reason for this story. Some days we had plenty of gaps and time to cross the traffic without any worries. But I can recall that there was at least 4 or 5 times that a certain incident would occur at the wrong time when crossing the road. Highway 26 at this point in life was a 4 lane highway with no turn lane. It was crucial that if you where in the left lane turning across traffic that you do it as soon as possible, because there would be cars flying up behind you that would almost crash into the back of you because there was no turn lane. (Side note: There is now a turn lane on Highway 26. A little late, but at least there is one now.) So here we are sitting in the middle of the road, waiting and waiting and waiting for a gap to shoot. Josh was my navigator. Every morning it was like Top Gun to get across the road. We had to estimate the enemies distance and then shoot the car through the gap just in time. Josh said okay I think this gap will be big enough. I said, "Are you sure, remember Big Red is BIG." He said, "I think so." My response was I need a countdown and a car model and color. Josh says, "after that White Honda Accord". I said "Okay, Lets Do This." Josh begins the countdown, "5...4...3...2...1...GO, GO, GO." Phil's foot to the floor... the car barely starts to go then all of the sudden.... ENGINE DIES!!!!! I am in the the middle of the oncoming traffic across two lanes. The first row of cars after the gap began the "Slam Their Foot On The Brake Process." Josh is like, "We are gonna die." I am frantically trying to get the car to start while in my head I am thinking, "We are gonna die." Ignition start attempt number one was a success. "Go, Go, Go." We make it into the field house parking lot as the cars are still slamming on their breaks waving at us with anger. Our hearts are still pounding when we pulled into the parking spot. "Well, we survived another Big Red almost killed us event." Once in the locker room we began to tell the story of how once again... We almost died today.

Lets just say that in most cases after the original Engine dying occurrence that Josh and I were a little bit more cautious on what gap we shot, but unfortunately we had to make some close calls.

Lesson learned in this story... "Continue saving up for that Ford Mustang that I originally planned to buy."

Big Red Adventure 3: "The Case of the Missing Engine."