A Perfect Disaster

Courtesy of Erin

We met at a local Cars ‘n’ Coffee show just a few weeks before Valentine’s Day. He drove a Subaru WRX STI while I drove a Fiat Abarth. After a few fun drives through the canyons of Southern California, he asked me to Santa Barbara on a date, just for the day.

Driving up PCH with the windows down and my dog in the back seat, Valentine’s Day never looked so good! From Malibu to Ventura, we stopped at the famous Jolly Oyster truck and tried a few bites in the beach parking lot. Then we got back on the road and made our way into downtown Santa Barbara, where we hunted for coffee and took a walk around the beautiful town.

Sounds like a pretty good Valentine’s Day date so far, right? We spent the day basking in the sun, enjoying the beach, and wandering around the colorful shops and streets before dinner (which was also amazing!).

So where did the date go wrong?

After a long day of exploring a new city, we made it back to the car to learn that my date had lost his car keys at some point throughout the day! There was no luck in the parking garage or at the police department, so our feet carried us to the train station, where I begged the man at the ticket counter to allow my 70-pound dog on the train.

The following day, my date hopped back on the train with his spare keys to pick up his car. He sent me a photo from his drive back, and we never went back out on a date again.

I’ll always remember it as the ALMOST perfect Valentine’s Day.

When It Rains, It Pours

Courtesy of Danielle

It was raining cats and dogs here in LA last Valentine’s Day, and my boyfriend and I had scored a last-minute reservation at our favorite sushi place—and location of our first date—Aburiya Raku. After hearing the news, I rushed to put on my favorite pair of heels and a little black dress.

Waiting to be picked up, I heard an engine roar and looked out my front window to see that my boyfriend had rented a Lamborghini for the night ahead. But only four short miles from the restaurant, we were dodging bad drivers and potholes, no thanks to the unusual amounts of rain.

We were just a mile away when it happened. A loud crashing sound and jolt surfaced from below the vehicle, and the car suddenly went off-kilter. Leaning down and to the right, we managed to pull off the road and check for damages in the pouring rain, where we found a cracked wheel and obliterated tire—on a Lamborghini we didn’t own!

Our first instinct was to try the roadside assistance provided by the manufacturer. Let’s just say neither of us speak Italian. Then we tried the insurance within the vehicle, which gave us a four-hour estimate for pick-up. That left us with two options—walk a mile in the rain to our reservation, or find a closer restaurant.

In the end, we chose the latter, but regardless of the time we spared ourselves in the rain, we still entered a glamorous, old-time steakhouse dripping wet. On Valentine’s Day. In the always overly dressed crowds of West Hollywood.

I can’t wait to see how Valentine’s Day goes this year!

A Ray of Hope

Courtesy of Selena

Last week, our Twitter follower Selena reached out to us with a touching story. Her car enthusiast boyfriend Alex was the victim of a hit-and-run. While waiting his turn at a stop sign, an oncoming vehicle made a turn too wide, pulling Alex’s front bumper loose! Knowing how much Alex loves his VW Golf GTI, Selena had the idea of purchasing him the replacement parts for Valentine’s Day.

But this isn’t the first time Selena has wanted to give Alex a special automotive gift.

Just last spring, Alex was in a terrible motorcycle accident, causing long-term damage to his right arm. While Alex wouldn’t be able to ride a motorcycle in the near future, Selena still wanted him to enjoy his daily driving. His birthday wasn’t too far away, so she chipped in to help him buy a manual transmission 2011 Volkswagen Golf GTI! But it was this GTI that took a hit to the front bumper.

To assess the vehicle damages, Selena pretended to go on a grocery run and visited their good friend, who helped to put together a shopping cart on CarParts.com. From there, she reached out to us on Twitter, wondering if we had any promotions going on to help her with the Valentine’s Day surprise. After taking a look at the unfortunate damages, we were excited to offer Selena the help she needed to surprise Alex.

According to Selena, Alex has loved cars for as long as he can remember. Not only does he spend his free time indulging and learning more, but he’s always dragging Selena into the conversation. Every time they pass a car, Alex likes to tell Selena a little bit about them, whether it be the history of the car, the factory recalls they might have run into, or just what he thinks of them. And if they aren’t talking about cars, they’re working on his. A true car enthusiast without a doubt.

Thank you, Selena, for reaching out to us and sharing your story. We’re glad to hear that no one was injured, and we can’t wait to see Alex’s car looking brand-new! Happy Valentine’s Day to you both!

Alex and Selena needed a pair offront bumper brackets to make sure their newbumper cover was held on properly. Does your car need a little love this Valentine’s Day? Check out our “Better Together” guide for parts you might not have thought about when repairing or maintaining your vehicle at home.