Story Notes: Car Wash · 12:53pm Sep 12th, 2019
So where do we begin with this? Obviously, this fic is for Admiral Biscuit's contest challenge which has no deadline and no prizes. However, this is a thing I've been wanting to do for a long time since I love slice of life, I much prefer 'ponies on Earth' as opposed to 'humans in Equestria', and I'm a fan of his work. While this isn't my first ponies on Earth fic, I haven't wanted to step on AB's toes since, frankly, he created and defined the 'ponies working on earth' genre of fics. I assure you that this won't be my only one. More coming.
I've done my best to emulate AB's style. And that means you get this blog post to go along with the story. I've been doing that more anyway since I'm trying to be less of a hermit. You know, before I get to the point where I tell all you young punks to get off my lawn…
I’ve never been a fan of either first person perspective or self-inserts. Most are just blatant wish fulfillment. In this case, the wish being fulfilled is for real life little ponies (a wish I suppose many of us share). That said, because I'm a rather private person, I've fictionalized most of the details. I'd like to retain some level of anonymity on the internet.
I really do own that blue Mustang. It's a bone stock twelve-year-old Mustang GT (I have sequential lights to install in the car, but have yet to do so). It's not all that special considering you can find similar ones at most used car dealerships and high school parking lots, but it's my baby. It’s even cameoed in a few of my previous fics. Fun fact: according to the dealership, less than 5% of new cars are ordered as opposed to taken from dealer inventory (or shipped from another dealer's inventory). This is one of them. Even funner fact: The font used for the story name is the same as the "GT" badging on the Mustang GT of this generation (not visible in photo since Bifröst' hair is blocking it). It's called 'Supreme' and is available online.
That bit about the charity car wash is completely true. Hardees had one not long after I bought my car, and it's been so long I honestly forget what group was having a fundraiser, and for what. But I do remember immediately rewashing the car when I got home because it looked worse when they were done with it than before I brought it to them. That said, I'm not really that uptight about my Mustang. Yeah, it’s my baby, but it’s still just a car. It's been through car washes and even been washed by people other than myself. If someone (or in this case, some ponies 
) can do the job better, I let them (and pay them for their services).
Yes, my first car was a Toyota Supra. The part about the coworker who refused to get into the car until the lights were on so she could watch them pop up is also true. It was already an old car when I got it, but those lights worked every single time, unlike the Pontiacs of the era (Firebirds and Fieros both) that I constantly saw winking (one light up, one light down). Sadly, pop-up headlights are dead and won't be coming back. The Corvette was one of the last holdouts (the Lotus Esprit being the other), but due to European pedestrian safety laws prohibiting protuberances from a car's surface, they're unlikely to ever return. Also, they add cost to the price of the car compared to conventional headlamps, and today's LED technology renders the point moot anyway. Cars don't need giant headlights anymore.
Didn’t realize that that was your car on the cover art! Awesome!
Now you gotta write three more fics that have one of your vehicles as the cover art :P
You haven’t gotta worry about stepping on my toes; this is a big site and there’s plenty of room for more SoL PoE awesomeness.
Yay!
I’ll be honest, I stole the idea partially from Stephen King, and partially ‘cause Cynewulf suggested it.
And the Miatas as they got older and crappier.
static.carthrottle.com/workspace/uploads/memes/902921_164316910394184_1686467-55201f575faea.jpg
(or if you installed the winking mod)
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I have one other I've been planning to use it for. But I'm already 20,000+ words into that story and not even close to finished. In the meantime, I'll just have to come up with a few others. Oh darn, I need to write more stories about my car. I'm so disappointed. 
Challenge accepted.
Speaking of automobiles and photography, I've taken tens of thousands of car photos. If you (or anyone else reading this) ever need a photo of a car for cover art, just let me know. There's truly a little bit of everything in there (mostly vintage).
Most of the early Miatas I see these days are tuners, and they tend to have 'sleepy eyes'. But now that you've said it, I'll be looking for some. I can't recall ever seeing a winking Miata (or Probe, for that matter), both of which surprise me now that I'm thinking about it.
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It it sticking out its tongue as well?
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Heh, I know that feel.
Off the top of my head, I can’t think of anything at the moment, but I’ll keep you in mind.
Maybe the people that still have them now keep them working, but I can remember in the 80s and 90s seeing cars with hideaway headlights all the time where only one would go down. A lot of cars had some way to crank them up and make them stay up so you’d at least have a headlight if the mechanism failed.
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But of course!
(I have no idea what the red strap is, maybe some kind of towstrap)
Ford Mustang Lithium Electric Pony Car Revealed: 800 Volts, 900 HP
https://insideevs.com/news/380564/ford-mustang-lithium-electric-sema/
I think Ponies would like this.
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Absolutely! An EV Mustang variant is logical. Ford's even been lobbying NASCAR to go electric, and the Mustang's their racecar of choice. Not to mention the performance potential - look at all that torque.