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Heap of the Week

“Heap of the Week” was a segment in The Forge’s past, especially popular during the time between 1981 and the early 1990’s that featured “autos” along with the stories and names associated with the cars. In a continuous effort to revive The Forge traditions, The Forge is bringing “Heap of the Week” back from the grave. Our editors and writers will be scoping the J-lot and senior lot for our next victims – or, featured drivers.
This edition’s Heaps of the Week: Daisy Foreman’s 2005 Mercedes Benz e320 and Oliver Hansen’s 2001 Mercedes Benz SLK 230.
Daisy Foreman drives a 2005 Mercedes Benz e320 that her dad found on Craigslist. A luxury car of its time, the Foremans bought it off a car repairman who owned an array of vintage, luxury, and race cars, including a vintage musician’s van, and Daisy’s own wagon. Her car doesn’t pass smog, (but the mechanic who performed the test said he’d “let it slide”) and is adorned with car decor she’s accumulated over her time at SBHS. Green and gold beads, a Glenn Annie bumper sticker, and a mini disco ball make Daisy’s car unique to her. Her favorite memories in her car are of her “just sitting in here eating food, talking, and watching the sunset” with the “cast of characters” that occupy it: her friends Quinn, Hana, girlfriend Sophie, and “whatever random people hop in for lunch.”
Although she’s revoked the nickname of “Sadie” for her car (short for Mercedes) because she thinks naming cars is silly, saying “My car is a thing. It’s not a person,” her car has been given a nickname by others due to the one time someone spilled fish juice from a Thai food takeout box onto her seats.
“I go to camp for two weeks. Don’t drive my car for two weeks. Like, no one’s in it. No one opens it or anything. And then I get back and open the car and it smells like something died in there. It was so bad…it still smelled like that for probably two months.”
Through fish smell and myriad Glenn Annie concerts, Daisy and her car continue to take on the streets of Santa Barbara.
“It’s not anything fancy, but I like my car a lot.”

Oliver bought his car from a woman who bought it new, who thankfully treated the car very well.
“I baby this car. Obviously, I like to keep it really clean and nice,” he says, “I bought half of it with the years and years of my birthday money I saved up.”
As far as car maintenance, Oliver likes to do most of it himself, but he’s had a couple scares including when his alternator went out on the freeway.
“I was stuck on the side of the freeway for three hours until 2am waiting for a tow truck… I lost power, like, going 70. It just completely cut out so I had to cut across traffic. Well, 70 [mph] is what I told the cops…”
Oliver has installed racing suspension, fresh wheels and a CarPlay unit so he can use Waze to see if there’s any reported speed traps ahead. He’s never gotten a speeding ticket, but he did spin out during the rainstorms, which bonded him and his female-deemed car for life.
“When she spun out, we both just like, kind of held on for dear life. I think it really bonded us but I didn’t crash. I got it back. ”
The car’s first name was Jared, but Oliver said the name just didn’t feel right.
“She’s just kind of a chick, you know? She just started looking like a girl to me. After that she was Nancy after Nancy Pelosi.”
The car has also been named “little bullet” and “slow 230” by friends of Oliver.
Most frequently spotted in the little bullet with Oliver is his girlfriend and “passenger princess” Jackie, his boy Lechuga, or “his feelings.”

Author

  • Kelly Meeder

    Kelly Meeder is a junior at Santa Barbara High and the Managing Editor of the Forge. She hopes to bring creative and unorthodox content to the paper. Outside of The Forge, she loves art and reading.

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