There she was, sitting in the back lot of the old Dorchester Tire shop – looking worn but serviceable. She was Gretta Von Green, and the 1998 VW Gulf was about to be my family’s mode of transportation through the next two years, for better or worse. “I’ll give her to you for 1,200 bucks,” said a guy named Mike, who indicated he used “Gretta” in the winter to preserve his BMW