I've now entered the world of car-ownership. Well, okay, so it's not a car. It's a truck. A really cool truck. A navy blue, 2WD, 5 speed manual, shortbox truck. I'm happy as a clam!
I still can't believe that I actually have my own vehicle now. Sure, it needs some body work, a starter, a tailgate, a windshield, and, most importantly, a stereo that accepts cassettes and/or CDs. An MP3 player would be cool, but that's a bit outside my price range.
I haven't even had the truck for a day yet and I have some stories. No pictures yet, unfortunately.
So, my dad and I go up to the previous owner's house at 0930 to get the truck. Give him the money, transfer ownership (well, not quite yet. Have to go to the MVB to change it over). We hooked it up to my dad's truck, and took off. I was driving his truck and he was driving mine so he could catch it in gear. Once the truck started, we unhooked it and drove home. Put the truck in the garage and let it run so it would charge the battery. After it was charged, dad hopped in and turned it off, in an effort to start it up again. No dice. Starter's dead.
So, we just left it there and I started to work. I took the pansy accessories off like the mudflaps, chrome wheel well trim, bugscreen and snaps, and those sill deer whistle-thingies that he had mounted on the mirrors. My dad had a plastic novelty license plate that has "My Toy" on it so I took that and put it in the back window.
Then I took the trim rings and hubcaps and clips off the wheels to clean them up. I mentioned that I wanted to snap a few pictures, so we moved a few cars in the yard around and pushed it out. Well, I pushed it out and my dad was in it to try and catch it in gear again. I pushed it out the garage and down the driveway, but it still didn't roll over. We made it to the corner when it rolled over. The engine revved horribly high and a plume of blue smoke came from the engine; the throttle was jammed wide open. We stopped the truck, and examined the trouble. The throttle cable had come off. After a few trips back to the house to get tools and such, my dad fixed the problem and we hooked it up to the truck again to get it going. Once it started, my dad drove it over to my neighbour's house and parked it (still running) so I could snap some pictures. I took the pictures and my dad opened the garage door to put it in. He shifted it into reverse, hit the gas, and it quit. We ended up pushing into the garage, where it is currently sitting.
My neighbour has a large two-car garage. He's also a trucker, so he's not home often and he only has his Explorer in there. He has a little project S-10, but it's at a shop awaiting a new frame.
So, there's my story. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed experiencing it!
My first car was a 1989 Acura Legend, I got it the summer after I graduated high school. It was a nice car -- v6 and all. Boy could that thing move. Leather interior, sun roof ... this thing was the definition of luxury.
Except for the fact that it was a rolling piece of shit. Transmission blew out, sunroof leaked ... eck, what a waste of money.
Your neighbor lets you store your truck at his place? Excellent!
I mean, look, Henry Ford was a Nazi sympathizer. And, anyone who knows anything about World War II knows that the Jeep won the war.
Well, maybe not literally, but I've said it once, and I'll say it again ...
FORD SUCKS! 
And Ford doesn't totally suck...they own Aston Martin and gave them their beautiful V12, so their good in that way.
My mother drives a 1995 Ford F-150. So far, there have been no problems with that truck. Prior to that truck, my mother drove an 1984 Ford something-or-other pickup truck. It needed a lot of work (air conditioner, brakes, emission control), but it wound up running great. Then it was stolen and stripped. My mother said screw it and got the F-150 a couple of months later.
The moral of the story? Ford trucks are good; Ford cars are Satan spawn. Thank you, and have a nice day!
Very very.
"I took the pansy accessories off like the mudflaps..."
Yeah, 'cause everyone knows mudflaps are just there for invisible decoration. They don't serve any purpose, like stopping the tires from spraying mud on the underside of the car. *rolls eyes*
"...so we moved a few cars in the yard around..."
I'm envisioning rusted old cars w/o motors or wheels sitting on cinderblocks w/ three or four dogs sleeping under each one. But maybe that's just how it is in the US when people have cars on their lawn...
So I'm guessing he isn't planning on taking this offroad.
And, when we had to move cars around in the yard it was because my truck was in the garage, my dad's truck was in front of the garage, my aunt's car was in front of my dad's truck, and my mom's car was on the other side of the yard. So, we had to move two vehicles to get my truck out of the garage (should I mention that all the vehicles in the yard were Fords? )
We haven't had many problems with Fords. Well, we had one lemon. A 1993 Taurus station wagon. We also had a 1994 Taurus sedan. That's the one I trashed.
We have a 1988 Bronco II, too. Usually vehicles that old are rusted hulks, like the Bronco. Fortunately, my truck's in pretty good shape. My uncle is buying the Bronco for the frame and undergear.
Another update. Brakeline's been replaced, and my dad has painted 3 of the rims for me.
So, dad's getting me another truck tomorrow. Same year, only this one's an extended cab, automatic, 2.9 L V6, and it's red.
Jeeps.
Although a Hummer owns any Jeep in every way.
Of course, Porsche also has an SUV coming out next year, called the Cayanne. Imagine a 911 with 4 doors and monster tires...
quote:
Although a Hummer owns any Jeep in every way.
Although that's a common perception, it's ... not true. JPMagazine did a comparison between the two, and while the Hummer outdid the Wrangler in several categories, the Wrangler either outdid or matched the Hummer more than it was outdone or out-matched itself.
A common perception.
If I can find the article, I'll post it.
quote:
Better at what? They are two completely different vehicles. Granted they share "four wheel drive". Not much beyond that can really be compared. Towing a 10,000 trailer? The Hummer wins! Running a Flat Fender Trail through the Sierra Nevadas? The Wrangler hands down. Extreme4x4.com has owned both vehicles over the years. They are both great and fun to drive.
IMHO, the Jeep excels at common 4x4 trail riding.. because of its smaller stance and nimbleness. But then again, if your trail riding consists of long excursions into the expanse of Baja, the larger cargo capacity of the Hummer may be favored. You really cant say that one vehicle is 'better' than another unless you first define the application. So, what are you going to use it for??
Well, I put the question to Extreme4x4, and that's the reply I got.