Dodgey business

I have owned my truck since it was nearly new. Just a few hundred miles on it when I bought it. I have owned it for over 9 years, going on 10.

I have not gone as many different places with this as I have with my previous pick ups(is pick ups the correct term for multiple trucks or is it picks up? like more than one grand prix is grands prix. What ever the correct term I will use pick ups to denote more than one.).

I had an 88 Nissan 4x4 that I had for 6 years. I bought it after I lost a wheel on my MGB. By "lost a wheel" I mean that it came off the car while I was driving, not that I took it off and misplaced it. I don't quite know or more likely, remember what the thought process of buying a new truck was. I guess that it seemed easier to get a new vehicle than to fix my old one. Anyway, I drove the Nissan until 93. I put 180,000 miles on it. I drove it across the country, into Canada, up and down the coast of California and even parked it for a year while I was stationed in Hawaii when I was in the Navy. I towed my MGB with it several times. I must like to drive.

I traded the Nissan and some cash for a 1969 Alfa Romeo boat tail convertible (Duetto). What an awesome car. I loved that car. Andrea loved that car. As a main vehicle and only motorcycles as back up, probably not the best of situations. So after about a year and a half and 40,000 miles or so, I sold it after a series of most unfortunate events.

I moved onto a used 93 Toyota T100. I bought it with 45,000 miles and drove it until it had 210,000 miles on it. This vehicle too saw many states Canada and even a brief stint in Mexico. I drove this on many car finding trips in California and even went to Montana to get a Triumph once. I was also getting into a pattern. I towed my MGB with this truck, many times.

I sold the T100 in early 99 and was happy to drive my 1967 Volvo P1800 for a while. Andrea had a wonderful Mercedes Turbo Diesel sedan. Unfortunately it had no a/c and since we just moved to Redding, it had to go.

Cue the 1991 Volkswagon Vanagon. This didn't last too long. It had a few problems and I was not impressed with the rate of travel it chose to take going up hill. It couldn't get out of it's own way down hill, much less up.

So, late in 1999, Andrea went to stay at her mom's house with Dexter while our new (to us) house was being remodeled. I lived in the VW in the driveway and worked. One day I had had enough. I sold the van and bought my current truck. A 2000 Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel. I couldn't imagine when I bought it, how long, or how many miles it would take me. While I have not visited as many states as some of my previous trucks with the Dodge, I have covered almost as many miles as the other two combined. Last week I just turned 280,000 miles in the Dodge. WOW! How on earth did I do that? With the exception of a few expensive pieces and some inexpensive bits the truck has most of the original parts it left the assembly plant in Mexico with. Sure, I still need a few parts to make it 100%, but the important systems are still functional. A/C, check. Radio, check. 4 wheel drive capability, check. Heater, check. Cruise control, super duper check!

So, while I enter my 10th year of ownership, I realize that I have owned this longer than just about any other car I have had. I only have one other car that I have owned longer. My 67 MGB. Yup. I have owned that car more than half of my life. I have also towed it more with the Dodge than any other vehicle I have had.

I really hope that I am not jinxing myself by spouting goo about my pick up, but just in case maybe I should get the MGB running. I don't think that I could tow the Dodge with it, but I know it would try.

I have a lot of memories of all of my past and present vehicles. Not all fond. Not all based on mileage or miles driven.

I hope that I have at least another 280,000 miles or at least enough to last me until the economy evens out and I can get another car loan.