Well, let’s see: After last week’s work fiasco (the boss-lady fired another one, and then yet another one left sick on Tuesday for the rest of the week with some sort of strep-throat crap, making an office that usually runs on 6 people and actually needs a seventh person, run on 3 1/2, with someone from another division spending his afternoons at our place to do the menial data entry work, and still no replacement for the person fired a few weeks back yet) and I was just about done and ready to crawl into a hole for the peace and quiet, when something strange happened.
Last weekend, while attempting the repairs on Grimm, I was bragging up Walker, Commuter Ranger to the guy whose garage/shop I was borrowing. I had left a couple of my tools at his place and he brought them to work with him on Thursday. I stopped by his repair stall to pick them up and he saw the aforementioned Walker and asked if he could give the truck a run-down, which I, of course, allowed.
After he was done, he offered me money for Walker. A fairly nice sized wad of money, actually.
Now, the guy knew how much I paid for the truck and about the maintenance repairs I’d done (tires, shocks, all fluids flushed, etc.) and how much I’d paid for them. He added all that together, tacked on a nice round number with a pair of zeros on the end and the total dollar amount was a bit much to pass up.
Walker is now in retirement. Quite literally.
The guy bought him for his dad, who lives on the north end of the Olympic Peninsula and repairs antique furniture as a hobby. He’s gonna buy a hi-top canopy with double doors on the back and present it to his dad as a birthday present of sorts.
Walker, Commuter Ranger served his 15 years with the Washington State DOT and then part-timed it with me for five months. He is now retired and living on the coast.
So this weekend was spent finding his replacement, with no joy in Phil-ville as of yet. I’ve plucked at the low-hanging fruit and found it bitter and in need of repairs. All the $1200 cars were really $700 cars whose owners could only find their way to the gas station but never the maintenance shop. I’m now moving into the $1500-2500 range (I’m trying to save some of the money for gun stuff).
Walker was a good truck, but as I discovered, was much too small of my 76 inch tall / 275lb self. In short, I was having back and neck problems on Saturdays after driving him all week. If I didn’t hunch a bit while driving him, I was looking through the blue tint at the top of the windshield. In need an extra-cab is the understatement of the month.
I’m currently sifting through a line of Dodge Dakotas w/manual transmissions
And similar Jeep Commanche trucks
Though I have yet to test out the head and leg room in the latter.
I’ve given up on all Corollas and Tercels as the fold and stuff routine I need to complete in order to enter the cabin is just too much of a PITA to do on a daily basis. In short, I’ve nearly given up on getting exceptional (or even decent) gas mileage and am now just trying to keep the miles off my newer F150’s odometer.
Hell, I’m gonna go look at a 2-owner 74 Valiant with a Slant Six later today
And if that’s a no-go I’ll go look at this V-8 Prospector with a 4-spd
I’m an American with a fat ass and cash who wants to be comfortable. Sue me.
But wish me luck first.
Btw, I know nothing of Dodges past 1985 or so. Anyone with experience with the 3.9L V-6 in the Dakotas or the 4.0L I-6 in the Jeeps is welcome and requested to leave their thoughts comments
Don’t make me buy this bad boy
