I've lost a friend

"Jonathon Klein" (jonathon-klein) 04/01/2014 at 11:24 • Filed to: Memorial of my truck

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My fellow Jalops, yesterday my day got a lot less bright. Yesterday, I was still the proud owner of my first car, today I am the saddened previous owner of said car. After much debate with my parents who were storing my car, I had to take it to the junk yard, like some piece of junk and give them the keys. Yesterday I lost a friend, a compatriot, a car that got me through many a difficulty and many a joyous occasion. Yesterday, I had to give up my Durango.

You see, my Durango had been sitting at my parent's house for about a year, waiting for me to come by and fix all the problems. And every so often I would when I had time try to fix the litany of issue the car had. Whether it be the massive rust problem, the engine miss firing or the wiring being slowly eaten by mice and all other forms of woodland animals. But every time I would fix something, something else would inevitably fall completely apart.

But today I have vowed myself to share a little of its story with you all. You gentlemen and ladies that would appreciate the work I did to try and save it and the heartbreak I have while letting it go. So here begins the story of my first car.

My parents bought it new in 2000 and I immediately loved it, I actually ran to each and every house on the block to get people to come and see it. You see it was the first brand new car to hit the neighborhood. Not even the better off on our street had a new car. And now looking back, I understand why getting a used car can be beneficial to keeping your money. But I spent probably 6 hours that first day we had it home. Now this being 2000 and me still being 13, I was still a few years off from driving it. But in my teenage mind, I had a car that was similar to the car that was on the poster on my wall, the Viper.

When I finally started learning how to drive, I had to first start off on my parents Plymouth Acclaim, but soon with our frequent trips to my grandmother's house in Indiana, I was driving the Durango. I felt like the king of the world! I had a V8 and selectable 4WD! SELECTABLE! I could go through mud, ice, snow, small children; you name it I could go through it! I didn't because it was still my parent's car, but I did do a few smoky, non posi donuts outside of my house and a few other places!

( Hell yeah one wheel burnouts are boss!)

When it was finally time for me to buy a car, there really was only one I wanted, the Durango. At this point it had about 165k miles on the odometer. And it already had begun showing it's age and abuse we gave it. The front seat was broken, rust spots were already around the normal areas, and not much had been done with it since it was first put together. To my dad's credit, who is not a car guy, he really didn't know that much about replacing key parts of the car to make sure it lasted longer, but the car was in pretty good condition. I bought it from my parents for exactly a dollar seventy five. Why, because they said a dollar wasn't enough so I countered hard! When the keys and the title were firmly in my grasp I spent all of my high school graduation money, all $800 dollars, IM RICH, on fixing it's problems and performing some much needed maintenance on it. This started off with replacing the front seat which had a cracked mounting, thereby making it a rocking chair. I pulled that one out, in addition to the rear wiper assembly, the front control arm that my brother bent, and a few other things and went to the junkyard to find some parts. On the way I stopped at the local auto parts store, picked up some oil, coolant, shocks, ball joints, air filter, brake discs and pads. I then spent the next two weekends wrenching to my heart's content and managed to have a pretty great truck when I was finished! I was super proud!

Two great moments that happened after this, the first and less great was getting trapped at a Comic Book Convention inside a car park. My friends and I had parked inside this car park across from the convention center in Rosemont, we went in and didn't think twice of it until we realized after we got back to the car, and none of us had any money left. What we did have was swords, a couple comic books and a bunch of Star Wars figures, yeah I know big nerds! We then spent the next half hour trying to figure out how we could open the gate without having the cops come and get us. When that didn't work, I saw an opportunity to try out the off-roading capabilities of the Durango! You see there was a hill that led to a back alley that led to the street on the side of the parking garage. The hill however was about a 50degree angle with trees staggered along it making it potentially possible for a car to fit through, we hoped. When I proclaimed what we were about to do, I met with some resistance, and even some threats of violence with our newly bought swords. This did not sway me and I went for it. I crawled up to the curb, hopped over it, all while the tree branches were scraping the roof of my car, and proceeded in low gear to go slowly down the hill. A minute later we were down and I was a hero! Ok, so I was a criminal…allegedly. But we made it down and I had new found confidence in my lovely truck.

The second and most important and slightly NSFW story was meeting my wife. You see we were in class together and would spend a few hours after work talking which led to making out, which led other places, but all those were done either by my car, or on top of my car or in my car. When I gave it away yesterday, it still had the dents in the hood we made together. It got me to and from her parents' house a lot, almost every day. She loved that car just as much as I did, which made me love her more.

You see this car and I are inextricably linked. I will always be sad that I didn't have the funds to give it a new life, to really give it a second change to truly be awesome. I would have love turning it into a Baja truck, or some type of racing vehicle, but the cards were just not on the table. I have one small consolation prize though. When I first replaced the front seat, I took the old one, fixed the broken part of it, and made a base with wheels for it. Now it is my office chair at home. Me and that truck, went through 4 years of high school, all of college, through puddles and snow, it had friends and loved ones in it, it went on road trips galore, I had fishing equipment and fish in it, muddy boots, muddy jeans, French fries and burgers, it went down and up hills, through pit darkness, and through massive rain storms in Florida. It was a friend, a confidant, a way to be free. It helped me become a gear head; it let me explore the inner workings of an engine. What it was was the most brilliant truck on the face of the earth, and now I'm sad again. When thinking about how I wanted to write and end this article I was still in the truck taking it to the junk yard and a song came on the radio that pretty much sums up how I felt. I will leave it with you here.

Follow me on !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Check out !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! this time the Maserati Ghibli!

Photo credit to me, song credit to Passenger

$kaycog > Jonathon Klein 04/01/2014 at 11:27

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That is so sad. You'll never forget your first love.

EL_ULY > Jonathon Klein 04/01/2014 at 11:33

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so true, we jaloppos' will never forget our first rides. Sounds like good times all around though. As long as you hold those memories she will live forever.... and stuff :']

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Jonathon Klein 04/01/2014 at 11:35

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Im sorry for your loss. This was a truly beautiful writeup.

It goes to show that we really can love any car.

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > Jonathon Klein 04/01/2014 at 11:39

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Just so you know, imagining your head is in each of these pictures makes it all the more sad.

Jonathon Klein > EL_ULY 04/01/2014 at 11:45

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Thanks, and I will

Jonathon Klein > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 04/01/2014 at 12:16

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YES! Can I use this as my profile pic?

Zoom > Jonathon Klein 04/01/2014 at 12:31

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I bought one exactly like that about 5 months ago for my wife for a winter car. Loaded SLT, full time 4wd, 4.7, rear hvac. Everything but leather. Light Driftwood.

I had to bum it to my oldest daughter instead after her Wrangler was rear ended and in for repair. I just sold it last week since the snow is finally going away. It was a great truck.

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > Jonathon Klein 04/01/2014 at 12:57

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By all means

Makoyouidiot > Jonathon Klein 04/01/2014 at 19:18

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One of the best first car writeups I've seen.

mazdaspeed2 > Jonathon Klein 04/02/2014 at 10:00

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I also recently had to part ways with my first car, a mazdaspeed protege. It was tough driving it that last week knowing that it would be the last time I ever drove it. The whole time I was worrying that my next car would never live up to the protege. I did like cars before I got the protege, but that car is the reason that I am completely obsessed now. Great write up, it hit me right in the feels.

Eric Johnson > Jonathon Klein 04/03/2014 at 10:21

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This was terrific. And made all the better because you're in Illinois too! I'm sorry for your loss. Have you found something new to reignite your passion?

Jonathon Klein > Eric Johnson 04/03/2014 at 10:41

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I have a FR-S that I'm playing with right now, but I will always miss that Durango.

shop-teacher > Jonathon Klein 04/03/2014 at 11:30

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I never developed that kind of relationship with my first car (it didn't last long enough!), but my current truck, an '06 Sierra that I bought new, that's the one I feel this way about. I will cry when its time to send her off, but thankfully that time is not near.

Jonathon Klein > shop-teacher 04/03/2014 at 11:36

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Treat her well.

Jesse Katianda > Jonathon Klein 04/03/2014 at 14:28

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RIP, grey Durango. =(

CarlitoBenito > Jonathon Klein 04/04/2014 at 10:31

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I wish I could post stories on Oppo... you and I have that same feeling for our first cars. Similar feeling here as we recently sold the old ZJ Grand Cherokee. Senior year of HS - Junior year of college, passed to my little brother, who drove it for a few more years afterwards.

I've since bought a 2011 Grand Cherokee and he's driving a 1999 Grand Cherokee, but nothing beat the sound of that 4.0L, rattle trap-ish, simple and honest interior, and that swapped in 5-speed manual. It's the mechanical feeling that a lot of cars are missing these days.

robonobo > Jonathon Klein 04/04/2014 at 12:35

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Well, THERE'S your problem. Ya got too many dang leaves in the tertiary vents! Not to mention all that discolouration on the washer fluid - er, solvent reservoir cap. Just needs a bit o spit n polish... 4200 an I'll have 'er runnin' like a sweaty hotdog under a heat lamp on a street vendor's grill rack in no time.

robonobo > robonobo 04/04/2014 at 12:55

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But on a serious note: Like a lost sea captain watching his Francesca Del Mar wave the standards on its foremast for the last time as it gives up its last breath of buoyancy somewhere in the south-central Pacific, I feel your pain bro.

Coyote > Jonathon Klein 04/05/2014 at 21:10

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I'm sorry for your loss, man. I dread the day when I'll have to give up my first car, an '03 Chevy Silverado I picked up for $600. I've had it for three years now, and though some days I hate it, some days it hates me back, in the end its been a good reliable friend in a time when I have few. (Beginning college and such.) Thanks for sharing.

Collin > Jonathon Klein 04/06/2014 at 19:49

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"I thought you'd always be mine..."

Jonathon Klein > Collin 04/06/2014 at 20:32

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I both hate and love this

Collin > Jonathon Klein 04/06/2014 at 22:52

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You know you hate that you love it.

arbitrary > Jonathon Klein 04/06/2014 at 23:37

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The key to remembering our friends: good photos. You should have taken some glamour shots of the durango. Photos are forever.

blacksapphire08 > Jonathon Klein 04/07/2014 at 06:55

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That sucks and i think we all feel your pain. I miss my '87 Buick LeSabre, died with a crap ton of miles on her.

Jonathon Klein > Collin 04/07/2014 at 07:59

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It was perfect, I was laughing hysterically!

JoelA237 > Jonathon Klein 04/08/2014 at 04:52

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I just recently had to give up my first car as well. Time had taken its toll on it. My dad had bought it brand new back in 1976. It was a Mercury Cougar XR-7. Metallic brown, with a brown and tan interior. When He gave it to me for my 16th birthday it needed work.. lots of it. It was 2002, and the car had sat for a good 10 years already. I saved up every penny I earned cooking at the local bar, 1400 dollars later, I had it road worthy... sort of lol. The steering was so loose that you could turn it a good 30 degrees both ways and the car would not twitch, the shocks where all iffy, and I intentionally left the exhaust broken, because big block v8..

It got 8mpg no matter how I drove it, it was loud, the fake leather seats stuck to your skin when it was hot out, and it didnt like to start when it was cold, But I loved it. It was my key to freedom. I could fit 6 of my friends in it, and all the party supplies i could dream of in the trunk. It took us on many adventures all over the place, although we got denied entry to Canada... I got my first ticket in that car showing up a "foe" from school who thought his v6 Camaro was badass ( police do not like big smokey donuts being performed in vfw parking lots) It is what got me hooked on modifying cars and speed in general. 460's respond nicely to cheap mods!

In the year and a half I could afford to drive it, I put about 25,000 miles on that car, LOTS of gas money was spent. It was all worth it though. To see it loaded onto a flatbed and hauled away, it hurt. I feel your pain.

Jonathon Klein > JoelA237 04/08/2014 at 08:08

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It's just heartbreaking when it's gone, it kills me that I couldn't save it.

econobiker > Jonathon Klein 04/08/2014 at 13:30

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Had a two tone: white with gold(ish) accents (bumpers, running boards) 2001 AWD 318ci automatic Durango SLT that my ex-wife and I purchased NEW for MSRP of the base Durango. We bought it early October 2001 just after 9/11 but before the flood gates of 0% and employee pricing to stimulate car sales opened up in late October 2001. The vehicle had sat from May 2001 on the dealer lot probably due to the then high price which the dealer gave up on in order to move it out.

I really liked it but alas, my ex drove it into the ground as she had received it when we split up assets in the divorce. And I sold the unused K&N air filter and remote oil drain kit neither which I had never installed for only $25 to keep some noodle head quicky oil change guy from getting the parts along with charging my ex-to change them....