High School Car(S)

"John_Harbinson" (jensenkid97) 11/19/2015 at 18:38 • Filed to: None

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As a senior in high school, I’ve daily’d quite a few things.

1: 1997 Ford F-250. Parents bought it for me to drive “occasionally” with its main use being a plow truck for my dad’s business during the winter. Searched up and down the east coast for a 1997 Powerstroke with a 5-speed and 4x4 for less than $5000. Lucked out in finding this truck, because it had the 3.55 limited slip rear end, which meant elevenses and a very surprising 16mpg average, despite (just) sixteen year old me driving the absolute snot out of it between February of my Sophomore year and December of my Junior year. Total miles accumulated: 18,500.

Next is the Ford Explorer. Ahhh the wonderful, joyous piece of machinery shit that was my 2003 Ford Explorer. This was our Wagon Queen Family Truckster from 2003-2014, when a “heat sheild rattle” turned out to be “imminent catastrophic engine failure”, my mom got a JSW TDI and I was told to see how long it would last, since the plow truck was needed. It lasted until this august, actually, when after 198,000 careful miles, something finally let loose and it played a magnificent magic trick in which pistons 3 and 5 disappeared. I’m being Kinja’d right now, so no picture of that... Edit:kinja stopped being a bitch and let me attatch the pic of the Exploder. Total miles (by me): ~12,000

Maybe it will let me post a picture of my current DD? Ohai there we go, so this is the first thing I’ve ever actually bought and owned outright, and while I’m not paying for insurance, the fuel for this bastard is terrible. It gets ten mpg on a good day, TEN.

Before I got the caddy up and running, I drove a multitude of shop trucks from day to day, ranging from this Danger Ranger (in this picture cleaning up from party remains),

To this behemoth, F-550, with which I achieved a level of asshat parking higher than any BMW driver could ever hope to reach.

I have had other cars, like the BMW for instance, but that was split between my father and I, and as for the Jensen, well, I’m only allowed to drive it on occasion, which is plenty good enough for me! Here’s some pics of those now, too!

Hopefully I can add a Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX To this list come springtime. That’s all for now!

flyingmetalbird > John_Harbinson 11/19/2015 at 19:19

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Well I’m a Junior and I thought I had cool cars, I can’t compete with that though! Nice variety, how’d you wind up with all those??

Braniff747SP > John_Harbinson 11/19/2015 at 19:29

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Well, I graduated from high school a few months ago, so close enough.

For the second half of sophomore year and all of junior year, I daily’d a P38. Loved it.

My senior year, I’d normally drive my dad’s Rex. Awesome, but can’t compete with a Jensen Interceptor — how the hell did you get your hands on that?

I did ~1,200 miles a month in high school, which in the P38 was bloody expensive...

John_Harbinson > Braniff747SP 11/19/2015 at 21:01

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I’d sooooo drive a Range Rover over the Escalade any day of the week/month/year. They’re just cooler.. Probably less like driving an actual boat. Almost bought one, but it had wayyyy too many miles and a sagging headliner

Braniff747SP > John_Harbinson 11/19/2015 at 22:59

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P38 is fantastic — if it weren’t for the gas milage and the tendency for expensive bits to go wrong, they’d be perfect.

Great car to drive and be in. Still have it.

John_Harbinson > Braniff747SP 11/20/2015 at 00:02

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How many miles/km? And how do they hold up to off-road abuse? bigger tires, and stiffer suspension from a tahoe are next on my list of mods, so I won’t be afraid of having the thing roll over on me either in a field or on the road for that matter. Haven’t taken my Escalade seriously off roading yet, I beat the bejeezus out of the Explorer off road though, since the body was pretty scratched and dented by the time it got to me. Under my “ownership”, the only damage was one mangled rock slider step bar, and it went through stuff that my friends couldn’t get through with their lifted diesel trucks. Think it was due to a slight lack of cares, and a heavy right foot. Never got stuck either, had it up well past the centercaps in mud/water once, and somehow had enough momentum to get me to the other side of the hole. It pulled some incredible 4wd drifts as well... Not sure I want to put the Escalade through that kind of abuse though. I’ve been thinking about finding a 4wd CR-V to satisfy the need for hooning when it arises. A P38 Build would always be cool though......... Tasteful lift and big tires, what’s not to love about that!

Braniff747SP > John_Harbinson 11/20/2015 at 13:41

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There’s something like ~120,000 miles on the truck, I think. Haven’t driven it in a while.

Never went seriously offroading, but they can be very capable assuming you’ve got the right tires.

And as great as a build would be, just wait until you start dealing with the electrics...