Taking it off the road

"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck) 09/29/2015 at 11:56 • Filed to: None

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Today is the end of an era. My faithful truck has reached a point where it doesn’t make sense to keep it on the road. In the past year, I’ve driven it about once a month and every time it was for something that could be done with a trailer attached to the back of the Explorer.

This little truck has been with me nearly 20 years. It stuck with me through grad school, getting married, and having two kids. It moved my belongings to six different households in three different states. It’s been through three floods, two hurricanes, and a tropical storm which flooded my house. It’s carried more wood, dirt, and sand than I could ever count. I’ve taken it down the highway, through the woods, onto the beach, and into the mountains. In all these years, it’s seen its share of mishaps which left me stranded: a broken tie-rod, a couple of worn-out distributors; but it has always come back for more.

Now it has reached a point where it can’t pass inspection without some repairs, but we can’t justify spending money on repairs when I have something else to drive.

What it needs:

New windshield (the primary reason it can’t pass inspection)

New intake ductwork (the old plastic crumbled away and the temporary repair needs to be replaced)

Broken exhaust manifold stud removed from the head and replaced to fix the exhaust leak.

New brake master cylinder

Find & repair the a/c leak (The compressor was leaking around the shaft, so I replaced it last year. Now nobody can find the leak, so I think it is hiding in the evaporator.)

Replace seal around back glass to fix recurring water leak

Fix trim around side window glass

Replace/refresh interior (reupholster seats, new headliner, repair dash crack, replace carpet)

Repair door dings and repaint truck (particularly troublesome since clearcoat is peeling and the decals are under the clearcoat)

Repaint or replace wheels. It has new tires, but the 14” wheels just look too small.

My son is hoping that I’ll keep it around so he can learn more about auto repairs and drive it when he is old enough. With 268,000 miles on it, I think the next big expense will be an engine rebuild. Driving the same truck for almost 20 years creates a lot of memories. Maybe we can save it so we can make some more.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > TheRealBicycleBuck 09/29/2015 at 12:08

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What state are you in?

TheRealBicycleBuck > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 09/29/2015 at 12:15

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Louisiana. Why do you ask?

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > TheRealBicycleBuck 09/29/2015 at 12:19

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I’ve been looking for an old truck for some lite hauling duty, but you’re too far away.....I would make you an offer otherwise. I’m all the way in CA, not really worth the drive or shipping for either of us.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 09/29/2015 at 12:25

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I’m not sure I have the heart to sell it anyway. It just doesn’t make sense to make insurance payments on something we aren’t driving.

My son told me just yesterday that he wants it. We just have to keep the mom from hauling it off before we can make it roadworthy again.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > TheRealBicycleBuck 09/29/2015 at 12:32

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That will make a cool project then.

Moves-Like-Senna > TheRealBicycleBuck 09/29/2015 at 13:08

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????????

TheRealBicycleBuck > Moves-Like-Senna 09/29/2015 at 13:17

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Looks sharp. I think that is a later model without the twin I-beam suspension in the front. Anything more than a 2” drop on my truck will require new I-beams.

~$350 for just the front.

Moves-Like-Senna > TheRealBicycleBuck 09/29/2015 at 13:32

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But it would be so pretty :D

TheRealBicycleBuck > Moves-Like-Senna 09/29/2015 at 13:48

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I figured it would take about $5,000 to get it where I want it. It would take less than $1,000 to get it back on the road again, but that’s without refreshing the engine. Who knows, it could go another 100k miles before the engine dies. I was hoping to keep it alive long enough to teach the kids how to drive a manual. I’m sure not going to let them loose behind the wheel of my WRX.

leicester > TheRealBicycleBuck 09/29/2015 at 14:28

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Sounds like you’ve gotten your money’s worth out of it. Having owned a couple of B-series, they are wonderful little vehicular appliances...