The Grouch, Part Two

OK, it may be a bit crazy, but I’m starting to think I’m gonna have to keep The Grouch. I did have a guy come up and ask me how much I wanted for it. Hello? You can’t read the sign in the window? And then asked me about what year it was, etc. Once again, you can’t read the information sheet I put in the window? One can only assume that Mac would definitely not want you to drive, let alone own this truck.

I don’t really need to own three vehicles. But let’s consider 2 that I do own and drive daily.

Both belonged to my dads.

I drive a 1990 Ford E-150 van named Phred that my folks put 253,000 miles on before Dad offered to sell it to me. It has held, hauled, moved more stuff – and also has been a camper for Dad and I – and I spend what I need to in order to keep it running. Dad did the same. Why stop that now when it’s worked so well for 20 years?

I drive a 1978 Dodge D-150 pickup with a monster 440 cubic inch V-8 that once again purrs and boy howdy, Mac would be proud and smiling. That truck can pretty much haul or grab onto and pull whatever in the world needs hauling, grabbed or pulled. Again, whatever it takes to keep it running.

My father taught me about auto mechanics at a young age. How many 13 year olds replace head gaskets on a Dodge 318 in a 1968 van? (Which I later wrecked.) I did all the maintenance on my first car – a ’65 Mustang and yeah, you all ought to be really jealous about that – basically because my dad encouraged me to do so. Later in life, I fell in love with and married a gorgeous woman whose dad had the Shop Of Dreams – he built it, and I came and used it. From my ’72 Lincoln Town Car (with the Opera Coupe windows and a 460 engine) to my 75 Cadillac Eldorado with its 500 cubic inch engine and all of TLMK’s cars in between.

I’ve owned vehicles from the 1970’s with the largest engines Detroit made at the time. Still own one. It’s not politically correct as a Toyota Prius. And quite frankly, I don’t care. If it’s in my stable, it’s going to be tuned to run as efficiently as can be, and going to do what it was built for. Be that roll along the interstate at 75 mph without breathing hard, or work like mad at hauling and moving stuff.

I don’t really care that my vehicles aren’t pretty. I don’t get folks that buy a $40,000 4WD pickup and put monster tires on in and ride around town 3 feet above everyone else and are all proud – but never take the vehicle off road. Hell, Jody’s Steve (her Yukon) has been in 4WD LO more times than I can remember. 111,111 miles and asking “what’s next? “ Trucks are made for using. We have three. We use them.

In the immortal words of Don Henley (of Eagles fame), get over it.

OK, maybe I really do need to own Phred and The Grouch. After all, who else would take care of them?