My car died. It was funny when it happened because part of me was glad. I am ashamed to admit that, but it was true. I always had mixed feelings for the car. I had it for about seven years. To get it, I traded my broken truck for my at-the-time mechanic-boyfriendâs dadâs old-but-functional car. Obviously, I benefited from a bias in that trade and was gracious but, secretly, and this is where the shame is, I wanted a cooler car. I wanted a car with a stick shift, or another truck, despite the gas guzzling and the fact that I didnât need one. But I would only have that sort of frivolity in my life if it came by happenstance. By my own rules, I shouldnât be seeking out impracticalities. So I kept my 93â Toyota Camry and we grew together. I was finally getting attached. And then it broke.
On top of being the big break I had been waiting for, it was well timed. Being that I am just starting the farm, I will be in need of a truck shortly. And thank goodness it broke in the winter, a much better time for the car to break, rather than a few months from now, when my schedule is really starting to pick up. But it was a poorly timed break, too. Not only is a new-to-me truck a huge expense to contend with, particularly while working within an already tight budget, it happened right after I took it to get checked out. The mechanic found oil in the distributor and replaced the part, not a cheap job, especially with the diagnostics on an old car like that. The day after we brought it home, I took it for a short drive and noticed that its idle was extremely rough. When I got home, I called Jim.  It had rained that morning and as we were discussing what to do, I looked out the window of my second story apartment at the water soaked road. This is how I noticed the leak: a rainbow trail of oil splotches leading around the bend and curving in at my driveway.
We brought the car back in and got bad news. The engine was losing compression and the car had tops 1,000 miles left to live. Panic set in. Another task to accomplish, butting its way into the top five of my already expansive to-do list. Lucky for me, my Mom was headed out of town and willing to let me borrow her car which significantly eased the situation. Actually, her words were âIâm happy to be able to help you.â Seriously, how lucky am I? So I commenced looking for a truck to buy.
Now consider this, I do not have a lot of experience buying cars. There was the truck-Camry trade, and before that, the five-hundred dollar Corsica. For its cost, this car was a good deal, but I did absolutely no investigation. It was offered to me for the price by someone who needed the money and I said, âHow can I lose?â I lucked out that time and didnât lose, but this time, I canât depend on luck in the least.
I called my brother, got Jim in on the research, asked a few friends for some advice, and began scouring the internet for trucks within my price range. It took a surprising amount of reading to even figure out what I wanted. A lot of questions came up but they were all answered in tandem with the answer to the question, âWhat do you want to do with the truck?â The following answer is as far as I have gotten: I want to be able pick up bulky items like eight foot metal posts without too much trouble, tow a trailer weighing up to 1,800 pounds filled with produce to and from market twice a week, and if possible, pull a trailer with a tractor on it for short distances on occasion. I know this last specification is so dependent on the type of tractor that it is almost too vague to be useful, but I have a growing knowledge and will fill in the details with afterthought. Besides, there seems to be a maximum towing capacity that Iâm able to achieve within my price range, making that last item just wishful thinking.
As I find myself saying a lot lately, there is so much to learn. Not only do I have to know the details of my target for my own knowledge, but also in order to tell others they are wrong when they insist they have what I am looking for. A salesman tied to tell me I could just slap a hitch receiver (a receptacle that allows me to attach trailer hook-ups such as ball mounts or drawbars) right onto any truck I wanted. I had to do a lot of reading to refute that claim sufficiently. For the record, I could, but it wouldnât be a good idea. The engine needs modifications. Without additional cooling capabilities, trucks that regularly pull more than their own weight are more likely to overheat. The more I read, the more refined my questions become. I have a slightly more solid footing, but am still unsure of myself. I donât let on to the latter when dealing with the salesmen though. Better to be quiet and act like I know. Â
I still havenât found a truck, but I have the specifications worked out if youâre interested. I am looking for a 4x4, 5.4 liter, V8 pick-up truck, with a regular or extended cab, a class three or greater hitch receiver, made no earlier than 2000 with 120 thousand or less miles, made by Ford, GMC, or Chevrolet. I have about $7,000 to spend and I donât care what color it is (although secretly I would resent it if it was red or pink). I just want it to run like a champion and not to crumble from rust.
