Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Who drives the junker?

Over the years our family has always had two vehicles. One was pretty new while the other was much older but still somewhat reliable.
Mostly both the wife and I worked outside the home. I always felt better with her having the newest vehicle, I could not imagine her on the side of the road with mechanical problems or putting my kids at risk. I never felt embarassed by driving the junker and figured if something did go wrong with it I'd rather be dealing with it than the wife.
Even now with the kids all grown she still drives all the new vehicles while I'm still content with the second hand stuff. Today she's driving a 2003 Toyota Highlander, while I'm putting around in a 96 F150 with 125,000 miles.
So what's your arrangments ?

The wife has a 2001 Surburban wath all the goodies and I have her old 1995 Toyota Camry with 140,000 miles....Sounds like we have the same arrangement...

It was always me that drives the junker, i.e. a Geo with 180k miles on it, a 63 C10, a Subaru with 216k miles on it...but I just went out and got me a 97 Ranger with only 36k miles on it.
She's got a 97 blazer with 100k miles, which is still pretty nice.

Ha! I can top that. My away-at-college daughter drives an '89 Ford Tempo with 170,000 miles. OOPS, no siree - that's what I drive. Her car is such a piece that I can't in good conscience let her drive it.

She has my Jeep, and I have her Tempo...sigh.

I'm not even married yet, and its been determined, her newer minivan gets replaced before my truck. I guess its a good thing I like my truck (96 Nissan with over 100k). Her minivan is a 98 with about 70k.

Me. Constantly. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Every thing I've got doubles in value when I fill the tank. An 86 Taurus, rescued from the junkyard when the tranny started slipping. I changed the tranny filter and fluid, and got it working good, but it's still got 3 wheels in the junkyard and one on a bannanna peel.

A 91 Grad Am, or should I say Grandma? It needs some work on the EFI. Gets about15 MPG while running a top speed of 45.

An 86 Ranger. I rebiult the 4 popper when it swallowed a piston a few years back. It runs good, but the boy has been using it for a dent collection since I got a good truck. The hood, tailgate and rear corner on the drvers side are still straight. Runs too good to junk, but looks to rough to sell.

I've got another 86 Ranger extended cab that is pretty good, hence nobody drives it but ME! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
7mm

I love those older Ford Rangers. I have had a couple friends drop 302's (& one 289) into them and fix'em real nice. For surprising less cash than you would think. Had one buddy who was determined to drop a 4.9L I-6 into one when I was in the Navy, he got transfered to the other coast and we heard little from him after that so I don't know if it fit or not. I'm thinking it didn't fit, but a torch was his best friend <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Someone told me years ago you could buy kits to swap big blocks (429/460) into them. Don't know if the kits included logging chain to tie it down with! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Had a Buddy with a 78 Mustang II that shoehorned a '29 in there. That thing was WICKED.

I'll stick with the V6, as I have no desire to re-arrange the 4WD.
7mm

well, let's see:
88 accord with blown engine; headed for junkyard
78 fairmont with only 80,000 miles but a broken valve spring so it is parked; no bread to fix it right now
98 escort with 150,000 or so; sounds like the top of the engine broke something two months ago; parked waiting on fix-it money; car still looks too good not to fix it
99 wrangler with 112,000; bent tailgate; plastic windows getting a little scratchy and dim; valves clattering a bit; just replaced the power steering pump; but looks and runs just fine; this is my wife's vehicle
00 cherokee with 85,000 or so; needs new front brake pads; right rear wheel is slightly bent thanks to wife's trip against a big drain culvert so it needs 8 ounces of wheel weights; but other than that looks and runs super fine; this un's mine.

surely i am blessed. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Wife has the 2003 Focus. I have the 1988 GMC S-15 with 145K on the odometer. There's an '87 Cavalier wagon in the driveway as a backup. Inspection's up at the end of March: it'll prbably be retired then; we kept it this long because it was something for the sons to drive, but they've got their own rides now.

Yes for the most part she has or should say had the better vehical, now we kind of spliting the vehicles depending on who had to drive the farthest, She now drives about 3 or 4 miles I drive a little over 25 miles to work so I take the Beetle 1998 95k miles, she was driving the 1989 Suburban, Was being the key word, she is now relying on taxi service to get her to work and I usually pick her up.



We live in a small town it's only $2.50 door to door. Actually cheaper than driving the Suburban every day.



I just bought my parents 1988 DeVille, that's still in TN. Waiting for the weather to break so we can get it.



And I have my 1982 CJ7, I try not to drive it in the winter if I can avoid it, This is my main summer vehicle while she drives the Bug.



So we have no shortage of vehicles to drive, but do need to get the Caddy home.

Who else? ME, wife has a '99 Blazer LT 4X4. I just junked an '86 Blazer 4X4 with 280,000 on it and now have a '90 Plymouth Sundance RS with 98,000 on it!

My son drives the junker in this house.....well not really drives he is too young to drive but he owns a Honda CRX of no fixed year. It was given to him by his uncle last week. This CRX has been rebuilt and patched so often Im not sure that Honda still wants their name on it. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

AS for the rest of us my wife drives a 2002 Sebring.
I drive my 95 Tahoe 2-door (if it don't need gas) other wise I take the Sebring as well. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

My junker is my '95 F-250 with 74k miles on it. Though, I'm going to get an '04 Silverado SS soon. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Junkers? Some would consider them to be so, but not me. Currently, we are driving:

2003 Chevrolet Z-71 LT Extended Cab/Short Bed, every possible ortion and the 5.3 liter engine. Fold-A-Cover tonneau and Viper Liner. So far, 7,500 happy <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> miles.

2004 Tahoe LT with every possible option. Bought it a week ago and it now has 103 miles on it.

Steve

I drive a '98 F150 with just under 100K and my wife drives a Lexus ES300 with about 77K. Mines only the clunker until we decide to head up into the mtns, then the 4wd makes it seem MUCH nicer! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I'd say an F-150 w/ only 125K was about to be broken in good <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Wifey has a 2003 Ford Escape, Leather, Moon roof, 6 disc changer...I have the 94 Ranger w/ 174,000 miles and still going strong...I might even put a new clutch in it this year <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />


When I get to 300K I'll probably get a 4X4 model just like it..

Mike

The wife drives a 2000 jeep cherokee with 43,000 miles. I drive a 1986 delta 88 with 21,000 miles that was given to me by my friend, and for hunting or towing we have a 2003 GMC sierra. Until 2 years ago I never owned a vehicle newer than 10 years old.

Wife drives a 97 Toyota 4runner with about 70,000 on it.
I've got a 97 Dodge ram 4X4 with 85,00 on it. Guss we're about even, 'cept I'd trade her in a heartbeat!
We bought 'em both new, just a few mos. apart...Wish I'd have bought a Toyota also.

Virgil B.

The wife drives the newest one:

'93 Mazda 626 ES 106K
'92 Volvo 960 111K
'89 F-150 4X4 144K

We should be able to "re-arm" just prior to wife's retirement in 5 years!
Kirt