In keeping with what I think the kids would like to see/read about one day, I am including another post of pictures. Since my interest in cars is a big part of who I am, this one is all the cars I've owned, and a little bit about each of them.
1996 GMC Sierra
1996 GMC SierraThis was the first vehicle I ever purchased. It is still my most favorite of all the cars I have owned. I have a ton of memories of four-wheeling in it and cruising around in it (back when gas was only $.99/gallon). This truck had a Vortec 350 V8 and an automatic transmission. It had so much power that if I floored it from a stop light on dry pavement, it would smoke the tires all the way through the intersection and beyond. One day I hope to have another GMC Sierra (maybe a little newer one though), but it will have to have four doors. I traded this truck in on the 2001 GMC Jimmy below.
1987 Chevrolet S-10
This truck was a stripped-down clunker, but it was awesome. It never gave me any problems, and would take every bit of abuse I threw at it. It had a 2.5 4-cylinder engine and a four speed stick shift. It not only had no A/C, but had no vents! It had defrost or heater only. I beat the crap out of this thing and it just took it. I drove it to 190,000 miles or so before the head gasket blew, when I purposely did not stop, the engine soon followed. Some guys bought it and thought they could figure out a way to drive it away. They did get it started, but all of my neighbors came out because it sounded like someone was shooting a machine gun all over the neighborhood. They only ended up making it 5 feet before they gave up. When I took the trash cans out the next morning before work, I found metal shards, as well as the complete head of a piston, that had shot out of the engine block, lying on the ground. I was laughing my head off when they were trying to drive it away, and it was only more hilarious to see that the next morning.
2001 GMC Jimmy
I leased this Jimmy for a couple of years. It was a lot of fun and went up in the mountains and everything quite well. I could not find a picture of it, but it looked absolutely identical to the one above (two door, color, wheels, and everything). It was a fun vehicle and I had a lot of great times with it, but did not own it for long. The lease ended and I did not buy it because I already had two paid off cars (the truck above, and the Buick below), so I didn't feel like financing a third.
1992 Buick Regal GS
I have so much history with this car, I could not even begin to write about it. This was my Dad's car which he bought brand new. They have always been so unselfish, so I took it many times on the weekends during high school. I once even crashed it into a house! Too much to explain now, but I promise I did not cause the accident. It was such a nice touring car and really a fun car to drive. It was pretty quick in its day too. I ended up buying it from them when it was 10 years old and had 100,000 miles on it. An unnoticed water pump leak caused the head gasket to blow on this vehicle as well (yep, I missed it!). It ended up going to 230,000 miles before it died. This was the place I was able to hobble it to before Kidney Kars came to tow it away. By the way, this car was built before they had governors to limit top speed. This thing actually did 140 MPH on more than one occasion..........or, so I have heard anyway.
2000 Oldsmobile Alero
This car was the replacement when the S-10 died, but I still had the Buick. It has been a great car and pretty trouble free. Other than the Sierra, this has to be the fastest car I have owned (NO, powerful cars do not interest me at all!.......and I NEVER speed). This was the car the kids first came home in and it has taken us here, there, and everywhere in between. It has been pretty trouble free and has also been such a fun car to drive.
1972 Ford F-100
1987 Chevrolet S-10This truck was a stripped-down clunker, but it was awesome. It never gave me any problems, and would take every bit of abuse I threw at it. It had a 2.5 4-cylinder engine and a four speed stick shift. It not only had no A/C, but had no vents! It had defrost or heater only. I beat the crap out of this thing and it just took it. I drove it to 190,000 miles or so before the head gasket blew, when I purposely did not stop, the engine soon followed. Some guys bought it and thought they could figure out a way to drive it away. They did get it started, but all of my neighbors came out because it sounded like someone was shooting a machine gun all over the neighborhood. They only ended up making it 5 feet before they gave up. When I took the trash cans out the next morning before work, I found metal shards, as well as the complete head of a piston, that had shot out of the engine block, lying on the ground. I was laughing my head off when they were trying to drive it away, and it was only more hilarious to see that the next morning.
2001 GMC JimmyI leased this Jimmy for a couple of years. It was a lot of fun and went up in the mountains and everything quite well. I could not find a picture of it, but it looked absolutely identical to the one above (two door, color, wheels, and everything). It was a fun vehicle and I had a lot of great times with it, but did not own it for long. The lease ended and I did not buy it because I already had two paid off cars (the truck above, and the Buick below), so I didn't feel like financing a third.
1992 Buick Regal GSI have so much history with this car, I could not even begin to write about it. This was my Dad's car which he bought brand new. They have always been so unselfish, so I took it many times on the weekends during high school. I once even crashed it into a house! Too much to explain now, but I promise I did not cause the accident. It was such a nice touring car and really a fun car to drive. It was pretty quick in its day too. I ended up buying it from them when it was 10 years old and had 100,000 miles on it. An unnoticed water pump leak caused the head gasket to blow on this vehicle as well (yep, I missed it!). It ended up going to 230,000 miles before it died. This was the place I was able to hobble it to before Kidney Kars came to tow it away. By the way, this car was built before they had governors to limit top speed. This thing actually did 140 MPH on more than one occasion..........or, so I have heard anyway.
2000 Oldsmobile Alero
This car was the replacement when the S-10 died, but I still had the Buick. It has been a great car and pretty trouble free. Other than the Sierra, this has to be the fastest car I have owned (NO, powerful cars do not interest me at all!.......and I NEVER speed). This was the car the kids first came home in and it has taken us here, there, and everywhere in between. It has been pretty trouble free and has also been such a fun car to drive.
1972 Ford F-100
I bought this when the Buick died. As anyone could probably tell, I am a big General Motors kind of guy. This truck was just too good of a deal to pass up, and I knew I would not find a Chevy in the same condition for the same amount of money. When I bought it, the truck only had 72,000 ORIGINAL miles. Now, more than three years later, I have worked it all the way up to 90,000 miles. It still has all original parts throughout. It is such a cool, fun old truck to drive around. The kids and I take it out every few weeks or so, or when someone needs to haul something. Other than that, it just remains parked. You do have to warm it up for about 10 minutes before you go anywhere though. This is not a jump in and drive away kind of vehicle.
So, what vehicle would I own if I could choose any vehicle right now? It is a three way toss-up. I promise that none of them have price tags in the $300,000 range or anything. I have always wanted to have a Corvette (preferably the new ZR-1). I am obviously a GM fan, but this car is the essence of best bang for your buck in the true sports car world. I would also love to have a four door, short bed GMC Sierra 2500 HD with the Duramax Diesel and the Allison Transmission. Finally, I would also really like a GMC Yukon or a Chevy Tahoe. If I was forced to pick one of the three today, I would probably pick the Yukon/Tahoe because of the kids and the versatility it would provide.
