I don’t have any photos of my pickup, and won’t waste the time taking any. Besides, I have no idea how to do the linky-thingy to show pictures anyway.
I drive a battered 1995 Ford Ranger. It’s a dull blackish color, left front fender is dented and smeared with yellow paint from a light pole; left front turn signal is busted out (different incident). The windshield looks like a jigsaw puzzle, the interior light doesn’t work. But the little sumbitch starts like a champ, runs like a charm and works like a mule. I’m keepin’ it.
My 1997 now has 122,000 on it. It has no current body damage, but in 10.5 years, it has survived a woman’s trying to change lanes THROUGH the left side of the cargo box, and then having half a tree fall on the hood.
It still burns no oil and leaks no oil.
I had a battery and an oxygen sensor replaced under the warranty that ran out in early 2000, and have replaced a starter, a set of shocks, a fuel hose,and a drive belt tensioner since 2000.
I’m only on my 3rd set of tires and the original clutch, exhaust system and rear brakes are still fine.
Basically, you just fill the gas every 300 miles, change oil every 3-5K, timing belt and drive belt every 60K (getting to the timing belt requires removing the radiator, so the antifreeze gets changed then) and enjoy the ride.
I got a $1500 rebate on this leftover '97 in Nov. '97 and paid about $4K less than I would have for a Toyossan. I’ve still got more than $3,500 left of the “all that money and more” the Japanese fanboys said I’d have to put in repairs to keep that" POS Ford" running!
My Suzuki V-Strom in “street mode”, as it appears in it’s role as my Mon-Fri commuter. And again in ruggedized dirt mode, with the topcase exchanged for a small tailbag and the regular fairings swapped for my dirt fairings painted with truck bedliner.
Very much like this, except mine’s an '06 Limited with AWD. Great winter car, and the black crystal pearl paint job gets compliments. After a year and a half, I have no complaints about it, other than that road crud tends to coat the rear deck and rear lights.
I think what happened is that you linked to your blog’s database pointer to the image file, not to the image file itself. Those database things have an annoying habit of putting a URL in your browser’s address bar that isn’t the real URL.
To get around this, right-click on the image and select “Open image in new window” (or your browser’s equivalent command) and then copy the link from thatwindow.
Most of the time I get around using public transit (the ever-lovely Toronto Transit Commission, whose unofficial motto seems to be “Service with a Scowl… and Maybe Occasionally a Grunt”)
…but when the weather cooperates and I’m not traveling too far, the lovely Clementine is at my service.
