PetrolHead
When's the next track day
I would do terrible things to have a 3-car garage. Actually, any garage larger than mine. I've even been considering buying an abandoned house down the block for $10k, just so I can knock it down and build a giant garage on the lot. Not surprisingly, the wife keeps dismissing the idea. I think it sounds like an awesome plan.
Now, the beater truck = the best, most useful $3k I've ever spent. I can't believe how often it comes in handy. It was invaluable for moving and buying furniture. I drove it a ton in the winter when the snow was cray. Hell, today it's raining and the ATS is clean, so I left it in the tiny garage and drove Ol Blue. It's nice being able to tow and haul stuff at a moment's notice, and I've honestly used it way more than I thought I would. My original plan was to sell it after moving, now I want to keep it for life.
The catch is finding a full-size with a manual. I can't stress how much fun it is driving a full-size truck with a manual. The clutch is what I imagine operating a mechanical clutch on a 1940's dump truck felt like, and I'm pretty sure the shifter lever could be used as a yard stick in a pinch. Granny first means you could pull a house in low gear, but normal driving is like a dog-leg transmission: first is down and to the left. You could drive a semi between the gears (4 of them including overdrive in normal driving), which requires a lot of shifting on the highway...but the throttle cable makes heel-toe stupid easy. Yes, heel-towing a full size pickup FTW. It's so much awesome in a terrible way, and adds a ton of character to the truck. Seriously, I get so much enjoyment out of driving that I think that's why it has so much staying power. Mated with the 5.7 TBI that redlines at 4,500rpm (like a diesel), the torque is ridiculous. Overall, hilariously terrible while outstandingly useful. I will have it until it or I die, whichever comes first.
Now, they didn't make many manual transmission full-size trucks. Finding one is tough. When you do, they're usually fleet spec, standard cab, low options, 2x4, V6, or missing many creature comfort features. Ol Blue is a K1500 (4x4 half-ton) 5.7 extended cab with the Silverado Package. The Silverado package was like the High Country today, it has every feature you could get in a truck. Power windows and locks, cruise, 4 speakers, etc. Finding one equipped with a manual is very difficult. But to make Ol Blue even rarer, she's got the 2-year only option of the HD cast-iron transmission. For two years, you could order an LD truck with the manual that came in the HD trucks. It was a pretty hefty price (like $1,500 or something, I'll have to check the sticker again), so most opted against it. The transmission (NV4500) has been rated as one of the best, most bullet-proof 4x4 transmissions out there, and they regularly sell for nearly $2k by themselves. So if I ever total the truck, I can sell the tranny for $1k less than I paid for the entire truck. Winning.
I even bought it from the original owner off eBay, but I won't rehash that story again.
Anyway as you can tell, I'm a huge proponent for beater trucks. It's tough up here because most of the old ones rusted away long ago. I suggest trolling craigslist in the south and doing a road trip. Fluid film does a great job of rust prevention without being annoying to work with (like many undercoating products), so you can keep a rust-free truck rust-free for as long as you're willing.
Now, the beater truck = the best, most useful $3k I've ever spent. I can't believe how often it comes in handy. It was invaluable for moving and buying furniture. I drove it a ton in the winter when the snow was cray. Hell, today it's raining and the ATS is clean, so I left it in the tiny garage and drove Ol Blue. It's nice being able to tow and haul stuff at a moment's notice, and I've honestly used it way more than I thought I would. My original plan was to sell it after moving, now I want to keep it for life.
The catch is finding a full-size with a manual. I can't stress how much fun it is driving a full-size truck with a manual. The clutch is what I imagine operating a mechanical clutch on a 1940's dump truck felt like, and I'm pretty sure the shifter lever could be used as a yard stick in a pinch. Granny first means you could pull a house in low gear, but normal driving is like a dog-leg transmission: first is down and to the left. You could drive a semi between the gears (4 of them including overdrive in normal driving), which requires a lot of shifting on the highway...but the throttle cable makes heel-toe stupid easy. Yes, heel-towing a full size pickup FTW. It's so much awesome in a terrible way, and adds a ton of character to the truck. Seriously, I get so much enjoyment out of driving that I think that's why it has so much staying power. Mated with the 5.7 TBI that redlines at 4,500rpm (like a diesel), the torque is ridiculous. Overall, hilariously terrible while outstandingly useful. I will have it until it or I die, whichever comes first.
Now, they didn't make many manual transmission full-size trucks. Finding one is tough. When you do, they're usually fleet spec, standard cab, low options, 2x4, V6, or missing many creature comfort features. Ol Blue is a K1500 (4x4 half-ton) 5.7 extended cab with the Silverado Package. The Silverado package was like the High Country today, it has every feature you could get in a truck. Power windows and locks, cruise, 4 speakers, etc. Finding one equipped with a manual is very difficult. But to make Ol Blue even rarer, she's got the 2-year only option of the HD cast-iron transmission. For two years, you could order an LD truck with the manual that came in the HD trucks. It was a pretty hefty price (like $1,500 or something, I'll have to check the sticker again), so most opted against it. The transmission (NV4500) has been rated as one of the best, most bullet-proof 4x4 transmissions out there, and they regularly sell for nearly $2k by themselves. So if I ever total the truck, I can sell the tranny for $1k less than I paid for the entire truck. Winning.
I even bought it from the original owner off eBay, but I won't rehash that story again.
Anyway as you can tell, I'm a huge proponent for beater trucks. It's tough up here because most of the old ones rusted away long ago. I suggest trolling craigslist in the south and doing a road trip. Fluid film does a great job of rust prevention without being annoying to work with (like many undercoating products), so you can keep a rust-free truck rust-free for as long as you're willing.
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