TMI



I love old cars and trucks. And not just to photograph. I love them to drive too. I hate all that computer crap new cars have. I like to make my own determination of whether I need to put more air in a tire. And if you live in a rural area as I do the new modern cars require going to the big city dealership to get even a simple oil change.

I currently have an old pickup and its backup and even older Corolla. Two vehicles is good with no public transportation around. Sadly the pickup now has a serious transmission issue and I once again face the repair or replace question. There are defenders for both sides. And Google has tons of information. One of the most worrying was the normal mileage for replacement of a transmission. Big Blue is right in the not so sweet spot. Pickups get rode hard and put away wet in my part of the country so it has done better than expected but not as good as I would have wished.

I never stop at one Google search so I looked up the expected mileage on the Corolla transmission. It is well past the norm. And so when out driving it to a pet sit appointment this morning automatic rough made an appearance.

Automatic rough was a term I learned from my flight instructor. It occurs in pilots when there is no obvious spot to make an emergency landing. Like over a heavily forested mountain. I first experienced that over the Tennessee mountains flying an assisted cross country from Mobile.  We made it to home base and set the bird down. But an hour later my instructor called me to let me know I had been right. It was running rough and blew oil all over the windshield on its next take off.

So it seems more imperative to begin searching for replacement of the pick up. When I bought it I was looking for something big enough to pull a trailer so I could hit the road. Now not so much. I definitely want nothing younger than 2007. And it must have four wheel drive and high clearance because I still enjoy getting off road to capture rare views from different locations. And I live in snow country. The Corolla is a good second car with low gas mileage but if I had to evacuate due to fires it won't hold dog and cat and supplies for a quick exit. My friend has a Dodge Durango. I could live with that. Like my Corolla it will haul 10 feet long pieces of lumber.

So what to do with the GMC if I choose to not replace the transmission? Park it in my yard and wait for it to develop into a great photographic subject? I love that pickup. Letting go is not going to be easy.

Comments

  1. Ien in the KootenaysDecember 12, 2019 at 10:51 AM

    I hear you! I am not a car person, that was my husband’s domain. But the dilemmas around replacing or repairing, the increased helplessness forced on us by modern technology, we know that one. Good luck finding a replacement, and there must be a way turn the old one into a garden bed?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bob BoonstraDecember 12, 2019 at 7:20 PM

    Of course you need to be using something that will get you to where you want to go and not leave you stranded. Some units are better at that than others, so either properly repaired and serviced - or a replacement properly maintained and serviced are the options. After that come the cost considerations..

    ReplyDelete

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