SFaTitEF Chapter 3 · 1:57am Nov 17th, 2013
Sorry about the long delay in updating, loyal readers. The chapter's been half-written for months, but the play kind of messed up my schedule. But I'll make it up to you with a pretty picture!
See, at least Scootaloo's not the only one who gets trucks stuck.
I had to cut back on some of the dialog and magazine description when I remembered that this story's tagged 'everybody.' So, to make it perfectly clear, the magazine in question is a safe-for-all-ages photography magazine which happens to have a foldout. If you think otherwise, that's not on me.
Random fun story: I don't know how fast an automatic will go if one leaves it gear and gets out, but I can tell you that I was able to chase down my s-15 Sierra before it got too far across a field. You see, the parking brake didn't work, and it was kind of on a hill, so I left it in first gear (in retrospect, I should have left it in reverse). Sometimes it would jerk forward a little bit when left like that, because the engine was so worn out that there wasn't much compression holding it back. All would have been well, except that I left the key in the 'run' position, in order to listen to the radio while I worked--the accessory position didn't work, you see (hey, I paid $80 for the truck . . . it had a few issues). It rolled forward just enough for the engine to start . . . and then merrily took off down the hill and towards an open field.
It's funny, the picture makes it look a lot nicer than it really is. Maybe I should become a professional photographer.
I'm sure the driver was reading that magazine for the articles on automotive maintenance.
Well, I read it for the articles.
Your story on the truck runs away reminds me of one of those bloopers videos. Someone left their car in drive whilst they want into the store. It drove itself, in reverse, out of the parking lot, across the road just missing oncoming traffic, and into a parking spot at the neighboring shopping centre. dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Emoticons/shrug_Twilight_Sparkle.png
-Sollace
And that, my good friend, is why you should go with the other, better truck-making companies.
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/1993-1997_Ford_Ranger.jpg
...But then again, you only paid $80 for it. I guess that's a good deal. That's about what GMs are worth even when they're new, anyway.
1518528
Hey, I got 10 years and about 250,000 miles out of my $80 investment, so I've got no complaints. Are there better trucks? Yeah. But they cost more than $80.
1518628
Yeah. A lot of new trucks are overpriced, though.
Yeah, like I'm gonna pay (whatever) thousand bucks for a piece of crap '14 Silverado that's only worth $100 at the most.
That said, you really are a good photographer. It doesn't look nearly as crappy as your story says it is. What model-year is that, anyway?
...I still prefer mine, though. (no, I didn't take this pic, but it looks exactly like my truck, right down to the condition).
trialx.com/curetalk/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2011/06/cars/2005_Ford_Expedition-3.jpg
1518630
it began life as an 88 gmc s15 sierra. By the time that pic was taken, it had been frankentrucked. I belive the box was off an 87, tailgate and visor off an 84, grille guard off a jeep cherokee, rims of unknown origin. Since then, it's had 3 new driver's side doors, new hood, another box, two rear bumpers, and a new trans. You'll understand when I say new, I mean new to that truck.
I've had good luck with chevy trucks. Even my 1990 truck kept towing like a champ after it caught fire in Indiana ( good thing, too; I was in the middle of nowhere). My 78 still works okay, too. It's not roadworthy, but it works fine for the yard.
1518671
For the most part, my GM hate isn't even serious. I do actually think they make some perfectly good cars, even if their ability to make usable space sucks (their hugely massive Suburban is smaller on the inside than my Expedition, and their Camaro is so freakin' tiny on the inside it's not even funny). My reason for not liking them can be summed up in two words: 'bail' and 'out'. Before that, I had no issue with them, same with the rest of my family. Now, we've all sworn never to buy another GMC, Chevy, Pontiac, Buick, Cadillac, etc.
It's a shame, really. I actually really like the Colorado...But Ford's good, regardless of the fact that they ceaselessly try to make me hate them (took away the freakin' Ranger...). I'd get a Nissan...but then my dad might disown me.
He used to work in the auto industry, and apparently Nissan is run by the most douchebaggery of douchebags.
You say it "started life" as a Sierra. If it's not a Sierra now, what do you call it? A HodgePodge?
I'll buy whatever's cheap--my two current daily drivers are a 97 Mercury Grand Marquis ($300) with 250,000 miles and an 01 Dodge Grand Caravan ($600) with 197.000 miles. I haven't ever bought an Asian or European car, but if the price was right, I probably wouldn't say no.
Well, I always just called it an s10; when I owned several of them I'd refer to them by color, or sometimes model year. This of course got confusing when I owned more than one truck of the same class, model, or model year.
Currently (because I know you're curious), I've got a 69 C/10, 77 Olds 88, 78 Chevy C/10, 80 Chevy P30, 88 S15 Sierra, 88 GMC Suburban, 89 Chevy S10, 92 Chevy Astro, 97 Mercury Grand Marquis, and an 01 Dodge Grand Caravan. Also, about 3/4 of a Ranger of unknown vintage way down in the backyard that came with the house.
1518709
Holy hell...what are you, a collector? Even if it's all crappy cars, that's gotta be at least $3000 right there.
1518998
About 4k, by my reckoning. But it's spread out over almost 20 years.
(Of course, that's not counting the dozens of cars I don't have any more).
Some of them were bought with the intention of restoring (the '69 truck), pretty much all the rest are or were daily drivers. I stopped driving the 78 because 10mpg was fine when gas was $.83/gal; at $3.29/gal it's not really affordable. Can't sell the Olds 'cause it was my first car. Other than that . . . well, I've got a big backyard.
Most of them are classics, too! And, in antique parlance, they're 'distressed.' Probably makes them worth a lot more. It takes years of neglect to get that many dents.
1519201
Suggestion: Call up Gas Monkey Garage. You might even get on TV!
1519212
Meh, I've got nothing they'd want. I thought about trying to get my s10 in a show like "Pimp my Ride," but they'd probably start by shelling out $500 to buy a better one to start the project with.
I mean, who'd want to spend much effort on these?
scontent-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/648_1076951718604_2314_n.jpg
1519296
There's always shows like Overhaulin' that are all about taking old junkers and making them fancy.
man. frickin Scoots has a cooler truck than me.
Well, maybe not. I got a 1990 EB Bronco with nearly 180k on it.
and a 73 GMC motorhome, the one with the Olds Toronado drivetrain. it has 64k miles.
well, I guess I got her beat, but I'm still jealous.