A little mechanical reminiscing...

A long time back, in a blog far, far away, I wrote about some cars that I have loved in the past, and some of the things that made them special. Such a big part of my memory of particular vehicles is the smell. It just sets the tone before you even turn the ignition on. The old Volvos, the MGA, the Jensen-Healey and even the 1980 Datsun long bed pickup had distinct scents that I can seem to almost smell even now. It was the blend of different petroleum products mixed with the electrical insulation and various leather and vinyl protectants applied over many years that combined for a nasal kind of symphony that one might find similarly appealing when walking into an old library or den that's been appointed with old woods and leathers that had been oiled and polished for decades, the kind of old smell that is good and comfortably inviting, not dirty or moldy, but rich and weathered well.

I bought an older Jeep this last week. Now, mind you, this isn't old in my book, as it's a 1989, but I guess at 21 years old it's approaching near antique in some people's eyes.


This particular model is the Grand Wagoneer, and was a luxury SUV in its day, and was plush while still being a Jeep in every sense of the word. Sitting on a fine pair of American Made Dana 44 axles, with a Select Trac 4x4 system, it's quite a capable off road machine, and with a Chrysler sourced 360 cubic inch V8 under the hood, it's got the muscle to back up the image conveyed by that wood grain vinyl siding and forward tilting front grill that looks ready to shove anything in its way. It's a good ol' body on frame, live-axled on both ends, honest to goodness truck. I don't think there's a bit of aluminum, save for the wheels, on this thing. It's all steel. And then there's that scent...

I knew I had to have this truck from the minute I opened the door. Of course the seller had taken time to detail the rig out, and nicely wiped down all the vinyl door and dash bits with some protectant, as well as giving the rich burgundy leather and cloth seats a good cleaning, but that only added to the aromatic orchestra already playing with the motor oil and power steering fluid section in particularly high state of tune leading the band! The Grand Wagoneer might not fulfill the desires of today's crossover market, who demand luxury sedan ride in a package that hints at off the beaten path lineage, but it has seating for 6 in only 2 rows, with an actual middle seat belt in between the front bucket-style seats where the armrest folds up to provide a perch that would have been prized by myself as a child.

Sure, as with any car of this age, and having over 180,000 miles, there's a pretty good list of things that I will be needing to address, but for the most part these things are pretty minor, like getting into the door panels and lubing up all the inner workings of the locks which are pretty tough to operate now. The rear window defroster isn't working, and the right turn signals seem to only operate when they feel like it. This last thing doesn't really seem to matter much, as North Carolinians don't use signals unless they're trying to trick you into thinking they're turning one way before going the other. I think I may have caused an accident before by actually turning the way I signaled my intent, and by not veering wide into the opposite lane of the direction I was turning. I have been called a madman for not coming to a complete stop in traffic before entering a driveway off a main thoroughfare before too! But I digress...

If you've been following along here on my journal, you'd know that I have grand aspirations of spending some quality time in the great outdoors with my wife and children. This vehicle is a means to that end.


If you know me, but haven't seen me in the last few weeks, I don't want you to be alarmed at that picture. No, you shouldn't be surprised I'm fat, because I cook. Alot. It's the lack of facial hair that's been freaking some people out. I've been sporting a goatee or beard for the better part of 15 years now, but with this last transition from goatee to beard I was a bit alarmed at the amount of gray in the mix, and I just can't bring myself to emulate a retired MLB player and comb in some coloring. It was easier to just shave it all off.

Anyways, that pic above, as well as the one below, are from a short jaunt the family and I took this last weekend on the North End of Carolina Beach, NC, to a place where one can still drive on the sand called Freeman Park. This is one end of Pleasure Island, with the opposite end surprisingly called the South End at Fort Fisher. Both ends, along with everything in between have a rich and colorful history dating back to before the Civil War, and as with many things in the South, are filled with interesting people, along with a few scary ones. Thankfully, we didn't run into anyone remotely frightening on our outing, and everyone agreed that we would be back soon.


I have to admit that I ventured out there with more than just a slight trepidation, and the fact that I have only had this truck for a few days and didn't really know its capabilities only compounded my concerns. Was this thing too heavy? Are those tires up to the task? Do I have the ground clearance? Should drop the air pressure? Does the 4x4 system in this new-to-me SUV even function properly? (On this last question, I did operate the transfer case in both Hi and Lo ranges before I purchased it, but I didn't actually put the thing up on a lift to see that all 4 wheels were in fact operating, I just saw that the 4WD light came on, and that the Lo range turned this thing into a torque monster that felt like it could move buildings)

That old Jeep handled the sand like it didn't even know it was off the pavement! Seriously, I drove around in the sand like I would in a parking lot, and in comparison to Melanie's 2000 Chevy Blazer, this thing was ridiculously easy to drive on the beach.

So, mission accomplished, we've now got an outdoor capable vehicle that I can count on to haul the family and accouterments safely and surely out to the beach, where the kids can build sand castles, Melanie can watch them, and I can fish. Ok, Melanie can tan, while I watch the kids and fish, but it's going to be great!

I think I need to get some new tackle.