Tough Decision

2003 Jeep Sahara, "she gone", along comes 2017 Toyota Tacoma (TRD Off Road edition) Pick-up

     

Big decision, my "Little Buddy" is growing up. In early January, after much research and planning, my son Andre’ finally made a deal for a new 2017 Toyota Tacoma Pick-up. Selecting a new vehicle wasn't the difficult part for Andre'; selling his precious Jeep was the hard part.  Since 2011, he modified it into a rock climbing off-road trail riding machine. He lifted the body, installed monstrous rims and tires, and installed all sorts of lights, new console, new sound system and new safari roof rack.  He did the majority of the modifications himself. Trading it in was the best decision; it

was getting a little old.  

 

  

I was extremely proud of how Andre’ negotiated with the sales manager, he held his ground.  He had set a “walk away” amount just in case they didn’t accept his deal. After several rounds of negotiations, he ended up with a better deal than his walk-away price. Heck, they even gave him a full tank of gas just for good measure.  

   Let's make a deal                                 You're getting closer

       

                                                "Sweet Ride"

           

Andre’ isn’t a stranger to working on vehicles.  Back when he was 15 (2006) he and I decided to rehab the 1977 Toyota Celica GT Lift back.  The Celica originally belonged to his grandmother, Kathleen Hushbeck (Kim’s Mom).  Grandma drove it for 20 years, and then sold it to Michelle (my daughter) in 1997 when she started driving. Michelle owned it until 2006. 

After 26 years the Celica was starting to show its age: the exterior paint was totally faded (I contracted out the painting); numerous leaks had to be located and fixed; and the interior had to be repaired.  It was all worth the effort.  The Celica looked like it just came off the assembly line. Time for Michelle to pass the key to Andre’

 

 

 

 

 

After the rehab was completed, Michelle fell in love with the Celica all over again. Letting go was slightly difficult.

 

 

Andre’ drove the Celica until his second year in college (2011).  After the vehicle received several bumps and bruises in the college parking lot (people kept hitting it while it was parked), I decided too much money and effort had been put into the rehab job to let it be destroyed by careless drivers so I replaced the Celica with a Jeep. 

I sold the Celica in 2014. To the best of my knowledge, after 37 years of use it registered over 349,000 miles, had the same engine and was still running strong.

Trip Down Memory Lane:

I remember buying my first car. I was 24 and had just returned from a 9-month tour in Europe aboard the aircraft carrier, USS America.  My cousin, O’Neil Theriault took me to the local Chevy dealer.  I paid all of $4,200 for a hot looking 1974 Chevy Nova, burgundy with a white stripe on the sides. Looked like a hot rod, except it only had a V-6 engine.
  

                                                          "Chick Magnet"