One Sunny Summer Day in Arizona
I first saw the red truck in an Auto Trader add in Glendale Arizona. It was the late 90’s and I was getting ready to move up to Flagstaff to eventually attend Northern Arizona University. It seemed to me that a four wheel drive would fit the bill considering winter snow and all the backroads to explore. Looking through the magazine this truck stood out, she was old and cool and in my price range.
It was early afternoon when I went to see her just south of Greenway between 51st and 59th avenue. The asking price was $2400. The owner was very friendly. He was selling the truck for his daughter who had used it for a couple of years as a first vehicle.
It was something to see. The truck sat up high on 33″ mud tires with a brush guard in the center of the grille. There was a chrome roll cage set up in the back that looked worn but macho in an 80’s sort of way. I could imagine a young high school girl driving this truck around… badass! The red paint was flat and faded and was missing all together from the roof and much of the hood. The right front panel had been replaced at some point as evidenced by its orangish tint compared to the deeper red of the rest of the body. The rear window was sliding glass, the doors had cool little triangular vent windows, and the front window was cracked. The inside was pretty worn with all the plastic showing the effects of the Arizona sun; dry, brittle and flaking. There was a brown dashmat covering the dashboard that gave a cosy feeling even in the Arizona summer. All the accessories were there and they looked so awesome and exciting.
I purchased the truck for $2100 and I was super proud. I couldn’t wait to get her home! She came with a white aluminum camper with red stripes which I put on in place of the roll cage. I replaced the 33″ tires with 31″ BF Goodrich All Terrains. Besides that, I didn’t change a thing.
She had a 4-speed transmission and with the oversized tires was pretty underpowered. Getting the transmission to go into reverse was an artform and pretty much guaranteed no one could steal her so long as she was parked with the only exit to the rear. You could slide the key out of the ignition while she was running and she would remain on. This was great for keeping the air on for the dog while running into the store with the truck locked up.
I’ve always loved how easy she is to work on. I like to just lay under the truck and look over all of the parts. The function and design is a pleasure to behold, the parts explain themselves and impress a nostalgic sense of a bygone era dedicated to quality and longevity.