Wants and Needs

Since I was a kid, there have been vehicles I’ve wanted — vehicles that just kinda fit me and what I like and love to do. I’m not a racer or a mudder or anything like that — but I do like to go places that are seldom traveled. On my list I’ve had:

• International Scout and Scout II
• Early Bronco — 1st and 2nd Gen
• 1st Gen Chevy Blazer
• Chevy Apache
• Late 60’s Dodge Power Wagon
• Willy’s Overland
• 1948-1955 Willy’s Pickup
• 1963-1980 Jeep Wagoneer
• 1970’s Jeep Cherokee or Cherokee Chief

These have been my dreams for a number of reasons — 4 wheel drive, attitude, and something I might be able to work on myself.

But, see, here’s the thing — right now, I have very limited mechanical abilities. It’s not that I’m not handy, but my experiences are centered around working with wood. I can do some fun things with wood, and what I can’t do, I can figure out fairly easily. And since I consider myself a life-long learner and advocate for those types of experiences, I decided it was time to push myself.

That list above were my ‘wants.’ Learning, for me, is a need. I crave it. I have a need to be in the uncomfortable area of not quite knowing what I’m doing, making mistakes and figuring it out, and in the end, the adrenalin rush of success. Early this summer, I got the opportunity to buy another dream vehicle — a 1984 Honda 200 Big Red three-wheeler is excellent condition! I’ve been looking for a UTV for a long time, and this one — well, it’s pretty close to the one we had on the farm when I was way, way younger than I am now. This left me in a bit of a conundrum — I needed a way to haul the wheeler around. I had a truck, Big Blue — a 1992 Dodge 250 3/4 ton — but it had a heavy duty towing package and even driving down a smooth road, it rode hard. The bouncing around in the cab made me hurt for days after. My car, Abigail — a 2005 Cadillac Sedan Deville — can pull a trailer, but it’s limited on where it can go. I mean — do you really wanna drive a Caddy on a minimum maintenance road? The best thing about it is that I had a buyer for the Dodge and I’ve just been waiting for the right moment.

That moment came a little over two weeks ago. I’ve been searching on-line for a replacement for Big Blue and I found her — a 1976 Mojave white over firecracker red Jeep Cherokee — runs, drives, stops, and in my price range! I sent the seller a message and yup, she was still available. We set up an appointment to meet up two days later.

I met the seller after he got off work, and we walked deep into a Quonset hut. She was parked at the far end, and though she took a bit to get started, we got her out and took her for a drive. Now, she’s a bit rough — as Derek from Vice Grip Garage likes to say “she has some speed reduction holes.” The tires were old and had a few flat spots. Her firecracker red paint is a bit faded — but none of that mattered.

She was beautiful.

No, she IS beautiful.

I told the seller I needed a few days to think about it and made a mental list of what would have to be done. I did a bunch of research, talked myself into the purchase…talked myself out of the purchase…in and out…in and out…until, I decided that since my nephew Tyler, who is buying Big Blue and coming with a trailer to pick him up on Saturday and who happens to be a mechanic, I’d have him look over the Jeep and tell me what he thought.

I love when I can make a decision like that.

Saturday arrives, and we pile into Tyler’s truck (along with his girlfriend Abby, brother J. D., and Ithaca the puppy, and go look over the Jeep. It didn’t take long until money was changing hands and I became the fourth owner of Mona.

But………

Mona would start, then die. Over and over again. Hmmmmm….

Talked with Tyler about options, and we decided to head back to my place and get the trailer and bring Mona home that way. And that’s where she is now — in my driveway.

So, I fulfilled a want that has some needs to it.

• Figure out why she won’t stay running;
• New tires;
• New windshield;
• New seats;
• Tailgate is frozen with rust;
• The tailgate window assemble doesn’t work (ordered a new one!)
• Blower motor, cigarette lighter, low beams, and windshield washer pump currently not working;
• Radio

Those are all in the short term and should be done in the next few weeks — well, except for the seats. Those I’m evaluating my options on. After that, I’ll start addressing the body issues and the rest of the interior.

This blog will serve as my journal into getting Mona up and running. I’ll be taking pictures of the progress and processes, and I might be asking for help at times…but right now…I’m damned happy with what I have. Hell, I was even offered a good chunk of change the other day for her. I just smiled and said “Nah. She’s mine.”