Twelve years ago, I bought a truck and a trailer. I was applying to graduate school. I wanted the freedom to pack up my whole life and leave for wherever I needed to go.
That didn’t end up happening, but it was still useful to have the rig. Until it was not. I sold the trailer two years ago, and I haven’t really regretted doing so.
old dog, old truck, and my dad and I replacing the alternator 10 years ago
I have still had the truck, though. I love that truck, the way I definitely do not love my daily driver (a Honda CRV).
Last year, though – last spring it blew its transmission. As in, the mechanics took pictures of the pieces of the transmission sitting in a pool of oil in the bottom of…wherever it is transmissions live. Small pieces. They were horrified and amazed I made it home (from an hour away, after hauling a car trailer).
I swallowed hard and did the transmission. Then last fall, it didn’t pass inspection. $1,500 of exhaust work, they said.
I don’t know why I took a picture of this, but: truck all loaded up and ready to head out
I cried a lot. Over a truck. It broke my heart, but I resolved to sell it. I talked to the mechanic about a reasonable price, took some photos…
…and then never posted it. The truck is still in my driveway.
Two weeks ago, I submitted a classified ad to a local vintage automobile club – it’s a 1991, and a three-quarter ton, and it still has loads of good things going for it. For a few thousand dollars I thought it could make a good someone a good truck to haul their vintage car to shows. It is itself an antique, technically.
I haven’t heard anything yet; it’s too early still. But last weekend, a car guy I’ve gotten to know for work told me that the estimate I was given was way, way, way high. He gave me a phone number and told me to call it and use his name.
so, so many nights spent just like this at horse shows
I don’t know what to do. The smart thing to do would be to list the truck on Craigslist and let someone take it away.
But I love this truck. It’s stupid, but maybe to me it represents a time in my life when things might have gone differently. When it was just Tristan and I against the world. Before things started going so constantly wrong with him, before house work took up all my time and energy, when I measured free time in increments longer than 30 minutes.
the best copilot. she loves the truck, too.
I’ll call the new guy and ask him to look at the truck, but I just don’t know what I’ll do with what he tells me. I don’t have a number that will make fixing it okay. I don’t have any car money right now, really – my stupid boring CRV just needed $1,000 of exhaust work.
What would you do?
beljoeor.com 
Keep the truck. 🙂
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I am also a member of the “irrationally in love with my older GM truck” club. I say do the work and keep it, unless you really don’t need a truck anymore, but in the words of my dad “Someone in the family has to own a truck!” GM parts are a dime a dozen because they’re so interchangeable, and new(er) trucks are stupidly expensive. Even old trucks don’t depreciate too far. If you need a truck, and you love this one, I think it’s worth it to fix and keep – especially since it’s not your daily driver, I’m guessing you could justify letting it sit until you save up some funds and not renewing registration/getting it fixed/getting it emissions tested right away, right?
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I had my previous truck for ~10 years and it wasn’t any sort of antique or anything (2001 GMC Sierra) but it was my first car and had a lot of sentimental value so I still got pretty teary when I traded it in! It ended up with a cracked frame though because road salt and rust so there wasn’t a whole lot else I could do with it. I’m sure it ended up in a junkyard somewhere after being stripped for parts and that makes me sad 😦 I say if the selling value isn’t worth the emotional value and you have a place to store it then keep it 🙂 Someday down the road (no pun intended) you might be able to swing fixing it all up!
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Get the estimate first and then see. Also, if it hasn’t been driven in a while there may be other things. All that said, when I traded in my first truck for a more sensible car I was very upset. I must have really looked it too becaue the salesperson called me after to tell me it had gone to a ‘good home’. 😀
I now have a different truck that I also love and will be sad to part with. I think it’s because of what it represents not the thing itself.
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I have zero sense of sentimentality so my answer is going to be the complete opposite of everyone else’s. Sell the truck. Get the cash. Put it towards savings or Tristan’s meds or another bill. Or even just treat yo self. If you’re not using it, don’t keep it.
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I’m with Carly. Sell it; get the money. Use the money to buy new happiness.
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I am like you, irrationally attached to my vehicle. I cry over every little thing related to it.
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No sentimental stuff here – sell the truck. There comes a point where you sink so much into it and stuff keeps breaking. Get out while you can
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I can become very sentimental about my vehicles, but when they start costing me lots and causing me undue stress that sentimentality wanes. I vote to sell and buy the next chapter of freedom & memories – whatever that looks like for you.
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I loved my first car. Like LOVED it. I had to trade it in though when it decided to be unreliable about turning on. We tried very hard to fix it first, but no one could find the problem. I cried a little when I left her. But since then, I’m much less attached. I feel a little sad when I leave them for the new one of course. Cars seem to hold a lot of memories. But it’s a very large nick knack to keep around if you aren’t using it. I agree with Carly, if you can get some money for it, you probably should. Take lots of pics before it goes.
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