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Friday, August 9, 2013

Chuck the Truck

Let me tell you about my baby. No, not a real human baby, or even any of my furbabies - though I love those buggers more than I could imagine.

No, this is my baby.




When I got my pick up truck, I was 16 and didn't even have my permit yet. I didn't need it because all of my friends were older and could drive. Plus, my dad didn't exactly make it desirable to take Driver's Ed .

"Do you want to take Driver's Ed for Xmas break and stay at the twins' or do you want to go to Glamis?" 

I think he knew the answer without asking. Then the weekends were filled with Glamis and journalism competitions and soon enough it was summer. I was 16 and had my first job, with my best friend who was almost 18.

So they got me Chuck. He was supposed to be a surprise but my mom was convinced I would want something new. With regular seatbelts. And a radio. So they told me; showed me this picture and asked if I'd want it because they could afford him.

This isn't my pic! It's the pic they showed us when they sold it!



HELL YES I wanted him. I wanted the ram bar, the roll cage, the 5 point harness racing seatbelts and bucket seats. I wanted his red paint job and almost imediately the stickers went on. Polly Pocket, cause that was my board name. My pink GlamisDunes.Com sticker. Damzl. ET Bulletin.

Chuck was my truck. MINE. All mine. He was only $3500 and he just smells so like him. Even after all these years and my dad driving him more than me, he smells like home.

My very first time driving him and I drove into a bush. TYPICAL.


Once I got my license, Chuck and I went everywhere together. I didn't care that I couldn't honk / occasionally my car honked non-stop for an hour. I didn't care that I couldn't use the alarm because some days it just went off for no reason. But I certainly cared when that kid in my auto class tried to crash him. Literally, to this day I am angry at this kid. Nevermind the fact that he moved across the street from me 2 months later and still lives across the street from my best friend. [Yes, I'm aware that it has been 6 years since high school...]

I was parked on the street, I swear.


Chuck was the perfect place to tan on our lunch break in the school parking lot. The perfect place to dance or have a photoshoot while the boys were at Comedy Sportz practice. Even the perfect place to share gossip or a tear or pour our hearts out.

But then Chuck started doing funny things. A blown headgasket here [$1,000...thanks Daddy!]. Another one. A cracked header. But that's okay I said, because I'm in college now! I am only home sometimes and I can drive him sometimes.

But then one summer he started ticking. So I took him to Iman's dad's shop, and my poor future father-in-law, who always loved me with his whole heart, got to be the sole person to try to comfort me and break the bad news to me. Chuck's engine was dead.

I drove him there, though. He clearly still worked. No. This could not be happening. This is my baby. He is a part of me. Where else am I going to find a stick shift? What other vehicle will cram my best friend, high school boyfriend and I into it on chilly winter mornings?

Taking him away to my aunt and uncle's.


So I made my dad promise that someday he would get a new engine. He was just in a coma - not actually dead. Nine months of a lot of happenings passed and we boxed him up and took him to my aunt's house. Another year went by. My "ghettovertible" just didn't compare and then, the transmission was blown by SoCal's Tornado in 2010.

My dad made good on his promise. We towed him from my aunt's house to our old mechanic and he worked on Chuck for weeks. New bottom end, new water pump, catylic converter, clutch, etc.

Then I picked him up. HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD.

Minutes after I got him back I pulled over to take this ;)


Together we embarked on my journeys. I moved 100 miles away and he'd make the trek home and back several times a month. He'd drive through the hills like a champ, running out of gas on me at the most inconveniently convenient times. [Always had to love the broken gas gage!]

Finally, reunited in the sand, after having him for a week


Then some crazy stuff started happening again, right after I spent a bunch of money getting him smog checked / fixed. It was super cool that my truck would just turn off while I was driving and I'd have to pop the clutch. I like learning to drive with no power steering.

He likes to work hard and play hard


Broke, taking 21 units, working a 20 hr internship and a 20 hr job I needed something reliable and Chuck was protesting.

So I got him a brand new baby sister and they live in happiness together. He's now our project car. Fixed and running and loving his Glamis lifestyle.

My two babies!



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1 comment:

  1. I felt like I was reading my own post. At least when your truck died randomly you get could it to start up again. Mine was automatic so I always had to have jumper cables with me

    ReplyDelete

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