Karl Kelman's Vehicles
The 1980 Ford Courier survived 10 years of Kelmanic abuse. Used as transporation, work vehicle, and residence, the faithful Courier withstood all of the abuse Karl could dish out. It had a 2.0L engine, a 4-speed manual transmission, and a long bed. Purchased brand-new in 1980, the Courier faithfully withstood the abuse for 180,000 miles. It ate a camshaft at around 60,000 miles, but it's hard to know if this was due to a lack of routine maintenance like oil changes, or due to some defect in the vehicle. At the end, it was frightening for the inexperienced to drive. The little pick-up truck could only be started by reaching under the dash and grabbing the ignition switch as you turned the key, the steering was so loose that the vehicle treated a turn of the steering wheel as a suggestion, not a command. The tired brakes acted as an committee approval was required for all requests to stop. The paint was faded from 10 years of sitting outside at altitude, in the sea spray, or the blazing heat of the Arizona desert. The coup-de-grace came with then Courier couldn't pass emissions due to visible blue smoke from oil passing between the rings and the cylinder walls. I'd nursed it through emissions a year earlier with that terminal condition by letting the oil (which needed frequent supplementation at that point in the Courier's life) get two or three quarts low - no oil, no oil smoke. But, in 1990, I had a child and the unreliable small pick-up no longer seemed like an appropriate vehicle. I put ad for it in the Denver Post asking $300, but I would have been happy to get a $100 offer. To my surprise, I received multiple calls from Mexican-American (or possibly, to clarify their immigration status, Mexican-not-so-American) potential buyers. One quickly offered me full price - $300. In retrospect, I realized that the Ford Motor companies extensive dealership network in Mexico meant that Courier parts and junked vehicles were plentiful there - and the small truck was the sort of utilitarian vehicle that would have value. Emissions? You've got to be kidding, Gringo! Other vehicles I, or my family, have owned: Circa 1970-2: Honda 50 Mini-Bike $185 ($125 sale) Circa 1972-3: Kawasaki 75 Mini-Bike $295 ($185 sale) Circa 1973-4: Kawasaki 120 Dirt Bike $200 m/l ($100 m/l sale) Circa 1975: 1963 Chrysler 300 $250 ($150 sale) Circa 1977: 1972 VW Super Beetle $600 ($650 sale) Circa 1977: 1971 Saab (Saab Story) $1200 ($1250 sale) Circa 1977: 1966 Travelall Free ($50 m/l sale) Circa 1978-84: Honda Trail 90 $125 ($100 sale) Circa 1979: 1960s Lincoln Continental $125 or Free ($50 m/l sale) Circa 1979-80: Honda 500-4 $900 m/l ($700 m/l sale) Circa 1979: 1969 Chevy Bel Air $600 ($275 sale) Circa 1981-90: 1980 Ford Courier (Home, Sweet Home) $5000 ($300 sale) Circa 1985-86: Honda Silver Wing $800 m/l ($600 sale m/l) Circa 1985-92: 1969 Chevy Camper Utility Box Alaskan Camper $2000 m/l ($1000 sale m/l) Exactly 1990-93: 1985 Chevy Celebrity (BEN) $2800 ($2800 m/l sale) Exactly 1990-00: 1988 Chevy Celebrity (AYN) $3700 ($900 sale) Circa 1993-98: 1988 Subaru Justy (Little Red) $2600 ($800 m/l sale) Circa 1998: 1988 Toyota Camry (Camy) $2000 ($1100 sale) Circa 2000-1: 2000 Toyota Camry V-6 (Otto) $2900 ($2800 sale) Circa 2001-3: 1993 Toyota Corolla (Dex) $2000 ($2000 m/l sale) Exactly 2002: 1996 Oldsmobile (Dino) $4200 ($1500 value) Exactly 2002: 2000 Toyota Corolla (Cedrick) $7000 ($4000 value) Exactly 2007: 2002 Toyota Corolla (Lancelot) $6800 ($6500 value) If you don't mind driving really ugly, you can drive really cheap! |