Random Output
Goodbye My Friend:10/19/2007
Last night I said goodbye to what almost seems a loyal friend. Six years ago we met and never have I had a car or truck that was so steady and ready to serve. At the time I was living in New York and while I had a motorcycle, you can't ride a bike up and down hills in the winter months.
I spent eight hundred for the little beast that could, an 1988 S10 pickup powered by an 2.5 Litter Tech4 engine, commonly referred to as the Iron Duke. I had to do a little work to it, the water pump went south and rust claimed the fuel tank but I put less than four hundred in total.
I needed a truck because it was clear my relationship with my then girlfriend was going to fail no matter how much I cared or how hard I'd tried. Accepting that fact I knew I would need to return home to Missouri.
Eventually that happened and my little truck pulled through when nothing else in my life was running right. It took two trips to bring my possessions home, getting an amazing 31 MPG on the highway while loaded to the maxi min I could pile, strap and duct tape in.
I didn't have a lot of cash when I got back either. Other than insurance, gas, a muffler and the occasional oil change was it. None the less it ran, It kept running and even on it's last drive it ran better than my son's S10, that truck having thirty thousand less miles on the odometer.
Why part with something that runs this good you ask.... terminal rust. In New York they use a lot of salt. The truck has rusted out the bed, fenders, holes in the hood, lower doors, cab supports and even two sections of the frame. Because of this it's no longer safe. I used to joke that one day I'd walk out and find four tires and a pile of rust, a joke closer to the truth than I liked.
Yet even in it's death it will serve us. Parts will be salvaged for my son's truck. The act of actually tearing it down to the frame will be education for him and a preview of future work on his truck.
Lastly I have special hopes for this magnificent little motor. While they are only rated at 95 HP from the factory you can easily coax 130 to 140 HP without nitrous or a turbo, even with a stock computer. Once my son earns his drivers license he will see a upgrade with some pep to it, enough to make the 6 cylinder crowd take notice..