My 3rd Car

1986 Suzuki Samurai, 5 speed
As I said before, after selling my Saab I quickly realized I no longer had transportation. Remembering the Samurai sitting in the driveway "so it looked like someone was home at all times". I called my mom and she consented to letting me use it if I could get it to start, it harden't been driven for a while. Oil, fresh gas and a jump gave it life. A year and a half later I parked it where it is pictured and moved to Seattle. This picture was taken in September of 2002. Here is a factoid for the trivia book, to date 1986 has been the newest year of car I've ever owned. I remember saying many times that the Suzuki Samurai was the worst vehicle ever manufactured but I now don't think that's fair. It wouldn't die. The engine, brakes, tires, and tape player w/a crappy in-dash speaker were absolutely reliable, nearly everything else, however, seemed to disfunction at one time or another. I never got the windshield wipers to work. Rain was an issue. Never had to drive far under obligation, I waited tables 7 or 8 minutes away. Hadn't thought about this before, why didn't I walk? Oh well. Fear would spring every time a light sprinkle would smatter the windshield. Knobs weren't covered, latches had trouble latching. The heater was cold. It had a 4cylinder engine, one of the pistons had extremely low compression and was worthless. It went thru a quart of oil every 500miles; thankfully it wasn't burning it only leaking so I never changed the oil, only added it. It smelled like mildew. Leaked water in the cabin. Was bumpy. LOUD inside. Thick ice was in various places inside all winter; no heat so nothing melted... all winter. Driving bundled up in that thing, the fan blowing cold air as hard as it could, etching away a tiny, little portal thru iced fog to see the road. Shivering, coming home from the restaurant with an open window smoking a cigarette. Oh, it couldn't be locked. After outlining all those things wrong with it I can't think of a time where it didn't start or ever being stranded by it. It may seem like a low bar but this thing always worked in the most basic sense. So in 1999 I parked it where you see and came to Seattle...The Samurai has not since moved an inch, but has housed hoards of angry hornets (spray'm at night) and invisible rodents. It is decaying. Inside is an overwhelming stench of rancid animal byproducts. It sits there now and periodically things fall off.
*I rode that Kubota tractor for almost 7 miles as it was being towed, you can see the tow strap. Some guy fixed it up and split the profits with my mom, she got $1500 out of the deal.
1. My First Vehicle
2. My Second Vehicle*
3. My Third Vehicle