Due to the influence of one of my old friends, I have decided to record a history of cars I have had since, well obviously, since I have had my driver’s license. A disclaimer to everyone, the photos used here are not pictures of my actual vehicles (though most are spitting images). I was not the type of guy who enjoyed photographing his car, posing next to it like some trophy. I did take a few pictures, but I’ve since lost them, so I was forced to dig into the bowels of the internet with my friend Google to find the closest representations (all exterior colors are accurate). Let us drive down memory lane, if you will:

First up, my first car, a 1985 Toyota Camry. This was a hand-me-down, but I had no complaints. After all, just getting my license was enough for me. My first drive was with Kevin Laws to the Cedar Hill McDonald’s. We had a grand ol’ time chowing down our Big Macs and talking about transportational liberty. This was a good car, and sold me on Toyotas for life, but in time, it got old and problematic, and it was time for something else…

I was finally given the opportunity to choose what car I wanted (withing monetary reason). I wanted to go for a sporty look, and I was hooked on that Toyota quality, so I picked this used 1991 Toyota Celica. I was thrilled about it for several reasons: Firstly, it was standard transmission and I was all about having a stick on a nifty sports car. It had power locks and windows, which screamed luxury to me. It also had a power sunroof, which made for some great summertime cruising. I loved this car. I also wrecked this car. A lady in a Buick or something hit me on the front driver’s side corner when I tried to pull out into the street under the assumption that she was going to turn as her turn signal indicated. Turns out, she didn’t intend to turn at all, but instead drive straight into my sporty Celica. This was a tragic event and ended up robbing me of my Celica.

I had to do without a car for a while then, I guess as some sort of teenage pergatory for wrecking my first car. I had to drive my parents’ 1990 Toyota Camry (picture not shown) for several months….maybe more than a year.

Finally, the day came when I was able to get another vehicle. Much had changed in this time. My friend Ben got an old Jeep CJ and suddenly 4×4s and off-roading was what got me excited, not little sports cars. So I found a red 1983 Toyota (of course) Pickup. It had a nice lift, with big tires, much like this one, and it screamed off-road fun. It was certainly an old vehicle (with over 200k miles!), but the owner treated it like a show car…..endless pampering, maintenance, and mechanical care, so I was confident that I could depend on this truck for several years. I had some great times in this Toy too. Plenty of off-roading and mudding (a couple of run-ins with the law) made for some great male bonding and true feelings of “macho-ness”. I had this truck until college.

During the next few years, a few things emerged: my passion for music and my height. it was because of these two factors that I decided I needed a change. I loved that truck, but I couldn’t fit into the tiny cab anymore and I needed a safe, climate-controlled environment for my guitars and musical gear. So I sold the truck to a friendly man who needed something to get around in on his ranch. I was sad to think about the fact that it would no longer be a fun, off-road truck, but instead a ranch work truck, but I got over it.

My next vehicle would be a 1984 Toyota 4Runner. Again, it was old and had 200k+ mileage, but it was huge (very much like the photo)! I was confident in it’s reliablity because the previous owner was a Toyota technician/mechanic. You can’t get much better than that. It had a 4″ lift, 32″ tires, and some other beefy features. It also had room for my gear, so it met the requirements. In time, I would equip this thing with a convertible soft-top that made for some good cruising as well. I blazed some serious trails with this sucker. It was the peak of my off-road infatuation. I never got stuck either.

In time, it would begin to show its age and I decided I didn’t want to be there when it died, so I sold it before that happened.

I loved having an SUV, but I didn’t have the bread to aquire a late-model 4Runner, so I was forced to look at other vehicles. I ended up with a white 1994 Jeep Cherokee (2WD). I pointed out the 2WD because it was a major sacrifice for me. I loved off-roading, but practicality prevailed. We got this Jeep for a steal. It was in nearly perfect condition, good mileage, etc. I was proud of my purchase, even though I would be restricted to the street. The Jeep was a great car for a few months, but then some strange problems arose: door-hinge welding would break multiple times, the engine mounts would break multiple times. The engine mount problem was serious because the only way to fix it was to get a new engine. I concluded after a few months of major problems that either Jeeps are horrible vehicles, or I got a lemon. I leaned toward the latter. In time, I grew impatient and wanted to get rid of it and get something worth driving. Something that would last. Last a long time. I wanted a new car.

I missed having a pickup. This didn’t make sense because I still needed the room for gear, but my lust for driving a truck overwhelmed logic. The lust for a brand new truck also overwhelmed fiscal responsibilty. I bought a brand spankin’ new 2001 Chevy Silverado in anticipation of a job, and of course, that all fell through and monetary tragedy ensued. I owned this fine vehicle for less than a year, and finally sold it to Carmax for a loss. Thankfully, my dad has the grace of a saint and he helped me work everything out ok.

But in his grace, my dad made me re-aquire the lemon (white 1994 Cherokee), which he took off my hands after I had enough of it. I thankfully agreed, but I still didn’t trust this Jeep. I knew it wouldn’t last. It turns out I was wrong. The white Jeep lasted me a couple more years before the engine mounts broke again and it was rendered irreparable. I cut my losses and began to look for another car.

I was still longing for something dependable; something that would last me well beyond college. With the help of my gracious dad (again), I was able to get something “not so old” and with good mileage. It wasn’t a Toyota, but instead, another Jeep Cherokee. It was a navy 2001 model (the last of it’s kind). Not 4WD, but in amazing condition, low miles, and we made a steal with it due to a pricing error. It was bought from a dealership with a pre-certification program, so I felt better about the whole “lemon” issue. I knew I could trust a Jeep….just not that white one.

I drive this Jeep to this day. It’s currently working on 120k miles and I haven’t had any major problems. Well, actually, I had a pretty hefty A/C repair on it last summer. Right now, a hinge on the driver’s seat is broken, so I tend to lean a little funny in it, but I hope to repair that myself soon. I don’t know how long this thing will last me, but I hope it will last well past 200k.

I don’t know what kind of vehicle I will get next, but I know I will have a hard time finding something (unless my financial situation seriously changes in the next few years). I am longing for something full-size, due to my height. The Jeep is pretty cramped. But I also want a Toyota again. With gas prices like they are now and the incredibly high resale value Toyotas get, this adds up to some serious cash, so I don’t know what will happen. I’m just thankful that I’ve actually had a car of my own for most of my life and I hope that my navy Jeep will take me where I need to go for as many years as possible.