Never mind the hit from depreciation. That’s one reason I’ve never bought a vehicle brand-new. Even if I could afford one, I’d consider it a fiscally irresponsible purchase. My 1993 F-150 had fuel economy that fell into the 16-20 MPG range, and it cost me all of $1,500.

Much the same here. I first thought the Subaru in the photo was a Ford. Cars these days mostly just fade into the woodwork and look more alike than distinctive. Of course, a design that can’t be mistaken for anything else isn’t always a good thing (I’m looking squarely at you, Aztek).

“Gone was the rattling from the front of the engine and in its place was the feint tapping from the valvetrain.”

Though I’m sure one could buy them at a Dodge dealer, the Top Hand trucks weren’t factory jobs. They were customized by Hickey Enterprises.

I’m not sure if it’s because I’m pragmatic or cheap, but I seem to vote Crack Pipe with alarming regularity. That said, this Cayman appears to be a good unmolested example, and the seller understands that a California emissions certificate is only valid for 90 days. Distance, lack of funds, and need for cargo capacity…

California doesn’t look too kindly on front plates jammed in a windshield, either. Makes me glad I presently live in a one-plate state.

Yes, that is the antidote. Buy, borrow, or maybe rent a Jeep and take it on a mild trail for starters. I have gotten wheel time in three Jeeps, and while each instance was brief, I loved every second of it.

I didn’t really get that, either. I’ve always loved CJs and YJs. Admittedly, it took me a while to warm up to the TJ; I warmed up to the JK a little faster. Who knows how long it’ll take me to accept the JL?

When I initially saw this listing, I wondered how and why the hell anyone would put so few miles on a car...and then I saw that it had a slushbox. Shift the decimal point a place or two to the left, and I’d call it well-bought. At $80,500, it just proves that there are more than two waterheads who have more dollars…

CJs have held their value since the snobs started shitting themselves over the YJ and its square headlights. Most Jeeps, sooner or later, will be appreciated. However, that might take a while for the Liberty, Commander, and most Grand Cherokees...and will probably never happen with the car-based pretenders, the…

Three thoughts:

Having lived in and around Fresno for a long time, I cannoy say this surprises me.

2-door, manual transmission XJs always seem to bring good money. Surprisingly, there was one on my local Craigslist, and it could be yours for $600...sadly, it is 2WD and has a 4-cylinder. I’m sure David Tracy has already seen the ad, and maybe even bought it.

This picture is worrisome. Unless it’s behind the right rear tire, I can’t see a chock or any other means of preventing a roll-away. I like reading about the resurrection of old Jeeps on a shoestring budget, but stay safe while you’re resurrecting. And please leave at least one inexpensive clunk of a Jeep for me.

Were this a conventional vehicle, the issue would be simple to resolve: the operator would be to blame. The ambiguity over how, and to whom, blame is assigned is yet another reason autonomous vehicles are a stupid idea.

Somehow I think you already watched those videos. I’d look out for an early 1980s Corolla for you, but most in my area likely turned to Fe2O3 long ago.

Dial-up was horrendous with a 1200-baud modem. Made even the simple act of checking e-mail an exercise in tedium and frustration. I suppose I could be accurately termed a Luddite, but I have to draw the line somewhere. Goodbye and good riddance to dial-up Internet!

I can only imagine how awful that would have been with a dial-up Internet connection...

Same here.

Damn, what part of the country was that? Sounds like rural New Mexico or North Dakota, or maybe one of the more sparsely populated Canadian provinces.