My Intro to the Tracker-Sidekick- Part-2

Hi, and welcome back. If you just tuned in, you might want to read the previous post. It’s short and gives you the beginning of this story.

Okay, now picture this – 65 year old dude seeks “fun car” that he can tool around town and country with his wife on weekends and short trips.

The key here is that I’m looking for something both of us can enjoy and therein lies the challenge:

My definition of “Fun Car”: Convertible – something low that I can blast around corners on windy roads. I have visions of me speed shifting and having a blast with my better half beside me. A sports car just seems to be the perfect answer.

My wife’s definition of a “Fun Car”: Convertible – something high off the ground that she won’t be looking at the underside of 18 wheelers or getting exhaust fumes right in the face when we’re stopped at a light; Something that she can sit back in and enjoy the scenery as we laze along back roads. Into speed and blasting around corners she is not.

Now if we look at the two definitions, we see that the only common ground is – convertible. That’s where it ends!

Before going further, here’re a few facts that’ll provide background for some of my comments and decisions.

Now, my wife is definitely a good sport and she tells me that it’s my car so get what I want, and I know that she’ll try her best to humor me when it’s time to go out on the road. So, I start looking, but in the back of my mind, I also know that if I take her out blasting around country roads, she’ll make the effort, but ultimately she will be more and more reluctant to come. And, my object of this whole exercise is to have good times together.

So, here’s a bit more background:

1. I’ve owned two vintage British sports cars at various times in the past – one a ’62 Austin Healey and the other, a ‘70s Triumph Spitfire.I’m not saying this to brag, but rather to show that I know how they handle and what they’re like to keep up and repair. I also know what these things perform like in 2 feet of snow.

1. I live in Canada – the Great White North – Salt and slush capital of the world! That means deep snow, freezing cold and, that you can hear your car rusting out from under you due to the salt and slush.

Okay, fast forward to the summer of ’09 and I’ve got the urge.

I start looking at British Sports cars – Healey’s and the like but quickly realize (or remember) a couple of things:

a)      These cars have gone up in price tremendously in the last few years and I don’t really feel like shelling out those kind of bucks just for a weekend fun car, much less having to shell out for maintenance to keep it on the road.

b)      These vintage models can be a blast to drive, but the motor, transmission and road noise coupled with the solid ride (to be polite and not use the term bone-jarring) means that you’ve gotta be an enthusiast to love them.

c)      They’re built so low that you can see the underside of 18 wheelers (which can be intimidating for those who don’t share the dream) and in our city of seemingly endless traffic jams, you usually have everyone’s exhaust right in your face.

You definitely don’t want to take deep breaths.

Aside from everything else, I can’t see my wife finding trips – other than to the grocery store as very pleasant, so out goes that dream.

Okay, so now what?

Well, remember, I don’t want to re-mortgage the house. This is supposed to be fun, so I start looking at more recent reasonably priced sports cars (or as a vintage British sports car lover might say – cut down street sedans) – like the Mazda Miata, Mistubishi Eclipse and Porsche Boxsters.

I try a few, but can’t quite get my brain wrapped around a Miata since (my apologies to Miata owners) I always considered them to be a ladies’ car and a poor imitation of a real sports car.

The Boxster, well it’s a cute car, but it’s also a mid-engine job and everything, except perhaps checking and adding oil, has do be done from underneath the vehicle. I can just see the repair bills if I have to get even the most simple maintenance done – and I don’t even want to think about the cost of parts.

As for the Mitsubishis, I hear that they make great little cars with a lot of bang for the buck, but I’m looking for a car with soul and for me, the eclipse is really a cut down sedan.

Still and all, I think maybe I’m just prejudiced so I decide to get another opinion  and bring my wife along and test drive another Miata.

One sure sign of your getting old is when you look at a sports car’s trunk and think:

-         My wife’s hair dryer and cosmetics just might fit in there, but where would the rest go?

-         Where am I going to put the dog?

-         This thing isn’t going to cut it in the Canadian winter, so I’ll have to spend about $100/month to store it for the 6 months of the year that I won’t be able to drive it.

I ask my wife’s opinion and she again says it’s my call, but she does mention, not surprisingly, that she does find them awfully low and really doesn’t like to be able to see the underside of 18 wheelers while she’s sitting in the car.

As for the corners, I can still the finger imprints where she clung onto the arm rests.

Okay, well there goes that option!

I’m just about giving up on my dream when I do one final analysis:

Okay, what exactly is it that I want?

-         A convertible that’ll be fun for me and my wife to go on trips with

-         Enough room to be able to handle a lady’s luggage.

-         Something that won’t have her looking at the underside of 18 wheelers

-         Something where neither of us will be getting exhaust directly in the face

-         Something I can use all year round

-         Something that lasts, doesn’t cost a fortune to repair, and

-         Has room for the dog and my son  – even if he only rarely follows us any more

All of a sudden the lights go on:

Hmmmmm – Convertible? Fun? Roomy? Higher off the ground? Year Round?

Hey!!!!!!!! What about that fun thing we had in Fuerteventura?

It was all that and more? Do we have them up here in Canada?

Well, yes we do! Take your pick!

We have a bewildering choice of Suzuki Sidekicks, Geo Trackers, Chevy Trackers, GMC Trackers, Asuna and Pontiac Sunrunners and as a bargain, most of them are 4×4s, which means not only won’t I have to store the things, but it’ll actually be better than the family sedan during snow storms.

The idea grows on me to the point where I lose all interest in having a sports car.

The search is now on in earnest for one of these little gems and a few test drives just served to reinforce my decision.

Then,  I come across a super clean ’03 Chevy tracker.

I snap it up and there starts the love affair! Here’re a couple of shots of “The Toy”

Tracker Pride

Another Angle

Well, that’s enough for now; I’m calling it a day.

Make it a great one and I hope to see you back real soon!

MarcL