wheels....vehicles...trucks...cars...daily drivers....hobby....enthusists...gas gusslers...hybrid....old...new...black...red...white...are all ways to describe vehicles. For some it is a passion and for others it might just be a way to get to work. For me, well at least in the case of my current vehicle, it has a little history. 

First let me start with my first memory. Remember the days of riding in the back of a pickup truck. Of course it was legal back then, but you could just jump in the back take a seat on the wheel well and off you go. Well, back in the late 70's and early 80's I remember jumping in the back of my dad's Ford Ranger and taking off for the nearest restaurant for lunch. This truck wasn't just any truck, it was a 1978, orange and white, two tone, long bed, crew cab, two wheel drive and a big 460 Ford engine with loud dual exhaust. For starters, the truck was as long as a short bus and was ranking right up there with the ugliest color available (by today's standards of course). But, the memories of riding in the back of that truck and taking trips to get lunch or parts were unforgettable. It wasn't so much the vehicle itself but the places we went, the moves we made and the time we spent driving in that truck that made it so special. We hauled nearly a whole baseball team to the ice cream store, drove a few trips to Florida and back when we moved down there, and used it to pull our first family boat to the lake. What great times we had with this ugly truck. Makes me realize why my dad still looks for another 78' whenever we are out.

Dad's next vehicle was a newer model, which I think was an 84' or 85' Ford F150. This was more of an influenced purchase, well sort of. I urged my dad to get a two door short bed. Granted this was a big step from the long extended bed that we had. So we ended up with a two door regular bed. This truck had a somewhat smaller engine, but had a few bells and whistles that I was able to add on later. I helped dad style his truck by adding window tint, Aluminum styled wheels, dual exhaust, and a upgraded stereo. Granted my dad really could care less about all these options, but hey, I was a teenager and had to have a cool truck to take on my weekly water ski trips. Besides it had to look good pulling our new fish/ski boat. And, it did. I loved driving this truck, I took it fishing, sking, on weekend trips, to friends houses, driving in the Ocala National Forest, to Daytona beach, running errands for mom, basically everywhere. It was much better to drive than my first car (Dodge 400) and it sounded much better too. Memories were made with this truck too, and little did I know how important they would be later in life.

Moving on, and since I now could drive myself I of course went through a few vehicles and tested all different types. I had a Dodge 400 two door, a 1989 Mustang Gt (another story here), a 92' Grand Prix Gt (of which the color drew a lot of attention), a Jeep Cherokee (2wd), Saturn SL2, 95 Mustang Gt (trying to recapture the 89' experience), Ford Explorer Sport, Hyundai Sonata (growing up) and finally the perfect vehicle.....a black Ford F150. Yes, I don't know what finally clicked inside or brought out the memories of all the great times I spent in trucks all my life.  I finally realized that of all the vehicles I had owned never matched the great times I had had in the trucks of my life. Even the trucks that my friends owned brought great times with them yet, I never owned my own truck. Now was the time.....

Moving on to 2005, I made a purchase. Not the most thought out purchase since my wife wasn't along. In fact she was in school taking classes for her Master's program. And, to make it better/worse it happened to be on our 13 year wedding anniversary. Yes the actual date, September 12th, 2005. However, I did call her and talk to her briefly while I was in the dealership and explain what a great vehicle it was and what a good deal I was about to get. But what I did gain from this experience was probably the best vehicle I have ever owned. Now I know gas prices are sky high and in a perfect world my truck would get 30 mpg. But it isn't the gas mileage that drew me to the truck in the lot. Let me share a little about my truck.

Walking around the lot I had a couple things in mind. I knew that I needed a truck that would hold all of our family. Three children, my wife and myself had to fit comfortably and it had to have a few options such as power windows, automatic, 4x4 (winter driving), and a CD Stereo. Well, I loved the look of the new 2004 and up F150's and looked at every truck on the lot. I saw a couple I liked and noticed a Dark Red one I wanted to test drive. Walking up to the dealership office my eye caught a black, 2005, F150, 4x4, extended cab, with chrome Roush wheels, Sunroof, and a 5.4 liter V-8. As soon as I seen this truck I new this was the one for me. After-all, I love black vehicles and the combination of the chrome wheels and the black truck was amazing. So, test drive it was. I remember it being parked up on a curb and the salesmen tossing me the keys and saying "drive it off the curb, it's a truck, it will be fine". I took it on a test drive and it felt much larger than my Hyundai and I honestly felt a little uncomfortable with parking it at first, but driving felt perfect. I loved it from the second I pulled out of the lot. Needless to say, I now am the owner of this  truck and love driving it as my daily driver. 

I hope that my children get to form as many memories as I did riding in my dad's F150's. Someday I hope to be pulling a boat behind and taking my wife and family on fishing/ski trips just as I did in Florida and share new wonderful times with them so that they can have some the same great memories.  

Now I have added a loud, Magna-Flow exhaust, upgraded stereo, Line-X bed liner, Extang tonneau cover, and a K + N filter charger. All of which are to personalize it even more and make it mine. I bet when my son Carter grows up someday and even my two girls grow up , they will remember dad's black F150 truck and all the places we went, things we hauled, trouble we caused, and fun we had while driving it everywhere. And that to me is a great reason to drive what I think is the world's finest truck. My Ford F150.......