Why I like Older Trucks

[Diablo de la Noche]

Today I had the "opportunity" to do a little work on my kid's 95 Chrysler Concorde. What a pain in the backside. She got stuck at school, the car wouldn't start. After work, at 1 am, I went over there and took a look at it. Yep, starter went out. $50 for a tow to my house the next day. $175 for a starter. Got it up on jack stands and started working on it. I didn't have a 15mm socket. I have had that socket set for 10 years and never had one, it seems. Never needed it.
Working through a 5 inch gap, with one hand, I managed to loosen the bolts with a 15mm wrench. You know the drill, turn 1/4 inch, flip the wrench, 1/4 inch, flip the wrench, etc. 3 inch bolts, uncountable turns. Oily dirt dropping on my face, up my nose, in my eyes (despite the safety glasses). Even with the wrench sliding out of my hand every couple turns, my forearms and hands cramping up, I got the bolts out. Now the wires are almost impossible to get to. I finally got to them with, yes, a 1/2 inch wrench. Great, metric and SAE together on the same part. Now to get the starter out of the car. I had to slide it out, twist, slide, twist, turn, slide, tilt, cuss, cry, bleed, pull. Done. And the same getting the new one in.
I hate that car. I need $10,000 worth of tools just to keep a $1,500 car running.
I love my truck. SAE wrenchs, sockets, 3/8 inch ratchet, extension. 1/2, 9/16, maybe a 3/8 and 5/8 and some WD-40. Flathead, phillips. That's about it. No torx, allen, or other exotic, expensive fasteners. And, no backseat or trunk area to worry about.
I love old trucks.