It’s 3:54 A.M. as I start writing this article. My son is sleeping in my room with me, and my wife is in a separate room recovering from COVID. My job was to look after him tonight; what actually happened is: He woke up, started crying, and two hours later I woke up to my wife soothing him wondering how the heck I sleep so soundly. It’s a gift and a curse. I’ll probably have to make it up to her.
Anyway, I relieved my wife of baby-Delmar-duties, and after an hour of feeding, rocking, and a bit of my go-to Elton John song, Delmar is asleep, and I just can’t seem to follow suit. I’m thinking about cars.
I’ve been thinking about cars at least half my waking hours for the last… probably 25 years or so. It’s objectively strange, but there’s just something captivating about them (as all of you, dear readers, know). For me, it’s a combination of factors that give a vehicle soul. Obviously, there’s styling and our innate tendency to assign a “face” to cars, almost as if to anthropomorphize them. Whether I know it or not, when I look at a Jeep XJ, I see a squared-off, lovable little billygoat. When I look at my BMW i3 I see a high-tech little EV underdog. When I see my Jeep J10 in the parking lot I see a brawny, tough old workhorse. But it’s not just the styling, it’s the engineering and the story behind the cars.
I love the unibody designs of my XJ and ZJ; I think their Quadra-Link/Quadra-Coil suspensions are the most amazing high-volume off-road suspensions ever devised, especially at the time. Their 4.0-liter straight sixes and their Japanese Aisin five-speed manual transmissions are a true match made in off-road heaven. I love the i3’s carbon fiber body and wacky rear range extender and skinny tires and eucalyptus wood dash.
But the stories, to me, are what give a vehicle soul. I love Jeep XJs and ZJs and YJs not just because they’re interestingly-styled, reliable off-road beasts, but because of plucky ol’ American Motors’ engineers somehow developing state-of-the-art machines on a shoestring budget, because of that Toledo assembly plant with a rich history dating back to WWII, because of now-car-industry-less Kenosha, Wisconsin and its four-liter engine plant. I love the i3 because it’s truly bonkers; it’s one of few times in auto history where a car company essentially told its best engineers: “Here’s a shit-ton of money. Go build the most cutting edge car you can think of.” And what they built, though a clear Noble Failure, drips with soul.
It’s that soul that keeps me thinking about cars, and though some of the soul comes from styling and for me lots of it comes from engineering, I think the majority comes from the people behind the machine. It’s their sweat-equity and their story that fuels my connection to these contraptions. It’s for this reason that I like to keep my vehicles stock or close-to-stock. “Stock is sacred,” I often say, as it’s the vehicle that rolled off the factory floor that represents the culmination of all that sweat equity; it is the final chapter of that vehicle program’s fascinating tale. (I realize that not everyone sees cars this way, with many folks heavily modifying their vehicles; for the record, I respect that element of car culture, too).
Anyway, it’s now 4:14, the same number of horsepower that the E9X BMW M3’s 4.0-liter V8 produced. I’m not sure why that number is stuck in my head forever. My brother owns an E93; I often wonder how those are still even remotely affordable given how incredible they are. I’m obviously rambling in this first and possibly final installation of DT Late-Night Baby Blogs, but here’s the current thought that has me staying up through this fatigue (and it’s one that I’ve mentioned before, but am struggling with): Does it make sense for a parent to keep a two-door car?
See, I own a 1985 Jeep J10, and though it’s not going to pass California emissions, there are other Jeep trucks out there that will. And they’re all two-door regular cabs. Notice how I didn’t say “but they’re all regular cabs,” I said “and.” Because regular cab trucks are the best in my view; they just look so perfect. The problem is, I have no idea if a truck like that fits into my future anymore.
What if I throw this into the ring? Does this change the calculus for anyone? (350 5spd extended cab). https://t.co/IQXYSri1TT pic.twitter.com/bw4uBUTXYK
— David Tracy (@davidntracy) September 6, 2025
Does it make sense for me to have a truck that I can’t drive my kids around in? Yes, the J10 is badass, and owning all the old cars I own is irrational, but at the very least I can drive my kid around in my old Mustang/Jeep XJ/ZJ/YJ, etc. The J10 has no rear seat, so it’d be just me.
Maybe that still works, as I could commute to work in it every now and again, and when I head to pick up big items for our house, I could just go alone? But wouldn’t I rather not go alone? I know my Chevy K1500 is old and unsafe, but if I’m doing a quick trash run or Home Depot run, wouldn’t I want to take my kid? And is the value of taking my kid more important than the fact that, yes, the Chevy is a bit boring compared to the J10? I’d think so, but I’ve only been a parent for 5 months, so what do I know?
It’s now 428, the displacement of Ford’s iconic Cobra Jet “FE” engine from the 60s, and I’ve got trucks on my mind. Should my beloved J10 go? Does it make sense to keep it when it’s just going to be me behind the wheel most of the time? And if the J10 doesn’t make sense because of SMOG issues, should I buy a different Jeep truck? Or is the Chevy — one of few cool extended-cab vehicles with a stickshift, even though I find it a bit boring compared to the Jeeps — the better move? Then again, I don’t really need a truck, so shouldn’t I keep the one I want? But then again, if it’d be just me driving it, and I’ve seen sooo many people chop up their old Jeep Gladiators/Comanches and turn them into extended cab trucks for their families — clearly they did that for a reason.
Anyway, I’m not sure if any of that was coherent. I’m tired. I should wait for someone on my team to make a good topshot for this story, but I’m just going to slap a picture of one of my trucks up there and hit publish. It’s 440, and I’ve got a Big Block of time I need to set aside for sleep, as it’s been a long night.
I said it back with your i3 conundrum….while in the child seat stage, you will be using 1 car for child duties roughly 99.9999% of the time (rounded to the nearest 0.0001%). Once your child is old enough to be a help/interested in adventures with dad in the truck, they’ll be big enough for the front seat. Up until that point, runs to the lumber yard, etc are made much more difficult with a little in tow. So keep want you want/need.
But whatever you do, please prove my prediction right that you are importing a 25 year old ute from Australia…..
You have enough vehicles to keep the single cab for sure. The only reason to worry about having a back seat is if you will need to use the vehicle as a family hauler. You will simply use another vehicle for that.
When I was a kid, I knew a lot of households with a single cab pickup and a family sedan/minivan/wagon. No one fretted about whether they could fit the whole family into the single cab because they would simply pile into the family car/minivan/wagon for things that needed to fit the whole family. And you have more vehicle options than that, so you are fine.
If you have another vehicle for kid duties, a regular cab truck make sense. They are usually cheaper so you can use it for truck stuff. Get you engine to the machine shop, who cares about a few little dents and dings. Go off-road a few scrapes here and there big deal. The look cooler, in our opinion. This is a truck for you, you are thinking about Delmar (not his real name) as a father should, but ultimately this is about you. I say go for it. When Delmar (nhrn) is a little older and you take him to little league or the junkyard that regular cab will feel more intimate and make you both feel closer. That could be the spark of the love of vehicles and carry on the the DT tradition of saving the broken and rusted Holy Grails whatever they may be.
No.
Didn’t even need to read the article.
Get a 2021 or later Nissan Titan.
Hear me out, David, because it ticks the boxes you like.
V8? Right up front.
Column PRNDL shifter? Check
Parking Brake pedal? Left foot pedal
Towing package? Yep, with brake controller and both 4 AND 7 pin connector.
Tax on the name? Absolutely not.
Perfectly cromulent towing capacity? Yessir!
Be like late 90’s Nike….
Just do it.
There is only one solution: minivan. Embrace your personal downfall from gearhead grace. You are DAD. Home Despot? No problem. Kid (kids?) fit. So does 1/2 the effing store. Fer crysakes the whole side of the thing opens. If you must Mopar you have one somewhere in Europe. It’s probably old enough to bring over here. Keep the 2 seater when you want some private time. Sell everything else except the mustang and BMW. Problems solved. Go back to sleep. (PS: there is room to sleep in a wait for it: minivan)
My sisters and I loved going to the lumberyard with my dad! Of course, this was in the Jurassic age before Menards, et al.
That generation of K1500 is objectively one of the best, most reliable trucks you can drive. Period. I had ’95 C1500 as my DD for 11 years even after my first child was born. It took a 2nd tyke to make me move on to something that was easier to strap two carseats into. I think it would be absolute insanity to keep the Jeep over the Chevy but the heart wants what the heart wants I guess.
“And they’re all two-door regular cabs”
David… you should know better. There is a Jeep out there that is more than a regular cab. You even probably worked on it! It’s called a JL, or the Gladiator. Now you know better than before why it exists the way it does.
That being said, cars you can’t bring your kids in are hard to keep around. Yes, you can jam them in the cab later (once they are out of the big car seats) and be OK. But that only happens after like 5 years old. And if you plan on having more than one kid it becomes very difficult to find time to use.
Realistically, you have so many cars to use that the chances to use this one will be next to nil unless the family can ride in it. Yes it helps to have a truck for all things truck (I’ve owned one most of my life) but if you rarely use it, and can’t bring everyone with you, it’s not worth the hassle.
At this stage of life you are better off finding a fold up trailer to stick in the side yard/garage and use as needed. I bought a harbor freight one used for like $250 20 years ago and it has done everything I needed for home improvements, dump runs, etc when I didn’t have a truck in the stable. Put a hitch on the i3 and you’re good to go!
At 17, I purchased a Chevy K1500 reg cab, short bed. Had it for 25 yrs until my son’s were like 10 and 12. Let me tell you, there is no better father/ son bonding tool than a bench seat. This would be even more true for David than me. Having them sit right next to you and pointing out cars they like and asking about them. The best.
Oh I know what you need!
And I have one.
Watch your mail!
Does it have any sort of belt in the middle? I was pretty much raised in a single cab Ranger and that thing looks a lot wider. If you can belt the kid in, even if it is the less desirable lap belt, I’d say keep it.
But if it keeps you up at night, let it go. OR put a more modern bench in it with seatbelts.
In PA, it’s legal to put a kid in a car seat in a single-row truck. I forget if it’s required that you be able to deactivate the airbag or just suggested. Either way, that’s not a concern here.
Is that not the case in CA?
I feel like you aren’t acknowledging the number of instances where you *need* to bring a child with you.
What a first word problem eh? Pretty soon you won’t have time to think about what you had for lunch, much less which useless hulk to sell.
My brother had a single cab Tacoma. Purely a cheap practical tool. He ended up getting rid of it because it just became to inconvenient to not be able to bring his kids in it. Yes, most of the stuff he actually needed it for he could run out and do solo. But just not having the option to bring the kids on the weekend became too much.
Dude, owning old cars is supposed to be fun. If it’s keeping you up past 4am, something isn’t right. Yeah, cars can have history and trigger memories, but they’re just stuff at the end of the day. Attaching that level of seriousness and sentimentality to vehicles isn’t healthy. The fact that it’s messing with your sleep proves my point. Maybe it’s time to see a therapist.
Like, I own a decaying old Volvo that I should probably part with. I’m trying to fix it up a bit and enjoy it before I eventually let it go. Am I going to break even financially on that? No. Will the car have a bright future in a museum, avoiding an eventual fate as pet food cans? No. Will my future offspring cherish it as a family heirloom, interwoven with my identity as a father figure? I sincerely hope not.
Oh, and we’re talking about a much more viable vehicle than the J10.
Correct me if I’m wrong, David, but my understanding is that you currently have one wife and one kid. It’s also my understanding that the J10 either had a bench or buckets with a third seat under a folding armrest. Either way, it seats 3. What’s the problem?
Raise your hand if you have ridden in the bed of a truck back in the day…..
Not that I recommend this on a CA freeway, but is seems a silly question
reminds me of the countless articles by Peter Eagan…
In my day it was considered a privilege and a necessity to ride in the back of pickups.
In the words of Dr. Henry Jones:
“Indiana…let it go.”
You have less than enough time.e to work on projects now. When the kid is old enough for activities (swimming lessons, Little League Taekwondo, etc.) You’ll have even less time. Then, I assume (because you said “kids”), you plan on working on a sibling for lil’ Delmar, compounding matters.
I used to work on my own cars. Then I had kids. Their needs and wants are more important than mine, as your son’s are for you (also, you don’t want to end up divorced). You have a great future ahead of you, so move forward.
Kids have ridden in single cab pickups for decades. Just drive defensively, don’t speed, don’t drink and drive, and more than likely it will be fine.
I guess you have some content quota to reach, but articles like that make me want to go elsewhere for fun car content.
But I do want to be a bit constructive, so here’s what I did at that age:
Rent some barn/stable/warehouse and store all your cars for “later”.
Sublet free space to others to get your expenses paid, so you can keep the place forever.
Go out there once in a while and start/drive the cars to keep them from totally dying.
Enjoy not having to deal with what so sell or scrap.
You can bring as many of your fun cars home, as your time and other obligations permit.
My kids are 13+ now, and I’m up to having 2 fun cars at home (and 4 in the “Chamber of Secrets“), currently working on making that 3 in 2026.
If the comments are anything to go by, the engagement generated by the,
“Woe is me, I have too many shitty cars for my lifestyle, yet refuse to actually do anything about it” articles is quite high.
It’s good old fashioned bait, and damn does it ever work.
I think that you might be overthinking this.
No, next question.
The 1500 is a keeper. Safe ENOUGH, don’t go absurd speeds or drive like an idiot. Way safer than the J10 or most of the other rusted garbage you’ve driven in your life.
1500 = infinite aftermaket, ICONIC design that never really looks that old, comfortable, compotent, etc. That truck is awesome.
J10 smog legality aside it is legal to have a kid in the “front” in a single row vehicle. You still need a car seat or booster buts not impossible. A pickup with a bench will transport a family of 3 just fine.
David, by the time Delmar is old enough to want to go on a Home Depot or dump run, you will probably have some other things to haul stuff+kid. Go to sleep, this is a problem for 2030 David!