It’s well-established on The Autopian that my life has changed a lot over the past 30 months. In 2023, I was single and had nothing but time, but now I have a family to look after and an increasingly-complex business to run. Caught in the midst of this transition are a bunch of amazing vehicles that I simply no longer have time for. So it’s time to make some changes to my fleet, and my newest plan is… a bit convoluted, but possibly ingenious.
OK, so it makes sense to start with a list of vehicles I currently own.
First, I own this Nash Metropolitan:
I also own this 1985 Jeep J10
I own this 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee five-speed:
That ZJ Grand Cherokee is a bit of a project, so alongside it I have this parts Jeep:
I also have my brother’s 1966 Ford Mustang:
Plus I own a BMW i3S:
And I own a 1989 Chevy k1500 pickup truck:
Plus I have a 1991 Jeep Wrangler YJ:
Back in Michigan, I have a Jeep Cherokee XJ that once looked like this:
And in Germany, I have a diesel, manual Chrysler minivan:
My goodness. How do I still have 10 cars?! I just sold my Willys CJ-3B! Anyway, this is all a bit… much. But the good news is: I have a plan.
The Plan Is A Bit Complicated, But It Might Just Work
First off, I’m giving the Nash away as soon as I find the right home, and the diesel, manual Chrysler minivan is basically my parents’ at this point. Should they decide to sell it, they can. My first car, my XJ, will remain in Michigan for a bit. And my BMW i3S is my daily driver; I have no plans to get rid of it. My 1991 Jeep YJ was my wedding vehicle, and it’s the ideal convertible for SoCal, so it’s sticking around, too. I have to keep my brother’s Mustang, as well.
As for the others… well, the J10 — after 10 years under my ownership — finally has to go. I won’t be happy with it until its minor rust is fixed and it’s repainted, and that’s expensive; what’s more, the J10 will never pass California emissions. And, as I’ve found that it is almost completely worthless in California due to it having minor rust, I’ve decided I’m going to ship it to Michigan.
That’s right; I’m planning to pay $1500 to ship my J10 to Michigan to see if the value delta between the rust-belt and here is enough to actually net me a significant profit. Stay tuned.
My bbeloved 1989 Chevy K1500 350 5-speed is probably going to be sold. Part of me likes that it can seat five and that it can tow, and it’s comfortable as heck for a truck, but I’m not a Chevy truck man. And so that leaves me truckless — a problem that I will remedy with the purchase of another pickup. I have already committed to my J10’s/K1500’s replacement; I’ll let you guess what that is in the comments. Hint: It’s extremely cool.
As for my two Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJs? I’m debating replacing both of them with an already-running and driving ZJ. Is it worth spending 5 big-ones on a beautiful Jeep that’s done versus me building the ultimate overlanding vehicle? I’ve amassed years worth of parts for that project, which — with its crank windows and manual locks — really is the ultimate overlanding budget-Jeep. And speaking of money: I paid basically nothing for that red ZJ, plus my kittens were born in it.
Should I keep it and hope I can someday finish the epic project, or should I buy a minty fresh one that unfortunately has power windows and locks, but at least runs and drives today? It’s not that I really need a running, driving ZJ to get around, so maybe keeping the immobile hulk for a while isn’t the end of the world… so long as I can convince my wife that we can store it in our driveway (this is proving difficult).
So that’s the plan right now. I’m keeping:
- i3
- Mustang
- YJ
- [New truck that I’m buying]
- Either my ZJ project or that new $5000 ZJ
- My original XJ (stored in Michigan for the foreseeable future)
On the chopping block are the K1500, J10, Nash, and maybe the two ZJs to be replaced by the minty one.
A logical man would just get rid of the ZJs and not replace them, but I’m obsessed with manual Grand Cherokees, so that’s just a step too far for me at the moment.
Expect news on my exciting new truck soon, and on whether shipping my J10 to Michigan made sense or was a giant blunder. Oh, and expect news on what I’ll do regarding the manual ZJs… I remain torn.
While some posters here have posited that your next truck will be a Comanche, reading between the lines of your previous posts, that is, in fact, not it. It lacks the safety and family flexibility to be the answer. You’d recently talked about acquiring a JL Wrangler (which, of course, you helped develop the cooling system). What could possibly tick that box while also providing 21st century safety with room for your new family? A Gladiator. I’m locking it in and putting all my chips on JT.
Long live the wobble of death…
I think his cheapness may end up swaying him away from one of these. the Cheapest non-branded title version of one is still 17K https://www.ebay.com/itm/365811398201?hash=item552c0ef639%3Ag%3AJ0EAAeSwtaFopjG5&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5337650957&customid=&toolid=10049
I hate to say it, but there’s a real possibility of you being correct on that.
Honestly if he was serious about reducing his fleet (he isn’t) then keep the I3 and get rid of everything and buy a good used gladiator sport.
It covers
1: jeep obsession
2: owning a vehicle he helped engineer
3: off-roading / overlanding
4: truck (at least as much truck as someone living in LA needs)
5: convertible
6: family friendly
I have to agree with this. Many folks who buy Gladiators often say it’s not the best at offroading, it’s not the best at being a truck, and it’s not necessarily the best convertible, but it’s the only vehicle available that does all 3 of those things.
Yeah, beyond the convertible part, any mid-size truck can do a lot of things fairly well. Unless you need to do heavy towing or haul 5 people regularly, they are (IMO) a much better choice than the 1/2 ton crew cab that has become the universal suburban dad vehicle at least around me.
As much I want to continue reading about the ZJ saga, for yourself you need to let them go for now. Keep the cool rare parts you can stuff away in the attic, and pick it back up when you have space in your life. If you really want a derelict project with a seven-slot grille in your driveway, I think it should be your XJ. At least it only takes up one parking space.
An Isuzu Amigo???
How much of a burden is it to keep the cars (insurance, registration, storage, maintenance)? I get it that if you are not using a car, it’s not best to keep it, but then you think about how hard it might be to replace, so you keep it. With that in mind, maybe the Chevy pickup goes because you can rent or borrow one or replace it if your need for a truck changes. It’s definitely not irreplaceable or sentimental. I understand keeping your first car, your brother’s car. The wedding car is sentimental now, but as the years go by, you might not feel the same about it. Ok to keep.
My guess is a Jeep Comanche is inbound
I wish I could take that Nash off your hands. That’s my level of simplicity, mechanically.
Did you get a lucid gravity?! that’ll be cool to put through the paces.
In fact, David could live with 3 cars: the i3, the YJ and a truck that he could use for off-road / overland / haul things around. And probably either the truck or YJ or even both are optional.
The rest could go. It is cool to own your first car, but it is past, and his brother Mustangs must go to his brother. Make some money on the rest and be happy.
I can understand and even relate to David in part, but parenthood changed my mind a lot on owning useful things. Given budget/space/time constraints, if something requires work that does not take hours to be completed, probably it is not worth keeping.
And it is not that you can’t have that many cars or spend time with them. It is not just the right time. Or you change your priorities or your priorities may leave you.
Eventually he’s going to find that an electric truck works for a daily and is a better family vehicle and he’ll sell the “Holy Grail” only one of 200 made i3s
I’m reminded of the “All I need” scene in The Jerk:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VbI5zcB8Ac
See if Bring a Trailer will list the Jeep, “David Tracy’s J10, rust included!”
When David was single these posts stressed me out, now they only stress his wife out ????
Frankly do an Autopian Member’s only Auction. Then buy that current gen Jeep you want.
Stellantis build quality is bad enough you won’t go without wrenching for long.
An auction with us would lead to him getting next to nothing /s. I mean the best I could do is a some old Firebird parts and 3 dollars haha
There would be some great trade offers in the comments though
I feel like you aren’t really cutting down? just swapping out? You have a bug in your brain that makes you stupid about these shitty old jeeps. They are ugly, not worth anything and really are not useful at all to you in any manner. The cost to keep and maintain them must have risen just by being in Cali. I don’t even understand why you wrote this article.
You and Mercedes have the same shtick now.
I have no idea what you mean by “schtick.” I literally was a Jeep engineer. This would have to be the greatest commitment-to-a-bit in human history. lol
Once David pares down his fleet to an acceptable level, he may find that he doesn’t have a ready go-to for quick filler posts. Sometimes anticipation and planning are the true joys and implementation doesn’t live up to the dream. I found that out when I finally bought my house.
For a replacement pickup, I wonder if either a VW Type 2 or a mid-century forward-control something would shine a welcome Torchlight upon the situation.
Hmm Autopian has generally high standards for “cool”, so maybe one of the following:
– Late 40s / early 50s Power Wagon
– super patina’d IH Scout with Mcfly grade light bar and white rims
– Stolen beta new Slate pickup
– Skoda Felicia fun Ute
– supercharged Subaru Sambar
– Project Cactus
A VW diesel rabbit pick-up?
So there’s the Rodius, Aztec, and Murano CrossCab currently in the Autopian fleet so a replacement pickup that is “extremely cool” by these standards has a lot of flexibility in what that means. First thought: new Scout Terra, but no way they are going to beta test it this soon and you are buying it. I then thought SSR, but it’s a Chevy and that’d be against one of the reasons why the GMT400 is being let go, plus you know wanting it to do truck things and carry people. Gladiator is way too obvious. Titan XD too unreliable and overkill on size, plus too new to be considered terrible cool. If it’s a HD towing rig needed for new life adventures, a stick shift 7.3 Power stroke or Cummins would fit the very cool spectrum of finds, but again too big. The Lincoln Blackwood is the original luxury pickup and would do the trucking things well enough for someone who is back pocketing major wrenching and it’s old enough, odd enough, and obscure enough to be considered cool (Lincoln LT will never be cool). Ridgeline would also work and be the quirky choice as long as towing (and it’s contents) are low on the needs. Not likely a Baja XT; definitely not a BRAT. There’s also the R1T or Lightning for electrical trucks.
So many options, but it’s probably a Ram SRT-10 Quad Cab.
Since you obviously want our advice:
Keep the i3, Mustang and YJ
K1500 becomes shop truck owned by The Autopian.
The rest go.
This is the correct answer.
Yes, but shop truck also means it is a business expense. I’m assuming and auto magazine tows / hauls enough stuff that they need a truck or van.
Now I know how I sound to my wife when I’m rationalizing buying another hot rod part.
The new truck is obviously an International Travelette.
Huh, time flies. Time to change the batteries in my smoke alarms again I guess
Underrated comment. Well done.
You should just sell me the Chevy and get something safer for Delo to ride in, or whatever motor oil brand your kid is named after.
I don’t hate Delo as a name. Beats Rotella.
When he’s napping, it’s Mellow Delo!
David, David, David…
The optimum number of Jeeps for you to own is one, the YJ.
The optimum number of pickups for you to own is zero, you can wangle a press loaner or rent one as a last resort. Especially once you’re done any major home renovations for the time being.
The optimum number of cars for you to store on the Galpin property is maybe two. One that earns its’ keep in content and gets sold once it no longer does (currently the Crosscab) and the Mustang. The main reasons why it gets a pass are that you consider it your brother’s and a Ford dealership of Galpin’s history and level of enthusiasm needs at least one early Mustang in driver condition on the back lot.
Don’t by another truck, just rent one when the need arises. Heck get a press loaner for free. No need to ship the J10 just advertise it on a nationwide website, not marketplace. It will sell. Also don’t buy another ZJ, one Jeep (YJ) is plenty.
Or a $15 Uhaul utility trailer rental.
I’m a little bummed that the project ZJ won’t be happening; even though it’s an earlier generation, I had hoped to learn something from the inevitable articles. You do have higher priorities though, and I think you’ll ultimately end up with a drivable ZJ, which is an underappreciated ride in my opinion! 🙂
I bet you’re getting a Scout pickup. That’ll be cool.
He already put down a deposit on the Traveler but I don’t see how any Scout announcement could be imminent; unless David is going to be driving a development mule, I can’t see him getting into one until 2027 (at best).
You’re right!
I have no idea then.
Head says Ford Maverick, heart says flood damaged Jeep Gladiator 4xe off Copart.