I’ve been in denial about this for a while. “My cars aren’t holding me back at all,” I’d convinced myself for years. “If I wanted to, I could sell them all tomorrow.” Recently it’s become clear that this just isn’t true, as has been proven by my move to LA, which should have happened months ago but hasn’t yet due to an anchor made of tons of American iron. So I come to you asking for advice on how to move past this.
The truth is, I’ve been wanting to leave Michigan for years, but what happens is: 1. November rolls around, things get cold, and I tell myself “I’m out of here.” Then 2. I fly to Germany or Hong Kong to be with my family for Christmas, and stay over there for a month working remotely. 3. I get back, spend a few months in cold Michigan and then the sun comes back out in April. 4. Weather is absolutely perfect from April through October, and car culture thrives. My enchantment with Michigan swells. 5. I vow never to leave Michigan. 6. November hits again. 7. Repeat.
[Ed note: Right before the pandemic I had dinner with David and our bud Aaron Foley and pleaded with him to move. I offered to buy one of his cars. Anything to make it happen. It didn’t work. Then during the pandemic we hung out in a junkyard and had the same conversation. Next week I’m going to make him get an apartment. Just tell him to sell all but two of his cars for everyone’s sake – MH]
This has been the cycle for about five years. My upbringing as an Army brat has built within me an insatiable desire to move every year or so, and yet I’ve staved off this urge by traveling so often and for such long durations — I was just in Australia for a month earlier this year, I was also in Germany and Italy, plus I see my brother in Hong Kong relatively frequently. But I don’t know that I can push this off any longer, mostly because the long-term future of The Autopian depends on me being in LA and working with our talented behind-the-scenes crew out there.
So I have to go, and in truth — as a single dude who feels a little out of place in suburban Michigan, and who’d like to try listening to the buzz of a bigger city for the first time in his life (I’ve only ever lived in small cities) — I want to give it a shot. The problem is these beautiful mechanical anchors:
- Jeep J10 4spd stick: Store in MI (?)
- 1966 Ford Mustang auto: Drive to CA
- 1992 Jeep Cherokee auto: Store in MI (?)
- 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5spd: Sell
- 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5spd: Tow to CA
- 2000 Chevy Tracker 5spd: Sell
- 1958 Willys FC-170 3spd stick: Tow to CA
- 1979 Jeep Cherokee Golden Eagle 3spd auto: Sell
Let’s go through them one by one. Each car has a poll below it; I’m eager to hear your recommendations (it might make sense to read the whole article before going back and voting).
1985 Jeep J10: Store In Michigan Or Drive To California
I love this truck with all my heart, but I don’t think it’ll make it through emissions inspection in California, mostly because all the smog stuff has been ripped off. IÂ could fuel inject it using a Jeep 4.0-liter cylinder head, then throw on a 4.0 catalytic converter and hope the shop doesn’t care that I don’t have an air pump on my accessory drive. But I don’t know that this will work; California has a “visual” inspection, so even if my now-fuel-injected truck is cleaner, it’d likely fail. Logical? No. But such is life.
“Sell it,” you may now suggest, but I can’t. It’s the greatest truck on earth, and I can’t let it go. It’s true mechanical perfection in my eyes. As of now, my plan is to store it somewhere. Or maybe take it to California. I haven’t decided.
1966 Ford Mustang: Drive To California
Is there a place where this vehicle would be more at home than in southern California? Answer: No. I’m daily driving this. I have some security concerns, so I’ve purchased a GPS tracker and a “club” steering lock. I hope those do the job; I’ll also make sure to park it in a garage whenever I can.
I’ll likely drive this on weekends as my free Nash Metropolitan will be my true daily driver that I take to work and park on the streets without worry. I doubt anyone wants to steal that.
1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5spd: Sell
What you’re looking at is the most perfect Jeep Grand Cherokee on earth. It’s the first model year with a five-speed manual and manual windows and locks. It’s not only the lightest Grand Cherokee in history, it’s also the most reliable, and it’s the best off-road platform. Hopefully I can find someone who understands the rarity and value of what I consider the ultimate Grand Cherokee, as I’d like to get as close to $10 large out of this 130,000 mile, rust-free Jeep as possible. If not, I may have to keep it, which would complicate things.
1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5spd: Tow Or Drive To California
Of course, I’m not going to sell all of my “Holy Grail” manual Grand Cherokees. I plan to keep the rougher 1994 model that I bought for $350. Why hold onto this one? Overly pretty cars are a pain in the ass to maintain, and this one being a bit rough around the edges will give me more peace-of-mind. Plus, I’ll feel less guilty when I put a mild lift and bigger tires on it; I’ve heard off-roading in California is pretty damn good.
The issue is that this Jeep is still far from being roadworthy. I swapped the guts from that rusted-out Holy Grail in Wisconsin that I wrote about years ago, but there’s still a lot to do before this thing can move under its own power. I could fix it over the next month or so and then drive it west or I could tow it and wrench later.
1979 Jeep Cherokee Golden Eagle: Sell
Oh man, this Jeep is one of my biggest regrets. It ran when I bought it, I removed a cylinder head to extract a broken exhaust stud, then I flew to Germany for a month. When I returned, I saw some surface rust on the cylinder walls, so I pulled the engine and honed it; I figured I’d swap the rings and bearings while I was at it, but sadly I could never get the motor back together properly. So I bought a rebuilt engine, which seized.
Honestly, the fact that this machine has been sitting for over five years is a result of only one thing: my own stupidity. I am ashamed, though I am twice the wrench I was back then. So should I fix it and then sell it for some heavy coin? Or do I sell it as is and give up the five grand delta?
This is a tough one for me because, if I’m anything, it’s a cheap bastard.
2000 Chevrolet Tracker: Sell
I should never have bought this Tracker, though I’m pleased with how far it’s come. I’ve fixed the crankshaft damper, cleaned the interior, bondo’d the huge dent in the quarter panel, installed junkyard all-terrain tires, fixed a few electrical gremlins, jerry-rigged a fix for the four-wheel drive system, and swapped out all the fluids. This thing is beautiful now, and I even have a buyer willing to throw me $3,000 for it. Not quite my $3,500 asking price, but close.
First, I’m taking it off-roading tomorrow (you’re all invited). This will be the second time I’m off-roading a car just prior to sale; the first time, I filled the engine with water, then that water froze, and when it thawed, I learned that my crankshaft bearings had been wiped. (You may recall my article “My 1948 Jeep’s Engine Is Ruined Because I Am A Dumbass”). I hope nothing similar happens this time around. I really shouldn’t be off-roading this thing before sale, but come on — I did all this work to this thing; I have to see how good it is in the dirt, right?
1958 Willys FC-170: Tow To California?
I want to do an EV conversion soon, and I really think this FC is the ideal candidate.
Could I just buy one on the west coast? Yes. That’d make my life easier. But look at the pedigree this one has!:
1992 Jeep Cherokee: Store?
This one’s a tough one. The Jeep isn’t in great shape at the moment; I flooded the rear diff, so I need to replace the axle. Plus the cooling system needs some work — likely a new radiator. These aren’t huge jobs, but they’re not nothing, either.
I suppose I COULD bring this Jeep out to California, or I could store it, or I could sell it. But this is my very first car. Should I sell the Jeep that started it all?
This Is Complicated
So I want to keep the 1992 XJ, the J10, the 1994 ZJ, the FC, and the Mustang. I could just bring all five of those, and sell the rest. There should be plenty of space to store these machines on the Galpin lot that Beau has so graciously offered up. Maybe I could tow the FC with the J10, then drive everything else out. Or I could ask an automaker for a big-ass heavy-duty truck and a car-hauler, and just tow the whole fleet out.
Or I could sell the original XJ and the FC, and just take the J10, 1994 ZJ and Mustang. Then I can find another FC out west and cry myself to sleep every now and then missing the ’92 OG.
I don’t know what the answer is. But I need to come up with something soon.
Sell them all. You have a non-zero chance of finding a Willys wagon out in CA. Or a Grand Wagoneer from the 70’s.
I get the appeal of having one (ONE!) reliable vehicle in MI for when you travel there. I assume as an auto journalist it’s a common destination for you, and having a car handy beats dealing with a rental if it’s already paid for. But the idea of keeping a non-running vehicle (or more than one) in a state thousands of miles from your home, just for sentimentality? Keep one that runs in MI, move some to CA (the FC would be an incredible EV swap to have around, and the Mustang is just perfect for LA weather), and sell the rest to people who can focus on a single project and use these machines for what they were designed to do.
Sell the shitty cars, FFS. Give the Mustang back.
Speaking as a long time Jalopnik lurker, I don’t read the ‘David Tracy overextends himself to fix worthless car’ articles anymore. They were funny for a while, but now they just make me depressed. They remind me of when I was a stupid 18 year old with no money who made similar mistakes.
Most car people have similar stories in their past, and everyone likes to joke and reminisce about it, but at some point it’s time to grow up. Start taking on winning projects instead of losing ones, stop letting garbage hold your life back. At some point life will pass you by.
Yes, this article got me to click and engage, so I guess that’s kind of encouraging the behaviour- but it’s clearly possible to have adventures and write interesting articles about wrenching without personally collecting all the shit heaps.
PS- i find the ‘Holy Grail’ rhetoric nauseating. It’s a shitty old jeep, they made thousands of them. The addition of a 5 speed manual doesn’t fundamentally change the quality of the project, it just makes the vehicle even less likely to be driven on a daily basis. Putting labels on stuff like that is just a way to keep yourself drinking your own koolaid.
This. Time for some tough love.
Came here for this. Chasing Jeep Holy Grails is like wanting to marry a stripper. Just why? Jesus son, you need some help.
Seems the first issue is where are you going to live in California. You doing something “interesting” with a motor vehicle is arguably a requirement for the site, so how do you plan to make that happen?
And as much as we’d all like to see you guys rake in riches from the website, I’m guessing you aren’t there yet. And it is Southern California, so good luck finding a place with land. I’m guessing you’ll be in an apartment? Probably with one parking spot? Probably that doesn’t allow tenants to wrench all night in their parking spot?
So you’ll need an operational vehicle, that can be registered in CA to park in that one spot. If you can’t get your brother to take responsibility for it, I guess that is the Mustang.
Can you get a spot at Galpin for a “project”? Or two? In that case, I’d bring the FC (project) and the J-10. Then beg the Galpin techs for help getting the J-10 legal in California. More content for the site. Galpin is invested in the site right? Seems like a reasonable arrangement.
I’d hate to lose the J-10, it seems like the hardest of the fleet to replace, minus maybe the FC or the Golden Eagle…but you seem to hate the Golden Eagle.
More than anything, remember that the interesting parts of the Quest for the Holy Grail is the quest itself. Nobody actually wants an old cup.
Here’s your plan. It should take two weeks at most. You’re keeping the 93 Grand Cherokee.
1. Give the Mustang to family. It’s not yours, and you don’t want the burden of moving it to someplace that doesn’t have air conditioning. You won’t have time to care for it properly any longer. Ship it to Hong Kong, if you must.
2. Sell the rest as fast as possible, at half your asking prices. You know your asking prices are just excuses to hold things longer than you should. Prices will soon crater now that Carvana is in free-fall.
3. Cry when you see how thirsty the Grand Cherokee is for $5.40 a gallon California gasoline.
4. Begin new quests in the land of rust-free shitboxes.
1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5spd: Keep. Sell it in California. Won’t it be worth a lot more there?
This is not complicated at all.
Sell all but the Musrang, and start your new life in LA clean. This is your chance!
David – please keep that beautiful ’93. Your thing about excessive maintenance is moot – you are NOT going to be living in MI anymore, so no salt. Also, as someone who once drove a Mustang of that exact year to LA from Columbus, Ohio, I strenuously advise you to ship or tow it. It becomes quite painful. Unload all the rest for whatever you can get. They have lots and lots of old shitboxes in LA. You’ll have a personal junkyard again in no time.
As much as it makes sense to sell everything except the Mustang and the OG Jeep (sentimental value does actually mean something), we all should know better that you’re not going to get rid of a dang thing. Keep those 2, pick one other for your own personal benefit so you dont go crazy from the shock of everything and drag the EV job along with you so that you have something to take your mind off things.
David, this is your chance to break from your neurotic attachment to Jeeps. Sell them! Keep the Mustang (great car for a teenager when I had a 1964). Keep the future EV pickup. And take one other of your fleet for a daily driver. If you show up in L.A. with multiple Jeeps in various states of disrepair, we will all show up at your place and do an intervention. (Best of luck!)
Park them all in close proximity. Pour five gallons of gasoline and diesel mix over all. Ignite. Admire. Buy plane ticket to LA. Never look back.
Or! Or! Don’t move! You live in the heart of car culture now! Phone in the rest to the people in California. If you move to California your website will not have any Detroit input. It’s hard for everyone to believe but Ford, GM and Stellantis still have a significant influence on the Auto Industry.
David, I’ve been reading your story since you started at Jalopnik, I’m very happy you’re finally addressing your main problem, and asking for help to do so.
Takes a lot to admit you’re in over your head and reach out, especially from random internet people.
Whatever you decide to do, I’m sure it will be an interesting read.
Now get coastal, you’ve survived the ice hell of Michigan long enough.
If I win the lottery, I’m going to hire a carrier to take all your cars to California so you will have yo go there just to get the back. (Don’t worry. I’ve never gotten more than three numbers.)
Find somebody selling cheap useless desert land in Nevada or Arizona. Build a small storage warehouse. Park your unregisterable cars.
Maybe a solution is finding the right living arrangement. While you could find some rich CA babe and smooze off her, we know you’re and independent dude. You don’t need an apartment. Rent and old warehouse. So you have room for whatever projects you bring west. And the new projects you will find. And you will. You’ll find rust free projects- that will make you drool. Maybe even non-shitboxes…. One never knows
And inside such warehouse just put a bed in the corner. Maybe a small fridge and a table. Of course you’ll need a toilet. But I sense and sort of a kitchen would be an unnecessary waste of space.
Or bettr yet, have Mercedes find you and old RV to put in the warehouse. Voila: instant apartment.
As a life-long Californian I can tell you this about our smog laws: there’s no getting around them. Anything from 1976 on up will need to be smogged, will need to have all its OE smog equipment installed and operating properly, and will need to meet the minimum emission standards for that year and type of vehicle. No exceptions. Register a vehicle in Nevada or any other state for that matter and drive it long enough here and sooner or later some do-gooder will turn you in. As for finding a smog shop that will “cheat” your way to passing the test, forgeddaboudit. Very, very few shops are willing to risk getting caught, prosecuted, and closed down. Bottom line: if it’s pre-76, bring it, if it’s post, get rid of it post-haste. It’s hard to be a car-nut in this state, unless your name is Jay Leno or another car nut of talent and money.
Tow the FC-170, for sure. An EV swap would be badass and the content will make you income. I definitely can’t wait to read about it.
Sell everything else except the Mustang. You’re going to find so many rust-free gems that you want to purchase on the west coast. Free up the garage space now!
Also, consider moving to a smog free county a couple hours outside of LA maybe? Interests like ours aren’t considered when they made these smog rules, and it’s a real pain to comply with.
Sell everything but the mustang. I like the idea of employing Mercedes to help you.
Honestly, I think you need to simplify – just buy an old Dodge A100 and follow Steely Dan around to all their shows
Sell the FC, make the J10 or Golden Eagle your EV conversion/daily as probably a lot more comfortable driver than the FC(and legal?), then keep the Mustang and your off road beater Cherokee, and get your a55 to Mars!…er California.
KEEP EVERYTHING. Just transfer the whole circus to LA. The support will come, you’re David Fucking Tracy. Plus, selling things there is likely going to get you more money than you could get back east.
Us Easterners are going to miss you. I just wish I had a chance to meet you while you were here.
I don’t know, rusted-out hulks are less desirable in LA than they are in Michigan. They might get more money in Michigan where their condition is considered a little more normal.
Disengage yourself from selling, give the job to Mercedes. She sells everything, like an estate sale. Then she uses the proceeds to buy you one vehicle she chooses. Sure, that’s either going to be a Smart Fortwo or a school bus conversion, but now you are down to one car, like a good Californian.
He could turn five into two, and with help from Mercedes perhaps he could put a ForTwo IN a converted school bus. His housing and his vehicle storage problems are solved in one fell swoop as well
I support this idea, but only if David also gets to sell some of Mercedes’ fleet. They both have more projects than they can actively work on, which inevitably results in stuff sitting around getting worse.
I had 5 cars at one point. I was a bad Californian ????
David here is the truth. You are the carguy equivilent of a catlady. You aquire strays wherever you go. You want to save them all. But you cant and dont. How many have you aquired and let sit only to be worse than when you got them? Clean sweep time. Include junkyard as an option on the vote. Keep the mustang or get your brother to take ownership you often state it is his. Get rid of anything not California complaint. Storing them in Michigan just lets them erode further while you waste money.
So much this.
Dude just junk them all. These cars are holding you back, you can’t save them all.
You’ve got a new life waiting for you in California!
I know you wont do it but I’ll say it again, just sell all the rust buckets. There are tons of rust free holy grails for you to discover baking out in the desert.