Vehicles

At the end of November last year, I was going into Naalehu one day and the transmission on the Ford Escape gave out.

I was able to get it back to the Holowai property, mainly be coasting down hill.

I only paid $2500 for the Escort three years ago, and I figure that it will cost at least that much to fix the transmission – also the back window is busted, the front suspension needs work, the radio does not work any longer, and because of the busted back window, there is mold covering the ceiling. Yuck!

So, I figure it is time for a different vehicle.

When I returned from the mainland, I rented a vehicle for the first two days, thinking to use it for transportation to drive to Hilo and other places to look at used cars. They gave me a truck!

I searched on line ads and found some vehicles to look at.

I went back to the used car lot in Hilo where I bought the Ford Escort. They had two trucks – a 2004 Chevy Colorado, four door, four wheel drive with 186,000 miles on it for $9800.00 or a 2018 Honda Ridgeline with 196,000 miles on it for $8900.00. Both out of my price range of what I wanted to spend.

They did have a Mazda sedan for $5K that I thought strongly about buying, but I told myself that I needed a truck – something to haul stuff in!

I looked into a Ford Explored in Oceanview ($3500), and a couple of trucks in Mountainview ($6,000 and $5,800). There were even a few other all wheel drive SUV’s in and around Pahoa. There was a 2006 Ford F150 in Hilo for $5,900, but it had 206K miles on it.

Alanah found an ad on-line for a 2003 Ford Explorer Sport with 103K miles from an individual in Kona – he wanted $3900.

So, I drove in to Kona to look at it on the last day I had the rental truck.

I test drove the Explorer Sport and convinced the guy to sell it to me for $3K.

The four wheel drive function does not engage, but I figure that for $3K I have a truck! Even if it is only a two wheel drive truck!

If it lasts for two years, it will be money well spent!

And when it no longer runs, . . .

TTFN