I was going to once again mention the ‘93 Dodge Dynasty that I bought for $150 and only drove for a month before the transmission cracked in half and caught fire. However, I knew exactly what I was getting into with this car, and it served it’s purpose well - getting me to and from work while my Neon was getting an engine transplant.
No, the worst one was this.
had such high hopes for it. It was a 2000 model with reasonable miles (around 115K), a 4.3L V6, 4WD, descent body and interior, and a good price. That last one was important because I only had around $3,000 to spend at the time and the Blazer was $2750 (this was in 2016, mind you).
Right off the bat, it needed nearly $1,000 in brake repairs. Sucked but it had sat for some time and the Ohio winter rot had gotten to it. After that, it did alright for about a year.
Then, the 4WD system started acting up. I never really used it except a few times to get up my driveway, but it was that awful push-button vacuum-driven system GM used at the time, and unbeknownst to me, those vacuum lines were sucking the transfer case dry and causing the front and rear diffs to slip and bind without warning. Eventually, I had to replace the rear end, transfer case, and was about to just remove the front diff entirely when I started going through a fuel pump every six weeks. Turns out the gas tank vent was broken and causing the pump to work against positive pressure, and it needed a whole new tank. Add to that spider injectors and LIM gaskets that were starting to go, and I gave up and left it parked at the local shop for half a year before selling it for $750 so the shop wouldn’t sell it for scrap.
The previous owner also had hidden a bent subframe, had done something horrible to the headlight wiring so that I had to run new wiring and relays for the whole thing, and it had an aftermarket remote that was nice at first until it randomly began starting and running the tank dry. The font seat eventually became so loose I had to put a U-bolt under it to hold it still, it needed oil lines twice (the oil filter sits upfront by the radiator because having 4WD means the 4.3L can’t have the oil filter in its normal spot), and the driver’s side door fell off.
This was a vehicle for someone young and single and unencumbered by responsibilities other than a crappy job that you could always get a ride to if your Blazer was up on blocks, or as a second vehicle that you put on mud tires and hoon until it explodes because, again, S10 Blazer. It was not a vehicle for a new father who also needed to get his mom and grandma to monthly doctor’s appointments two hours away. After breaking down twice, once on the way to a surgery at 10a.m., I had to start renting cars just to get to those appointments - money that I realized could be paying for a new, much more reliable vehicle. So, that’s what I did.
I wanted to love this car. I liked the idea of having a traditional SUV, of 4WD capability and ruggedness. The Blazer was certainly “rugged”, in the same way an old outhouse is rugged. I even named you Cliff. I hope the guy that drove all the way from Kentucky to get you, got you sorted out. You are not missed.