The New Work Truck

My new Redfire Mazda B2300 is finally complete. The last of the bells and whistles were installed on Friday and the faulty tire pressure sensor was replaced.

The new Leer canopy is a perfect colour match with the same metallic sparkle in the sunlight. It has a pass through window up front, tinted glass all around, large slider windows, a wired brake light, cloth lining inside, and two locking handles on the hatch. 

 

These Thule locking adjustable roof racks are strong enough to carry my ladders, planks, or my canoe.

I now have a proper hitch but I will still not be able to pull three G's like I did in the Corvette. I am also enjoying power steering, four wheel anti lock disc brakes, traction control, and a decent sound system, all things I did not have in the old truck.

It looks enough like my old Mazda so most people will not notice the change. It is shorter and that is presenting some problems but other than that I am very happy with it.

Well, I do have another beef. Why does CAP-IT, the supplier for Leer, have to put such a honkin' big logo on my truck. I am now a rolling billboard for this company. They should be paying me to do all this cross town advertising for them.

Day of Total Loss Reckoning

Yesterday I negotiated a total loss price for my old truck. I said goodbye to her the day before when I went to the compound where she was being stored until I released her to salvage. I had to get the rubber box mat out of her to put in my new truck. She sat there all forlorn, a tear falling from her broken headlight (or was that a glint of sunlight) and a pleading look that said "But I can be repaired!" It was not to be and when I got the call about what the insurance was offering me, I could not accept it and wrote a letter stating why she was so valuable to me with receipts for various things from the last two years that spoke of upgrades. In the end, the insurance people upped the ante and came up with $1500.00 more than their first offer, and it was very close to what I wanted for her. I will pick up the check today. 

In the meantime, I got the new truck all spiffed up with undercoating, and paint and fabric protection. She looks just like in the photo but right now I have a loaner canopy, silver in colour. In three weeks the new colour co-ordinated custom canopy arrives and then I will post a photo of the real thing. At the risk of repeating myself, I must say that this new truck is a joy to drive, but it just is not as good for tool storage as the old one was. Are miniature tools an option?    

My Old Friend

One of these days when I am not so lazy and my truck is very clean, I will take a photo of it and post it here. In the meantime, here is a replica, but keep in mind that mine is burgundy, has a canopy, and has mag wheels. I could have purchased a newer, bigger, brighter truck many times over the last 16 years, but what would be the point? My truck was built in 1993, the last year that the Mazda B2200 was manufactured in Japan. The year following it became a Mazda/Ford hybrid and the reputation has been falling since. These '93's are amazing in their dependability, fuel economy, and endurance. It is simply the best vehicle I have ever owned. It would be foolish to trade up to something that diminished in value rapidly, cost me more money, and would do nothing more, or less, than my Mazda does for me now.
Today I got my old friend back from the body shop. The total bill was over $1600.00, $300.00 of which came out of my pocket. A 16 year old import pickup would normally not have a value of over $1500.00 so it stands to reason that the punk that jimmied my locks with a screw driver nearly 'totalled' my truck. In fact, I am surprised that the insurance did not write it off. As I drove up to the body shop, there were some guys standing around my truck, admiring it and checking out the odometer. One of them was also a '93 Mazda owner and he was very envious as his had 500,000 km and mine only had 149,000. On Monday I will pack all my tools back into my little work horse and it will continue to serve me well.