What am I doing? I bought an SUV on Monday, a mini SUV that is. It's an '86 Suzuki Samurai, a barbie-size 4x4. It's debatable whether I really need this thing and I'm ashamed to admit that I own a car now. Looks like I have to change the copy on my website where it says that I do all my errands by bike. This is still mostly true though. I plan to ride my bike everywhere around the city, but I want the option of being able to carry larger things and get out to the woods more often. I figure it can be a tax write-off too for '08. The Samurai is small, fuel efficient and 4wd so I can drive through the snow and mud to get to more remote areas to forage, hunt, track and learn more from the forests.
I had a lot of anxiety when thinking about getting a car again. After 4 years without one, I must say that it has been awesome and very rarely did I ever lament not having one.
I thought about getting a diesel for the ability to run on veggie oil but they cost a lot here in Portland, the conversion process seems like a pain in the ass and when the shit hits the fan and gas is hella expensive I really don't see veggie oil being a cheap, obtainable option. I don't feel all that guilty about being a gas consumer now because I don't intend to drive much at all. It's an experiment. Maybe I'll get sick of it and sell it in 6 months. We'll see. I'll let you all know how it goes for me.
Friday, December 05, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Besides being small and having the option of switching back and forth between 2 and 4 wheel drive for even better fuel efficiency, the Samurai is extremely straight-forward and easy to work on, both mechanically and body-work wise. You might even enjoy it. Think of it as a tractor. You could get a horse instead, but that's even less practical for most folks. If I had my way, I'd return to my inner-city life in Minneapolis, where I walked/biked to work, and had my Suzuki for adventures beyond the city.
Dr. Hectic,
I appreciate the comment. thanks. Yeah I've been doing more research about the Samurai and have found out that they are supposed to be easy to work on and modify. There is a good Wikipedia article about the history of them. Thinking of it like a tractor or horse is a good point.
Cheers!
Post a Comment