Our Vehicles

Ford Mustang

My first car was a 1966 Ford Mustang Coupe, which I bought as a sophomore in college. It was completely stock and had a 289 cubic inch V8 engine with a two barrel Holley carburator. I had the engine painted blue and the body restored and repainted the original burgandy color shortly before it was stolen (VIN 6F07C363813). This was one of life's hard lessons. :-(

Suzuki Bandit

As a senior in college, I bought a new 1992 Suzuki GSF400 Bandit. This was a really high-tech bike, delivering 600cc sportbike performance with a water-cooled 14,000 rpm 400cc four-cylinder engine. I had a Yosh pipe and Stage III jet kit installed and this thing was a real screamer and a blast to drive. I sold this bike when Maryland roads got too dangerous for motorcycling.

Ford Ranger Pickup

My next vehicle was a new 1993 Ford Ranger, which I bought for myself as a college graduation present. This was the base XL model with two options: 3.0 liter V6 and 7' long bed. Later my brother-in-law and I installed a dual pane sunroof and a 4.10 limited slip differential when I replaced the original 14" wheels with chromed 15" wheels and all-terrain tires. I also put a nice stereo system in it complete with custom-made Kicker Solobaric subwoofer, Kenwood 744 three-way amp, and Alpine head unit. I absolutely loved this truck and sold it only after I got married, had a baby on the way, and needed to tow a horse trailer.

John Deere Tractor

Our tractor was a 1959 John Deere 435 diesel. The twin-cylinder two-stroke 2-53 Detroit diesel is supercharged and has gobs of torque. Power steering, hydraulic remotes, and full instrumentation separate this tractor from others of the era. We used the Deere to work about nine acres of pasture, including mowing, digging holes, and moving round bales. This tractor was sold when we moved to Germany.

Ford F-250 Pickup

Our next truck was a deep forest green 1996 Ford F-250 XLT Supercab long bed PowerStroke turbodiesel 4x4 Off-Road. The PowerStroke engine is a Navistar T-444E configured to produce 215 hp and 425 lb-ft of torque while delivering 19mpg. The beefed up E4OD four-speed overdrive automatic transmission driving 4.10 limited slip differentials front and rear makes towing a cinch, though we never pushed the truck to anywhere near its conservatively-rated 12,000 lb limit (I know of one guy who towed a 33,000 lb skid loader/trailer combo with his PowerStroke!). We occasionally used the truck to haul hay and to tow the 1973 two-horse trailer I rebuilt, but it was normally used for commuting and the general convenience of being able to toss stuff in the 6'x8' bed. The truck was stock with the exception of a K&N filterCharger air filter element. The only change I never got around to making was tires; the stock 235/85R16E were durable but 285/75R16D BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A would be better in the mud. This truck was sold when we moved to Germany. Here is another PowerStroke page of interest.