Chutney

Except for hauling the occasional bale of sweet hay for the ducks I keep in the garden, my 1991 Ranger XLT is more a daily driver than a work truck. Until gardening season, or when I start a project, then, my little red truck can get a workout.

I'm the moody artistic type. And, I like to work in many different mediums. Paper, fabric, wood, metals, bricks or stone are my raw materials. Coming and going, everything depends on the reliability of my truck.

I have to say that I am far more at home setting the dwell angle on a set of points, adjusting valve lash, balancing the air/fuel mixture on a carburetor, or checking for vacuum leaks than I am dealing with the computers that infest autos today.

Oh, when things get too complex I can call my son, the high performance diesel tech, when I get lost in the mysteries under the hood. But then, I'd have to listen to him recite one of his favorite jibes about switching on the magneto, retarding the spark and pulling the choke out, before I try to turn the crank.

My son knows more about cars in his sleep than I do wide awake. But, he's never owned a Ford Ranger and this truck is my first Ford. I know pre-computerized Dodge, Chevy, Morris Minor, Scout and Willys.

I'm here to learn from experienced Ford Ranger owners about the ins and outs of a whole other breed of mechanical beast. I'll apologize in advance for the inane questions.