I just love my Tracker

[Silent Silhouette]

All right, here's my story.

My aunt had a pink 95 tracker then they bought a red 92. After they blew the timing belt in the 92, my brother and i fixed it, she decided to sell it. My brother said he wanted it for work, so she sold it to him for the steal of $300.

It sat at my house for two years without being driven, having since been given to my dad. I bought my first car, a 1975 Plymouth Duster because i thought i'd be driving that when i got my license.

I come home to find the tracker plated and insured for me to take my test.

After i repeatedly told my dad it would need to be jumped or ether'ed, he shook his head and sure enough, the go cart that was sitting for two years started without so much as a jump.

I slowly grew less angry to be driving it, and the Duster was all but a memory.

For my graduation i talked my parents into plating the duster so i could drive it to practice and everything. It stranded me several times. One day i had to take the tracker and it got more of a response than Dusty.

In the year i've been driving it, it hasn't stranded me at all.

It's got it's problems, bad valve cover gasket, front main seal, rear main seal, oil pan gasket, slipping tranny, rotting body, and so on, but i have no worries jumping in it and driving to as far as valpo (quite a ways from me).

I always keep oil in the back to fill it when it drains low.

There was a time when all the cars at my house, (Ma's 04 impala, dad's sunfire, a taurus, and a venture) were broken down. We had to find a way to get to the junk yard/parts store. Guess who came to the rescue?

As strange as it is to say, i feel a connection with the Tracker. I was born in 92 and so was it, in a way.

I don't know what i'll do when it finally dies, but i guarantee you if it's not fixable, i'll be looking for another one.

[Bex]

Very nice, and glad you like this little, reliable truck. Although it appears that maintenance for this little friend is not much of an issue. Driving around with oil in the car so you can top up? Would it not make better sense to replace the valve cover gasket - and check to see if it REALLY is the rear seal, etc., rather than the much more common o-rings on the distributor that is leaking all over the engine and bellhousing? Have you ever tuned the car up? Replaced the tranny, differential fluid? These cars will last forever, with just the proper maintenance. If you search the forum for 60,000 mile service, you will see all the things that need to be done (timing, tune up, fluids, filters, etc.) Rather than thinking about replacing it when this one kicks the bucket (and they are becoming more and more rare to find), it might be a better idea to properly maintain the one you own.
By the way, oil pan gaskets rarely, if ever, leak on this car, unless someone has previously removed the pan for some reason. In order to find where leaks actually come from, you should clean these areas and watch for where the leak starts.
Rust, sadly, is another issue, and many of us in the 'salt' belt are suffering because of it.
There is PLENTY of information on this forum, and there is an online journal, as well, that will teach you all about the car. Look for any post by 'xxx' and click the link under his signature. You can search there for all issues. Your first search should be for 60k service!!

[Silent Silhouette]

Originally Posted by Bex

Very nice, and glad you like this little, reliable truck. Although it appears that maintenance for this little friend is not much of an issue. Driving around with oil in the car so you can top up? Would it not make better sense to replace the valve cover gasket - and check to see if it REALLY is the rear seal, etc., rather than the much more common o-rings on the distributor that is leaking all over the engine and bellhousing? Have you ever tuned the car up? Replaced the tranny, differential fluid? These cars will last forever, with just the proper maintenance. If you search the forum for 60,000 mile service, you will see all the things that need to be done (timing, tune up, fluids, filters, etc.) Rather than thinking about replacing it when this one kicks the bucket (and they are becoming more and more rare to find), it might be a better idea to properly maintain the one you own.
By the way, oil pan gaskets rarely, if ever, leak on this car, unless someone has previously removed the pan for some reason. In order to find where leaks actually come from, you should clean these areas and watch for where the leak starts.
Rust, sadly, is another issue, and many of us in the 'salt' belt are suffering because of it.
There is PLENTY of information on this forum, and there is an online journal, as well, that will teach you all about the car. Look for any post by 'xxx' and click the link under his signature. You can search there for all issues. Your first search should be for 60k service!!

Maintenance is always on my mind. I just feel like shit everyday i wake up and look at it sitting in the drive because i realize i can't afford to give it what it needs. If i was a rich man i guarantee you every single thing would be brand new.

I, however, am very poor and can't afford what it needs.

I have to many people relying on me that i can't have it down for even a day. I know the previous owner (my aunt's daughter drove it the most) didn't take the best car of it and i know if i start getting into the engine i'll find something horrible that would take it longer for me to get the money together to fix.

I am doing my best with what i have.

I'm trying to find a lower mileage engine (this ones around 229k) to rebuild completely and install, so it's not like i'm abusing it on purpose. If i could, i would.