All that was left was to find one. You'd be surprised how many are still around today, especially since they were made from 1989-1997. I did indeed find one to my liking, or more accurately my brother did. Once I started seriously looking, I asked my brother to keep his eyes out for me. Not too long thereafter he said his friend had one he wanted to sell, and it was priced right. I looked at some pictures, and since those were good, we set up an in person viewing.
Here's what we noticed- you could smell the front brakes and they were so hot you could cook on them. This is often a sign that you need new brakes, but brakes are pretty cheap. The a/c didn't work, no biggie. The radio was locked because the battery had gone dead, but the seller said it could be reset at the dealership pretty easily (my brother also knew someone who worked there, so we could see if we could just pay him to do it without taking it in). The check engine light was on, but it had been on the seven months the guy had owned it. People often freak when the light comes on, but it's often an emissions issue and not a signal that your car is about to explode. Then, the potential deal breaker- the seller said the 4 wheel drive didn't work. That's THE main reason I wanted it. If that was broken, I was done. However, a brief investigation revealed that the 4 wheel drive actually did work. I took it for a spin, and it drove fine.
After taking several days to think it over, get insurance quotes, etc., I bought it. First stop- we dropped off my car (my brother drove the Tracker from the seller's) and took the top off.
Next stops (in order):
-Had lunch (food is important)
-Got the check engine code read (free at Autozone- O2 Senor, keep on driving)
-BMV to be titled and apply for a plate (They take appointments now. In and out in no time)
-Service: oil change, new air filter, rotate tires, front brakes checked (They were fine, which we'd guessed by now as they no longer stunk or radiated heat. The vehicle had sat for a while without being driven before I bought it, and my brother said it's not unusual for brakes to get hot and smell briefly after being returned to service)
-Wal-mart for supplies: first aid kit, steering wheel cover (the foam on the OEM one is deteriorating), sunshield, tow strap, portable air compressor, valve stem covers, tire pressure gauge, windshield washer fluid, keys made (it only came with one key, please I need house keys for its key rings)
It was upon returning home that I noticed an important factor I had overlooked in the presale inspection: this vehicle had the dirtiest interior I had ever seen, bar none. I only wish we'd taken pictures. Words do not do it justice. There was so much dirt we didn't even know there were floor mat on the floor until we started cleaning it out. My brother and I got to work. We threw away trash, pulled everything out that wasn't nailed down, and shop vacced like mad. To give you an idea of how bad it was, this is some of the change we found in it.
You'll notice it's sitting on a cloth. The coins were filthy too, so I soaked them. You're looking at $3.10 - 2 quarters, 18 dimes, 7 nickles, and 45 pennies. There was also one Canadian penny. You may have noticed I said this was some of the change we found. My zealous application of the shop vac consumed some too. In addition we found some screwdrivers and small wrenches that I gave to my brother. I told him later that during the cleaning process I wondered what I had gotten myself into.
After spending a long time cleaning out and vacuuming, we drove it to my mom's. We washed the outside (very clean compared the outside) and inside. The Tracker has a metal floor and drain holes, so we hosed it out. The dirt turned to mud when we did. It looked much better after we finished flooding out the crud. Here are some pictures:
I left it with my brother for a while. He is super car handy, and here's a short list of what he fixed:
-Unlocked radio- he found the code in the owner's manual
-Took out yards of unnecessary speaker wire and put in new speakers so I'd actually have a functioning radio
-Fixed the slide action on the seats. We thought they were stationary until we saw the track under them when we were cleaning
-A/C- it just needed recharged. His friend showed him how to do that
-Rearview mirror- it flapped when the vehicle was moving
As you can see, he was an invaluable asset in what I call "Project Tracker". After he brought it to me, I spent several hours and lots of Armour All wipes, Q-tips, and water cleaning the inside. Let's put it this way- I knew I was there when I could finally wipe my sweaty head on my shirt and not leave an orange dust streak. Here's a picture I took of it not long after that. You can see what it looks like with the top on.
I love my Tracker. I can take it down poor roads and not worry about its suspension. I don't worry about it getting dinged in the parking lot either. I drive it to work every day. My grandma is really fond it of it, and she was mad that I didn't drive to Thanksgiving for everyone to see. Yes, it's a keeper.
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