Story of an Old Red Ranchero Truck

Many years ago, I'd say about 20 years, there was a red ranchero pickup which had the misfortune of being bought by a man by the name of Sir John Muñoz.

John needed a vehicle badly to get to and from work. Oh, John was so excited over his new pickup.! You know, when you get a new car or truck, even if it's not a brand new one, how you just can't seem to wash it enough, and get that nice blinding shine! Well, this lasted for about a week or so. Hey, even I was proud of Old Red. It really seemed like it was gonna turn out to be a good work truck.

Dad had been driving Old Red for almost two years, when he had the misfortune of getting hit on the passenger side early one morning on his way to work. He hadn't even made it into town, if I remember correctly, I think it was about a mile from the house. If any of you know where Richard and Michelle Muñoz live, it was right there near their crossroad. Like I said, Dad was on his way to work, enjoying a good bean/egg burrito with coffee when he saw this man come up to the stop sign and actually stopped. But, when Dad was passing the crossroad, the little old man decided to go on and cross also. Well, if any of you know John really well, you can just imagine the language! ! It wasn't just about getting hit, but trying to control Old Red with one hand and not letting go the burrito with the other.! Old Red was riding on its two left wheels for a short distance till dad was able to straightened her back on all four wheels. He sat there awhile with hot coffee all over him and looking at the driver's side window smeared with what was left of his BURRITO. He looked back and the little man that hit him was in the middle of the road, with his hands and head resting on the steering wheel. (I can picture this and I think this is so funny).
They finally decided what they had to do and the man was nice enough to bring Dad back home. That was beginning of Dad's bad luck with Old Red. It sat there with a totally broken windshield, passenger side door almost resting on the steering wheel, (not a pretty site).

Ok, so he got her all fixed up again a few months later, and Old Red kept going for a few more years, until she finally started getting tired of taking Dad back and forth to work. Her transmission starting acting up and Dad knew it was either time to replace the transmission or replace Old Red.

Well, folks, Old Red had plans of her own. She didn't give Dad much time to think about his choices. She took him to work one day and from there she decided she was no longer gonna let Dad drive her in forward anymore, (only in reverse).

Yep. that's the day J.G. will never forget. Cindy, J.G. and I can never understand why John does the things he does. He could of left Old Red at work, and I could of picked him up, but NO.
What if someone decided to drive away with it! ! ! (you know how anyone would just love to drive off with a 1967 red ranchero, which does not run forward).

So, Sir John decides to leave the plant in reverse! He says he remembers the look on the security guard's face when he drove out the security gate in reverse. Dad just waved and went on. Actually his plan was to drive it all the way home (almost 8-10 miles). On his way into town, he kept passing people and just waving. He had to stop a couple of times cause "his neck was getting really tired," he said. He'd rest his neck awhile and kept going. He tried taking the back streets into town to avoid all stop signs. But, that didn't work out well. Try to imagine Dad stopped at a stop sign driving his truck backwards. That would make him stop face to face with the car stopped behind him! Aye, Aye, Aye! ! Embarrassing? Yes. Wouldn't you think so? After a few more of these stops and a really stiff neck, he decided to park Old Red at his brother's house in town. He could go no longer. His neck couldn't take it anymore.

That my friends is where Old Red decided it was time to hang up her wheels and go to eternal rest in some quiet salvage yard and away from the hands of John Muñoz.
After so many years, it's still hard to believe Dad actually did this!

He says, "when you're young, you try anything"!