Let me just say this upfront — we are not minivan people. Never have been, never will be. I joke that my Nissan Armada Platinum WAS my minivan. Did you know those things can tow as much as an F-150? Exactly. That’s my kind of minivan.
McGuyver and I have been married 28 years and as you can imagine we’ve had quite a few vehicles over the years. We’re not Camry people either. We like practical, fun, and a little unexpected. Here’s the whole ridiculous list.
Where It All Started
That’s the helicopter McGuyver worked in the Marines lol. I started out with a Mustang Fox Body. McGuyver started out with a Toyota Starlet that he was FORCED to drive. Two very different people right from the beginning.
While he was in the Marines he rode a Honda Virago motorcycle — because of course he did.
The Early Trades
After the Marines McGuyver traded the Virago for a Buick Regaline. Now THIS car had personality — red with red velvet interior. About as fun as you can get. That got traded for a Dodge Ram Charger. I traded for a Durango.
Unfortunately I don’t have pictures of any of these early ones — we’re talking pre-smartphone era here. You’ll just have to use your imagination.
The Purple Barney Durango — The One That Made McGuyver McGuyver
The purple Durango. Oh the purple Durango.
It was brand new and it kept having a problem with the heating coil going out — repeatedly. McGuyver being McGuyver decided to just fix it himself rather than keep dealing with the dealership. That experience is basically what turned him into the guy who can fix anything. Needless to say we got rid of that one pretty quickly.
Jeep #1 — The Mistake
After the Durango I bought my first Jeep — a maroon YJ. Sounded great. It was not great. I made the very big mistake of getting the four cylinder manual.
Around our little town? Fine. Then we moved to Tampa. Tampa does NOT like slow vehicles or manual transmissions in that traffic. Lesson learned the hard way.
The 1979 Chevy — The One We Still Regret Selling
This is literally the only picture we have of this one. My dad originally had it and McGuyver begged him to sell it to him. Dad had restored it and it was absolutely beautiful — it even took 1st place at a car show!
Then we moved to Tampa and reality hit. This thing was getting gallons to the mile — not the other way around. Gas was $5 a gallon and we were broke. We had to sell it.
We still regret that to this day.
Back to Basics
After selling the 1979 Chevy McGuyver picked up a cheap Durango — just something to get around in. I was able to trade my old four cylinder Jeep in on a brand new YJ — this time I got the six cylinder automatic and it made a WORLD of difference. That is the Jeep I drove until we found out we were expecting our son.
The Land Rover Discovery — Cool but Cursed
When I got pregnant I traded the Jeep for a Land Rover Discovery. I LOVED the Disco. McGuyver did not. It was very cool and it had a lot of issues — but it looked great having them. McGuyver traded his Durango for a Silverado long bed around this time. Not the easiest truck to park — just ask every parking lot we ever visited.
Jeep #3 — The Steal of the Century
We moved back home from Tampa and that’s when I spotted it. We were driving down the road and there it was — sitting on a Hyundai dealership lot. A Jeep. At a Hyundai dealership. We seriously couldn’t believe what they were asking for it. I don’t think they knew what they had.
We bought it immediately. Four years later we sold it for exactly what we paid for it.
This is also the Jeep I picked my son up from his uppity private school in.
The Craziest Thing We’ve Ever Done — Matching Black Infinitis
One day I decided I wanted something a little newer and nicer. Found a used INFINITI FX35 at a good price and we went to look at it. I had never just bought the car I wanted before — so I did.
While we were at the dealership McGuyver spotted a G37 on the lot at a really great price. One thing led to another and we drove home in matching black Infinitis. Both of them. Same day. Why not — they were used and it was a fantastic deal!
We kept them for a few years before reality set in. We’re truck people. I couldn’t tow the camper with the FX35 and McGuyver couldn’t put wood in the back of a G37. So practical won again.
The Nissan Era
I traded the FX35 for a Nissan Armada Platinum — aka my version of a minivan. Did you know the Armada can tow as much as an F-150? That’s what I thought. McGuyver traded the G37 for a Frontier Pro-4X — and he still has it ten years later. That thing is a tank.
I recently traded the Armada for a new Pathfinder which is our daily road vehicle now.
Jeep #4 — The Cheap Jeep — Our All Time Favorite
And then there’s this one. Our newest — well oldest — Jeep. A 1992 YJ, six cylinder automatic, picked up at a Mom and Pop used car lot for a few thousand dollars. We’ve had it for 8 years now and it’s just our toy. No agenda, no practicality required — just fun.
We call it the Cheap Jeep and it is hands down our favorite vehicle we have ever owned.
The Pattern
Looking back at 28 years of vehicles there’s a pretty clear theme. We’re not Camry people. We’re not minivan people. We like practical, fun, a little unexpected, and occasionally completely impractical just because we felt like it.
One day we bought two matching black Infinitis. Another day we stole a Jeep from a Hyundai dealership. We drove a gorgeous restored 1979 Chevy until we literally couldn’t afford the gas anymore and still talk about selling it to this day.
No regrets. Well — maybe the 1979 Chevy. We definitely regret that one.
Want to see more of our life on the lake? Check out our OnMillerTime home page for more stories, travel tips, and lakefront living!
Things We’ve Learned After 28 Years of Vehicles
Our Hard Won Vehicle Lessons
Always get the six cylinder.
Ask me how I know. The four cylinder manual Jeep in Tampa traffic was a life lesson I will never repeat.
If a dealership doesn’t know what they have — buy it immediately and don’t ask questions.
A Jeep at a Hyundai dealership. We still laugh about that one.
Buy the car you actually want.
I drove vehicles that were practical and sensible for years before I finally just bought the INFINITI FX35 I wanted. Zero regrets. Do it sooner.
Know what you are.
We tried sports cars. We tried luxury SUVs. Turns out we’re truck and Jeep people and we always were. Know yourself and save the money you’d spend figuring it out.
If you love it — keep it.
We sold the 1979 Chevy because we had to. We regret it to this day. If you love a vehicle and it runs find a way to keep it.
A Jeep is never just a vehicle.
Eight years with the Cheap Jeep and it’s still our favorite thing we own. Some vehicles are transportation. A Jeep is a personality.
Sometimes the craziest idea is the best idea.
Buying two matching black Infinitis on the same day? Objectively insane. Also one of our favorite memories. Sometimes you just have to go for it.
McGuyver can fix anything.
Thanks entirely to a purple Durango with a bad heating coil. Every cloud has a silver lining.
