My wife finally drove my Bump

[tidybowl]

I was laid off of work last November and my new work truck went with the job. I've started driving mt 70 F-250 as a daily driver shortly after the first of the year. It's a great truck, doesn't look too bad and runs well for 42 years old.My with drives a 2008 Camry Hy-Bred. We made a 100 mile trip to San Diego Saturday to buy some furniture for her and we needed the truck. I said OK but you have to drive home. After hearing crap for 100 mile down, I sat in petrified silence as she drove home. We'll be leaving for Idaho, 1000miles, in a month and she'll have to share the driving. OMG

[Racer Z]

My girlfriend drove my Bump once. We were on a trip of 6000 miles and I finally decided to force the issue. So I parked it in a big empty parking lot somewhere in the mid-west and she back out of the spot, drove around the building and parked it in the same spot. Then she did it a second time. I thought she did quite well actually. But she felt uncomfortable. She's not the largest person and had to sit on the edge of the seat while looking through the steering wheel. She said her feet didn't feel right on the pedals. So that was the only time she drove my bump.

A lot of people feel intimidated about trucks. "They're to big." But as we know, they can be easier than cars to drive, except in a crowded parking lot. Until the advent of the SUV, we sat higher and could look ahead over traffic. Real trucks have real mirrors that offer better visibility for lane changes. Once you get used to the right side being further over, you can sit back and relax. Our Bumps have driving markers to use that most of the newer cars don't. The crease in the left portion of the hood used with the (left) lane striping tells me where the left side is. The center hood line used with the curb or (right) lane striping tells me where the right side is.

My 84 Honda has no built-in markers. The hood just rolls away and I truly don't know how far the bumper sticks out. I tapped a lot of walls until I figured it out. Even at that I'm still guessing. My truck? The hood is squared and I can see the leading edge. I know without a doubt where it is cause I can see it. I can park it and know within the nearest six inches how far away from a car or wall I am. Every time.

My girl will tell me, "Your too close."
"What? I got four feet still. Let's go look."
Yup, four feet.

[cowbay]

I agree I find driving a pickup easier than a car just for the better area of vision. As for the wife no way will she drive the bump, but she has driven my 63 Chevy Impala which is a 4spd stick. Go figure.

Back to driving it reminds me of when my grandfather was alive in his late 80's. When he drove his pickup he was fine and I could ride with him but when he got into my grandmothers Toyota all I can say was it was a way to get reaquainted with Jesus.

[tidybowl]

I always knew I wasn't alone. You guys nailed it. Our drive home will be in a 92 Explorer 4x4 5 speed stick. I can't wait.

[wildcard]

My now 13 yr. old GRANDdaughter and myself are the only ones who have driven mine since I've had it. She's been driving it for several years. She learned to drive (steer and shift a 3 on the tree) in my 67 when she was about 6 yrs old. My wife used to have a video of her sitting in my lap driving the 67. This 71 is a 3 in the floor. I let her pull the boat home once from about 25 miles away. I guess that's what grandpaws are for.
The heck of it is, her soon to be 16 yr. old brother who lives with his dad, has only driven once. And that was an automatic.

[Racer Z]

Drove it to get groceries. Made it back home.

[jp2005]

I have story for guys everytime I let my lady drive the bump something breaks. The last two times first was the turn signal switch then it wouldnt start and I had to go jump her. I told her she couldnt drive it anymore. no she hasn't!

[tidybowl]

This is way too funny. I always knew I wasn't the only guy who's wife/girlfriend didn't understand my love affair with my bump. After our 100 mile trip back from SanDiego I got in the truck to get gas ($4.59 gal. reg. ) and I felt funny sitting in the seat. I realized without any instruction my wife figured out how to move the seat forward so she could reach the peddles. Go figure. I gotta love her. She's ready to make the 1000 mile trip to Idaho. My wife too!

[MaxKlinger]

My ex girlfriend HATED my bump (one of the many reasons why she's an ex girlfriend). I remember when I bought my Focus, which is a 5-speed, she asked me, "You have to drive with BOTH feet?!?"

My current girlfriend told me on our second date that she wanted to learn how to drive stick (score one point). I told her that she's got to learn on the Bump, because (1) the Focus is my Daily Driver and I can't afford to put a clutch in it right now, (2) the Bump is easier and cheaper to change a clutch in than the Focus, and (3) she isn't going to hurt the clutch on the Bump anyway. And I think it will be good to learn on the Bump because the flywheel is huge and you can't get any better pedal feel than on a mechanical clutch. I learned to drive stick on my Bump, and I found it required a lot less subtle finesse than the front drive, light flywheel, hydraulic setup in the Focus.

It's supposed to be nice tomorrow, maybe I'll teach her then!

[kf7mjf]

My ladyfriend saw pics of my bump and told me she wishes she still had her '72. Now to get her to move west from Ohio .

[gregamorton]

I had a nice 79 f250 and I got my wife in one time to pull the truck out from under a trailer. She dumped the clutch got scared and jumped out of the truck and nearly run over my daughter. The truck hit the house and took the ac out of the window. Tore the fender and hood off the truck also. My wife is not allowed in my trucks no more!

[tidybowl]

We must all have the same wife. (different name) To them,truck equals scared and "you bought what?" and "how much was that part" I had to replace the alternator yesterday got the 20 questions then I said it was free, under warranty and she just said OK fine. I love my Bump (and my wife of 37 years too)

[Racer Z]

"Oh that's nice, Dear." is what I hear when I tell her (girl friend) what I did. When I ask her why she sounds so dis-interested, she says, "But yesterday and the day before that you told me what you did to the truck. Now you're just repeating yourself."

"Not true.", I argue. "Two days ago I took off my broken exhaust manifold. Yesterday I went to the junkyard and got one from an old truck. Today, I put MY truck back together."

"But I don't know what a manifold is, what it does, or where it goes. Why should I be interested in something I don't understand?"

So, should I describe in detail what a manifold is, where it goes and how it works? Should I insist she crawl under my truck and get greasy? Should I never talk to her about my day again?

"So what did you do to the quilt you're making, Dear?" I actually do have an interest in her quilts and after 12 years I do understand how she makes them and I do know all the names of all the parts that make up a three layer quilt. I seldom have to ask her to educate me further. My question is why can't she do the same towards my interests. If I ask, she'll get madder than a wet cat.

[tidybowl]

Alright men....after 37 years of marriage I think I got it kinda figured out. #1 too many details about the Bump and the interest goes away. In our house her signal is to say "oh look a bunny" She doesn't know a muffler from an alternator, so I just say what I worked on and she says "that's nice dear.did you have fun?" #2 I started making art projects out of glass like she does ( could be quilting,painting,cooking) and she responded, "that's nice dear, did you have fun?" All was right with the world until I purchased $100 worth of art supplies. It doesn't matter if it's the Bump or art, if it's NOT in the budget we all have hell to pay. #3 Solution- Work on truck, spend $$$$$ as needed and log on to Fordification share with each other all the cool stuff you did, scratch, burp and fart to our hearts content.

[Racer Z]

That pretty much sums it up.