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About Author: Chip Downs
Posts by Chip Downs
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My 2001 Ford Ranger XLT – It Gave Its All
Posted on July 27, 2025 | 13 Comments2009 was a very rough time for many people. For myself, it marked the end of my 10 years with Lowe’s. The send off was wonderful, with a gold […] -
My 1993 Plymouth Grand Voyager – Enjoying Chrysler’s Best-Seller
Posted on June 7, 2025 | 7 CommentsCindy and I had never owned a Chrysler product before, but I was a fan of Lee Iacocca just from watching him fix Chrysler. And by the early 2000s, I […] -
My 1999 GMC Sierra – Closing The GM Chapter Of My Life (For Now)
Posted on May 7, 2025 | 3 CommentsGMC Sierra image from bidcars.com. As I told in an earlier chapter, I had replaced my Lemon Law ’98 Chevy Cheyenne with a ’99 GMC Sierra. Staying within GM was […] -
Buying A 1989 Civic – Steering a Friend Away From a Bad Car Deal to a Great Car Deal
Posted on April 20, 2025 | 15 Comments1989 Civic image from the brochure. I have an unusual gift of telling a good vehicle from a bad one by “the seat of my pants.” Seriously, I can’t tell […] -
My 1999 GMC Sierra – One Lemon Later, Yet Back Into The GM Fold
Posted on April 6, 2025 | 11 CommentsGMC Sierra image from bidcars.com. After returning my ‘98 Cheyenne pickup to the dealer after a short and troublesome ownership (my Lemon Law chapter), I now needed to replace it. […] -
My 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis: My Kindness Comes In Different Forms
Posted on March 25, 2025 | 23 CommentsMom always told me to be kind to others. And the obligatory: “If you can’t say something nice, then say nothing at all.” With God’s help and practicing kindness, I […] -
My 1998 Chevrolet Cheyenne – Learning The Lemon Law
Posted on February 26, 2025 | 18 CommentsLike a Rock? — C/K truck image from the 1998 Buyer’s Guide. To bring you up to speed, by 1997 we were driving a ’97 Blazer, and my beloved ‘80 […] -
My 1997 Chevrolet Blazer – When The Need For A New Vehicle Comes At Unexpected Times
Posted on February 7, 2025 | 18 Comments’97 Blazer image from period advertising. I’m proud of my driving. I’ve honed my skills and driven some just under 3 million miles with only one chargeable accident and two […] -
A Sprinkling Of Short Owned Cars
Posted on January 26, 2025 | 15 Comments1979 Caprice Classic image from the Cohort by Foden Alpha. I decided to count the total number of vehicles I’ve owned in my life and was not too surprised that […] -
My 1985 Mercury Marquis – A Gift With The Best Intentions (And When Best Intentions Go Wrong)
Posted on January 19, 2025 | 21 CommentsA little while back, I wrote about a wonderful ’81 Pontiac Bonneville Brougham that Cindy and I had received from her grandparents; Louis and Molly. Cindy’s grandparents were such wonderful […] -
My Dad’s ’83 Corolla & ’85 Camry – Falling Into The Toyota World, And Liking It
Posted on January 8, 2025 | 38 Comments’86 Camry photo from the Cohort by nifticus392. Author’s referred model was a white over blue. As New Year’s came this year, I realized that my dad had been […] -
My Rental Truck Nightmare – Only Me!
Posted on December 21, 2024 | 26 CommentsFor today, I’d like to take you on a journey in the move of a lifetime that turned out to be sort of a train wreck. I’ve read articles here […] -
My 1982 Chevrolet Caprice V6 Coupe – Resurrected From The Dead, And Deadly Slow
Posted on December 7, 2024 | 48 Commentsnot our actual car; found this at autotraders Between the Mercury Tracer, which was gone by this time, and the Sable which was leaving, Cindy and I decided it was […] -
My 1974 Chevrolet Caprice – The Rusty Old Caprice
Posted on December 1, 2024 | 20 CommentsPhoto from the Cohort by Colin. This story will be about a man and his car. The man was Cliff, he was a remarkable man to me as we had […] -
My 1978 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham – Finally, I Get To Experience Cadillac Style
Posted on November 2, 2024 | 35 CommentsThis article is dedicated to Doctor Myron Porter. He served his country in the Naval Reserve. He was stationed in Southeast Asia for two years and then spent another 20 […]