After being a loyal Ford owner since I started driving (1984), I passed on
their trucks that look like mini-vans, and headed straight for a Dodge
dealer. I expected to get a RAM, but, as is obvious by now, I bought a
Dakota.
Spending a couple of days looking, I figured out exactly what I wanted: 4.7L
V8, 4x4, Quad Cab, Auto (I prefer a standard, but other people might need to
drive it), with limited frills. I was given a couple of prices, but the
dealers had real problems finding one the way I wanted it. My '85 Bronco II
broke a rod on Sunday, and I didn't want to wait months on a special order.
One dealer said the earliest trade he could work out would be mid-January.
Another couldn't find one at all. The third found one, and it was supposed
to be delivered the next day to a dealer 300 miles away. He worked a trade
for a similar QC.
On Thursday he called me. "The good news is your truck is in, the bad news
is I don't have a driver to go pick it up." [I was never thrilled with the
idea of some stranger putting the first 300 miles on my new truck anyway].
"You will have to wait until next week, unless you want to go." I think he
was half-joking, but without pausing, I responded, "You bet, I am there!"
So, I drove a new QC 300 miles to a dealer, and then drove my new QC back.
The bonus was that this other dealer is very close to where my sister and
parents live, so I swung by to show off my new truck on the way back.
Now, I could see where many people would be upset having to spend 8+ hours
on the road to get their truck, and they could have just waited. In
retrospect, I am really lucky (and pleased) the dealer took the risk to let
me do it. It was a fine road trip and they picked up the costs for gas.
The best part was when the suburban passed me (I was doing the speed limit
since it wasn't my truck yet), then slowed down, looked the DAK over
carefully, and then went on. I know it is vain, but I like seeing others
drooling over (not on) the DAK.
--Brian T. Carter
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