Taylors.LifeWell, it’s been a summer of automotive adventures here at Willow and Lily farm. Let’s just say our vehicles decided to stage a bit of a rebellion. The Jetta just hit 120k miles needed a full service, new timing belt, water pump, fuel pump, new springs… you name it. And the Jeep? Oh, the Jeep. Let’s just say the transmission decided to take not one, but two vacations this summer.
It got to the point where just thinking about getting in a car was stressful. Between hauling kids to activities, running errands, and keeping the farm running, we need reliable transportation. And after a lot of consideration, we decided it was time to add a couple of new vehicles to the family.
Bringing Home a Classic: The Blue Beast
Let’s start with the fun one. We found a 1965 Ford F-600. A flatbed conversion, painted a beautiful baby blue. And Noah, being the naming expert that he is, immediately declared it “Bluey.” It’s seriously a gorgeous truck. It sounds amazing too; that old engine has a rumble that just makes you smile.
We got a really good deal on it, which was fantastic, but it did need some TLC. The front end was a little… loose. So, we put some new steering components and wheel parts on it to tighten things up. Finding parts for a truck this old definitely takes some effort, but it’s worth it. I love the simplicity of these older vehicles. Everything feels…fixable.
We plan on using Bluey for farmers markets and displays, it’s a real head-turner and a great way to showcase what we do here. It’s also perfect for hauling heavy loads around the farm moving compost, firewood, you name it. It’s just a solid, capable truck. The kids absolutely love it, and honestly, so do I.
A Modern Workhorse: The New Ram
The second new addition is a bit more…practical. We replaced the Jeep with a 2024 Ram 2500 pickup with the Cummins diesel engine. It’s a far cry from Bluey in terms of vintage charm, but it’s a beast when it comes to getting things done.
This truck will be our daily driver and all-around farm workhorse. It’s got the power to tow anything we need, the space to haul everything we need, and honestly, just a comfortable ride. We’ve needed something reliable for getting the kids to school and activities, and this truck delivers.
A Bit of Relief, and a Lot of Gratitude
Honestly, it’s a huge relief to have these vehicle issues behind us. It was stressful not knowing if we’d make it to appointments or if a trip to the store would turn into an adventure. We are incredibly blessed to be able to address these issues and get ourselves back on solid ground.
It feels good to have vehicles we can depend on. And it’s a good reminder to appreciate the simple things, like a reliable way to get from point A to point B. Plus, it’s fun to have a classic truck and a modern workhorse in the fleet. We are looking forward to having something more capable than the Jeep in terms of towing and payload capacity.
Thanks for following along with our little automotive saga. We’re looking forward to many miles of happy driving!