The BamaMuleThe BamaMule is no longer in the family. A sad day indeed. And since I was not around for our last few weeks together, and therefore, a goodbye wheelin' trip was out of the question, I thought an online tribute was the least i could do.
The Mule was my first vehicle, and was given to me by my parents as a suprise in 1997. I had desired a vehicle that had a larger engine and was a manual. Furthermore, i think everybody's first car should be a manual transmission (I know my children's first vehicles will be).
The Mule came with stock with a 4.3 litre V-6 with 160HP and 230 lb. of torque. Optional equipment was none...and the only thing power on the vehicle was the steering! A true teenage boy's vehicle of glory, the Mule sported vinyl seats, a rubber floor throughout, and (by far the best) four-wheel drive! Rest assured that this was made full use of.
Throughout high school, the BamaMule worked hard and played hard. It pulled a trailor full of lawn mowers daily for 3 full summers and falls, helping out with my lawn business. On the occasional weekend, we would hit various trails and mud holes, making it through to the other side far more than needing help getting out. It was also used to transport many rolls of toilet paper that would somehow find its way to various targets, er, people's yards.
After i graduated high school and entered college, my brother, Andrew took the reigns of the Mule for another two years, still hitting the mud. After he went to college, the Blazer became a spare vehicle for my family, being used for the dirtier jobs needed around the house.
During my senior year of college, the BamaMule saw new light, as i took him to Clemson. I also developed a fresh taste for trail riding over mudding (which took forever to clean) with a friend of mine from school. We embarked on numerous trips to western North Carolina, crawling over some trails that would make the faint of heart even more so.
After college and marriage, the BamaMule climbed back up to the #1 spot, becoming my daily driver while working in Easley for about a year. Being 13 years old, and having over 120,000 miles on the odometer, the vehicle never let me down, starting up everyday and doing what was requested of it.
For two years, the Mule moved to Columbia to serve Keri's father as another daily driver. Although a few old parts needed replacing, it took him about 60 miles a day back and forth to work, as well as put his boat in and out of the Lake Murray.
In late 2007, the BamaMule came back to Spartanburg, and after an extensive detailing job, was taken by my brother Andrew to Greenville to be used as a spare vehicle. In February of 2008, a buyer came along and purchased the BamaMule from us. His kids already love it!
In the 11 years that i had a share in the BamaMule, i saw it move from 77,000 to 165,000 miles on its odometer. By the time we sold it, it still started up everytime, never needed "warming up," and was just as capable off road as it ever was.
Ride on, BamaMule...Ride On
