After sitting forlorn in the back lot for three years, I decided to get the old ’77 Dodge Chinook out on the road again. I fixed the brakes and and attended to a few minor other issues, and we packed up and headed for the coast on Saturday morning, since a heat wave was forecast. It was certainly cool out there; a bit too much so, as a fog bank was rolling in right on the deck. So after a nice walk on the beach and lunch, we headed up and in, as in the very rugged mountains directly overlooking this section of the coast.
The forest roads that wind up and through here are utterly deserted, and there’s plenty of free camping on this national forest land. And in the place we picked the second night, a little pull-off next to a burbling creek, I stumbled into this about 20 yards in the undergrowth: a genuine shitbox. And what a lovely one at that, it even had a padded seat; Stephanie and I both enjoyed using it. And as a beneficial consequence, I don’t have to dump out the Chinook’s holding tank.
The term “shitbox” is most commonly used for cheap, basic cars, new or used. The Hyundai Accent/Excel profiled today at CC perfectly fits the definition. As does my xBox. So what’s your favorite shitbox?
It was great too be back in the Chinook. There’s few things better than tea time at the beach in its sunny cabin when there’s a cool breeze outside.
A chance to catch up on some (non-automotive) reading.
It was the first time Lil’ Man was along, and that was was mostly fine, except that we had some disagreements about who should drive.
This is where we found ourselves the first night, up on Cummins Ridge, some 2000 feet overlooking the Pacific coast, down there in the fog, past the trees. Totally deserted, and no cell coverage for three days. Very relaxing, to say the least; came home very refreshed.
So back to the question at hand: What’s your favorite shitbox?
Glad you had a very relaxing several days.
I never had a favorite shit&ox, because by definition they were crappy cars. a few examples;
– 81 Old Cutlass Diesel – all the problems expected
– 86 Ford Escort GT – had pieces of a napkin clogging the A/C lines (from the factory)
But the worst was a an 80 Buick Skylark (X-car); that in its first year puked its 4 spd transmission, had a gas leak at the carb that almost set the whole thing on fire, had brake problems, over-heating problems, and on-and-on…
And I’m sure everyone here knows the originator of this quaint phrase – the ever quotable Brock Yates.
I’m not sure about Yates; I always thought it was Hank The Deuce’s term for the VW Beetle!
Oregon- where interesting and disturbing imagery collides with similar metaphors.
Here’s mine- a chance to get away from it all, lift the lid on your spirit, and dump all of your troubles.
Well, you could always use the Aussie term thunderbox for the outdoor facility. (most accurately applied to portable units)
The most memorable automotive shitboxs might have been my friend’s poverty spec VW Rabbit. He kept it clean and shiny but it was the short lived US made stripper with a carb and vinyl seats coated in Armorall that left you sliding around in turns. It replaced a rather rusty 69 Beetle which collected ice in the footwells in the winter so it was still a step up. My personal cars have always been decent base vehicles, however the Volvo 164 and 78 Scirocco both had rust issues and my 81 Scirocco 16V conversion was a work in progress and a bit noisy. Our 85 Ford Ranger S was also borderline shitbox since it was the ultra basic price leader and a little worn around the edges. The 1993 Ranger XLT that replaced it was a massive improvement, as well as the only new car we’ve ever bought (so far). I still miss the Scirocco and the Ranger and wouldn’t mind either as a project car.
I have used the term “thunder bucket” as a euphemism for “toilet”! (I’m from Pittsburgh, I don’t know where I picked up the term).
Had a rental Kia Sportage last week while moving my daughter in for her first year of college. Filled it up with suitcases from the airport, and then with stuff (twice) from Target and Bed Bath Beyond. (IIRC all I had when I started was a single footlocker, but then again I walked uphill in the snow to and from school. 😉 )
As for actual s***tboxes, the pilot-to-bombadier style at Philmont Scout Ranch are world famoud and can’t be beat:
https://www.instagram.com/p/6ge9nsGdek/