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The memory of Dad’s old truck appeared in the form of a 2003 Ram, which can accommodate three people and sparked a new obsession.

Car and Driver from November 2021.

I always thought that my midlife crisis would involve IROC. Or maybe the Saab 9000 Turbo, or the two-door Jeep Cherokee-the cool car of my driving career. But obviously, buried deep in my heart is the need to re-examine one of the less attractive machines in my teenage life, defeating your winter thug: Daoqi Ram.

BDR is my dad’s truck, but I drove it in winter. In Maine, this means usually. It is a two-wheel drive from 1987 with a weak 95-horsepower Slant-6 and four-speed. After the engine got stuck on my way to school, I asked the dealer if the warranty included an upgrade to a V-8. That's a no, probably because it will cause everyone with a Slant-6 and 7/70 warranty to fill the crankcase with Mr. Pibb in order to earn 318 points.

So, what did I just buy? Of course it is Ram-the ordinary cab short bed in 2003, with manual gearbox. It can accommodate three people, just like McLaren F1. It is also four-wheel drive, equipped with a 4.7-liter V-8. You might think, "I didn't know how they made it." Neither did I until I saw a Craigslist ad. It is like a Ram SRT-10 with four-wheel drive and half power. Well, the power is less than half. But it has a wired throttle control and a pyrotechnic seat belt pretensioner, and I know this is because I am now obsessed with the third-generation Ram. Hydroformed frame? Watching you embrace the future, DaimlerChrysler in the early 2000s.

When I showed up at the seller’s house, he told me that he bought it from his friend. He was the original owner and had to order, because no dealer would take the initiative to purchase. The transparent coating is peeling off, the stereo is broken, heating and air conditioning can only be done when the fan is turned on. That's right: it has air conditioning! And vinyl flooring. And cruise control. It also has manual window and door locks. Just a freak specification, this thing. I asked if the cruise control was working. "I don't know," the shopkeeper said. "I have never tried it." He also pointed out that if you pull the clutch to second gear, you can push to start. I didn't ask him how he knew that second was the best. As soon as I paid the money, I drove the Daoqi Ram home, part 2. The cruise control system worked.

A few days later, I changed to a new head unit and let the stereo sound work. A few days later, I connected an active subwoofer. I searched all the performance modules of 4.7 V-8, and it didn't take long because there were none. However, like his ancestors in 1987, Ram's riding experience is surprising. Or, I should say, no surprise, given its flexible 8.5-inch suspension travel. I told you, I'm making a fool of myself. Did you know that the 207.7-inch, 2003 Ram normal cab with a short bed is actually 4.6 inches shorter than the current Toyota Tacoma double cab? Hey, come back here.

I have been using Ram for about a week and I like it very much. My children learned how to use arm power to roll down the windows, and my wife learned the etiquette of a truck bench seat-I told her she must sit in the middle or people would think we were fighting. She replied that if she had to ride in the middle, it was a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I realized that I had never owned a pickup truck. Guys, I understand all the fuss. You can throw things on the bed, even if those things are dirty. Hell, these things may be real dirt! A friend told me that I need a decal of Calvin peeing on the Chevrolet logo, but I don't understand the relationship between the 16th century theologians and the domestic truck competition, or even where you order such things.

I have always believed that the middle-aged crisis car should be an improvement on the feeling you are trying to regain, an upgrade rather than a clone. I am right. Now, if I want, I can go out, turn the key, and confirm that ol' Big Dodge Ram is actually fun. But using V-8 will be even cooler.