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That Baker Guy
Well-Known Member
I've been debating for a few months on even sitting down to write this but I wanted to share the impact this forum, and this truck, has had on me. If this is not the right forum please move it.
I joined TRS way back in March of 2009 when I got my first vehicle; a 1993 Ford Ranger. 3L V6 ext Cab 2wd with a camper topper. It had 117k miles. An average of 7k miles a year half the yearly national average. Literally driven by a Grandpa. As a junior in high school you can imagine all the hell I caught for having such a "Grandpa" truck. This was back when everybody else was driving the old square body Chevy's and had V8 muscle with straight pipes off the headers.
I daily'd that truck all the way up until the summer of 2015. Never gave me a single problem. Except that it had blown speakers, under sized rims and tires, bad ball joints, manual locks, a busted radio, squeaky brakes, this weird thing where it shifts late coming out of 2nd gear, the drivers seat was flatter than my first girlfriend, dings and dents you name it. But it never left me on the side of the road; all the way through college and into my first job.
And that's what this post is about. My job.
This little truck had so much potential I just had to unlock it. A perfect blank canvas to tinker with and explore. I must have torn apart the interior 5 times in the first 6 months I had it. If you look closely in the Tech Library you'll see that I authored an article about installing power locks into a 93. I thought one day I could go work for Ford and fix everything wrong with this truck! That curiosity is what lead me to get into engineering. I spentfour five of the best years of my life digging into an Electrical Engineering degree at a public university. My aspirations changed from wanting to take on big truck problems and thought I would instead go join the ranks of Google, Apple, SpaceX etc. My time and money dried up in college and so did my ability to give any TLC to the Ranger. I think I went a full year without changing the oil. Just topping it off and changing the filter out every few thousand miles.
Fast forward to Spring Break of 2nd Senior year and everyone was freaking out about where they were going to start their career's. As I surveyed the landscape of tables at career day I didnt see many of the Silicon Valley dot com's. Not much of that here in Mississippi. I made my rounds and skipped the bigger tables as I assumed "ahh its a waste of paper when they see my GPA". I was on the way out the door when I heard " Hey Nissan is looking for EE's" so I went over and chatted with the gentleman and handed him my resume. Long story short I ended up having a good conversation with him and had a couple interviews. I didnt get the job in his department but on the way out the door another hiring manager stopped me and gave me an impromptu interview. I had 3 more interviews with that department over the next week and eventually landed the gig.
I wont delve into the first few years as it was just an entry level job where they throw you to the wolves with little guidance and the "baptism by fire" that is the Automotive industry. In late 2020 coming out of the first part? of the pandemic I had the opportunity to join the ranks of the "New Model Launch Team" as a Quality Engineer. The next 12 months were some of the most fun I have ever had in my professional career. Long hours, Night shifts, impossible expectations, physical work to rectify and countermeasure quality, design, manufacturing issues, you name it. We got there in the end and in August of 2021 we successfully launched the 2022 Nissan Frontier. A competitor to the revived successor of my beloved beater.
I sit here today writing this all down as a way of reflection for myself and trying to figure out how I got *here*. It all happened in the blink of an eye and I am now sitting on the door step of the next opportunity for my career whatever that may be. And I owe it all to the start that this truck gave me. Through thick and thin; break ups, failed classes, graduations, interviews, engagements, weddings, all of the above and more. This little ranger has been there. I feel as I have finally accomplished what I set out to do in March of 2009. Even when I thought my life/career would go a completely different direction. Some how it all circled back to a vehicle. Maybe its just what I was meant to do.
Since the summer of 2015 I've had probably 10 new vehicles. One of the perks of working for an OEM. I still have the Ranger though. It gets driven on the weekends to the hardware store and to the hiking trails. My wife absolutely hates it. The paint has started to peel now and it has legitimate Antique Plates. But I have plans for it. I finally did the ole washer lift up front this summer and am currently looking for an 8.8 rear end with a 4.10 gear and L/S (axle code R7) if you know of one in the Southeast.
Now that I am done rambling and romanticizing a story that probably no one cares about; If you are in the market for a small truck I implore you to look over at the big red dealership and check out the new Frontier. I think we did a pretty good job. It has a certain workhorse and simplistic charm that I think is more "Ranger" than the latest offering of the namesake from the blue oval.
Thanks for reading. And Thanks Jim for keeping this corner of the internet going for all these years.
That Baker Guy (93baker)
Work until your Idols are your Rivals.
I am an Employee of Nissan North America and these comments and opinions are my own.
I joined TRS way back in March of 2009 when I got my first vehicle; a 1993 Ford Ranger. 3L V6 ext Cab 2wd with a camper topper. It had 117k miles. An average of 7k miles a year half the yearly national average. Literally driven by a Grandpa. As a junior in high school you can imagine all the hell I caught for having such a "Grandpa" truck. This was back when everybody else was driving the old square body Chevy's and had V8 muscle with straight pipes off the headers.
I daily'd that truck all the way up until the summer of 2015. Never gave me a single problem. Except that it had blown speakers, under sized rims and tires, bad ball joints, manual locks, a busted radio, squeaky brakes, this weird thing where it shifts late coming out of 2nd gear, the drivers seat was flatter than my first girlfriend, dings and dents you name it. But it never left me on the side of the road; all the way through college and into my first job.
And that's what this post is about. My job.
This little truck had so much potential I just had to unlock it. A perfect blank canvas to tinker with and explore. I must have torn apart the interior 5 times in the first 6 months I had it. If you look closely in the Tech Library you'll see that I authored an article about installing power locks into a 93. I thought one day I could go work for Ford and fix everything wrong with this truck! That curiosity is what lead me to get into engineering. I spent
Fast forward to Spring Break of 2nd Senior year and everyone was freaking out about where they were going to start their career's. As I surveyed the landscape of tables at career day I didnt see many of the Silicon Valley dot com's. Not much of that here in Mississippi. I made my rounds and skipped the bigger tables as I assumed "ahh its a waste of paper when they see my GPA". I was on the way out the door when I heard " Hey Nissan is looking for EE's" so I went over and chatted with the gentleman and handed him my resume. Long story short I ended up having a good conversation with him and had a couple interviews. I didnt get the job in his department but on the way out the door another hiring manager stopped me and gave me an impromptu interview. I had 3 more interviews with that department over the next week and eventually landed the gig.
I wont delve into the first few years as it was just an entry level job where they throw you to the wolves with little guidance and the "baptism by fire" that is the Automotive industry. In late 2020 coming out of the first part? of the pandemic I had the opportunity to join the ranks of the "New Model Launch Team" as a Quality Engineer. The next 12 months were some of the most fun I have ever had in my professional career. Long hours, Night shifts, impossible expectations, physical work to rectify and countermeasure quality, design, manufacturing issues, you name it. We got there in the end and in August of 2021 we successfully launched the 2022 Nissan Frontier. A competitor to the revived successor of my beloved beater.
I sit here today writing this all down as a way of reflection for myself and trying to figure out how I got *here*. It all happened in the blink of an eye and I am now sitting on the door step of the next opportunity for my career whatever that may be. And I owe it all to the start that this truck gave me. Through thick and thin; break ups, failed classes, graduations, interviews, engagements, weddings, all of the above and more. This little ranger has been there. I feel as I have finally accomplished what I set out to do in March of 2009. Even when I thought my life/career would go a completely different direction. Some how it all circled back to a vehicle. Maybe its just what I was meant to do.
Since the summer of 2015 I've had probably 10 new vehicles. One of the perks of working for an OEM. I still have the Ranger though. It gets driven on the weekends to the hardware store and to the hiking trails. My wife absolutely hates it. The paint has started to peel now and it has legitimate Antique Plates. But I have plans for it. I finally did the ole washer lift up front this summer and am currently looking for an 8.8 rear end with a 4.10 gear and L/S (axle code R7) if you know of one in the Southeast.
Now that I am done rambling and romanticizing a story that probably no one cares about; If you are in the market for a small truck I implore you to look over at the big red dealership and check out the new Frontier. I think we did a pretty good job. It has a certain workhorse and simplistic charm that I think is more "Ranger" than the latest offering of the namesake from the blue oval.
Thanks for reading. And Thanks Jim for keeping this corner of the internet going for all these years.
That Baker Guy (93baker)
Work until your Idols are your Rivals.
I am an Employee of Nissan North America and these comments and opinions are my own.
