Great mechanics, Horrible Paint

I bought a 1988 Ford Ranger XLT, 4 x 4 Extended cab brand new in late 1988. I now have almost 300,000 miles on it. It is still running strong. I have never had any major repairs on it, just the usual brakes, tune-ups, etc. I have driven it across country several times and never broke down. It is the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned.

The extended cab comes in handy and gives me lots of extra dry space. The 4 wheel drive is convenient to have, but you have to lock the hubs from the outside. The 4 wheel drive will take you anywhere.

The only problem I had with it was after it was a few years old, the paint started to flake off, but the base coat was still there. Now the base coat has worn down and the truck is 75% unpainted rust. It looks horrible. I am embarrassed to drive it, it looks so bad, I had to buy another vehicle to drive around. The Ranger runs so good that I can't bear to part with it so I will keep it around as a second vehicle.