A recent post, and some recent car troubles have got me thinking about getting a newer vehicle. My current ride is a 1991 Ford F150 with 200,000 miles on it. I have been driving it since June 6, 1994, and it's getting pretty rough. It leaks oil and gas, the exhaust system is gone, the AC doesn't work, the vent/defrost fan only works on high, and the cruise stopped working about 10 years ago. The speedomoter stopped working this winter. The lights on the radio haven't worked in years, so I can't see what radio station I'm listening too. If for some reason I have to dissconect the battery, I loose all my presets, so resetting them is a pain in the butt. The last time I put a cassette in the player, it ate it. There are large holes rusted in the fenders, and through the bed of the truck. There is another hole in the bed of the truck, where the drive shaft came up through. That one actually lifted the back of the truck off of the ground. I bet none of you can say you pole vaulted your vehicle. :) The truck has survived 2 fires, it hit a deer, and had my buddies head go through the windsheid. I had a visor installed over the windsheild about 10 years ago. One of the mounting screws for that is stripped out, and now leaks when it rains. The visor sounds like it's going to rip right off of the truck when driving into a head wind. The ignition is broken, so I haven't used a key to start my truck in years. The door lock on the drivers side doesn't work, so if I do lock it, (almost never) I have to open it from the passenger side. Of course the power lock button on the passenger side doesn't work, so I have to reach over and unlock the other side. The paint is all scratched to hell from the dogs hanging over the sides when I take them with me. The Rear Anti-Lock break light came on a couple years ago, and the check engine light goes off and on all the time. The hood release is broken, so I have a cable hanging out the front of the hood so I can still open it.

There was one time I needed new tires, so I bought the cheapest set I could find, thinking that the tires would out live the truck. Four sets of new tires later, I'm still driving it. I have replaced the gas tank due to a fule leak (need to be replaced again), replaced the electronic hubs for the 4 wheel drive with lock outs, replaced the fuel pump, replaced the clutch, and had a shifting rod in the transmision repaird. Oh, and I did have to get the drive shaft fixed after the pole vaulting incident. I also have to replace the U-joints almost every year. Other than that, I haven't had to stick much money into since I bought it.

So, what are you driving?

I am not anything as bad off as you. I have a 1999 Subrau Outback Sport with about 79K miles on it. Yeah, I drive a lot! I spend about $1000/year on repairs. Late last year, that went for new brakes, some expensive pollution gizmo sensor, and a radiator flush. It's sort of beat up because of all the off-road stuff I did when living in Colorado.

Heheh Mike you crack me up :)

I have a 97 Mazda B4000 (same chassis as Ford Ranger) and it keeps running like a top. It's got 177,000 on it (just turned this morning) and it had 144,000 when I bought it 2 years ago. Since then, it really hasn't needed much. The guy before me didn't unlock the auto hubs by backing up so one of those needed to be replaced. The power windows quit but they were crappy aftermarket windows anyway. The ventilation system either blows hot or cold, nothing in between. I replaced the drive belt last Friday - the shop wanted over $100 to do it?! - and the shocks are leaking badly so I need to do those too. Oh! And I almost forgot, I got hit in the rear bumper a few months ago and somehow it broke the 4 wheel drive system? The insurance company didn't believe that a fender bender could break the 4WD so they wouldn't pay to fix it. Oh, and last Friday the volume up button on my radio broke so now I guess I need a whole new radio. Actually, I guess I really do need to fix some things on this truck :D

I wrote in Brian's thread earlier, the Car Guys (Click and Clack) said that it's always cheaper to keep something running than go out and buy something new. That being said, Michael I think you're pretty deserving of a new vehicle :) Treat yourself to something shiney and new.

For me, it looks like I'm going radio shopping :D

I would love something shiny and new Rick, but 3 more payments and this one is all mine!!!

I bet none of you can say you pole vaulted your vehicle.

Mythbusters did a show on this recently!

Sounds like you got your money's worth (and then some) with your truck! Any vehicle can last just about forever - it's just a matter of how much time and money you want to put into keeping it running.

Since you asked, I just did an oil change in my '03 Jetta TDI (Diesel) because it turned 70k the other day. Easy to remember at 10k intervals. :) And I'm getting tired of the lousy mileage I get with winter fuel - I filled up today after 533 miles (didn't really need it, but close), took 14.1 gallons so that's only 38mpg. I've hit 53 with it but upper 40's is more typical. Oh, yeah - 180 miles of that tank had the kayak on the roof, and the rest was in-town, with winter blend that's probably alright. Done bragging...

Rick, the radio would be my #1 priority. When it warms up a little more I'll probably add Sirius satellite radio but it actually was snowing here today! :eek:

Well currently I am driving an '01 Durango with 80 000 Kilometers on it (45K miles?).

But since the wife has gone back to work after taking a year off for Maternity leave... I need a second smaller, non family type car. I am looking at an 01-03 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder . They are fun to drive and heck even though my summer is really only 2 months long, a convertible is always fun.

'02 Chevy Tahoe with 90k miles on it. It's painful to fill the tank but nice when you need to seat 7 or haul stuff. I'd like to buy something rugged and 4x4 (not all wheel drive) with good MPG. I don't know if anyting like it exist. I want to garage the Tahoe and just use it for family drives with more than 5 passengers.

I'd like to buy something rugged and 4x4 (not all wheel drive) with good MPG. I don't know if anyting like it exist.

That's exactly what I'm looking for too. Let me know if you find anything. I'm kind of leaning towards the Jeep Liberty, but I haven't made up my mind yet.

'89 Bronco..188,000 miles.
air conditioning quit and the rear anti lock brake has been on for a while too.
Had to fix the power windows once and have a new heater core.
Other than brakes and oil changes no other maintenance. I should have washed it more. The paint is peeling.

Would love to have a jeep rubicon. There's a lake not far away that the bronco can't quite make it to with a canoe on top.

1988 Volvo 240 Wagon, 174,000 miles

Manual 5 speed, Bilstein HD shocks all around, IPD swaybars and possibly sport exhaust to come.

Visual: E-Code headlights, 5 spoke rims

Utility: Thule Rack with Yakima Bike Racks, Towing package.

I've put a total of approximately $2050 into it, including the purchase price of the car.

It aint much, but I like it better than any sub $15,000 new car

And what good is this thread without pictures??

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/155/409478691_4a8399d4ba.jpg (http://flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=409478691&size=o&context=set-72157594568510249)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/150/412816246_abe529ec3a.jpg (http://flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=412816246&size=o&context=set-72157594568510249)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/183/392805368_df5bc14d54.jpg (http://flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=392805368&size=o&context=set-72157594568510249)

I'm currently rendering the inside picture of my vehicular object.

96 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with 156,000 miles on it.

I'll have to dig a pic up of it sometime.

It was a wedding present from my parents to me & my wife

Mike - before seriously looking at the liberty go drive one ... me and the mrs. test drove one a few years back .. made it about 3 blocks and turned around ... just no room in the blasted thing ...


for me .. I had bought a brand new ford ranger in '92 pretty basic truck - no a/c - 2wd - 4.0 ltr v-6 - short box - regular cab .... I drove this truck until may of 05 ... it had an intake manifold gasket replaced / 1 injector / ball joints / 1 tranny rebuild / 1 altenator / 1 cab mount / multiple sets of tires / multiple brake jobs .... sold it to a friend of my brothers for 650 with 296,000 miles on it ... i have been told that the guy drives it daily to work ...

I sold it due to a deal from a friend which I bought his '99 ford explorer sport - loaded with it all except for no leather interior (which i hate anyways) only thing wrong with this truck is the light on the radio doesn't work so i have no clue what station it is on or what time it is .. but i have xm anyways so it really isn't an issue ... wierd thing is that over this past winter when it was really cold out .. the light came on ????????? then as the truck warmed up the light went back out again ....

but i got this truck with 86,000 miles on it and just has over 112,000 on it now ...

Speaking of radios (hijack alert) what's the deal with the new HD radios? I went to Crutchfield and they only have 3 radios with an HD tuner built in. Is it too new yet?

I also drooled over the new $1000 Pioneer double-din Navigation/DVD Receiver. But will probably end up with the standard size $100 Pioneer Cd player with that weird black plastic piece they always give you to take up the extra room in your double din radio space when you install a standard size radio.

Oh, and speaking of ideal vehicles, I am waiting for a mid-sized gas/electric SUV with low-range 4WD to come out. THEN I'll be happy! :)

Mike - before seriously looking at the liberty go drive one ... me and the mrs. test drove one a few years back .. made it about 3 blocks and turned around ... just no room in the blasted thing ...

Thanks for the info Ben. After looking at some photos yesterday, it looks like the back seat would be pretty much useless for anyone over 5' tall. I would love something a little bigger, but they come with extra cost too, like lower fuel milage...

only thing wrong with this truck is the light on the radio doesn't work so i have no clue what station it is on or what time it is .. but i have xm anyways so it really isn't an issue ... wierd thing is that over this past winter when it was really cold out .. the light came on ?????????

This happened to me too. The radio lights wouldn't work for a few years, then one day, they were back on. They didn't last very long, and went out again. They have yet to come back on. Same thing happened in my dads 86 Ranger.

Oh, and speaking of ideal vehicles, I am waiting for a mid-sized gas/electric SUV with low-range 4WD to come out. THEN I'll be happy! :)

Have you checked out the Ford Escape hybrid? I don't know what the 4WD is like, and they might be a little small...

Oh, Ben's post reminded me of another mechanical problem I had with my truck. I broke a tie rod one day when I pulled into a friends place. The same friend who's head went through the windsheild. The local parts store had what we needed to replace it for about $25. We fixed it ourselves, right there in the feild. The next day I took it to a shop to have the alignment checked. He said the ball joints were shot, and that he couldn't align it until they were fixed. So I asked him if the tires were going to fall off if I didn't get the ball joints replaced. He said no, so I took my truck and went home. :) The tires still haven't fallen off. :)

ya i don't know how tall you are .... i am about 6' 1" ... when we test drive a vehicle i drive .. then the wife drives ... then i make her stop and i get into the back seat to see how it is back there ... then i drive some more ... we are usually gone for a good 30 -45 min ... city driving .. interstate driving ...

like i said we got in the liberty ... she drove first this time for some reason ... i got in the passenger side and we got about 3 blocks and i told her to turn around ... got back to the dealership .. the salesman came out with a wierd look on his face asked if anything was wrong and i said this is a POS ... he just laughed and said it was a bit tight for taller people ... i said " a bit ?? "

Manual 5 speed, Bilstein HD shocks all around, IPD swaybars and possibly sport exhaust to come.

Visual: E-Code headlights, 5 spoke rims

Utility: Thule Rack with Yakima Bike Racks, Towing package.

Ooh - nice! How do you like the Bilstein's? I'm thinking about putting in the TC's when the stock ones start to go - with VW's it could happen anywhere from 40k to 100k... I'd love to put in e-codes but still having a bit of sticker shock. TDI Club (http://tdiclub.com/) turned me into a bit of a car geek! Got the Yakima rack with their old-style kayak saddles, much better than anything they make these days.

Good idea about the picture, will find one later.

Ben, I'm about 6'1" too and had a hard time finding a small car that I could fit in. VW's are surprisingly roomy but most aren't. I had an Explorer just before it and - well, did you happen to see the movie "Money Pit"? That pretty much sums it up...

1991 Blue Crown Victoria.

yeah!

2005 Smart Roadster Coupe
A whopping 699cc 3-cylinder mercedes engine.
Turns in 45mpg in town or at 70mph.
OR alternatively 30MPG maximum on the racetrack, and 130mph.
Sadly now no longer built.

There was a US version to be built by Dodge.
Exterior styling by cut-and-paste (AUDI front and Megane rear) and a hideous interior.
But I'd have bought it just for the tuning parts to go on mine :)

I'm a Smart car fanatic, my alter ego is media@thesmartclub.com
The club is attending a big event in Klagenfurt, Austria thus summer.
Followed by a side trip on the drive home to the Smart factory in Hambach near Saarbrucken.
Time to see the new 3rd generation city car, the updated Smart fortwo, in the flesh.

Sadly now no longer built.

There was a US version to be built by Dodge.

I was wondering what happened to it. Daimler has Chrysler for sale so I suppose anything like that won't see the light of day for awhile. Here's a shot of mine in Michigan's Upper Peninsula a couple of years ago.

Ooh - nice! How do you like the Bilstein's? I'm thinking about putting in the TC's when the stock ones start to go - with VW's it could happen anywhere from 40k to 100k... I'd love to put in e-codes but still having a bit of sticker shock. TDI Club (http://tdiclub.com/) turned me into a bit of a car geek! Got the Yakima rack with their old-style kayak saddles, much better than anything they make these days.

Good idea about the picture, will find one later.

Ben, I'm about 6'1" too and had a hard time finding a small car that I could fit in. VW's are surprisingly roomy but most aren't. I had an Explorer just before it and - well, did you happen to see the movie "Money Pit"? That pretty much sums it up...

I love my Bilstein HD's, got 'em from Shox.com.



They're really stiff...I thing slightly stiffer and/or lower springs and bigger swaybars would really complete my car, handles pretty well as is, but there's just a little too much body roll in the turns.

I dont know about the TCs, probably not near as stiff as the HDs, but I'm sure they'll be an improvement over your stock shocks.

Volvo 240's not bad for tall people I imagine (unless you get the Bertone with the chopped gangsta style roof), I've driven some 6' friends around and they didnt complain, I'm 5'8'' and love it.

I dont know about the TCs, probably not near as stiff as the HDs, but I'm sure they'll be an improvement over your stock shocks.

The TC's are about 20% stiffer than stock from what I hear - and much better handling. Think that's what I'm looking for - but the stock stuff is still OK so I'll leave it for now.

I was wondering what happened to it. Daimler has Chrysler for sale so I suppose anything like that won't see the light of day for awhile.
It was an interesting concept, taking a few features from the Brabus V6 roadster.

They hand-built engines with a second block/head to make the 1.4 V6
Simply cloning the existing system left them with two exhausts, two camshaft drives, two ECUs one for each half of the engine, and two turbos. ATL fuel cell in front, discs all round, racing seats, belts, extinguisher... the 10 cars were special build for a commemorative rally and none were ever sold - I'd have one !

Of course little things like having to dismantle the car to get at the custom carbon fibre air box, the Maybach intercooler for the twin turbo (nice to get your hands in the MB parts bin) and the fibre lagged exhaust runs almost 360 degrees round the engine ... makes maintenance something that your local dealer wouldn't touch :)

The rear disc brakes made their way onto the Dodge concept car, something we wanted to get our hands on for the performance modified Roadsters here in the UK.

The wife and I drove past a dealership the other day, that had 2 Smart cars. They look like they would be fun to drive, and you should never have a problem finding a parking spot for them. :)

My truck wouldn't start for me on Wednesday moring, so the wife has been taking me to work. I thought the fuel pump went out of it, and since I needed to replace the gas tank again, I figured I would tackle the job myself. I got all the parts I needed for about $200. I changed the tank and fuel pump, but it still wont start. It's going to have to sit till Monday now, until a real mechanic can take a look at it.

I can't find any pics, so I will have to scan some old ones, and take some new ones for this thread.

I currently drive an '05 Chevy Avalanche. The wife and I have gone through 10 vehicles in 16 years (short leases, business vehicles, etc.) and I can say that the Avalanche is the most versatile vehicle I've used. An SUV for the most part but converts to a pickup truck in short order. I bought it because I carry long items (fishing gear and lumber/steel material for work) and wanted a totally enclosed and lockable bed.

Cleans up nice (I got the version without all those cheap-looking plastic body panels), full version 4WD, full size rear doors and seats, and uses E-85 flex fuel. I still haven't put my Yakima roof rack system on it. Waiting until I buy a kayak.

MSRP is way overpriced. But I got $11k taken off the top which made it appropriately priced IMO.

I still haven't put my Yakima roof rack system on it. Waiting until I buy a kayak.

Cool! :thumbsup:

Not sure if you have experience with this, so my apologies if you already know this but be careful around cold water - it's dangerous stuff. PM me and I can point you to some good intro stuff on the web. Or start here (http://www.atlantickayaktours.com/pages/expertcenter/main-expert-center.shtml). :)

Mike I thought I saw a picture of your truck in one of the recent 24 hours threads? It's a looker ;)

95 toyota corolla. Hopefully a BMW z4 coupe within the next year and a half.

The wife and I drove past a dealership the other day, that had 2 Smart cars. They look like they would be fun to drive, and you should never have a problem finding a parking spot for them. :)

Insurance actuaries calculate that the average person will have one major accident every 20 years. I was rear-ended by a car doing 55 miles per hour as I was turning into a gas station. I just missed the pumps and would have been dead if I had been driving a smart car. More recent, my son was forced into the oncomming lane and a head-on collision at major highway speed. He would also have been dead, if he had been driving a smart car.

So, if you are doing short trips around a small town, then a smart car might be fine. Otherwise you are gambling with your life and the carelessness of other drivers.

Ronnoco

Mike I thought I saw a picture of your truck in one of the recent 24 hours threads? It's a looker ;)


I forgot all about that pic. Here it is. This photo was taken early in the moring, before the sun came up. The truck looks great in the dark. :) I will get some new pics that show her real character when I get her back on the road again.

Funny thing happened today. I hopped into the drivers seat and happened to look up at my sun visor and particularly, my CD holder and there in the little mesh pocket was the remote control for my stereo, placed there long ago and forgotten. Who needs a remote for their car stereo?! Well, I do, now that the volume button on my receiver is broken :D Glad I kept that little bugger! I can hear my music again! :D

I also snapped these pictures today of my truck with my cell phone after I bounced around in a soon-to-be housing development which right now is full of neat dirt roads and cool rock formations.

God, I love having a truck when I'm not at the gas station.

Funny thing happened today. I hopped into the drivers seat and happened to look up at my sun visor and particularly, my CD holder and there in the little mesh pocket was the remote control for my stereo, placed there long ago and forgotten. Who needs a remote for their car stereo?! Well, I do, now that the volume button on my receiver is broken :D Glad I kept that little bugger! I can hear my music again! :D

I also snapped these pictures today of my truck with my cell phone after I bounced around in a soon-to-be housing development which right now is full of neat dirt roads and cool rock formations.

God, I love having a truck when I'm not at the gas station.
haha, I use the remote for mine too, like when I'm chillin in the cargo area...stationwagons are so relaxing.

I just missed the pumps and would have been dead if I had been driving a smart car. More recent, my son was forced into the oncomming lane and a head-on collision at major highway speed. He would also have been dead, if he had been driving a smart car.
If you missed the pumps you'd have missed them in a smart too.
Unlike most other cars, the seats are solid steel backed, not open framed with material covering. A design to cope better with rear impacts.
As usual on rear engined cars, the engine mounts allow the engine to slide forward and down making the whole rear of the car a crumple zone while absorbing some impact energy.
The bodyshell is lower, taking impact through the wheels/tyres into the shell, turning them into part of the absorbing structure.

Your son was blessed to survive a head on crash.
Highway speed covers a multitude of sins.
From 55mph upwards.
What car was he driving, and what did he hit, how fast?
Airbags and seatbelts will allow you to survive higher impact speeds in modern cars.
But still suffering quite heavy injury in high speed head-on crash despite that.

The worst impact is off-axis, the 1/2 frontal that puts the car into a spin and your head into the side widnow. Or the side impact that bounces your head off the side window, that can do serious brain damage. Our latest car has curtain airbags on the windows, to assist in those impacts.

But that's a scenario that even racing drivers don't cope off well in.
HANS and crumple zones work well in frontal crashes.
But the side impact seems to be causing major injury with bleeding into the brain.
Even in the well protected seats in DTM cars.

Your son was blessed to survive a head on crash.
Highway speed covers a multitude of sins.
From 55mph upwards.
What car was he driving, and what did he hit, how fast?
Airbags and seatbelts will allow you to survive higher impact speeds in modern cars.
But still suffering quite heavy injury in high speed head-on crash despite that.

The worst impact is off-axis, the 1/2 frontal that puts the car into a spin and your head into the side widnow. Or the side impact that bounces your head off the side window, that can do serious brain damage. Our latest car has curtain airbags on the windows, to assist in those impacts.

But that's a scenario that even racing drivers don't cope off well in.
HANS and crumple zones work well in frontal crashes.
But the side impact seems to be causing major injury with bleeding into the brain.
Even in the well protected seats in DTM cars.

You certainly know your autos. However brain damage or shearing can happen from the brain bouncing around in the head without the head hitting anything.

Ronnoco

Or the side impact that bounces your head off the side window, that can do serious brain damage. Our latest car has curtain airbags on the windows, to assist in those impacts.

I saw an accident yesterday near my house in a 30mph zone. There's a very good chance the cars may have been going closer to 40 and I didn't notice skid marks in the intersection (one car was obviously too old to have ABS, other probably had it). The newer car had blown air bags and a broken windshield on the passenger side. Airbags are great but can do more harm than good if a seatbelt isn't worn. Maybe I should save that for a "Darwinism" thread... :rolleyes:

The truck looks great in the dark.

Me too! :)

I drive a 2000 Navigator, given to me by my deceased mother in law. The lease on my much loved and deeply missed 2001 Silverado expired and so did she, so I got a freebie.

I have a '96 Tacoma Extracab and still love it. Over 150,000 miles on it and it gets me through anything I need it to. I would buy another one if the funds allowed.

http://www.wyndsweptsams.com/albums/FCR/res1564777011.jpg

We also have an '00 Ford Excursion Diesel... we really love this vehicle also- we can haul all 3 kids and the dogs without a problem. But we haven't had it long enough for me to comment on reliability yet.

I know I will not buy another Chevy for a long time... we had a '98 Tahoe we just got rid of this year and the problems we had with it were a pain. We went through 4 fuel pumps in a matter of 2 years.

2006 Honda Ridgeline
2006 Volvo S60
1989 Mustang GT
2006 Honda Shadow Spirit 750
1997 F150 XLT

I drive all of these sometime during the week...

There was a US version to be built by Dodge.
Exterior styling by cut-and-paste (AUDI front and Megane rear) and a hideous interior.
But I'd have bought it just for the tuning parts to go on mine

I saw one yesterday!!! Couldn't believe it, and almost drove off the road looking at it while I merged into traffic. It even said "smart" on the rear bumper - had a temporary license plate (as though someone just bought it) and it looked brand new. I hoped to catch up with it at the next light but I picked the slow lane (my usual luck)... That's the first one I've seen in the wild.

I drive a few vehicles.

1: 92 Jeep Cherokee 4.0 4x4 - my daily driver
2: 97 Dodge Ram 2500 HD 360 - 10mpg on a good day and at present gas prices $90+ to fill it up... and it only has one tank.
3: 87 Jeep Wagoneer Limited 4.0 4x4 - my off road toy I just traded my 79 Dodge Ram Charger 4x4 for. It's street legal but I only drive it off road as it has been "altered" a bit for off use.
4: my 79 18' boat .....ok, I don't drive it on the road....but if keeps raining around here I may have to! It has a Chevy 350 which will be getting a rebuild after I get my garage built.

Yup, everything I drive on the road is a Chrysler product. The 97 Ram has 154,000 miles, three rearends have been put in it under warranty. Other than that I had to replace the front hubs and bearings three times each at $600+ each time. It has had the plugs changed once, but never even had a tuneup and still gets the same gas mileage it got new. And one water pump and clutch fan. 11 years three times I have been rearended and three times it's had new rear bumpers. It got hit in a parking lot once...well, twice because the blonde didn't think she hit anything so she hit it again to make sure :confused: She also got the bumper and quarter panel. And it got scorched when some clown parked his burning car in front of it and walked away. The first to hit the bumper was in a Ford Taurus, brand new and it went under the truck pushing the hood up to her windshield. I drove home while she had to wait for a ride.

The Jeeps are high mileage (187,000+) but run great. I still have an old 92 Voyager van in the driveway that I am parting out, 3,3L that runs great, the trans is sold, but I have lots of other parts.
I do all my own repairs so I save money that way, even rebuilding engines.

JS

I got my truck back from the shop on Monday!!! Today I was able to get some pics to show you the real charm of my truck.

I also go this on Monday. 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. I'm still driving the old truck, but I have to say, it's nice to climb into something that's quite, and everything works. :)

I got my truck back from the shop on Monday!!! Today I was able to get some pics to show you the real charm of my truck.

Yup, definately a Ford :D :rolleyes: I have to be honest though, all four of my vehicles combined don't have that much rust! :eek: and I never washed or waxed any of them :D and all but one is much older than yours. Hmmm, wonder what Ford was using for rust inhibitor.....

BTW, I actually flipped a 1966 Impala when the driveshaft came apart. That was back in 1977 in Shawnee Twp Ohio. The drive shaft ended up sticking through floor and then through the trunk lid. That doesn't scare me as much though as the day the the clutch and pressure plate exploded and shot through the roof. It just missed my arm and would have taken it off.

JS

Yup, the old Ford is getting pretty rusty. This truck didn't have a spot of rust on it, until AFTER I had the entire thing repaintedin 96 or 97. Within a week or two it started to bubble up around the rear wheel wells. A very common area for rust on the Fords. I took it back to the shop and they fixed it, but it came back right away again. They said the only thing they could do would be to cut out the metal, and replace it. Of course they weren't going to pay for that, and neither was I...

I also go this on Monday. 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. I'm still driving the old truck, but I have to say, it's nice to climb into something that's quite, and everything works. :)

Did you get to keep the license plate? :D

Congrats, Mike! Definitely a step up! :D

.

BTW, I actually flipped a 1966 Impala when the driveshaft came apart. That was back in 1977 in Shawnee Twp Ohio. The drive shaft ended up sticking through floor and then through the trunk lid. That doesn't scare me as much though as the day the the clutch and pressure plate exploded and shot through the roof. It just missed my arm and would have taken it off.

JS

Holy cow....

Your clutch asplode!

Congrats, Mike! Definitely a step up! :D

Thanks buddy. It's kind of hard to drive. The stearing is pretty tight. I'm use to having 4 or 5 inches of play in the stearing wheel! :D

Holy cow....

Your clutch asplode!

Yeah, I was doing a burnout, dumped the clutch and it blew apart and shot through the roof. People have been killed by them. I had to look to see if I still had an arm as I could feel it go past my arm and wasn't sure if actually got me or not. I thought about filing an insurance cliam but wasn't sure how I explain it to them :D I saw one that went the other direction and 3/4's of it was stuck in the road. I have also seen driveshafts come through the floor into the car. One racer I know lost a couple fingers when that happened and he had a driveshaft loop. I won't own a stick anymore that doesn't have a blow proof bell housing, or a truck or 4x4 that doesn't have heavy duty drive shaft hoops.

JS

omg, I just saw a commercial for a new Smart Car store in Phoenix. Those things are really getting out!

That doesn't scare me as much though as the day the the clutch and pressure plate exploded and shot through the roof. It just missed my arm and would have taken it off.

JS

I was driving a Volkswagen, when the driver's seat tilted. I looked down and saw a dip in the floormat. Sure enough, there was a lot of fresh air underneath where there should have been the floor.

Ronnoco

Back before I I had my own vehicle, I drove my dad's Ford Ranger. It was red, and we nick-named it the "Red Ranger". I put a ton of mile on it, and eventually the floor behind the seat rotted away. As the truck got older, it started bruning oil. The exhaust system was shot and full of holes, right below the hole in the floor of the cab. You had to ride with the windows down, because whenever you would slow down, the cab would fill with blue smoke! We renamed the truck the "Gas Chamber".

I have a '95 honda del sol. ITs a great little car, just about my favorite car all time.

I bought it in 03 with 52k on it, now it is almost at 98k. Ive driven it across country, off roading (pretty rough dirt roads), etc. It has the most comfortable seats i have ever sit in. Oh and even though its a small car it has a ton of room in it- i'm 6'6" and i fit much better than most other cars.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/Doobs8i/Car%20pictures/cropped.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/Doobs8i/Car%20pictures/DSCF1137.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c366/Doobs8i/Car%20pictures/IMG_6399.jpg



oh yeah and as far as the whole smart crashing thing watch this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju6t-yyoU8s


and it is pretty scary sometimes even in my car, jsut today a soccer mom in a minivan on the phone almost merged into me, going about 70. luckly my car is pretty maneuverable and i'm a good driver.

I was driving a Volkswagen, when the driver's seat tilted. I looked down and saw a dip in the floormat. Sure enough, there was a lot of fresh air underneath where there should have been the floor.

Ronnoco


When I got out of the Navy I drove from Ohio to the far side of PA on a VW bug. The plates expired at midnight and it was a 7 hour drive. I left at around noon. This thing had no heat, there were holes all over the floor. When I hit I80 in PA the seat broke through the floor in one corner. When I hit the Scranton area the left headlight died. The bumps on I80 were so bad that by the time I got where I was going I could have done a Barney Flinstone with stopping by putting my frozen feet through the floor to stop.
The next morning I noticed the battery fell through the floor and the license plate was missing. The thing ran fine though, although the battery had a bit of road rash.

Heres a couple shots of my "off road toy".:thumbsup:

http://www.insapnet.net/JS067503.JPG
http://www.insapnet.net/JS067504.JPG

JS

2002 Silverado 1500HD. Gotta love Detroit pig iron!

Dodge Durango 12.8mpg uphill, downhill, upwind , downwind, 45mph or 145mph. 12.8mpg

My precious (the car not the dinosaur!):
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m149/Canuck935/ZX2%20JTree/_DSC3187-1.jpg

Dodge Durango 12.8mpg uphill, downhill, upwind , downwind, 45mph or 145mph. 12.8mpg

UH??? My 97 Ram 2500HD 4x4 gets 19mpg on the highway. It sucks in city driving but does very well on the highway considering it weighs 6500lbs empty. It has the 360 in it with an automatic trans.

JS

2005 Jeep Wrangler - my baby. Shown here in its winter outfit. Summer outfit (aka soft top) will be on this week.

Danielle

1997 Olds LSS.
I can't unlock the driver's side front door with a key, so I have to do it from the passenger side. The gas gauge doesn't work, so I have to use the trip odometer to figure out when to buy gas. The upholstery on the driver's side door is splitting, I've got duct tape there. It leaks oil, but not to the point where it needs a major overhaul. I'm hoping to make this last until we pay off the wife's SUV. Then it's my turn. I'm the only one in the family with a 20th Century vehicle.

You never struck me as the Jeep type!

My truck just got a wash and vacuum yesterday for the first time in 6 months :D

1997 Olds LSS.
I can't unlock the driver's side front door with a key, so I have to do it from the passenger side. The gas gauge doesn't work, so I have to use the trip odometer to figure out when to buy gas. The upholstery on the driver's side door is splitting, I've got duct tape there. It leaks oil, but not to the point where it needs a major overhaul. I'm hoping to make this last until we pay off the wife's SUV. Then it's my turn. I'm the only one in the family with a 20th Century vehicle.


This sounds a lot like my pickup truck!

You never struck me as the Jeep type!

Heh - only took me a month to reply.

I have been obsessed with Wranglers since I was 15 and I saw a bunch of kids driving in one with the top down in Ocean City, Maryland. So obsessed that I can tell you the Jeep was white and they were on the east side, headed north, right in front of one of the bigger surf shops.

I finally caved two summers ago and I can't imagine ever driving anything else.

Danielle

I have a rear mounted radiator in my '31 roadster and have had mixed results cooling my engine. In fact, I've ended up having to mount a small second radiator (from a Mazda truck) in the normal front position in order to keep the system in the 190 degree range where I like to see it. For what they are worth, here are a couple of my observations.

1) The rear mount will GREATLY reduce air flow through the core no matter how you try to tuck it up into the chassis. Also, depending on it's position, you can pick up a LOT of very hot air coming off your engine, trans and exhaust system which will reduce cooling efficiency.

2) I can't be absolutely sure of this but I believe one of the largest problems with rear mounted radiators is the plumbing. In order to route the cooling to the proper locations you need a large number of angles and bends in the plumbing to get your coolant from point A to point B. Each one of these bends creates a major reduction in overall coolant flow. Add them all together and you get very inefficient system flow. I installed a new high flow water pump but I feel it is still under-powered for all the corners I have push coolant around.

3) Pay attention to the air flow EXITING the radiator. I found that heated air exiting my core was getting trapped under the car and then forced around the sides of the radiator only to be sucked right back through the core. Very inefficient. I ended up adding a shroud as well as some sheet metal air dams on the "exit" side to remedy to situation, but it's still far from perfect.

It sounds like your rear radiator is more trouble than it's worth? Would a larger front radiator handle the heat by itself?

I'm going to read this whole thread tomorrow. But let me just say, we are looking at minivans the end of the summer. :(

"my" car is an 88 e30 bmw 325is... currently the spouse's daily driver (I want it back!)

I have the Rango (04, Hemi) so I can wrangle my three stooges all over - as a daily driver, which is a super waster...
and now I have this...

yay! my wallet is getting fatter by the nanosecond!

02' trans am. I also drive a 01' suburban when I need a family truckster. We also have a 05' chevy truck and an infinity I have no clue what year it is. I drive neither of those cars. The truck is my husband's and the Infinity is the car we bought for our kids.

http://GHHSFootball.smugmug.com/photos/74075198-M.jpg

http://GHHSFootball.smugmug.com/photos/74074407-M.jpg

Chrysler Town & Country...

I have a 1999 Subrau Outback Sport with about 79K miles on it. Yeah, I drive a lot!

Whahhhh?

The wife and I bought new a '02 Jeep Liberty 4x4 and we've put 157,000 miles on it. THAT'S driving a lot, LOL.

Oh, and mjs, they ARE awesome vehicles...will take you just about anywhere. Gas mileage ain't the best–only 19/17mpg–but if they still make the V6 diesel for the Liberty then you can get better mileage than that...up to 500 miles per tank, I believe.

My wife takes the Jeep during the week for work while I drive a '96 Geo Prizm that we inherited from my wife's mother before she passed away. The car runs great, gives me 28-30 mpg, but the paint is oxidizing and fading on the roof and trunk lid, the driver's inside door is barely hanging on, and I swear Geo doesn't believe in sound proofing their vehicles for driving on the freeway.

Other than that, it's been a great car and will go to our niece once we decide to purchase a new vehicle later this year.

Thanks for the info on the Liberty Ray. The wife and I bought a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder a couple months ago. I'm getting about 22 mpg! Not the best, bur for a 7 passenger SUV, I'm very impressed. I still put a lot more miles on my old pickup truck tho. :)

MY new Toy... '99 Eclipse Spyder GS. 2.4 Litre engine will soon be replaced with a G474 6 Cyl 260 HPs engine out of a Diamante and the colour will change from yellow (screaming "hi there officer please remember to spell my name with a J") to the same metallic burgundy colour on the '07/ '08 Eclipse's.

Got it last Monday night and it hasn't seen the garage yet lol.

Cool thread,
I've had alot of cars but my latest is a Jeep.It goes everywhere , is bulletproof.
I keep it maintained because I beat it. It's never left me stranded.I've been in some pretty remote locations.
O.k. TONKA . A 2000 TJ (wrangler) 4;56 gears,Detroit lockers front/rear, 33" pro comp mud terrain tires,.
Rubicon Express 4" lift...ect... It will climb a wall in 4WD-low range.Alot of fun...
It's a jeep thing you may not understand.hehehe.

Rick

Sweet rides, Jaedon and Rick.

I love jeeps like that. The ones that are made to be abused!! I have always wanted an old Willies from the 40's. :)

Well depending on the weather...

2004 Chevy Silverado 2500HD Diesel... its my everything and everywhere vehicle... good for those backroad (or offroad) excursions to find my train pictures...
http://www.northeastfoto.com/gallery/files/4/3/2007_05_21-R00.jpg

For the sunnier days..
2003 Honda Goldwing... things been great... being a former sportbiker I gave in to traveling more... so more comfort was needed... this badboy has taken me to Newfoundland, ALL the eastern providences of Canada, and all the northeastern states... =)
http://www.northeastfoto.com/gallery/files/4/3/2007_06_24-R03.jpg

For the white season...
2004 Arctic Cat F5 Sno-Pro
A few of us ride REAL hardcore... we tow out with a 23ft V-nose and a few sleds to find the deep POO and then get busy... yup I DO have a camera backpack on... we carry all of our gear in to shoot while out riding... =)
http://www.northeastfoto.com/gallery/files/4/5/DSC_2700e2.jpg

I have a 1999 (stock) Jeep TJ. I can't believe anyone drives anything other than a TJ.

I'll put new rotors and a new front pinion seal in next week, an oil change at 115,000 miles, but that's about it. So that's about a hundred dollars worth of work, barring anything catastrophic.


Best part is, i can get four inches of water in the floor pans, drive it through pretty much anything offroad here in the great plains, and even get home when all the viaducts are flooded! All of the above, and I don't have to have a top or doors! now to save for the D44, lockers, 3" lift, and 33" mud tires! :thumbsup: I think of it as a dualsport motorcycle for two. :D

It gets about 13 MPG in mixed driving which is just as much as any of the trucks out there. It's not really built for towing, and it's about as aerodynamic as a billboard...but hey, it's a jeep.

I actually looked at Honda Elements before I bought the jeep :blush2:

I just bought another Jeep....temporarily I have 3 of them :D The daily driver is a 92 Laredo, the off road only 87 and now a 89 parts Laredo for the other two. I have spent the past couple days stripping it of everything and hope to have the engine and trans out tomorrow but thats dependant on the weather. The latest Jeep runs great, driveable, but I just needed parts for the other two, and considering I got $1500 worth of parts for $300 it was well worth it. And I still have the 97 Ram 2500HD which is once again running.

JS

2000 Subaru Outback
Japanese quatro/boxer

My 97 Mazda pickup turned 180,000 miles last weekend :)