""new truck deal turns to a disaster"

[dverna]

Doug

I like the way you think. My last purchase was a "beater" truck with a plow. (A plow is almost a must have where I live - middle of nowhere in upper MI.) I have about $4500 into it after doing the U-joints, body work, heater, plow repairs, brakes, tires, etc . If it lasts 5 years I will have less than a grand a year into it and it will still be worth something.

The damn things runs so well I use it as my daily driver during the winter, I even use it in the fall and spring when the roads up here are thick with mud.

I will never buy another new car unless I win the lottery. My health does not allow me to do as much as I used to, but one of my buddies up here is a backyard mechanic so we can get some of the work done inexpensively. Buying parts on line we can get them for 50-70% of the cost locally at retailers. So even the repairs I need to take to the local shop are less expensive as they are willing to let me supply the parts.

Not everyone can work on vehicles, or knows someone who can, so it is not a great plan for everyone. I must admit I miss the vehicles of the 60's. So simple to work on compared to today.

Don Verna

[jmort]

As for small engines, Honda is preferred by every contractor I ever met. I have bought many many small engines for concrete saws and plate compactors. Nothing comes close to the Honda small engines. I have also seen Honda cars provide amazing service. My 1997 F150 runs like a top in spite of its anemic 4.6 V-8. 2013 Ford Edge handles icy roads better than any vehicle I have driven and our 2012 Ford Explorer has be all around great. My wife wants and will get an Escalade which I would never get for me. I will stick with my 1997 F150. I hope it lasts a while longer.

[OS OK]

When you are a truck guy...your a truck guy. I wonder why they ever invented cars? They don't get through the rough or carry your tools...kinda useless. But when they created the extra cab, it just couldn't get any better than that...well 4x4 goes without saying, part of the perfect ride.

When Niki, my daughter was just a kitten, her idea of a perfect ride was a black pickup with yellow flames on it. I still kid her about that.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

SNIP...

This 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier Wagon was bought from Craigslist in 2010, with 82k original miles, salvage title so it had been totaled in the rear and fixed. Cost $1500. Tires $350 battery $125 wipers $25 intake gasket kit $35. Cost of ownership $2035.00 driven since October of 2010 = $391 per year. Not too shabby!

Doug,
I am jealous...I wish I had your talent and skills.
I too use the same philosophy of automotive expense, but I also inherited (from my late father, God rest his soul) a penchant to always want to drive something else...to try them all, so to speak. I've probably owned 25 to 30 different vehicles since 1981. My goal has been to spend $1000 per 10Kmi or per year to drive a vehicle, much of the time I come close, but sadly it's rare I spend less that $1000. I suspect that is due to my penchant to buy and sell.

Well, we all have the one story to brag about. Mine was in about 1987, I bought a 76 Plymouth Volare' with 65Kmi, from a friend of a friend for $600. To my luck, the previous owner had the talent of car care (and improvement) that you have, Doug. I drove that 10 year old, American made car for 3 years (about 25Kmi), and didn't even need to put tires on it, all I did was change oil and add Gas). The rust started getting bad and a bearing in the rear end started howling, So I sold it (for $250) to someone who was willing to fix it. That was some cheap driving.

I rarely keep a car for more than 4 years, sometimes I luck out and don't have to pay for expensive repairs, but many times a BIG fix is in the cards. Currently my 1971 Chev C20 camper special has an issue with severe rust on the trailing arms on the rear suspension...So I'm looking at selling it "as needing repairs" or spend about $1K to fix it...and who knows what other rusty surprises I'll uncover during that repair...adding to the bill.

[AlaskaScott]

This truck started as a joke with a friend, but the I decided I liked the idea so I built it. Still one of my favorites

[OS OK]

Awesome....looks like an Alaskan special. I can see all the gear stored inside with room for Buds and the heavy gear strapped down on the bed...looks perfect for Alaska.

[jonp]

I dropped down to Doug's today to have him do some work on a Blackhawk Convertible 45lc/45acp (great work and an interesting time watching him do it in front of me. Very cool and he does good work for a reasonable price.) and I took a look at the Blazer and crawled under it. New motor with the receipt, body in great shape with no rust, interior in great shape, towing package with a Reese hitch, good Michelin tires should give a couple of years to someone, no rust under the vehicle or sign of hard off road use, the drivers side window doesn't work as he said but I didn't test it myself, cranked right up with a newer battery and ran with no hitches with the V6 sounding strong.

The vehicle is worth $3,000 or more imho although I'd have to drive it first to listen to the ball joints/steering/brakes etc. However, I have no doubt it is as sound as he says and I'd have no problem buying it. Keep in mind I'm a shade tree mechanic and this is just my opinion but it looks good to me.

[DougGuy]

The vehicle is worth $3,000 or more imho although I'd have to drive it first to listen to the ball joints/steering/brakes etc. However, I have no doubt it is as sound as he says and I'd have no problem buying it. Keep in mind I'm a shade tree mechanic and this is just my opinion but it looks good to me.

Thanks for the post Jon. You wouldn't hear anything in the front end, the CV joints, or any of that, I tested it myself in both 2wd and 4wd modes, cut the wheels all the way and drove a circle, then did the same in reverse, could only hear tire tread on pavement which would be normal for turning a tight turn, and the brakes, you can drive it and let go of the wheel and hit the brake pedal hard as you want to and the steering wheel stays where you left it.

I have worked my way through the PMs that were sent on this vehicle, and it is currently for sale to whomever is interested and wants to come get it with cash in hand (preferrably).

[shdwlkr]

Well I am a ford guy and that means a F250 diesel 4x4 crew cab and is 11 years old, got a 2013 vw jetta diesel that one day vw is taking back, so I went looking for a replacement and ended up with a gmc denali 4x4 2 years old and very low mileage and at a price I couldn't walk away from. You need to keep and open mind anymore when it comes to vehicles as no one company has the best anymore.

[Deep Six]

I too believe in driving as cheaply as possible. My best yet was a 92 Ford Explorer purchased in 2003 with 76000 miles on it for $3100. I finally got sick of patching rust holes in the floor (stupid road salt) and sold it last spring for $700 with 331,000 miles on it. Do the math and you'll find I drove it 13 years and 255,000 miles for $2400. That's less than $0.01/mile. Obviously it needed tires/brakes/exhaust over the years but the only significant issue was replacing cracked cylinder heads because the PO mixed that GM dexcool **** antifreeze in with the standard stuff and turned the whole radiator to gum, causing the motor to overheat and the heads to crack.

I now have a very healthy respect for the Ford Rangers and identical early Explorers. Those pushrod 4.0s are great motors, especially with the manual trans like mine had. Unfortunately, Explorers got steadily worse as they moved them further and further from the proven Ranger platform.

[jcwit]

It really surprises me that those of you who live in the rust belt do not use or have your vehicles sprayed with rust proofing oil.

https://www.krown.com/

https://corrosionfree.com/

To name but 2, I use corrosionfree, been rust free for years.

[shoot-n-lead]

I have transitioned, over the years, to a Ford guy as I have had such great service from them. I have had all makes...the Fords have just been the best for me. However, I have seen many examples of all brands that have been stellar vehicles...so, I feel that a person has a lot of options when looking for a good vehicle...there are a lot of them around...and no brand is the best.

[jonp]

It really surprises me that those of you who live in the rust belt do not use or have your vehicles sprayed with rust proofing oil. To name but 2, I use corrosionfree, been rust free for years.

Hot oil undercoating was pretty standard in my neck of the woods as was Ziebart.

[MaryB]

Even with undercoating in MN road salt finds nooks and crannies and eats the bottom out, especially cars from the Twin Cities. My current pickup is a Twin Cities find, 143k on it and the body is going to fail long before the engine. In fact it needs a new bed now. I don't dare walk in the bed anymore...

It really surprises me that those of you who live in the rust belt do not use or have your vehicles sprayed with rust proofing oil. To name but 2, I use corrosion free, been rust free for years.

[TXGunNut]

I'm a Ford guy but I don't mind saying those Blazers were some tough little trucks. Finding one in good condition is a good find. I have a new truck now but I kept the last one for over 19 years. It's hard to let an old Ford go, even when it likes breaking expensive parts on a regular basis.

[jcwit]

Even with undercoating in MN road salt finds nooks and crannies and eats the bottom out, especially cars from the Twin Cities. My current pickup is a Twin Cities find, 143k on it and the body is going to fail long before the engine. In fact it needs a new bed now. I don't dare walk in the bed anymore...

Undercoating is not the answer. A spray on creaping oil is. Both products I posted links to were developed in Eastern Canada, and the one is used by their Military.

I know all about salt on the roads here in Northern Indiana, at present all paved roads are white with salt, MN is far from the only State using salt. If you have never experienced our conditions here don't jump to conclusions.

Again, undercoating is not the answer, the oil creaping, it creaps all summer long as well!

[shoot-n-lead]

Honda is preferred by every contractor I ever met

Down here in my part of the south, Kawasaki, is king.

I have both, have not been able to discern which is better...they are both, great engines and Jap made.

[A pause for the COZ]

Thats a good one Doug.
I used to drive beaters because I had too. Now I drive them because I would rather spend money on Guns and stuff.
Dumping cabbage into some thing that looses 20% of its value the 1st day you drive it. never has seemed money well spent.
I have pretty much settled on two types of beaters.
Dodge Mini vans. Mainly because they are so dang useful and parts are cheap and every were. UTube is full of how to fix ems.

And Old Saturns. Cheap to get, cheap to drive and super easy to work on.
Here is my latest beater. A 1992 Saturn sl2. I picked this one up from a on line State Surplus auction for $219.
I have put another $500 into it to get it just how I want it.
I bet I get 3 years of running and sell it for what I have in it. Then rinse and repeat.

[jonp]

Cheap is always good if you don't buy junk and are interested in doing the work yourself. Our 97 Honda CRV was bought 6yrs ago for $5500. Put a rebuilt transmission in it (operator error, don't ask), new suspension/tie rods/ball joints water pump and the usual spark plugs, wires etc. Along with oil changes and windshield wipers I figure we are still under $110/month on it. All the work I've done myself in the driveway with the parts coming from Rock Auto and Ebay. The Honda is striking me like my last Tacoma did, very easy to work on yourself with basic tools and a willingness to get dirty.

[No_1]

Closed at OP's request.