Sold the idi

[NapaBavarian]

In my youth I spent a great deal of time in North Africa and different parts of Asia> Toyota's were King in those parts of the world. Good indestructible powerful diesels. The springs never sagged with years of abuse, light trucks doing medium duty work. Those trucks were never sold in this country. If they had been, this might be a Toyota Board.

I've spent some time in east Africa, not that different, their "buses" are about the size of a large minivan on the outside, and a full size van on the insid, a little diesel sits under the drivers seat and nothing on them to break down the Masai Mara they are built to be used, in this country anything short of a medium duty is designed to be driven empty, and I mean everything from a Geo Metro to an F250, soft and cushey or the american idiot won't buy it! just drop 4 solid adults in a 4 door sedan and see what happens! I like my cars like third world cars, simple, functional, and effective!

 

[pybyr]

I've spent some time in east Africa, not that different, their "buses" are about the size of a large minivan on the outside, and a full size van on the insid, a little diesel sits under the drivers seat and nothing on them to break down the Masai Mara they are built to be used, in this country anything short of a medium duty is designed to be driven empty, and I mean everything from a Geo Metro to an F250, soft and cushey or the american idiot won't buy it! just drop 4 solid adults in a 4 door sedan and see what happens! I like my cars like third world cars, simple, functional, and effective!

Totally agreed. Look at the old Toyota Land Cruisers-- you can't kill them as long as they are not exposed to salt/ rust.

But look at what the North American market landcruiser was changed into-- a big flabby vehicle marketed to big flabby customers.

What's interesting is that if you look at the origins of the original Jeep-style Toyota Land Cruiser, the whole thing was very strongly influenced by American designs-- the Body is an update of the US military M-37 (look at the two side by side and it's too strong a resemblance to be a coincidence) and the engine was strongly influenced by the old US in-line OHV sixes.

Along with my F350 and the 1951 M-37 with 16,000 miles on it in my barn awaiting installation of a new radiator, my other favorite Third World regular-use vehicle is my 1995 Ural (Russian) motorcycle with sidecar. You can work on it with basic tools, it'll go anywhere in any weather as long as you don't want to go over 55 MPH, and it'll run on any octane/ age gas you can find. And it is fun as heck for picnics with my son or taking women on dates. Everyone smiles and waves, even the doctors and accountants on Harleys that are out exercising their conformist pre-approved rebellion....

 

[pybyr]

You know, the other thing about these various flavors of vehicles is this--

do you want to keep owning it beyond about 3-5 years?

(and if not, do you want to keep incurring costs of leases and loans?)

and if you do want to keep it, do you want to have it be able to be worked on when it needs to be worked on (which they all will) without taking out a small second mortgage?

I've been there and done that with horror stories of vehicles (including the exalted Hondas, Toyotas, and Subarus) that are just barely beyond warranty and have some issue that mandates tools and equipment that only the dealer has-- and that involve disemboweling major systems of a vehicle that was designed to be assembled, but never designed to be taken apart without oodles and oodles of labor time. $700 parts plus a day and a half of labor at dealer shop rates SUCKS!!!

Yep, give me that ol-time-religion... I will drive this F350 until it is driveable no more, and since I got it with 12,500 miles on it last November, am oil undercoating it against rust, and maintaining it carefully, that ought to be a good chunk of my remaining lifespan.

 

[HammerDown]

"Or $50 or $60 K for something new that some day will be old and you will be out that money plus interest. I made that mistake on my old truck."

Too funny > no one ever tried to talk me out of buying my 1988 'new'...she runs 110% but damn, after all these years it would be nice to look at and drive something 'new' again > or 1-year old vs 22-years old.

No way another diesel for me + I don't need the 3/4 ton.
Something that runs happily on regular grade gas >maybe just a loaded F150 4x4 Lariet or King Ranch 4-door 6.5 bed.
The new 1500 Rams look nice too.

Ok > tar & feather me lol

 

[Shadetreemechanic]

I have never owned a new vehicle, and never will. It just doesn't make any sense to buy something that will immediately be worth 20% less as soon as it leaves the showroom and will then depreciate to less than half its value in the first 5 years. And its that bad if you pay cash. If you borrow to buy the numbers are even worse.
I am now at the point in my life financially where I could go out and pay cash for a new truck, but it isn't tempting at all.
You can buy new car smell in a bottle and squirt it in your truck. Its a heckuva lot cheaper.

 

[HammerDown]

...You can buy new car smell in a bottle and squirt it in your truck. Its a heckuva lot cheaper.

Kinda like spraying perfume on a old sling-back work horse

 

[RLDSL]

I'll never forget my first experience with a toyota truck. A buddy bought one new back in the late 70's early 80s and we took it on a ski trip from LA up to Mammoth MT ( Roughly 6 hours ) instead of my 1 ton ford van with a 300 6 cyl. My 1 ton van got 23 mpg , that stupid little mini truck wouldn't break 14. Two big guys with gear crammed into this tiny cab and everytime you hit a bump, your head would smack the rear window, because the 1.5" thick seat with zero lumbar support was right against the back window. When we hit Sherwin grade outside of Bishop, we had to pull over and yank the air filter out of the air cleaner because the thing was starving for air and it wouldn't make it up the hill. Had a shell on it, tried to camp in the snow, That was real fun Zero room, Then had to survive the trip back. Yeah, Toyota tough trucks, My ***
My old van had survived a previous life with a utility company, got 9 better mpg, would haul or pull anything, go anywhere without a fuss and not kill you in the process.

 

[idi traveler]

Now we know why we drive what we drive. It had never been made before and it hasn't been made sense.

 

[Beave32]

Well here she is...It drives real nice, gets pretty respectabel gas mileage for a full size truck and a bit more than my 7.3...I think my main problem was I couldn't keep my foot out of it to watch the smoke roll out the top haha

 

[NapaBavarian]

I buy my cars when they are old, keep them till they are classics!

 

[idi traveler]

Well here she is...It drives real nice, gets pretty respectabel gas mileage for a full size truck and a bit more than my 7.3...I think my main problem was I couldn't keep my foot out of it to watch the smoke roll out the top haha

I had an 80 chevy 1/2 ton that I gave my Daughter last year, when I got it it had 296 gears I think, replaced them with 373's and the gas mileage went from 15 to 16 mpg and all of the sudden it pulled like a dream. It has a 305 HO in it but I just pick up a 4 bolt 350 to build for her. She love the truck.

by the way, nice truck.

 

[Diesel_brad]

Well here she is...It drives real nice, gets pretty respectabel gas mileage for a full size truck and a bit more than my 7.3...I think my main problem was I couldn't keep my foot out of it to watch the smoke roll out the top haha

Nice truck. I would assume it has the 700r4 in there to get better milage than the 7.3

 

[Shadetreemechanic]

Nice truck. I have a 72 with the 350 and granny four speed. The parts are so plentiful that I don't think there is any doubt that a 70s-80 chevy full size is the cheapest vehicle to keep on the road. For some reason parts are way cheaper than the ford of the same vintage. The only reason I bought my IDI is so I could make my own fuel.

 

[david85]

That top gear episode kinda pissed me off. Lots of engines can survive being dunked in salt water and still run, but the question is for how long?

Having said that I still wish a nice, light, fuel efficient diesel compact pickup was still available in canada. For that reason, I'll keep the 87 diesel ranger in good health as long as I can.

 

[DeepRoots]

It's alright Beave.... I'm in the same place as you.
I've got 3 vehicles. The diesel sees the least use and is the most expensive to keep.
Anymore it drive 99% of the time unloaded.
Sorry to say, but drive a diesel 89 F250 3,000miles a year and it still needs tires and things still break.
Not to mention driving around my zoomy lil F100 is alot more fun, and easier to handle in the city.

I'll be selling my F250 in a month or two, just need to work out a few more kinks in the other vehicles while I've still got a heavy hauler handy. If any of yall want a crack at it, let me know, I'll post the ad here too.

Drew