The Biggest Mistake of My Life

[Rick Denney]

To me, $5K is quite a bit to pay for a 175K mi looks-like-a-truck . Admittedly (after I fixed it all up to like-new appearance) I have over $6K in my Chevy, but (again) it's a Chevy, has hi-lo 4WD, and a newly-rebuilt (absolutely runs like new) 350 with a 4-bolt main.

So, you paid more for a truck of basically the same size and features that is likely to have less remaining life.

Rick "suggesting that a 350 is a very old-school engine with an expected life of 100,000 miles, if rebuilt absolutely to manufacturer specs, which is, by the way, impossible" Denney

P.S. I once owned a GMC C1500, a Ford F150, and this is my second Toyota truck. When it comes to reliability, off-road capability, ground clearance, durability, and economy, I'll take the Toyota any day. When it comes to highway comfort, I'll take the GMC/Chevy. When it comes to the Ford, you can have it. I drove that Toyota up to Lake Ontario a couple of months ago, and wouldn't hesitate to drive it anywhere. But I would expect, in daily commuting, to show signs of its age in reliability. You haven't driven 30 miles one-way to work every day since I've known you, heh, heh. Don't underestimate the demand that makes on a vehicle.

[jeopardymaster]

Jon - hi neighbor (if you're still in the Cinti area, that is). When you see Dan, be sure to look at his St Pete as well. I am not at all high on the brand, but his is extra special. As is his 186. And I am sure you will find, as I have, that he is a consummate pro and a fine gentleman.

Also - if you ever feel the need to play some duets, drop me a line.

[jonesbrass]

tuba

Indeed. Tuba. Lots of good used ones in your price range. That's what I'd look for.

[sloan]

Words mean things, context means things, and word choices mean things.

The only "loans" that I tend to take out are the balance transfer credit cards.

no debt...none

Hmmmmmmmm.

[tubarepair]

Here's a thought:

I have an Old O-99 3 valve that I recall being in decent shape. It's been sitting since 1999 in the repair shop that I used to co-own in Mid-Missouri. I'm 99% certain it's still there and it would happily move to Cincinnati.

You can have it if:
A) You pay the shipping.
B) You pass it on to someone in a similar situation at some point in the future.

I'm not going to cast judgement on your credit debt since I was there at one time. Lots of stupid tuba purchases got me there, now I'm out and better for it.

Email:dhickman@RTC.edu if you are interested.

Daryl
UC Class of '94

[Chen]

When I bought my 07 Civic in Sept. 07, and I was (still am) fully prepared to drive it into my mid-age (28 now). I even pour Mobil 1 in it (now days cars have oil monitor I only change once every 7k miles). So, for me, given that I don't just sell my car when new ones come out, it's better that I know exactly how the car has been (very well) maintained and (fairly ) driven than not. Plus the resale value of these are so high that the extra few thousand dollars is, in my opinion, worth the peace of mind comes from knowing that if anything is defective, I'm covered for 36k miles/3 yrs. And of course there is the enjoyment of the most reliable years of any car. That said, insurance is higher and the girlfriend wrecked the car at about 2000 miles; the accident cost like $6k. Although insurance paid for it, resale value goes down. So, there's that risk with new cars.

[Rick Denney]

Yamaha tuba...

Toyota truck...

Jim Walter home...??

Both the Toyota truck and my Subaru have more U.S.-made content than your typical small Chevy. Considering how thin the profit margins are, I doubt I enriched those Japanese owners particularly much.

Rick "noting that the Subaru is mostly made in Indiana" Denney

[MartyNeilan]

4WD LWB 4-bolt-main 350 Chevy.

BINGO.
4 Bolt mains should be considered a requirement on any "performance" or "heavy duty" engine.

Unrelated, my wife did the "right thing" a few years ago and got a 2 year old dark green Honda Civic. We had tons of mechanical problems with the car, and due to its size and color, it was a magnet for getting hit. After one major accident the car never drove right on the highway anymore, despite numerous alignments and balances. The final thing was when it got hit several times within two weeks. The DAY AFTER we moved into our house, she traded it for next to nothing ( ) and bought a bright red Toyota Highlander FWD 4 cyl. She is satisfied for the time being.

[cjk]

...The other day, I encountered a poor soul on the highway with a broken axle. He was just over a hill at an extremely dangerous spot. I was glad to be able to drive up in the woods, back to the edge of the hill next to the highway's ditch, chain him up, and pull him over into the shallow ditch to make him and others relatively safe....

That was a test, city slicker. Pulling somebody out of a ditch with a chain is a rite of passage. Now you've been accepted into the Good Ole Boys of America club.

[Rick Denney]

Oh...I didn't understand that your 'yo is a small pick-up.

Heh, heh. Compare the bed dimensions of your truck with a Toyota T100. Compare payload, towing capacity, and engine power while you are at it. Compare ground clearance. Report back. And consider this: My 13-year-old T100, with 180,000 miles, still runs perfectly and looks like it could still be under warranty. Yours, with many fewer miles, has already had the engine replaced and paint applied (as had also been the case with my '74 GMC and my '84 Ford). Mine did much duty pulling a travel trailer, so it's not like it was really babied.

Rick "who also has a small Toyota with even more miles now retired to mulch haulage and dump runs" Denney

[Rick Denney]

OK, a T100...Where (somewhere in one of your posts...??) did I get the impression that it was a 4 cylinder model?

The thing is this: Both your truck and my truck are in the condition that they are in *now*. Neither of us knows to what use or care our trucks were put to during their earlier lives. From the looks of my original seat and carpet (now discarded and replaced) mine lived on two or three farms and did a tremendous amount of pulling and hauling.

If you want to hook them up, rear-end-to-rear-end with some 1/2" thick chain and a stream or pond in between, I might be game for that...as long as there is more reward to the ultimate result than simply giving a Toyota a bath.

(I do own a Toyota pickup with a 4-cylinder engine. It works fine, but does not compete with a bigger truck. I also only paid $1500 for it, and didn't have to replace anything except the rusted rear bumper. It's a good truck; it's only been rolled once.)

Since my Toyota has a standard transmission, I would rather not burn out a clutch to demonstrate something that has no value in actual application. Unlike a torque converter, a clutch has a stall speed of zero RPMs. That truck works by moving, not by doing isometric exercises.

In this case, I do know the history of the truck, however. I can still remember when the guy who owned it previously bought it (new). And I am familiar with the travel camper he towed with it. He and I have traveled to teaching gigs in that truck on numerous occasions.

Rick "who buys from friends when possible" Denney

[sloan]

Rick "who buys from friends when possible" Denney

But the real test is: will friends buy from you?

[Rick Denney]

Rick "who buys from friends when possible" Denney

But the real test is: will friends buy from you?

I've only rarely conducted the test.

Rick "who usually doesn't sell stuff" Denney

[sloan]

Rick "who buys from friends when possible" Denney

But the real test is: will friends buy from you?

I've only rarely conducted the test.

Rick "who usually doesn't sell stuff" Denney

I know - I've seen your garage...