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American cars

Started by Den Socling, December 18, 2016, 04:47:58 PM

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Den Socling

While watching football and car ads, I was thinking about the turn around at Detroit How could they be so bad in the days of the Pinto and Vega? They have advanced light years and are now as good as any cars built anywhere on earth. That's great work!  :)

Chop Shop

I dunno, my wifes escalade has 110,000 miles and Im putting new intake manifold gaskets on it right now.

Her Jeep has 42,000 miles on it and the horn blares full bore until you pull the horn relay out.  It wont start with the key now, somehting bad in the ing switch or neutral safety switch?

Yay! Detriot!

We just sold her old 4runner that had 400,000 miles on it with no problems and the original engine/trans/rear end.

My ol toyota has over 300,00 miles on it and I drive it daily still.

Den Socling

400,000 miles?! Wow! I remember when 100,000 was expected from only Mercedes and Volvo.

WV Sawmiller

  If you are talking about ugly cars don't forget the Pacer.

   Of course overseas answer was a Yugo - famous as car least likely to get stolen.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

Den Socling

Yeah the Yugo! Probably a collector's item now.  :D

Ox

I remember riding in a 4 door Yugo around 25 years ago.  I remember being scared of how it rode over the bumpy, curvy mountain roads.  It was as if we were about to lose control at any moment and we were under the speed limit.  I liked to have sucked the burlap off the seat the whole way...
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

Jeff

The 4 door was the wego.  ;D The Yugo was one of only two vehicles to go over the edge of the Mackinaw bridge. It was blown over I think. The other vehicle was said to be a suicide.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Kbeitz

If you want high mileage then check out Subaru. I don't think any American
Car can touch what they can do.
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

fishpharmer

Kbeitz, true! My folks have a Suburban with a little over 300,000 miles, no major problems.
Built my own band mill with the help of Forestry Forum. 
Lucas 618 with 50" slabber
WoodmizerLT-40 Super Hydraulic
Deere 5065E mfwd w/553 loader

The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work. --Tom A. Edison

samandothers

Kibitz were you indicating Suburban in you post or Subaru?

I am with Fishpharmer on the Suburban story!  I too have a Suburban 1998 model with 305,000.  Now it has some issues but I am pleasantly surprised how well it has done.  In take manifold gasket somewhere near a 100k to 200k but not else!  No engine nor transmission issues.  Two kids used in in college.  pulled horse trailer for a while,  pulled a scout trailer some, great vehicle!   

Kbeitz

Opps... I had to go back and fix that spelling...

Subaru
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

fishpharmer

My bad, I hear good things about Subaru too, they don't seem popular in the South.
Built my own band mill with the help of Forestry Forum. 
Lucas 618 with 50" slabber
WoodmizerLT-40 Super Hydraulic
Deere 5065E mfwd w/553 loader

The reason a lot of people do not recognize opportunity is because it usually goes around wearing overalls looking like hard work. --Tom A. Edison

Kbeitz

 Subaru has a million mile club...
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

Ox

I suppose after Subaru finally acknowledged their faulty, no good head gaskets after 12 or so years and rotting/rusting problems of the rear sub frame causing a dangerous suspension collapse condition with my entire family in the car that the company won't back up because they "coated the insides of the rear sub frame during a recall", they're OK.  Both of these happened to our 2002 Subaru Outback.  Great cars in the snow, decent mileage, not so good for big/tall guys like me but serves the purpose.  Apparently in a salt free state and if you take care of them, they'll go 300,000 miles.  Ours is at 250,000 or so, but I've had the engine out for head gaskets, timing belt, water pump and new clutch kit and had to put in a rust free rear sub frame.  The sub frame is a job I wouldn't do again, ever, no matter how much money.  Unless it was on a car that never saw salt...  THE worst mechanic job I've ever had to do.

Our next car will be a Toyota Camry, 4 cylinder.  Great mileage, comfort, room, reliability, and they stand up to salt better than Subarus (an observation of a neighbor's Camry, 2004, with no car washes or anything, still looks new and only surface rust underneath at over 200,000 miles).
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

Jeff

The Forestry Forum truck a 1999 silverado with 5.3 is still road ready after 370,000 miles. The body is getting pretty bad and the regulators shot on both windows, but it is still ready for backup if needed. My current chevy had 150,000 miles on it and it is our primary vehicle. As long as I can keep finding low mileage *less than 150,000, 1999 chevy 1500 series pickups with the 5.3, I'll be happy!
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Kbeitz

I still have my first truck... They just don't build them like they use to.
1967 Datsun. It now has over 200.000 miles on it.



 
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

Dave Shepard

Nobody in my family will ever own another Subaru.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Bert

I just traded my Subaru Legacy in on another Ram. It was a good car in the snow but a rattly thing. No doubt it will be a high mileage piece in the long run. I think I'll stick to my truck though.
Saw you tomorrow!

sawguy21

No vehicle is perfect, it doesn't matter which one we name somebody will have a horror story. We have a 97 Ranger with over 300,000 km, (180,000 miles) and although showing it's age it just refuses to quit. I have had the intake manifold resealed, no gaskets, and the fuel pump replaced.
Our 05 Ram diesel has been equally trouble free. The a/c clutch failed and now the heater needs to be repaired (an ugly job) but it has been one of the best vehicles I have owned and there have been a lot of them. The absolute worst was an early 70's Ford Cortina, England's answer to the Yugo. >:(
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

Ox

Has England ever built a reliable vehicle?  It seems every time an English vehicle is mentioned, it's always with a wink of the eye somehow when regarding repairs, reliability or maintenance.  But they did give us the Supermarine Spitfire!  air_plane
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

Den Socling

England has built some horrible motor vehicles. Lucas electrical systems was one reason. However, I had a couple old Triumph TR3's. I used to beat the dickens out of them and they took it - mostly. I was always knocking out a cluster gear in the transmission. Later I got a Volvo P1800E and I still have it despite the fact that, when in college, that poor car never saw a shift before the red line. Now my most recent toy is a Miata. It's a natural born racer! I never drove much Detroit iron.

blackfoot griz

My first car was a 1974 Vega, orange in color with a tan interior and a Realistic  8 track adapter...what a clunker. The only  inferior car (my opinion) was discovered on a sales trip to St. Martin. I upgraded to the mid size rig. I was a Yugo "Getz" 4 door with AC. It couldn't get out of its own way. Turning on the AC worked as a Jake brake. My garden tractor has more horsepower and torque!

Ianab

QuoteEngland has built some horrible motor vehicles. Lucas electrical systems was one reason

Lucas, the Crown Prince of Automotive Darkness.  :D

We tend to look at those old cars with Rose Tinted glasses. And now  just drive our Toyota's and Mazda's without carrying a full tool kit in the trunk.  :D
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

SwampDonkey

Toyota here, I had enough fixing of Chevs and Dodges for a lifetime.  ;D Domestic vehicles are getting rare in parking lot here. I do see a lot of Ford trucks and a lot of these new Dodge trucks. A couple young fellas that thinned last year had new Dodges. But the Irvings who were loyal to Ford since the first dealership appeared here are buying Toyota Tacomas for their woods foremen. They still have a few full sized Fords in the woods. The woods roads here are just too hard on big heavy pickups with poorly designed front ends. They start falling apart at 50,000 km. ;D

My cousin seems to like Jeeps, even after having two in a row have their transmission fail after just 3 years. I remember years ago an old timer I new was always fixing his jeep.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

snowstorm

irving buying toyota? way back when irving was a ford dealer. i have only driven one newer toyota  truck the bigger one. it went ok. but was not anything i would buy

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