FRAPPING CARS!!!

[ScottM]

My everyday car is a 1994 Jeep Cherokee with almost 170,000 miles on it. I have been looking for a new car but nothing really gets me wanting to buy. I want VW to come out with their Jette TDIs but that has been delayed until later this year. So I have been using the faithful Cherokee. But this winter has been hard on it. In the past two years I have to replace the windshield, water pump, front struts, battery, and recently the rear leaf springs and starter. It is feeling it's age. Last night it started making a lot of clunking when going over a bump. Looking underneath it was easy to spot a bolt had fallen out of the bracket that holds the anti sway bar. So I went and ordered a new bracket, bushing and two bolts figuring since the old one get bent I'll just replace the whole thing. The new stuff should be here tomorrow so I figured I'll take the old off. The other bolt just BROKE!!!!!

DAGNABIT! One falls out clean and the other is rusted in! Now I have to bring it in for somewhere to easy out the old one and put in whatever the is needed for the threads. If it ain't one thing it is another.

 

[steingar]

I drive a 1994 Toyota Tercel. It runs fine and I've never had to fix anything. Neener neener.

 

[EdFred]

I have a 2007 Colorado. No issues.

 

[ScottM]

I have a 2007 Colorado. No issues.

And no plane, Ne NEEEE ne Ne NEEE NEEE

 

[ScottM]

I drive a 1994 Toyota Tercel. It runs fine and I've never had to fix anything. Neener neener.

Everything I have had to fix with only a couple of minor thing has always been wear item. Most everything that has been done on the truck has been routine PM until this past couple of years. The car engine runs great but she is felling her age.

 

[steingar]

And I DO have a plane!

 

[EdFred]

And no plane, Ne NEEEE ne Ne NEEE NEEE

I'll save my fully developed response for June when I no longer have a mortgage payment and own my house free and clear.

Edit: and start the search for a twin. Or twins...mmmm....twins. Course that would require me to pay for dinner and movies.

 

[rottydaddy]

My '96 Tracker is still puffing along, after more than 150,000 miles in six years... haven't had much trouble with it that I couldn't fix myself, and although it's burning a little oil nowadays (startup checklist includes "smokescreen ON" ), it's still doing OK.
It's presently in the shop (busted speedo and some other minor stuff, plus inspection), and my mechanic says the compression is good... yes,the valves are probably going but it'll pass emissions once he gets the speed-sensor business sorted out.

That little Suzuki engine is hard to kill!

But of course, he couldn't find a new speedo for it, so I had to buy a used cluster on eBay.

For now, I just need that sticker on it... later this summer I'll probably have him do a valve job on it, then I'll put new shocks on it myself. That'll be it for a while (I hope); I'm still reeling from rehabbing the entire cooling system myself last summer, including replacing the heater core... I thought the main bearing seal was a tough job- the heater core was a major PITA!!

Pretty happy with that vehicle: bought it when I lived up a mountain on a dirt road, and needed a fuel-efficient 4WD. It's very good in snow and on dirt roads, fun to drive with the top down, and it still gets 30mpg on the highway.

 

[lawingr]

2008 Acura TSX and 2003 Mazda MPV, no problemos on either one

 

[akite]

I just got rid of my faithful chevy pickup last summer. It had about 430K on it and I sold it too another member of out gliding club when I got a new one. He said the only trouble he had with it is someone backed into him so now he has a large dent in one side, other than that no complaints. I just hope the new one goes as long so I can concentrate on paying for an airplane!

 

[Henning]

My '96 Tracker is still puffing along, after more than 150,000 miles in six years... haven't had much trouble with it that I couldn't fix myself, and although it's burning a little oil nowadays (startup checklist includes "smokescreen ON" ), it's still doing OK.
It's presently in the shop (busted speedo and some other minor stuff, plus inspection), and my mechanic says the compression is good... yes,the valves are probably going but it'll pass emissions once he gets the speed-sensor business sorted out.

That little Suzuki engine is hard to kill!

But of course, he couldn't find a new speedo for it, so I had to buy a used cluster on eBay.

For now, I just need that sticker on it... later this summer I'll probably have him do a valve job on it, then I'll put new shocks on it myself. That'll be it for a while (I hope); I'm still reeling from rehabbing the entire cooling system myself last summer, including replacing the heater core... I thought the main bearing seal was a tough job- the heater core was a major PITA!!

Pretty happy with that vehicle: bought it when I lived up a mountain on a dirt road, and needed a fuel-efficient 4WD. It's very good in snow and on dirt roads, fun to drive with the top down, and it still gets 30mpg on the highway.

Most likely rings, and not a valve job, and never do a valve job on an engine with more than 100k miles without putting a new set of bearings in the bottom end.

 

[Ted]

Most likely rings, and not a valve job, and never do a valve job on an engine with more than 100k miles without putting a new set of bearings in the bottom end.

I'd think valve seals rather than rings if the compression is good. Don't know about the Suzuki engines, but I know that on the Ford 4.6s any smoke is almost always valve seals.

I drive a 2000 Ford Excursion with 102,200 on it and the ABS is giving me problems, it needs a computer. My '92 Jaguar XJS is working great, but tomorrow it will get some feel-good maintenance.

 

[DeeG]

I have a 2007 Colorado. No issues.

Wait about 3 years. You'll be sorry you bought the damned thing.

Dee
former owner of POS 2003 Sonoma that was traded in on an Element when it was 3 years old.

 

[SCCutler]

Wait about 3 years. You'll be sorry you bought the damned thing.

Dee
former owner of POS 2003 Sonoma that was traded in on an Element when it was 3 years old.

Well, I have a 7 year old Caddy, and it drives like new.

 

[EdFred]

Wait about 3 years. You'll be sorry you bought the damned thing.

Dee
former owner of POS 2003 Sonoma that was traded in on an Element when it was 3 years old.

Had an 8 year old S10 that ran fine when I got rid of it for the Colorado. Company vans have always been GMs which all made it to the 300k mark. Mom's 2003 Bonneville is running fine, 99 Sierra is well over 100k with no issues. 88 Celebrity made it past 200k, as did the Olds 98 I had. I'm not worried.

 

[wsuffa]

Wait about 3 years. You'll be sorry you bought the damned thing.

As Scott may be with the VW Tdi. I've heard bad stuff about breakage and maintenance on the VWs.

 

[SCCutler]

As Scott may be with the VW Tdi. I've heard bad stuff about breakage and maintenance on the VWs.

YMMV. Celia's Jetta, 1.8 turbo (and she uses the boost, lemme tell ya'), is five years old and runs like new (or, perhaps, like nuevo, since it was built in Mexico).

Fast and frugal. I like it.

 

[rottydaddy]

I'd think valve seals rather than rings if the compression is good. Don't know about the Suzuki engines, but I know that on the Ford 4.6s any smoke is almost always valve seals.

That's my thinking, too- it only really smokes on startup, and the valves are a bit noisier than they used to be- probably some play there.
But no hurry- that engines' pushing 200K miles and it's never had the valves done. Never even had the lash checked, etc.

It doesn't seem to have lost much power, but it really never had any to begin with.

Whenever I finally get that addressed, I'll pay someone else to do it. I've done two main bearing seal swap-outs on that thing myself, outdoors, and I've had enough of that sort of thing.

My next big project will be the shocks, after I get all the interior plastic back in (replaced the heater core months ago, another job I'll never do again).