..... my car............ -.-*
- Thread starter rukia8492
- Start date
I had to scrap my car. I was driving on one of the busier streets here in Jackson and I noticed that I lost brake pressure because the pedal was going all the way to the floor. I managed to get the car home with no problems and my mom went with me to take the car to three certified mechanics at different shops. None of the shops could put the car on the lift so I knew right there that wasn't good and I found out the floor pan had holes underneath the back seat, back brake lines & proportioning valves were shot, fuel line was leaking by the filter, and sections of the frame were gone on the inside section of the frame on both sides. The lady that gave me the car didn't know about any of that and she told me that it had a tune-up and new ball joints. I thought that was odd because if the frame was fucked then how can the car be put on a lift to change the ball joints. She called her mechanic and he had the balls to play dumb with her and say he didn't know what car she was talking about and that he didn't know who she was. I told her that I wonder how fast he changes his tune when he sees a angry 6'2" tall country boy walking into his shop cracking his knuckles and itching for a excuse to raise hell.
Ehhh... how long have you had the car, what's the car? And what type of lift were these shops using?
I can't figure how the car could be so bad it can't be put on a lift and no one notice before... For it not t be able to be put on a lift, multiple jack points would have to be shot, which are reinforced to prevent just that...
I can't figure how the car could be so bad it can't be put on a lift and no one notice before... For it not t be able to be put on a lift, multiple jack points would have to be shot, which are reinforced to prevent just that...
I had the car for less than a month and the car was a '94 Olds 88 Royale. And the lift the shops tried using was either a 4 point lift or the type that would be used for taking a transmission out of the car. One of the shops put the car over the pit where they have their alignment rack and that is how I noticed what was messed up with the car. The told me that I was looking at $500 just for replacing the brake lines going from the master cylinder to the back and that was only if the could get the proportioning valves from the dealer and they didn't tell me what it would've cost to replace the fuel line going from the tank to the engine. All three of the shops also told me that with the way the chassis looked all it would take was for me to hit a bump just right and the rear axle would've come undone. Right now I am waiting to see what my youngest brother can find me for a vehicle that can handle Michigan winters even though it will be a California vehicle. So far he has found some Ford Bronco's and some Chevy Blazer's/GMC Jimmy's. He also told me he is trying to find a Volvo 850/V70 wagon that has the turbo engine with all wheel drive. I have even gone on E-Bay and found a Subaru Outback in Ypsilanti and a Chevy Colorado Z71 near Saginaw. Maybe someone here on TFF can tell me what kind of vehicle I should look for that won't kill me on gas or insurance.
From experience, the Blazer/Jimmy/Sonoma/s-10 chassis is robust but suffers from a few major flaws:
If you have the 4 wheel drive option, the front hubs are under-designed and WILL fail every few years. Between the two s-10 chassis vehicles we have that are 10 and 13 years old (bought new), I've replaced 9 of them so far. While they're not horribly expensive ($150 each if you fix them yourself) it does take about 2 hours to do one. If you don't do it yourself, look for a $600 bill for each one. Yeah, I learned to do that shit myself right fast.
The fuel pumps suck. They will fail if you repeatedly let the tank get below 1/4 full. They use the fuel in the tanks to keep themselves cool and if they get too warm they wear out. The sign here is a horrible howl or whistling-whine from the tank.
Once they get to about 10 years old, the Pitman arms and idler arm joints wear to the point they need replacing. Both vehicles have experienced this.
They average 17MPG in winter to 21 in summer on long trips for mileage with the 4.3L motors and 4WD tranny.
If you have the 4 wheel drive option, the front hubs are under-designed and WILL fail every few years. Between the two s-10 chassis vehicles we have that are 10 and 13 years old (bought new), I've replaced 9 of them so far. While they're not horribly expensive ($150 each if you fix them yourself) it does take about 2 hours to do one. If you don't do it yourself, look for a $600 bill for each one. Yeah, I learned to do that shit myself right fast.
The fuel pumps suck. They will fail if you repeatedly let the tank get below 1/4 full. They use the fuel in the tanks to keep themselves cool and if they get too warm they wear out. The sign here is a horrible howl or whistling-whine from the tank.
Once they get to about 10 years old, the Pitman arms and idler arm joints wear to the point they need replacing. Both vehicles have experienced this.
They average 17MPG in winter to 21 in summer on long trips for mileage with the 4.3L motors and 4WD tranny.
I was looking at the full size Blazer/Jimmy with either a 5.0 or a 5.7 in it. My brother was also trying to find a Dodge Ramcharger but he told me that will not be easy to find and he even asked me if I would like to get a 80's model Dodge Power Wagon but I told him no because I need something I can use to pick my nieces and nephew up from school in. So he is looking at the full size Bronco, Blazer, Jimmy, or a Volvo 850. I would like a crew cab pick up but my mom told me no and her reason was because the back end can slide out in the winter if there is no weight on the rear axle. I can take of the problem easily by making a frame out of 2x4 and stacking some cinder blocks from my back yard in it which is why I was looking at that Colorado Z71 in Saginaw.
The FULL size blazer? As in the 1980's tank monstrosities? Wow. Good luck on finding that one. My in-laws have an old early 80's Bronco, but I haven't seen anything else like that in way over a decade here.
As for weight: You can buy tubes of sand that weigh 60-70 pounds each. About 210 pounds seems to be sufficient for most conditions here in MN. That's what I use in my Sonoma Crew Cab. Once they wear out and break open after a few years, I use the sand for the driveway when it's slippery.
As for weight: You can buy tubes of sand that weigh 60-70 pounds each. About 210 pounds seems to be sufficient for most conditions here in MN. That's what I use in my Sonoma Crew Cab. Once they wear out and break open after a few years, I use the sand for the driveway when it's slippery.
car stories well last month i was driving my 92 geo prizm back from work when i heard what sounded like a card in bike spokes. a mile or so away from the bypass i hear what sounded like something dropping (it was my gas cap being blown clear off my engine ) followed by a complete loss of engine power. what ended up happening was that one of my pistons had gone through my engine block. it would have cost 2800 to repair it so me and my folks are just going to replace it
Driving on a dirt road. Hard solidified dirt with loose dirt on top, lots of 45 degree curves.
Come from a 45 degree turn at pretty high speeds, since I figured I needed to get home quickly.
Surprise motherfucker. A cat on the road. I'm not gonna drive over a fucking cat, fuck that.
Swerve and dodge it.
Another 45 degree curve.
Oh shit.
Car goes out of control, slide 10 meters sideways, with my tail light smashing a fence and finally drive into a pretty deep ditch.
Like, I jumped down into the ditch, and the road came to my hips.
Fuck.
Front wheel drive, front heavy, wheels don't get enough contact. Car is stuck. Got no phone on me. Forest road, closest house 5 miles and it's already past midnight.
Fuck that. Get hatchet from trunk, make a long pole from a tree and use leverage to get car slowly out and up over a period of 4 hours. Many deadlifts and overhead press's were performed.
Get enough sand, rocks and other trees under tires to lift front up and get traction.
Drive home and call insurance agency next day.
They told me they could give me 3k quick for it, or go the long way and I'd maybe get 3.5k. Well fuck them, went long way and got 8.5k and bought a new better car.
TL;DR
I deadlift cars and won't kill kitties.
Come from a 45 degree turn at pretty high speeds, since I figured I needed to get home quickly.
Surprise motherfucker. A cat on the road. I'm not gonna drive over a fucking cat, fuck that.
Swerve and dodge it.
Another 45 degree curve.
Oh shit.
Car goes out of control, slide 10 meters sideways, with my tail light smashing a fence and finally drive into a pretty deep ditch.
Like, I jumped down into the ditch, and the road came to my hips.
Fuck.
Front wheel drive, front heavy, wheels don't get enough contact. Car is stuck. Got no phone on me. Forest road, closest house 5 miles and it's already past midnight.
Fuck that. Get hatchet from trunk, make a long pole from a tree and use leverage to get car slowly out and up over a period of 4 hours. Many deadlifts and overhead press's were performed.
Get enough sand, rocks and other trees under tires to lift front up and get traction.
Drive home and call insurance agency next day.
They told me they could give me 3k quick for it, or go the long way and I'd maybe get 3.5k. Well fuck them, went long way and got 8.5k and bought a new better car.
TL;DR
I deadlift cars and won't kill kitties.
Some of the vehicles I have been looking at are.....
Volvo 850
Volvo S70
Audi A4
Ford Explorer 4X4 with a V8(The 4.0 V6 is a damn interference engine)
Ford Taurus Sedan, Wagon, or SHO
Subaru Outback
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Ford Bronco
Chevy Uplander
Ford F Series Crew Cab 4X4
Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra 4X4
Toyota 4-Runner
Chevy Impala(Civilian or Police)
Mitsubishi Montero
Any advice and opinions would be helpful.
Volvo 850
Volvo S70
Audi A4
Ford Explorer 4X4 with a V8(The 4.0 V6 is a damn interference engine)
Ford Taurus Sedan, Wagon, or SHO
Subaru Outback
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Ford Bronco
Chevy Uplander
Ford F Series Crew Cab 4X4
Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra 4X4
Toyota 4-Runner
Chevy Impala(Civilian or Police)
Mitsubishi Montero
Any advice and opinions would be helpful.
Would need to pay for those services, and that the closest house being that close didn't mean there would be anyone home.
I distinctly remember thinking "Man, there's been NO lights for like half an hour..."
And calling the car towwers = Police show up and slap me with a fine for endangering the traffic.
I contemplated it for 15 minutes or so before I got the hatchet.
I distinctly remember thinking "Man, there's been NO lights for like half an hour..."
And calling the car towwers = Police show up and slap me with a fine for endangering the traffic.
I contemplated it for 15 minutes or so before I got the hatchet.
I was looking at a Chevy Venture van that a local mechanic has in his lot. When I looked at it I noticed a box with some parts in it and from I noticed it looks like it had the serpentine belt replaced and it also had either the intake or exhaust manifold gaskets replaced and possibly the head gaskets. Right now I can't purchase the van because he has a mechanic's lien on it but I figure even though it is a mini van it would work for me so I can get to work or if I have to drive to Lansing or Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti.
I talked to my brother in California a few days ago and he asked me if I would be interested in a Chevy Suburban 4X4 or a Volvo 850R wagon or sedan and I told him either of them would work. But he did tell me that he is going to try to find me a Suburban that has either the 6.2 or 6.5 liter Detroit Diesel V8 in it so I was wondering if anyone can tell me the good and bad things about the 6.2 and the 6.5 because a diesel would work for me since I do haul stuff like scrap metal once in a while and I don't need a diesel that consumes a obscene amount of #1 diesel and I don't need a engine that will light the tires if I nail the throttle.
A Volvo wagon and a Suburban are such different vehicles I cannot really picture someone with needs that either would be acceptable for.
If you are hauling a minimal amount of stuff... a Volvo wagon other than a V40 (subcompact, early models a joint venture with Mitsubishi, later models a redone Ford Focus) should be fine Say a V60 or V70 or 850R (850 series is a earlier variant of the V70), and double nicely as a personal car and a family car.
If you need to haul a lot or have a big family or have some unusually large transportation needs, a Suburban is fine, but they are dreadful on fuel in comparison to a passenger car. Diesel or Gasoline, unless you need it, would not go with a suburban.. Also, they do not fit in all Garages or driveways, and I believe some communities, at least around me, class that as a commercial truck and need a permit to park on street.
No stock Suburban is going to be a rocket performance car... the large engines are tuned more for torque and power, not performance.
I have minimal knowledge on the GM Diesel engines though, so cannot help there.
Can I suggest a compromise? Do not know your options, but if you can scale back from a Suburban... maybe a Tahoe. Still big, still a bruiser, but smaller and a bit more maneuverable than a Suburban.
If you are hauling a minimal amount of stuff... a Volvo wagon other than a V40 (subcompact, early models a joint venture with Mitsubishi, later models a redone Ford Focus) should be fine Say a V60 or V70 or 850R (850 series is a earlier variant of the V70), and double nicely as a personal car and a family car.
If you need to haul a lot or have a big family or have some unusually large transportation needs, a Suburban is fine, but they are dreadful on fuel in comparison to a passenger car. Diesel or Gasoline, unless you need it, would not go with a suburban.. Also, they do not fit in all Garages or driveways, and I believe some communities, at least around me, class that as a commercial truck and need a permit to park on street.
No stock Suburban is going to be a rocket performance car... the large engines are tuned more for torque and power, not performance.
I have minimal knowledge on the GM Diesel engines though, so cannot help there.
Can I suggest a compromise? Do not know your options, but if you can scale back from a Suburban... maybe a Tahoe. Still big, still a bruiser, but smaller and a bit more maneuverable than a Suburban.
What I need is a vehicle that is good on fuel, has a decent engine, and has enough ground clearance for the winter months since the City of Jackson likes to push snow from the street into the end of my driveway and if the vehicle has low ground clearance it is a pain to get out so I need something on the lines of a wagon, sedan, or even a small 4X4 SUV or even a minivan.