The GM 5.3 Z71 is all the truck you'll ever need for those conditions. I have one I bought new in '02 and just rolled 130k and have had no problems with it. I have towed a few things, hauled way more than it's rated for, and often used it for a family vehicle. There's nothing wrong with Ford either, but like Wexton said go with the 5.4 if you get one. Every person I've known with a Dodge truck has had to put a transmission in it.
I had a 99 Z71 in high school and I fucking loved it. It would be my first choice for the net truck, but I'm gonna be honest and say I think the new ones are ugly as fuck. The front ends are huge, and to me it looks like they're about to drag the ground. But maybe thats just me.
I'm on my second company truck, both Ford F150s. I was never a big Ford fan, but these trucks have been great. Don't even think about getting the 4.6 v8, you'll hate it. Get the 5.4L. If you're going to do any towing, make sure to get one that either came with the factory tow package, or has had a transmission cooler installed. You'll be able to tell if it has the factory package because in front of the radiator will be a smaller radiator that's probably about 1/4 the size of the radiator or a little smaller. Trying to do a lot of towing, especially in hot weather, without a transmission cooler will fry your transmission, as my neighbor can tell you. Of course, he probably never turned o/d off either. I've towed a trailer for work that's well over the rating for my truck for thousands of miles, and never had any problems. He has the same year (07) F150 without the towing package, and towed his motorcycle trailer on a few trips (one TX to Sturgis) and his tranny took a dump on him last month. All the guys I work with have Ford F150s and pull heavy trailers like me, and nobody has had any mechanical problems. As for the other brands, my father-in-law has a couple of Dodges out on his ranch, and they're falling apart. They still run, but it seems like every time I get into one, something breaks. The interiors are shit. I hear good things about the Toyotas, but don't have any long-term experience to draw from between myself or my friends. The only Chevy truck in my group of contacts is a 98 Chevy 1500 that hasn't run in at least 4 years out at the ranch.
Just got my Cold Air Intake, lowering springs, and wheel spacers in the mail. I'll install them probably this coming weekend and post pictures and possibly video if I can.
I'm posting this in the Can Someone Help Me With This? Thread too. I'm having a problem with the CD player in my car. Its the factory installed CD player/AM/FM stereo in my 2000 Ford Explorer XLT. When I put a CD in everything is fine for about the first 8 tracks. Starting with track 9 or so there's this weird scratchy noise that gets progressively worse with each track. Track 9 is listenable but 10 and after are awful. Its not the CD, I tried with different CDs from different genres and tried messing with the bass and treble settings and nothing fixes it. Is it just old and I should get an after market stereo? Can someone recommend one? Help please.
10 year old factory stereo that hasn't been cleaned may well be at the end of it's life. A simple fix is to get some canned air and spray it into the cd slot. If that doesn't do the trick and/or you decide to go with an aftermarket unit hit up... <a class="postlink" href="http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Car/MyCar.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Car/MyCar.aspx</a>?
Some great cars and some wonderful sounds: Italian Gathering 2010 in Dublin, OH. Check out the gorgeous '75 LP400. The yellow Gallardo at the end has 60,000+ miles. Not bad for a 2007.
Just take the container of compressed air, attach the little tube and poke it into the CD slot and spray right?
Close your eyes an imagine the inside of the cd player is full of dirt and dust. Imagine what you'd have to do to blow it out of there. Nothing special or anything, just blow the fuck out of it. Listen for any busted pieces parts that might be rattling around in there.
yea, i was going to suggests the same thing. It sounds like something is stuck/caught when the lazer goes to read the further out it gets.
Any experience with a 1996 Impala SS? These have always been a favorite of mine. Great highway car with some cool factor. Found one with 36k!!! miles on it but I think the guy's son got ahold of it and gave it some abuse (I know I would of when I was 18). I know the 5.7L motor is as close to bulletproof as they come but what about the trans and drivetrain? Thanks.
Hey guys – I just created an account but I’ve been a long time lurker at this site since it began. Anyway, there is a good chance I’ll be starting a new job soon in a new city, but there’s a slight problem – I’ll need a car to get to and from the job. I’m completely green when it comes to car buying and general automotive knowledge – so I was wondering if I can get some general advice here. I saw the automotive thread on the board but it’s not focused on general car-buying tips so much///// scratch that - I've been told to post this here instead of the advice board . And I’ve already began scouring the internet, but it’s hard to separate wheat from chaff. I just graduated and I’m not certain but I’m probably looking at 35k/ year. I might be able to negotiate more. I’m basically trying to buy the cheapest possible car that will get me from A to B, probably 30 miles and back every day. Now, some things I’ve seen say anything under 10k will probably have a lot of repair and reliability issues. But that seems like a lot (to me), even spread over 3 years. However, if I buy a car for 3k or 5k or something like that, is that going to cost me more in repairs long term? I know that every car is different and varies, but I don’t want to be guessing completely. It’s hard to spot a deal from a lemon, I guess. Any general tips or advice? I was looking at craigslist and private sellers, but one site warned to avoid if you are new to car buying or you might get taken, might as well spend the extra $1,000-2,000 at a used dealer to get a warranty and be under consumer protection laws. Some advice I’ve got so far is: Get Carfax reports for a month/ $40 When you are close to buying, get an inspection by a mechanic/ $100 typically And then something about not buying a car with over 75,000 miles/ 15k miles a year? I don’t know there’s a lot of information out there. Any advice? I'm probably also constrained by time a bit.
So what you're trying to say is that you don't know anything about car buying but you want something as cheap and reliable as possible because you can't afford to dump a bunch of money into maintaining it. A couple questions. 1. Is driving in the snow an issue where you are? 2. Do you have any car size requirements? As in you need an SUV or full size car? 3. How long are you planning on keeping this vehicle for?
1. Not at all. 2. Compact is fine. 3. I don't know how long I plan to hold on to it - 3-5 years, maybe longer if its still running.
Anybody have any experience with Grand Ams? Specifically a '99 se. All my dashboard emergency lights have come on and everything else (speedometer, gas gauge) seems to not work. The car itself runs fine it's just a bitch to have to guess my speed. I would just take it to a shop but I'm short on cash until next week.
A 2003/2004 Honda Civic LX is probably the best vehicle for your requirements. There are millions of them around, parts are cheap, they're reliable, and you can buy a car with below average miles for right around $5k. Or if you want to be towards the lower end of your price range you can get a nice Saturn L200 for $2,500-3k. Before you say, "A fucking Saturn!?", these cars last far longer than their other GM counterparts.