Who can afford a new truck anymore?

[ultrarunner]

I guess we are spoiled when it comes to rust free cars in California... I see perfectly good cars/trucks... as in rust free going to the scrap yards... mostly, it is because the vehicle will not pass California Smog test... again, the emission test is the nail in the coffin for most...

I'm up at Tahoe with my fully loaded down 1985 Chevrolet G20 van.... 30 years old and still earning it's keep hundreds of miles from home... who would have thought a carbureted 305 V8 would still be tooling down the road?

 

[MossRoad]

I guess we are spoiled when it comes to rust free cars in California... I see perfectly good cars/trucks... as in rust free going to the scrap yards... mostly, it is because the vehicle will not pass California Smog test... again, the emission test is the nail in the coffin for most...

I'm up at Tahoe with my fully loaded down 1985 Chevrolet G20 van.... 30 years old and still earning it's keep hundreds of miles from home... who would have thought a carbureted 305 V8 would still be tooling down the road?

Yeah, we had a 93 G20 conversion van with the short wheelbase.... EFI, no carb. I got rid of it when I could see the road through the rusted side walls. :laughing: Bought a 93 suburban to replace it. Kept the transmission, fuel injection, computer and a few other parts that were interchangeable for spare parts. Rust is a problem here, after about 10 years. But really, its much better now than back in the 60s and 70s. 4 years for bad rust was fairly common back then. Now you don't have to worry about rust until you get paint chips. Keep em washed and clean, touch up any paint chips and they'll last 15-20 no problem.

 

[ultrarunner]

In full disclosure... I am starting to get some rust showing on the roof.

Would like to have it painted and would do it in a heartbeat except when I bought the Van it 25 years and newer needed smog checks and now my 1985 needs smog check forever as does my 1976 cars... which can be a problem or at least a hassle each time.

 

[MossRoad]

How does that smog check work with older vehicles/antiques? We got nothin in Indiana for safety, emissions, etc... we had safety inspections when I was a kid, but you could pay a crooked garage some extra cash for a sticker, and if something failed, the garage would just say it happened after the inspection. It was pretty much a scam and unenforceable, so they did away with it.

 

[TomSeller]

But it was the "mooning" that was most liberated by not having to constantly go for the clutch.

Note to self: When being passed on the road by KiotiKowboy, look STRAIGHT AHEAD, do NOT look to the side.

 

[ultrarunner]

How does that smog check work with older vehicles/antiques? We got nothin in Indiana for safety, emissions, etc... we had safety inspections when I was a kid, but you could pay a crooked garage some extra cash for a sticker, and if something failed, the garage would just say it happened after the inspection. It was pretty much a scam and unenforceable, so they did away with it.

Basically 1976 and new needs to pass every two years... or when sold... if you buy a new vehicle... the State charges an extra in lieu of fee so no check the first 5 years... even late model Diesel Trucks now have to be inspected which has caused some problems for those with tuners...

The reality is a 1975 model and a 1976 could be identical and the 1975 is worth a lot more because no smog check required...

As mentioned... it was 25 years and then exempt... then it was 30 years and exempt and now the State has it frozen at 1976 and newer... and I have several 1976 cars and a few newer ones...

The quick way to pass smog is with a new Cat... my 85 Van is on it's third one now... the smog guy was not too happy about it... told him I was not going to pay $400 to $600 for his time to see if he "Could" get it to pass... paid $260 to my friend with a muffler shop and knew it would pass... runs great and the last thing I need is some 25 year old messing around with my 4 barrel carb...

Many perfectly good cars... both appearance and drivability fail smog... older high end cars are particularly bad and parts for a 1980's Mercedes 500 or BMW most likely are no longer available when it comes to California only emission equipment.

 

[dmccarty]

And if you've got the 7.3 you've got one that should run a LONG time.
One of the difficulties many of us face as consumers is the inability to charge the cost off on our taxes or as a business expense. The average business owner can charge his customers to pay for his truck and write it off on taxes, I imagine many farmers etc. here can write them off on their taxes. That effectively reduces the cost of the truck by twenty to thirty per cent.

Yep, I have the 7.3 and it has 202K miles on it with only one repair. I had to replace the hydraulic clutch assist year ago, easy to do but releasing the clutch spring while your face was near the clutch pedal had to be done VERY carefully since the pedal moves with great speed at force towards the driver seat. If your face is in the way, well, it is going to get ugly. :shocked: The front end needs some work but that is all of the non wear item repairs needed on the truck other than the crappy CPSs that Ford/International used to sell. I guess the front end issue is a wear item... Any way, danged reliable vehicle and the replace CPS has been working perfectly for quite a few 10K miles.

Engine is supposed to go 500K before a rebuild. At my current mileage rate, it will take me another 13 years to get to 400K miles. :laughing::laughing::laughing:

Later,
Dan

 

[dmccarty]

Manual transmissions are the best theft prevention device you can get. Too bad they are going away.

My 1984 z28 with HO V8 and a five speed manual was stolen.... Tore to pieces it was.... Planned to keep that car forever but it was trashed.

What put the final nail in the coffin of the manual tranny was the cellphone. Hard to shift and talk, much less text!!

Bluetooth works wonders. I simply do not understand all of these drivers holding the phone to their head driving and talking. They can afford the car and an expensive smart phone, they can afford a $25-50 dollar bluetooth head set... I just don't understand the lack of headset use.

Later,
Dan

 

[ultrarunner]

It's not allowed here to hold a phone to your face while operating a motor vehicle unless it is an emergency situation... one Officer is famous for saying... "You're calling 911... I'm here"

 

[buckeyefarmer]

It's not allowed here to hold a phone to your face while operating a motor vehicle unless it is an emergency situation... one Officer is famous for saying... "You're calling 911... I'm here"

Nor allowed here, but done all the time. Police do it to.