My effing truck...

[SubaSteevo]

Originally posted by Shadow248
If that's the way you really felt, you wouldn't be driving a Subaru.

Not true, I have spent less in repairs than I did on my car, as well as less than KBB value. So I stand by my statement....besides, I was just joking about the truck being worth $5....ok, maybe I wasn't....

[Shadow248]

Originally posted by NapaBavarian
If I could afford a new GM truck with an izusu diesel I would own it, but I can't, and even though GM got their mechanicals worked out the interriors were still cheap plastic, even when they redisigned them in the mid 90's, WTF? It can't be that difficult to build a descent interrior, it is where you spend most of your time, and the early part of that generation had chronic problems with their heater controlls... If you noticed I was interested in the Unimog anyway

Ahh the Allison/Duramax drivetrain. This is what people will be referring to in the future instead of sliced bread.

Hello, all trucks have cheap plastic interiors. Some are just better at making them look expensive. Besides, who cares about the stupid interior...it's a truck. For the love of god, use a truck for what it's made for! Anybody who goes shopping for a truck and buys a particular model for it's interior shouldn't be buying a truck.

I had no idea what that truck in that picture you posted was. Looked alot like an Isuzu. Anywho, if you are interested in a Unimog, there is one for sale at the local Army/Navy here. It's been sitting out front for about three years now.

Originally posted by BurgundyBeast
Not true, I have spent less in repairs than I did on my car, as well as less than KBB value. So I stand by my statement....besides, I was just joking about the truck being worth $5....ok, maybe I wasn't....

If cars sold for their KBB value, I wouldn't be able to afford a Trans Am. The KBB value listed my T/A at over $5000 more than I paid for it. Mandi's SVX in the condition it was in listed on KBB for $3500. You know as well as I do no moderately educated human being would have paid that for that car. One transmission replacement on an SVX and you've already spent more than your car is worth. That says enough right there.

[NapaBavarian]

Shadow, what experience do you have with different trucks?

[MNYPNNY]

Unimog? Did someone say Unimog?

[NapaBavarian]

Originally posted by thndrmtn92svx
Unimog? Did someone say Unimog?

[Royal Tiger]

The Unimog is German so it will never break. And if it does, you'll have to refinace the house! Let's TRY to get along. Just buy a Nissan Titan. They kick butt!!!!

[NapaBavarian]

Get a what a long, how long??? I'm just saying mine is better because it is mine, no mechanical problems caused by the factory as long as I've owned it, or with any other ford or dodge I have driven... But GM is definatly better cuz...um...it belongs to shadows dad except for that one dodge that blew it' engine up every 10,000 miles. What do I know, I probably don't even have 200,000 miles of experience

[Shadow248]

Originally posted by NapaBavarian
Shadow, what experience do you have with different trucks?

Ok maybe you don't notice the problem with this argument. It's the same problem with every argument on every board about which brand is better. Or which country's cars are better. Who can say which car is the best? I don't know. The best anyone can do is decide based on experience. We can't go by what magazines tell us because in their minds the best cars belong to whichever company(s) pay the most for advertising. We (Obviously) can't go by what commercials tell us. So how do we determine? The only way we have is by our own experiences. I have experienced nothing but pleasant experiences owning GM vehicles. They are reliable, economical, easy to fix, cheap to fix, and they look as good or better than other offerings out there. What else is there? I look around me at what other people I know own - my mom's Infiniti has been to the dealer five times in two years to fix a check engine light and misfire, but they have been unable to do it as of yet. My aunt has owned two subarus and both were nightmares for her, I don't really know the details, just that she will never buy another subaru. My uncle swears by honda accords, but we very rarely see him driving his own...he's always got a loaner car cause his is "in for maintenance" as he says. On the flip side, i've had three Grand Prix's, two of which were completely devoid of any problems in the time i've had them, and one had a couple minor problems which should have been cheap, but thanks to a HONDA designed engine, were ridiculously expensive. My dad has owned nothing but GM trucks since 1986 and every one has been perfect save an alternator.

I can go on and on about this but my point has been made before. I understand that everyone has their own experiences...Alan and I went on and on several months ago about our differing experiences, so you don't have to bother listing the bad GM experiences you've had. I've heard of plenty. But I've heard just as many bad experiences with any other make of car.

So my point, based on my experiences, is that YES American cars tend to have A FEW more problems than imports. HOWEVER, the astronomical price to repair the FEW less problems that imports have MORE than outweighs the inconvenience of being to the mechanic once more per year. So if there's effectively no difference in reliability between these cars, and I can find both Imports and Domestics that I like the look and feel of, then the only factor left to help me decide which one is right for me is PRICE. So you see how I got to where I am.

See?

Now to answer your question specifically...my father has owned 6 trucks in my lifetime...5 chevy's and 1 ford. He decided to give ford another chance (he always hated them) when he got a really good deal on an 83 F150. That lasted two years until he finally got sick of the transmission problems and never went back to ford. One of my best friends has owned three Chevy trucks, his dad has driven nothing but GM trucks (he's had four since i've known him), all these trucks were gems. My former next door neighbor used to drive only ford's, until he finally noticed that my dad always seemed to be the one picking him up in the dark in the rain when his truck would die. He bought a chevy and never went back. Another neighbor, who lives a bit further down the street buys only dodges, and he also calls my dad fairly often to pick him up, give him a jump, pull him out of the snow...etc. I'll stop here but I could go on and on. I think you get my point.

Again these are all just my experiences and I am in no way saying that God has called me and told me "Kevin you are right, GM is the PERFECT carmaker and everyone else is crazy." I'm not trying to say that everyone is wrong if they don't buy a GM product. Just that you are wrong by saying "All GM vehicles are *insert bad associative*".

Originally posted by PA_SVX
The Unimog is German so it will never break. And if it does, you'll have to refinace the house! Let's TRY to get along. Just buy a Nissan Titan. They kick butt!!!!

My boss has been through two Titans. He got a brand new one this spring and not even a week after he bought it the transmission started slipping. They put a new tranny in under warranty and then the starter went. He persuaded the dealer to let him trade it on a different one, and now this one has internittent starting problems and a rear end whine. Yeah sounds like it's a WHOLE lot better than "them fords an' chevys".

Alas... the three flies sang, " When the log rolls over we'll all be dead!"

[NapaBavarian]

My point was simple, and I'm not going to write a novel. You are the one that said "all other problems are Ford" I have worked with dozens of trucks and on average they have all been similarly reliable, I never said that one make is better than the others, although I wouldn't buy dodge because I don't like the way they handle, but they are bulletproof as rar as reliability, but long term reliability has more to do with the way the vehicle is treated than who made it.

[Shadow248]

Originally posted by NapaBavarian
but long term reliability has more to do with the way the vehicle is treated than who made it.

*standing ovation*

Thank you, thank you. You have shown me that there is hope for import guys. That statement is the truth of the century. It makes perfect sense and anyone old enough to know what it takes to own a car should realize that it's true. Why then does this prejudice against American vehicles still exist? The statistics are no longer there, in fact several American vehicles are now besting "old pros" such as honda and toyota. However they are still somehow all junk. Well whatever. I guess guys like us then are on the cutting edge and while it's lonely out here, it won't be too long before we have company.

[n00b on demand]

I loveeeee the dodge SRT-10!!

[NapaBavarian]

I talked to my dad and it looks like the alternator on his suburban went out saturday... very strange, it apears the alternator on my truck went out the same day I guess no problems for the almost 2 years I have owned it is about to catch up with me... The door handle problem was due to preexisting body damage, got to get some paint so I can put the new doors on. What luck... A big part of the reason I bought a Ford was they are far less expensive on the used market and mine is a '92 so Ford had 12 years to work out the quirks...

[Royal Tiger]

I believe there are great ones and lemons in just about all models. However when you have a company (ford) that for the last few years lead ALL maunfactors in recalls and product safety bulletins one can, and does, assume there is a quality problem. ford's problems seem to be mainly with thier cars and car based suv's. Their trucks have faired better. As for the Titan, I know 4 people who have them, and all love them. I love my Pathfinder, one of the highest ranked mid-size suv's according to Consumer Reports, so maybe I'm Nissan biased. But I also loved my Forester, another stellar pick. If I had to buy an "American" truck it would be a Chevy. Personal preference. Of course the Dodge built in Mexico is an "American" for the people in this forum, however the Titan and Tundra, both opening new plants in Texas, and both currently made in the U.S. are foriegn cars. Oh well. To each their own I guess.