Save Me From Myself, Massive Truck Edition

"Swayze Train GTi" (swayzetrain) 12/18/2015 at 15:33 • Filed to: None

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The time has come for me to purchase a new car, and I need all of your help to make sure I don’t end up spending $4000 on a Merkur X4Ti with no rear seats or door panels and a shot clutch. Now I hate to dump all this responsibility onto your shoulders, but you see, I lack common sense, I have no girlfriend to tell me no, and my parents are far too libertarian to tell me when I’m making a bad decision.

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Now, let’s get to what I’ve found, and we should start by just pushing this out of the way first:

There is literally no reason for me to buy this truck. I don’t haul things. I don’t have a boat. I don’t remove tree stumps from my neighbor’s yards. I don’t chew dip and listen to country music. I hate the Confederate Flag. I’m not a construction worker. I’m not Jimbo the Gym Bro. I have not one Mossy Oak or JEGS sticker.

And yet I love almost everything about this truck. I love the Navistar Turbo Diesel, the halfway styled look of the exterior, the big rectangle tail lights, the 4WD, dual fuel tanks, everything. I am firmly in love with the idea of this truck, and it is the perfect representation of why I shouldn’t be allowed to car shop by myself.

So tell me why I shouldn’t buy this. Please.

CalzoneGolem > Swayze Train GTi 12/18/2015 at 15:44

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Oh boy did you come to the wrong place.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Swayze Train GTi 12/18/2015 at 15:46

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Only negative I see is that it’s a Diesel and I prefer Gas motors.

I guess you better buy it.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Swayze Train GTi 12/18/2015 at 15:47

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So tell me why I shouldn’t buy this.

Despite being crazy reliable and easier to work on, it doesn’t develop quite as much power as a Powerstroke? Feh. Nope. Not gonna stop you.

atrombs > Swayze Train GTi 12/18/2015 at 15:48

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I don’t remove tree stumps from my neighbor’s yards.

That’s because you don’t have the truck!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Swayze Train GTi 12/18/2015 at 15:53

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...have you MET US?!

Swayze Train GTi > atrombs 12/18/2015 at 15:54

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God damnit, you guys!

'Wägen, EPA LOL > Swayze Train GTi 12/18/2015 at 15:56

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atrombs > Swayze Train GTi 12/18/2015 at 15:57

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For real though, I just had my focus in the shop and they gave me an F-150 with a full size bed (as a loaner*), and now i’m looking for cheap giant vehicles to buy in addition to my focus. It was super fun, but I couldn’t have it as my only vehicle.

they-will-know-my-velocity > Swayze Train GTi 12/18/2015 at 16:10

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Buy it or I will.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Swayze Train GTi 12/18/2015 at 16:14

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but if you had a truck you could do all those things and help all your friends move on the weekends

OPPO is not the place for rational automotive thought and advice

Pixel > Swayze Train GTi 12/18/2015 at 16:17

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Actually relevant questions:

Will this be your only vehicle?

What is your commute?

How far do you typically drive in a year?

What do you have that you’d be replacing with this?

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Swayze Train GTi 12/18/2015 at 16:19

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The rust bugs me. But besides that, great truck, great engine, price isn’t too bad.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 12/18/2015 at 16:21

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It is a Powerstroke, unless you meant the 6.0 specifically? That's a turbo 7.3, hell of a good engine.

WiscoProud > Swayze Train GTi 12/18/2015 at 16:26

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Two reasons: Rust and Long-bed. The rust, while a staple of the Midwest, seems pretty advanced on this beast. Second is the long-bed. Since you are not going to be hauling anything, you have no need for a long-bed, yet have to put up with the insane turn radius and zero weight over the rear tires. The lack of weight will come into effect during Michigan winters when you need to put 500 lbs of sand in the back to go in a straight line.

Lastly, friends are going to come out of the woodwork asking you to move stuff for them. I guarantee it. So, if you're like me, and don't even want to move your own shit, that's a downside.

RallyWrench > Swayze Train GTi 12/18/2015 at 16:28

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If that was a short bed, it’d be my ideal truck. Great engine, manual, and the textbook definition of “Ford Truck” styling. Ain’t stopping you.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 12/18/2015 at 16:29

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I was misremembering the intro date of the 7.3 PowerStroke vs. the late 7.3 IDI turbo. Great engine, just not as simple as an IDI.

Swayze Train GTi > Pixel 12/18/2015 at 16:31

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1. Most likely.
2. About 30 miles of backroads
3. I’m not certain, I used to drive delivery which really jacked up the amount.
4. I had a 93 Corvette 6spd which I just sold

Nymphicus Hollandicus > Swayze Train GTi 12/18/2015 at 16:33

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Do you REALLY need a truck? It seems like you answered that question already so don’t buy it.

Swayze Train GTi > WiscoProud 12/18/2015 at 16:35

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Rust is certainly something to look for, but this truck seems to actually be a little better than par for the course here in Michigan. I doubt the turning radius would get to me too much, but you’re definitely right about the lack of rear axle weight, I hadn’t considered that.

You’re definitely right about the moving thing though... Fortunately i don’t have too many friends

Connqr > Swayze Train GTi 12/18/2015 at 16:36

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Look for a short bed version. If you can’t find that, then go buy this one.

Swayze Train GTi > Connqr 12/18/2015 at 16:47

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There was only one in manual with the 7.3 turbo, and apparently it smokes. Also they’re all quite high mileage it seems, 200-300k. I know diesels have more longevity, but still.

TahoeSTi > Swayze Train GTi 12/18/2015 at 16:54

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You shouldn’t buy that one you should buy a truck just out west and drive it back so you can have one with out rust.

Pixel > Swayze Train GTi 12/18/2015 at 17:16

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It’s going to drink diesel like a pig, even compared to the corvette, and diesel is currently significantly more expensive than gas in most places.

It will be loud inside between the diesel motor and just being a truck. It isn’t an even comparison, but I need ear plugs if I’m driving my c10 more than a 1/2 hr.

As a 250, the ride will suck unless you are carrying a lot of weight in the back, and despite the stiff ride the handling will suck.

There is a lot of rust there. hood, both fenders, cab on both sides, both bedsides, tailgate are visible, and with the scratches and that rubber bed mat I guarantee there is rust on the bed floor too.

If you were looking for a second vehicle I’d say go for, it, but as a daily I think that would get old fast.

Buy something more civilized but still fun as your daily, and get the truck as your spare/fun vehicle. I did that with my ‘64.

Swayze Train GTi > TahoeSTi 12/18/2015 at 17:18

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I wouldn’t be keeping it that long, and I don’t really want to add the price of a plane ticket and cross country travel onto the bill when I’m not looking to spend a ton of money

Klaus Schmoll > Swayze Train GTi 12/18/2015 at 17:45

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Let me try to help out here:

The rust! Oh the rust! I know that on a BOF vehicle this is merely a cosmetic than a structural integrity thing, and that there may not be as many cavities and places where 3 or more layers of metal were welded together. BUT, to get rid of this amount of rust you will need to cut and wels, and once you start the cutting you will discover more, and so on. In the end you will have more time and money invested in this than buying a better one would have cost you.

Or you could leave it as is and wait for parts to fall off. Which would make you look like a. a badass, b. some redneck who married his cousin and is happy raising children with IQs in the single digits, or c. someone whohas given up on his vehicle and on life and pretty much everything.

Which brings me to the previous owner. This rig looks like the previous owner stopped giving a rhodent’s behind about it a loooong time ago. Rust belt or whatever the excuse may be, but why not apply some sanding paper, a little rust remover and some primer before the thing looks like a Swiss cheese? Do you really expect someone to keep the mechanicals in tip top shape who lets the body decay like that? Or in other words, how often do you see someone who hits the gym to do their cardio from time to time, and somehow watches their diet a little have completely rotten teeth?

Which brings me to the interiour. It looks like babies were conceived AND delivered in there.

So for all intends an purposes, go buy it and let us know how it goes. I demand pics of the crackpipes under the seats, and fists poking through floorboards.

Swayze Train GTi > Klaus Schmoll 12/18/2015 at 17:48

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Thank you, this is what I was looking for

TahoeSTi > Swayze Train GTi 12/18/2015 at 21:38

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In that case just buy the cheapest car that’s road legal on craigslist, drive it like you stole it until it blows up, cash it in for scrap, rinse repeat.

Like this maybe http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/cto/5364911301…

Swayze Train GTi > TahoeSTi 12/19/2015 at 00:32

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I prefer to buy interesting (at least to me) cars that are in relatively good shape and then sell them 6 months to a year later. I could go the beater route but it’s basically the same thing except in a nicer car, especially since I haven’t lost a dime on a single car yet. The Corvette I just sold went for almost 3k more than I paid for it. In fact, including gas and insurance for the time I was in it, I still came out a little over 1000 up on the whole deal.