"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck)
08/21/2015 at 22:07 • Filed to: ramblings
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"Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo" (thetomselleck)
08/21/2015 at 22:07 • Filed to: ramblings | 4
| 12 |
This old beast cost me one grand and has been amazing. That being said, I’ve fixed quite a few things already since it had also been sitting for six years before I guy my grubby hands on it. Other than some welding, I’ve been able to do everything myself, and on the cheap. But now the list of things to address is getting longer and my mechanical inclination is beginning to show its shortcomings.
Among other things it needs:
- new shocks (which I cannot fucking get on myself no matter how hard I try)
- new leaf springs
- suspension bushings
- new carburetor
- something steering related
The ride lately is... poor. It bounces like crazy now in all driving situations. Like a fast teeter-totter on the freeway. The steering wheel is making a nasty, nasty screech when you turn it (it has no PS so it’s not that). It’s like a creaking door plus nails on a chalkboard. The carburetor... bleck. Floods like a crazy, idles too high or can’t idle at all, wants to stall at any stop sign when it’s not idling at 2k RPM... I often have to give it a little throttle so it won’t stall out. I tried all the idle adjustment but no, it’s a 35 year old stock carb and it’s had it. This also makes the fuel economy TERRIBLE. My wife’s Sable only gets one less MPG than this thing. MPGs aren’t everything, but I used to get 25+ last year. Not so much today. I still use it for truck things all the time. With the new house, I’m always out getting a yard of this, a pile of that, or hauling garbage to the dump. I do plan on keeping it forever, for trucky things.
I use it as a daily, but it’s not currently not ideal for a true daily. It was better before when I used the truck for just truck things or the occasional camping trip and used a different car for the woes of daily mundane travels. Basically, the increased use of this pickup is wearing it out faster and forcing me to consider repairs of this nature, whereas before, meh, drove it 300 miles a month. Those shocks could have lasted just a biiiit longer.
I once made the mistake in throwing too much money at a car that had no value and it went poorly (the blue Tercel I briefly owned). The difference here is I love this truck and doesn’t have comparable problems to that blue bugger, but you can see how those repairs will add up very quickly, which is my primary concern. What am I saying? I do love this truck. I should just fix it up. But I feel like these, plus other things that will likely fail later, I will also be postponing my plans of getting myself a new(er) car that I wanted. Yeah, a new car will cost more than these repairs for sure you say, but it’s like if I’m going to bother to make this pickup real nice, why not just keep it as the primary daily? Why get a new car at all? Answer: because I want another car and I deserve it, goddammit!
Some of you probably don’t really get why I’m a little torn. Remember: I’m a guy who daily drove a $350 Tercel wagon. The nicest car I’ve ever driven was a base model Tacoma. I achieved quite a few things by saving money resulting from not having car payments, not making expensive repairs, not needing full coverage insurance. We would have never gotten this house if we were making payments or dropped a large chunk of straight cash on a car (conventional loan for the win). We’ve made lots of progress on home projects and I’m really ecstatic. But money into another car now I don’t even need is just less money somewhere else. Maybe we can’t afford that vacation. Maybe we won’t get the new washer and dryer. Opportunity costs. That all life seems to be. Your time, your money, your energy: we’re just gauging opportunity costs. It’s just something that I can do, but should I? It kind of goes against everything I’ve held myself to up until this point.
Well that kind of spiraled in a different direction.
Here’s to a great weekend to everyone. If you see a guy driving down I-5 in a red bouncy house with a bed attached, give a wave.
MLGCarGuy
> Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
08/21/2015 at 22:15 |
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If it’s costing you too much to maintain, just get another daily driver. It may be difficult, but it’s going to be good in the long run.
Is a GS to your taste?
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Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
> MLGCarGuy
08/21/2015 at 22:18 |
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The thing is it has so far cost nothing to maintain really, but it will soon. I just don’t know if throwing 7k at another car is smarter than 1k at this pickup. You know?
I do like the GS, but I do not want a sedan at this time :)
Spridget
> Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
08/21/2015 at 22:21 |
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Your wife is getting a Pontiac Vibe, correct? She gets the Vibe, you get her old Sable and use it as a daily, and keep the truck as a weekend vehicle. Just my 2c.
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MLGCarGuy
> Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
08/21/2015 at 22:22 |
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Ah, ok. In that case then, just keep your truck. Unless you find a good bargain in the future, I feel this would save you money for other purposes.
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Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
> Spridget
08/21/2015 at 22:24 |
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Sounds rational on paper but that would not work. We are planning to replace it because it’s on it’s last legs, not for upgrade’s sake. Me having it just perpetuates the problem of driving vehicles in need of repairs.
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Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
> MLGCarGuy
08/21/2015 at 22:28 |
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Yeah, that would be wise choice at least for the short term. A dark horse is that I’m expecting a fairly large bonus this year... If it’s large enough I’m pretty damn sure I’ll be buying another car haha
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Spridget
> Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
08/21/2015 at 22:35 |
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When the Sable breaks, you could pull the non-mechanical (interior, body panels, etc) off of it and sell them on eBay/CL for some cash for the fix the truck fund.
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Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
> Spridget
08/21/2015 at 22:38 |
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Hah, oh wait... I still have tons of car parts in the garage I can sell. *smack forehead* Buh! I walk by them everyday and forget why I have them! I need to just sell them like I’ve planned for the last two years but obviously keep forgetting. Oh God, selling parts on CL *shudders* It must be done. Thanks for the reminder!
E92M3
> Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
08/21/2015 at 22:56 |
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I would probably get something else to daily, maybe a small car. Something with a better ride, and adjustable seating. I would try rebuilding the carb yourself. A lot of people think it’s a black art, but it really simple actually. I recently rebuilt one with the help of a youtube tutorial, and it fixed my problems. I was afraid at first it may not run at all if I mess with it. The kit was just $40.
Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
> Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
08/21/2015 at 23:04 |
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If you love the truck, keep it and just fix things. And with the repair list you have there, I think you should look at taking it to a mechanic and getting that mechanic to fix the things you are least likely to do yourself.
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Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
> E92M3
08/21/2015 at 23:09 |
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Yeah I am pretty scared of touching that thing. I would almost rather buy a weber... But webers aren’t just plug and chug either. But shoot. I could try a rebuild. I guess I don’t have anything to lose though
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Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
> Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
08/21/2015 at 23:15 |
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Well the truck wasn’t going anywhere regardless. If the engine exploded tomorrow I would still park it in my driveway. I have trouble finding a mechanic I trust. I thought I had a good one last year, but I slowly figured out that he was not quite on the up and up. Woes.