What sort of owner are you after all?

[Dantheman1540]

I definitely gravitate towards vehicles that have known good drivetrains/powertrains, most of which are older and there’s a lot of data supporting them being quality for a long time. I’m also a maintenance freaking! I beat my stuff hard, if it’s got a clutch (all my stuff does) then I will dump it at redline regularly.

My fleet currently consists of.

1: Bought in 2014 is my 2011 Tacoma ECSB, 4.0, 6spd, 4x4, 3/2 lift, camburg UCAs, Bilstein 5100 shocks/coilovers, 80k original miles. Literally only drive when everything else is dead, it never fails me and I love it but I find it too long, too slow, worst manual trans I’ve ever experienced, loud cabin, crappy speakers, only gets 15.25mpg downhill with a tailwind, and I should have bought Bilstein 6112/5150 shocks because the 5100s are too stiff for go fast off-roading. But it can definitely tow wayyyy over its rating now that it has leaf springs that don’t turn into W like the factories.

2: Bought in 2019 my 2004 Tahoe, 500ish horsepower 6.0LS, 5speed NV4500, 2wd, very custom lowered suspension, big rear axle, sound system, yada yada. Body has 291k but besides paint and interior it’s all new. Fills the spot of daily, tow rig, go fast on the street mobile, and multi person hauler. (Disclaimer it’s not that fast at all, but it’s fun for a big ole girl!) only gets about 13mpg 93oct only

3: Bought in 2022, my 1994 Ranger, mostly stock everything except cool go fast Offroad style suspension and geared/locked axles. Originally built to be an off road mostly rig, but being so small, easy to drive, cheap to drive (thing loves 87oct), and cheap cost of replacement parts, makes me drive it 5/7 days a week usually. I also love spending time outside usually by my self as people annoy me. So the tiny cab is fine for my ruck/gear and the bed is plentiful for storing more gear or equipment especially with the bed rack.

My next truck will either be one of three things.

1: A Diesel CCSB with manual trans, 4x4, and new enough to be as reliable as Tacoma so I can sell it and not be scared my domestic trucks will leave me stranded.

2: K5 Blazer Resto mod sort of, definitely modern power train. Basically do ranger type adventuring but with wife and dog more comfortable, and be capable for 80mph on highway.

3: Ratty muscle car, I have a bunch of LS stuff in my shop ready for something fast and fun. I’d love a 60-70s muscle car with a pretty rough exterior, but not rust holes. To do big LS power, modern drivetrain, but not many creature comforts over AC and a clean functional interior. I figured if I had a small cam LS, 6speed manual, and kept the car light I could run it on 87oct, get close to 20mpg on the highway and have a fun commuter that I don’t mind parking at Walmart, or sliding down a gravel road, but looks cool cause ratty muscle.

 

[Bgunner]

https://www.therangerstation.com/forums/index.php?media/users/bgunner.101692/page-4

Not to sure where I will fall into the category's but here it is, you decide and let me know. I bought mine for a steal paid $600 for it from a friend that bought it off his brother whom bought it new. Right off the bat I spent $1500 in parts to fix what it absolutely needed to be road legal and safe for me and kid. After this over the last 5 years I have put another $2500 into it for maintenance and parts that were on the way out before they became a bigger expense.

The truck was originally purchased in Virginia and lived there from '94 to 2011 when my friend purchased it for his grandson to drive as a starter vehicle. I first heard of this truck in '94 when my friends brother bought it new as I was in school with the original owners nephew who is one of the only people I actually associate with, I consider them all family since we are all so close. Once here in Ma. it sat in there driveway for about 6 months then put into climate controlled storage and it sat there till around 2015-2016-ish when it was pulled out for the kid to drive.

Enter the worst part of my trucks life. While the grandson drove it, it was only barely maintained and was abused. Puddle splashing, used off road, ran nose first into sand piles/ bent front bumper and brackets and lost the license plate holder, loaded from the side over the rails, 8 people stuffed into the cab and driven on the road, cigarette light burns in the head liner with hole all the way to metal, sharpy drawing on the liner and some pretty raunchy messages written on the visors, backed into things just as a normal kid would treat there first car if mom and dad paid to fix it, which they did but only what was needed to keep it going, like a new clutch but not the rear main seal as an example.

Fast forward to 2017 when I purchased the truck because the kid was given a full size chevy pickup. It needed a distributor, radiator, radiator hoses, full tune up, wheel cylinders, drums ect. just your normal sitting and not maintained stuff. Because this was in Virginia for so long the body and frame are in really good shape but is now showing its age with the salt they use up here and is just starting to get rust over the rear wheel wells. Because the nose has been repainted I now have clearcoat failing on the fenders and hood. It was in a tussle with a guardrail while down south so the left headlight was a junkyard replacement left fender is not original to the truck and the bumper is most likely a replacement also... Don't Drink And Drive is all I have to say on that.

I buffed it and even before the final polish I could see the color coming out, These pics are in my media here on TRS if you want to see many of the pics I took during my revamping of it. Feel free to brose them that is why I put them here. I also changed the lower valance and added factory fog lights to it as I wanted simple install and liked the look.

I do not drive far and because it currently needs the timing chain gasket replaced due to the common 3.0L antifreeze leak it only got drove under 1600 miles last year. I have the chain and gears for it as it is only one more bolt to change them while you are there. My back and hips have gotten worse and doing the job would lay me out for a week if I was able to finish it due to my physical condition.

My goal is to keep it alive as long as I can to pass it on to my daughter with hopes she will appreciate all the time and hard work that has gone into it and do the same. NO it will not be her first vehicle!!!

 

[Lefty]

https://www.therangerstation.com/forums/index.php?media/users/bgunner.101692/page-4

Not to sure where I will fall into the category's but here it is, you decide and let me know. I bought mine for a steal paid $600 for it from a friend that bought it off his brother whom bought it new. Right off the bat I spent $1500 in parts to fix what it absolutely needed to be road legal and safe for me and kid. After this over the last 5 years I have put another $2500 into it for maintenance and parts that were on the way out before they became a bigger expense.

The truck was originally purchased in Virginia and lived there from '94 to 2011 when my friend purchased it for his grandson to drive as a starter vehicle. I first heard of this truck in '94 when my friends brother bought it new as I was in school with the original owners nephew who is one of the only people I actually associate with, I consider them all family since we are all so close. Once here in Ma. it sat in there driveway for about 6 months then put into climate controlled storage and it sat there till around 2015-2016-ish when it was pulled out for the kid to drive.

Enter the worst part of my trucks life. While the grandson drove it, it was only barely maintained and was abused. Puddle splashing, used off road, ran nose first into sand piles/ bent front bumper and brackets and lost the license plate holder, loaded from the side over the rails, 8 people stuffed into the cab and driven on the road, cigarette light burns in the head liner with hole all the way to metal, sharpy drawing on the liner and some pretty raunchy messages written on the visors, backed into things just as a normal kid would treat there first car if mom and dad paid to fix it, which they did but only what was needed to keep it going, like a new clutch but not the rear main seal as an example.

Fast forward to 2017 when I purchased the truck because the kid was given a full size chevy pickup. It needed a distributor, radiator, radiator hoses, full tune up, wheel cylinders, drums ect. just your normal sitting and not maintained stuff. Because this was in Virginia for so long the body and frame are in really good shape but is now showing its age with the salt they use up here and is just starting to get rust over the rear wheel wells. Because the nose has been repainted I now have clearcoat failing on the fenders and hood. It was in a tussle with a guardrail while down south so the left headlight was a junkyard replacement left fender is not original to the truck and the bumper is most likely a replacement also... Don't Drink And Drive is all I have to say on that.

I buffed it and even before the final polish I could see the color coming out, These pics are in my media here on TRS if you want to see many of the pics I took during my revamping of it. Feel free to brose them that is why I put them here. I also changed the lower valance and added factory fog lights to it as I wanted simple install and liked the look.

I do not drive far and because it currently needs the timing chain gasket replaced due to the common 3.0L antifreeze leak it only got drove under 1600 miles last year. I have the chain and gears for it as it is only one more bolt to change them while you are there. My back and hips have gotten worse and doing the job would lay me out for a week if I was able to finish it due to my physical condition.

My goal is to keep it alive as long as I can to pass it on to my daughter with hopes she will appreciate all the time and hard work that has gone into it and do the same. NO it will not be her first vehicle!!!

I hope to pass my truck on to my grandson.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Im kind of a mix i guess.

Im not afraid to use my shit, and i do on a regular basis. I dont do anything to purposly screw them up, but if they get dinged or scratched...meh it is what it is.


I change the oil, fix what needs fixed, might vacuum them once a year, never wash them (blows the rust off ), mechanically i keep them at, or near 100%, but everything else....no.

That being said though i realize they are old, harder to replace, and "classic" (athough i dont see them that way)...so i dont just abuse the shit out of them for the sake of abusing them like some people would do to ugly old trucks.

The exception is my jeep, but its also nice and i wanna keep it that way. No im not afraid to get it dirty, cruise a few trails, or tow shit with it, but im alot more careful with it then i am my trucks. Probably becsuse i view it as much more fragile then my trucks (it is).

It gets a full wash once a week, vacuumed, wiped down, seats conditioned, etc etc.