The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk What kind of truck person are you?

You're driving down the road in your truck,suddenly it just grinds to a stop in a cloud of blue sparks and smoke.Oil starts puddling underneath,the smell of tortured metal and oil fills the air.
Your reaction is maybe one of the following;
A- You flip out,it's everyone else's fault,I'm gonna sue the bastards who made this piece of junk.
B-You just sit there,hands on your head, "why does this crap happen to me?
C- You jump out,get on your cell phone to demand the dealer come out here to take care of this problem, and bring a loaner vehicle too.
D-Or like me,you drive used trucks well past any warranty coverage,you get [censored],get a tow,fix it up and move on.
E- your vehicles never break down,your truck has never been touched in 750,000 miles and doesn't use a drop of oil

uahhhh---#4 :p

okay! okay! #D

Brian,opps,I did an edit,that would be a letter choice now,lol.

#d, if it ever comes back from the engine rebuilt

F. Fix stuff before it breaks. Call it maintenance.

My wife thinks I'm nuts when I'm replacing stuff that still works, just because it's been on there a while. If you go past 120k miles on a SBC with a stock timing chain set, you are pushing it. (Maybe literally!) I change the oil too often, and the filter every time the oil gets changed. I paid to have my automatic overhauled (A man's got to know his limitations... H. Callahan) but the first time it ever did anything I didn't like, in it went.

She also says I carry more tools in the Suburban than most guys own. She didn't say a word though when the alternator died suddenly 500 miles from home and I changed it out in a parking lot while she shopped. The only thing that griped me about that deal was I had to pay retail for the alternator. Around here I get the trade discount.

174K miles on the old 'burb and showing no signs of slowing down. (other than the body, that is...)

Here's another good tip... Take the spark plugs out every year and inspect them. Rub a drop of oil into the threads before you put them back in. I know the book says they can go 100k miles, but if you ever break one off in the hole because it hasn't been out for years, you'll be pulling the head off to get it fixed.

If you mean "MY" truck(s)....we will include my 99 Exploder with 62,000 miles in this...and heck...my 91 Grand Prix too,

If the engine blows or any other problem for that matter happens to any of my vehicles...my theory...sucks to be me.....fix it...swear and bleed as I do so...and move on....No warranty on any of my stuff anymore....

I guess that is letter D......

When I sell my snowmobiles next week, I sell em in good faith..if either blows an engine....I'll feel bad....but I sold em in good faith...no warranty implied or expressed.....

OK...So why do you ask??

I do A,B,C and then comes D....from a pay phone or a borrowed cell phone I call the service manager at the dealership and he tells me "sir that's a used truck well past any warranty coverage",I get [censored] (again),get a tow,fix it up and move on.
Adios, Kip

Z. Go postal on the first thing that speaks to me, pummelling it into an unrecognizable blob of protoplasm formerly known as a human being!!!

Actually, answer "D".

Why does this crap always happen to me ?

I guess E with modifications--Ive had 4 of these trucks now and I guess I'm pretty lucky--it seems if I have a problem it is always on startup. Couple of exceptions of course--had a water pump go out while driving in Austin. Had a generator go out once in Van Horn on a trip and had brake line fail here in Dallas--other than that most pretty easily fixed--Do pay attention to maintenance though.

A combination of A and D.

I flip out and get it off my chest, vent it out.

Then I take a breath and go 'now what?'.

Then I try to get it home... if that isn't happening I hope I can get a tow truck.

-W

D: As for D@@@!! Now I got to spend money on this thing so I can make more money to spend on the other thing.

popcorn The Truth is Out There (I don't get upset I just get even)

I'm a mechanic, so i fix it... no sweat.

It depends on which car/truck it happens to. A little of each.
Hoping for "E"

guess I'm closest to E, as the past 20 years I've only driven vintage tin that I 'resurrected' myself, so never find myself motionless at the side of the road - 'cept once when a muffler rotted off, but only had to stop long enuff to cut the hanger and throw the muffler in the back - the 283 sure was loud at 65mph the rest of the way home

I consider an engine that doesn't use a drop of oil suspect tho' cuz 235's and 283's seem to live longest when they're covered w/ oil and mark their territory

Bill

I have yet to have one leave me sitting (knock on wood). That's the beauty of the old trucks, usually you can do some roadside repairs to get you home. The new stuff either runs or it doesn't, no limping electronic equipped stuff home.
Scott

I have had a couple of instances of late of the camaro ss dying really quickly after start up. Then fires right up. I smelled antifreeze today and had another instance of the car not wanting to start. I popped the hood and see water/antifreeze dripping from the h20 pump. On these new lt1 motors the distributor called an optispark is right behind the pump. I think well I guess i'll have to replace the pump......I wonder how much a new optispark would be?.............I wonder if I could get a hotter spark with some type of after market distributor and coil setup?..........Geez that's going to be expensive.........Good thing I'm about to get the truck's harness finished.......Maybe I can get the Satellite licensed and park the camaro til spring!

That's what I think. That's why you should have spare cars with lots of spare parts. My .02 anywho.

See that is a difficult question to answer. In '77 my first truck was a $500 rusted out 64 Chevy truck. The first thing that happened is it popped a brake line and nearly killed me and two passengers. I said, [censored] happens and laid under there fixing it the next day.

Years later in 82 my second truck was a new F250. I was making good money as a contractor and wanted something I didn't have to fix. Why? Because I could make more money doing other things. And it wasn't fun to work on trucks in my spare time.

In '87 I was doing real good and got another new one. This was a white and grey, F150 supercab, 4 wheel drive, nice interior fancy truck. I was the first contractor at my lumber yard with a fancy truck. They all came to look when I got it. You should see the trucks in there now with their leather, huge tires and suspensions etc etc. Maybe I started the trend?

This truck blew a rod in about 2000. I had already retired from construction and only needed a car I thought. Well, you can't do anything without a truck. So I thought maybe something old with character. I had seen AD trucks before but didn't even know what they were. So I went on the internet and found out what make and model I liked. Within a few weeks I found my great 54 on the swap meet of this forum. My point? I have come full circle. I am once again under my truck fixing brake lines. Not necessarily because I have to this time, but because I like it. (Just typing this makes me shake my head, we are sick!).

Fred,thats kinda hard for me to answer.The only time one of my old ones let down was when the 56 BelAir wheel bearing went out.Had it towed home and fixed it.

F. Trade it in every two years on a new one.

Depends on the weather. If its hot....I get hotter, if its cold....I get colder. THEN I call the tow truck. NEVER call home. "I told you that piece of junk would die".......

Years ago, I was a solid A. Years of driving experience taught me that you can get mad all you want, but when they tantrum is over, you're still on the side of the road and dependant upon the kindness of strangers.

So, after distilling all that over the years, I have come to the studied conclusion that I am ... still an A!!!

Regards,
John

I enjoy driving my old trucks and try to keep them in good driving shape. If something happens I don't get madd I fix it and keep driving.

Always remember(specially if your driving a 216)

THEY BROKE WHEN THEY WERE NEW!!!!!

Modified 'E' (of course it uses oil!)

and ' F' , as I don't own any new rigs I gotta keep up on this old junk , then I go to Jim's place and look for his hidden mower collection .