Are cars better or worse for not being built to last forever anymore?

[MX793]

Dodge trucks (or Ram I guess)  are awesome and I would probably buy another if I were looking.   The Charger,  Challenger,  and Durango are awesome too,.   The Dart is too new to know,  but I wouldn't touch anything else.

I wouldn't touch a Dakota with a 10ft pole.

[Raza]

Don't you live in the rust belt, with winter salt?

I think that's technically further north, but I've also lived in this area all my life, and we've had cars this long or longer before without ever seeing a spot of rust on them.  Our 1983 300SD Turbodiesel was not only in the family for almost 20 years, it lived outside for a good while and was driven a lot in winter and was sold with 170K miles or something like that with not a single spot of visible rust.  My old E320 had rust bubbling on the trunk after like 6 years. 

[SVT666]

The only experience I have with similar era Ford trucks is with the beat to shit Excursions we used a few years ago. I wasn't impressed with them, but then, they were beat to shit.

One major minus point on the Chevy side is that they had super low-hanging frame rails. The Dodge and Ford trucks had much better break-over height. I am also unimpressed with IFS in a 3/4 ton truck, though that does make the thing nice to drive.

Every logger I know that bought Chevy trucks has regretted it because of those low hanging frame rails.   The Fords always had the most ground clearance.

[Eye of the Tiger]

1st gen Dakotas were the wurst with low frame rails. Junk.

I'd take a new Ford over anything. And since nearly every F-150 is pricing out over $40K, might as well get the Raptor. Those things are BUILT FORD TUFF, so should last forever.

[SVT666]

It would be tough for me tk chose between a Super Duty and a Ram 2500.  The Ram has a more proven powertrain,  has somewhat more conservative stylinh compared to the in-your-face Ford,  and has the option of the Mega Cab.   The Ford meanwhile,  is probably the better overall truck.

[S204STi]

Yeah, I'm just curious about the new Ford diesel.  What is the service record like with those?  I recall the 6.0 International being a brick.

[MrH]

I misread that as 2500. I mean the lesser grade 1500 to 1500. I like the previous generation better.

[cawimmer430]

Not that one. The little one.

Coupe?

[Soup DeVille]

Coupe?

Ha.

No.

[Rupert]

Oh man, by dad needs to see that ad. He had a Buick that he took hiking for years.

[Soup DeVille]

Oh man, by dad needs to see that ad. He had a Buick that he took hiking for years.

I don't think they were planning on going hiking: That's just where the car stalled out.

[2o6]

Ha.

No.

My mom had one of those, the model that came after, though.

[cawimmer430]

Ha.

No.

Aha. The first FWD Buick sedans I believe, right? They look pretty good for an '80s Buick. No comparison to the gorgeous '70s Buicks though. 

[Soup DeVille]

Aha. The first FWD Buick sedans I believe, right? They look pretty good for an '80s Buick. No comparison to the gorgeous '70s Buicks though. 

Close, but those are oldsmobiles.

[cawimmer430]

Close, but those are oldsmobiles.

Damn, how did I manage to switch Oldsmobile and Buick!?!?

[Soup DeVille]

Easy enough.



That's the Buick.

[cawimmer430]

That was yours? Sweet wheels! 

[Soup DeVille]

That was yours? Sweet wheels! 

No, no: that's the Buick version from the same year (and those are wheel covers, not wheels- and yes, those are what I had)

[cawimmer430]

Got it. 

They kind of look cool in wagon trim (with the wood). There was also an Oldsmobile version of the Century wagon, right? Vista Cruiser or something like that...

[Byteme]

Damn, how did I manage to switch Oldsmobile and Buick!?!?

Because they all look about identical except for trim.

[Lebowski]

People always complain about the lack of longevity in cars...

Who are these people exactly?

[Cookie Monster]

Who are these people exactly?

Old dudes who are probably nostalgic or just had their modern cars break down because they forgot to maintain them.

[93JC]

They kind of look cool in wagon trim (with the wood). There was also an Oldsmobile version of the Century wagon, right? Vista Cruiser or something like that...

The Vista Cruiser was a full-size station wagon made in the '60s and '70s. The Oldsmobile version of the Century was called Cutlass Cruiser. This was not to be confused with the Cutlass Supreme (big sedan/coupe), Custom Cruiser (big wagon), Cutlass Ciera (the sedan/coupe version of the Cutlass Cruiser) and Cutlass Calais (smaller sedan/coupe).

The Buick version of the Vista Cruiser was called Sport Wagon.

[hotrodalex]

Old dudes who are probably nostalgic or just had their modern cars break down because they forgot to maintain them.

My dad complains when something breaks on our newer cars and he doesn't have the ability to fix it in the driveway. I'm assuming his next car will be a 50's pickup or a 60's wagon. If I give him the BMW back next month, there's a chance he'll buy something in 2013.

[Raza]

Damn, how did I manage to switch Oldsmobile and Buick!?!?

Because they all look the same.

[cawimmer430]

True. They do look the same. 

Soup, ever own one of these babies? 

[cawimmer430]

The Vista Cruiser was a full-size station wagon made in the '60s and '70s. The Oldsmobile version of the Century was called Cutlass Cruiser. This was not to be confused with the Cutlass Supreme (big sedan/coupe), Custom Cruiser (big wagon), Cutlass Ciera (the sedan/coupe version of the Cutlass Cruiser) and Cutlass Calais (smaller sedan/coupe).

The Buick version of the Vista Cruiser was called Sport Wagon.

[Soup DeVille]

True. They do look the same. 

Soup, ever own one of these babies? 

Flickr sometimes doesn't work for my work computer- what is it?

[cawimmer430]

Flickr sometimes doesn't work for my work computer- what is it?

Here!

[Soup DeVille]

No, I never had one, but we did have a Ford Country Squire about that same age.