Fun vs real life

[Speed_Racer]

You need 4wd for the 1 day/year that 1" of snow sticks to the ground and every business in town shuts down?

If he's getting a truck as the do-all, it might be worth getting one that can do it all? Winter trash runs, tug people out of ditches, etc

I think with the low miles he'll put on it, it won't cause too many additional problems cost-wise.

[Onslaught]

Miata isn't worth anything. Selling it would gain me nothing other then another parking spot at home. Selling it would be pointless.

[Rupert]

I say buy an old beater now, don't take it to the beach or wherever, and then buy a better truck later when your pay goes back up.

[Byteme]

I don't "get by without 4WD." My dad has a 1978 Chevy truck I use when I'm snowed in. None could get the Miata or RX-8 out of my driveway in bad weather. I also drive in fields around the house for different reasons and just last week had to pull a 2WD truck out if one. So trust me, living here takes 4WD. And 2WD trucks are for girls anyway.

Selling the miata isn't an option. I've had it for most if my life. It's family now. And I've sunk cash into parts and a new engine for it one day. She's not going anyplace.

As for a beater truck, that would be an option. However our beach place is over 4 1/2 hours away. So that's 9 hours of driving for every trip. It almost need to not be a beater for me to trust it that much.

The RX-8 still has 51K left before the warranty runs out on the engine. So that gives me 2-3 years to make my mind up. Perhaps by then my pay will be back to normal and buying a new truck will be easy as cake.

A beater is not necessarly a clunker on it's last legs.  I'd take my F150 1,000 miles with no concerns.   Shop around and you can find a decent vehicle for a decent price.

As for 2 wheel vs. 4 wheel drive, just decide what you need and buy one.  Four wheel drive is nice for some situations, but realize people were, and are, able to get around with 2 wheel drive cars and trucks before the proliferation of 4 wheel and all wheel drive.   IMO, someone who knows what they are doing in a 2 wheel drive vehicle will do just fine.

[Rupert]

Well, there are plenty of times in my experience where 4WD was necessary, no matter how good a driver you are, and it's not too uncommon in my corner of the world. The reason to go 2WD, IMO, is that it's much cheaper. I think it would be hard to find a $3000 4WD truck that I would want to take on a 1000 mile trip.

[Onslaught]

My dad is going to be selling his 2000 Ford F-150 sometime soon. It has over 100K on the clock. The body and interior are perfect, I get my care of cars from him. But it's starting to have mechanical problems. ABS  is out. Cheap ass modern plastic intake split. Not sure if I trust it for long drives.

[mzziaz]

Buy a truck that needs body work.

[Soup DeVille]

An F150 with 100k on it is nothing, if its been taken care of: and you're not going to get a better deal from a stranger than from your dad.

[Tave]

Well, there are plenty of times in my experience where 4WD was necessary, no matter how good a driver you are, and it's not too uncommon in my corner of the world. The reason to go 2WD, IMO, is that it's much cheaper. I think it would be hard to find a $3000 4WD truck that I would want to take on a 1000 mile trip.

Nowhere in North Carolina approaches the topography of Idaho. And nowhere near Onslaught sees more than a few inches of snow a year. The average annual snowfall in Charlotte is less than 6 inches. It comes in 1 or 2 storms and disappears within 24 hours. The highest recorded single snowfall in the history of the area is less than 1.5 feet.

It's very flat too. Not as flat as eastern NC, but over the entire county, the largest change in elevation is like 200 feet.

He's right about one thing though--every time it snows, cars start running off the road right and left. Not because the roads are so treacherous, but because no one who grew up here has a fucking clue how to drive in inclement weather.

[Soup DeVille]

Nowhere in North Carolina approaches the topography of Idaho. And nowhere near Onslaught sees more than a few inches of snow a year. The average annual snowfall in Charlotte is less than 6 inches. It comes in 1 or 2 storms and disappears within 24 hours. The highest recorded single snowfall in the history of the area is less than 1.5 feet.

It's very flat too. Not as flat as eastern NC, but over the entire county, the largest change in elevation is like 200 feet.

He's right about one thing though--every time it snows, cars start running off the road right and left. Not because the roads are so treacherous, but because no one who grew up here has a fucking clue how to drive in inclement weather.

It doesn't matter how flat most of the country is- what matters is the sedction a few feet in front of you. If you need to get over that,(or through it) and can't: the topography of the rest of the fucking planet doesn't matter one iota.

[Tave]

It doesn't matter how flat most of the country is- what matters is the sedction a few feet in front of you. If you need to get over that,(or through it) and can't: the topography of the rest of the fucking planet doesn't matter one iota.

I would be shocked, no, scratch that, I will gladly pay Onslaught $50 if he can show me a single stretch of road anywhere in Mecklenburg County that is steeper than the road outside my window, which coincidentally receives like 3 times the average snowfall as him, is never plowed, and has never presented me with a single issue, even when my tires were completely bald.

[12,000 RPM]

If theres one thing I'm seeing down here is that if you want a truck, you NEED a truck. With the abundance of trucks here though I can't imagine it being hard to find something half decent for cheap. Like I said there's a perfectly good quarter ton Chevy just rotting away in my complex' parking lot.

[Soup DeVille]

I would be shocked, no, scratch that, I will gladly pay Onslaught $50 if he can show me a single stretch of road anywhere in Mecklenburg County that is steeper than the road outside my window, which coincidentally receives like 3 times the average snowfall as him, is never plowed, and has never presented me with a single issue, even when my tires were completely bald.

Congratulations. You live in a bumpy part of the country. Have a cookie to celebrate.

That still doesn't show anything toward's Onslaught need, or lack thereof (remember, he did mention driving actually off the road as well). The point being: buy says he needs four wheel drive, that's probably what he's going to be looking to buy.

[hotrodalex]

Everyone always says people in the south suck at winter driving because they always crash when it snows an inch. Thing is, it's a totally different situation than 7 inches of snow in the north. Much slushier and icier, which leads to cars in ditches. When a similar storm hit Utah last winter, it was a driving disaster (except me and some others used to that type of stuff)

[Soup DeVille]

Well, that's true: people in the south do suck at winter driving. Well, pretty much everybody sucks at winter driving, no matter where they live- but that's besides the point.

[Byteme]

Everyone always says people in the south suck at winter driving because they always crash when it snows an inch. Thing is, it's a totally different situation than 7 inches of snow in the north. Much slushier and icier, which leads to cars in ditches. When a similar storm hit Utah last winter, it was a driving disaster (except me and some others used to that type of stuff)

Plus you have all these idiots who think having 4 wheel drive endows them and their vehicle with magical powers to defy the laws of physics when it rains and snows.

[Onslaught]

Lol, Someone who's never been to my house is telling me how my roads and driveway are. My girlfriend was the same way. She's from Nebraska and knows everything about snow.
But we get snow and ice. And when that ice gets on my driveway, in the shade if the woods it will last for a week. And at the bottom of that hill is a pond if you slide back. Just like she did the first time she went up it in her Honda Civic that she used in Nebraska.

But as I said before, I have more then snow and ice for a reason for 4WD. Living in the country reasons. Things most of you know nothing about.

As for southern drivers in snow. Yes, they suck ass. And northern ass holes aren't near as good as they think they are.

I drove a miata in places that people in SUV's got stuck in. I was snow plowing for most of it. So I'm not a pro, but I know what can and can't be done.

[Soup DeVille]

Lol, Someone who's never been to my house is telling me how my roads and driveway are. My girlfriend was the same way. She's from Nebraska and knows everything about snow.
But we get snow and ice. And when that ice gets on my driveway, in the shade if the woods it will last for a week. And at the bottom of that hill is a pond if you slide back. Just like she did the first time she went up it in her Honda Civic that she used in Nebraska.

But as I said before, I have more then snow and ice for a reason for 4WD. Living in the country reasons. Things most of you know nothing about.

As for southern drivers in snow. Yes, they suck ass. And northern ass holes aren't near as good as they think they are.

I drove a miata in places that people in SUV's got stuck in. I was snow plowing for most of it. So I'm not a pro, but I know what can and can't be done.

Nobody from Nebraska knows anything about anything besides corn and corn related accessories.

[Onslaught]

Snow in most places is powder. Snow in the south is much wetter with ice. Add that and the fact that our states don't have the road equipment for snow and a small snow can be more of a problem then it should be.
But it's not a problem with a good 4WD

[FlatBlackCaddy]

I've thought about it and decided you don't need a truck.

Mods, please close thread. Thank you.

[Soup DeVille]

I've thought about it and decided you don't need a truck.

Mods, please close thread. Thank you.

Nor does he need an RX-8. He should sell it and get a V6 Camry, but not with the heated mirrors. I've lived my whole life without heated mirrors, so clearly nobody in North Southalina needs them either.

[Rupert]

I am generally in support of 4WD trucks, as 2WD has always seemed a little silly unless you never leave the pavement. Of all the times I've needed 4WD, there are 20 more times when 4WD was nice to have. When I had a 2WD truck, sure, I could get a lot of places you might think, oh gee 4WD only, but it sucked a lot more to get there.

However, if you don't need 4WD (as Onslaught clearly doesn't), and you're very concerned about reliability and price, then 2WD is the way to go. IMO, buy the 2WD truck or don't complain about needing a truck.

[SVT666]

Onslaught...sell the RX-8 and get a used Ram 1500.

[GoCougs]

IMO 2WD trucks, save for a dedicated tow rig, are worthless. I've owned 3 trucks and I can't carry on about how lousy they were in 2WD (well, one was full-time 4WD and other wasn't exactly a truck but pretty close (Dodge Ramcharger)) on anything other than dry pavement.

[Soup DeVille]

IMO 2WD trucks, save for a dedicated tow rig, are worthless. I've owned 3 trucks and I can't carry on about how lousy they were in 2WD (well, one was full-time 4WD) on anything other than dry pavement.

That's impressive, because there are very few things you can't carry on about.

[GoCougs]

That's impressive, because there are very few things you can't carry on about.

My former stable:

1.) 1978 Dodge Power Wagon with 2bbl 318, 4sp M/T, NP203 chain-driven full-time t-case and limited slip diffs front and rear (owner said it was some sort of state government rig prior; had only ~60,000 miles when purchased)
2.) 1982 Dodge Ramcharger with 2bbl 318, 3sp AT, NP208 chain-driven part-time t-case and limited slip diff rear and open diff front (owner said it was a former Alaskan rig; had ~120,000 miles when purchased)
3.) 1997 Toyota Tacoma with 2.7L, 5 sp M/T, part-time t-case, and open diffs front and rear (bought it from a shady Russian car dealer; had ~15,000 miles when purchased)

I figure I had ~225,000 miles between the three (majority on the Tacoma) and not coincidentally the Tacoma was the worst 2WD of the three owing to its short wheelbase - stopping and starting on wet hills in Seattle was a problem. It's no surprise that this was the best of the three rigs of course, but the others had their worth too.

[Soup DeVille]

My former stable:

1.) 1978 Dodge Power Wagon with 2bbl 318, 4sp M/T, NP203 gear-driven full-time t-case and limited slip diffs front and rear (owner said it was some sort of state government rig prior; had only ~60,000 miles when purchased)
2.) 1982 Dodge Ramcharger with 2bbl 318, 3sp AT, NP208 chain-driven part-time t-case and limited slip diff rear and open diff front (owner said it was a former Alaskan rig; had ~120,000 miles when purchased)
3.) 1997 Toyota Tacoma with 2.7L, 5 sp M/T, part-time t-case, and open diffs front and rear (bought it from a shady Russian car dealer; had ~15,000 miles when purchased)

I figure I had ~225,000 miles between the three (majority on the Tacoma) and not coincidentally the Tacoma was the worst 2WD of the three owing to its short wheelbase - stopping and starting on wet hills in Seattle was a problem. It's no surprise that this was the best of the three rigs of course, but the others had their worth too.

See, I knew you had it in you.

[280Z Turbo]

My dad has driven a 2WD truck in Michigan since 1986. A few sandbags in the back with good tires and it's not that bad. My dad has never ditched it, crashed it, or had to call a tow truck.

There are a few times I've gotten stuck with a 2WD truck in a steep driveway, but I think a limited slip would have prevented it. It's very frustrating when one tire is on dry pavement and the other tire is on ice, but you can't move.

[mzziaz]

That's impressive, because there are very few things you can't carry on about.

See, I knew you had it in you.

[GoCougs]

Am I responsible for not being a Renaissance 'SPINner?