Last one to post in this thread wins!

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This is the second wagon that we've had, the previous one was a 96 Mercury Sable, it had over 160k miles, still ran perfectly, but the transmission was starting to do odd things and I was not interested in spending $2k on a rebuild. We bought this wagon from the original owner, who had factory ordered it, got all of the documentation from day 1 including the window sticker. It had around 70k miles when I got it in 2018 and it has been extremely reliable. I replaced the front windshield and had the side and rear windows tinted the first week, front rotors and pads, sway bar links and put 4 new tires on about 4 months later, did plugs and wires, belts and thermostat at 100k miles, and 2 coil packs since then. Outside of that, nothing but regular oil changes and a new battery 2 years ago. Still has ice cold a/c, excellent heat, etc. I have considered getting the rocker panels replaced, but I don't know if its worth the cost. Last time I had them done on her 92 Thunderbird was 20 years ago and it cost me over $2k.
Something else to consider (at least I am): These new vehicles have all of this electronic BS that works...until it doesn't. The "infotainment system" in my '21 Ridgeline is a complete POS, but Honda can't find anything wrong with it, and since it's an "integral portion of the engine management system" (or so they tell me), it can't be bypassed, nor can it be eliminated 'cuz it's a non-DIN/special size.

My wife's '08 RX350 has some electronics BS, and so far I've been able to fix everything on it, but it's nothing compared to this new thing they gave me! Hell, I wonder what that huge touchscreen is gonna look like in 20 years. Or 10. Or 5.....

Electronics are great, until they're not, and for this reason alone I'll probably keep driving my OBS Ford pickups until the day I die...'Cuz I can fix 'em when they break!

:mob::mob::mob::mob::mob::mob::mob::mob::mob::mob::mob::mob::mob:

Edit: And don't get me started on all of the Big Brother "little black boxes" all of these new cars have.
 
Something else to consider (at least I am): These new vehicles have all of this electronic BS that works...until it doesn't. The "infotainment system" in my '21 Ridgeline is a complete POS, but Honda can't find anything wrong with it, and since it's an "integral portion of the engine management system" (or so they tell me), it can't be bypassed, nor can it be eliminated 'cuz it's a non-DIN/special size.

My wife's '08 RX350 has some electronics BS, and so far I've been able to fix everything on it, but it's nothing compared to this new thing they gave me! Hell, I wonder what that huge touchscreen is gonna look like in 20 years. Or 10. Or 5.....

Electronics are great, until they're not, and for this reason alone I'll probably keep driving my OBS Ford pickups until the day I die...'Cuz I can fix 'em when they break!

:mob::mob::mob::mob::mob::mob::mob::mob::mob::mob::mob::mob::mob:

Edit: And don't get me started on all of the Big Brother "little black boxes" all of these new cars have.
Absolutely agreed on all of this, I hate all of the "tech" in my 2019 Freightliner, the 2020 that another driver has is even worse!
I much prefer older stuff for it's simplicity but it's harder and harder to find older ones that are still roadworthy and balancing the cost/benefit factor.

What's really funny is that I remember thinking about the idea of adapting 'black boxes' to automotive applications years ago when they became commonplace with aircraft. Now I have to wonder what the hell was I thinking?
 
I've been looking for a replacement for my wife's car (2002 Taurus wagon) for a while now. The car has 150k miles on it and still runs excellent, I would drive it anywhere, but the rocker panels have rusted out badly. She really likes it and it is great for hauling our 3 dogs around, plus it can carry a lot of stuff! Unfortunately Ford stopped making them around 2005 or 2006, and they were not sold in big numbers so it is very difficult to find another one that is not already rusted out and/or high mileage.
I don't have the budget for anything new, plus she HATES pretty much everything that is newer, so it is not easy to replace.
I was considering buying another Expedition, but the size of them is a little intimidating for her, so now I am looking at Escapes. So far they all have one thing in common, rust around the rear wheel openings. :BangHead:
I have found one about 3 hours away that appears to be in very good shape, no rust issues that I can see, but I can't go see it until at least Saturday.
Be careful on the escape I looked at a 2012 over the weekend the cradle/subframe at the right front was rotted out near the rear mount and both rear uniframes were rotted out a foot in front of the back bumper. It had no body rust and looked perfect from all sides.
 
Got a good dusting today. Maybe half an inch. That's close to 13 mm for our metric friends. lol. Should be gone by Thursday. Still aint got all of my garlic planted. :BangHead: Had a major malfunction in the repair shop. My own damned fault, trying to rush the paint. Lifted on me. Have not had that happen in a long while. Cold temps aint helping. Just trying to get people back on the road.
 
Be careful on the escape I looked at a 2012 over the weekend the cradle/subframe at the right front was rotted out near the rear mount and both rear uniframes were rotted out a foot in front of the back bumper. It had no body rust and looked perfect from all sides.
Thanks for the tip CF, I have been pretty careful about looking close at everything that I have been considering. One of the first things I do is get underneath and do a thorough inspection of the rockers, floors, etc. I looked at 2 Escapes this past Sunday, the first one had a fist sized hole directly in front of the right rear wheel. I told the seller I had seen all that I needed to see and walked away.
The second one was actually very clean underneath, but had rust bubbles on both rear wheel openings and the asking price was a bit high in my opinion. That one was a 2012 model and the seller had owned it for 10 years. I would have been more interested in it had the price been more realistic. Plus it was only a front wheel drive and I would much prefer a 4wd.
 
Thanks for the tip CF, I have been pretty careful about looking close at everything that I have been considering. One of the first things I do is get underneath and do a thorough inspection of the rockers, floors, etc. I looked at 2 Escapes this past Sunday, the first one had a fist sized hole directly in front of the right rear wheel. I told the seller I had seen all that I needed to see and walked away.
The second one was actually very clean underneath, but had rust bubbles on both rear wheel openings and the asking price was a bit high in my opinion. That one was a 2012 model and the seller had owned it for 10 years. I would have been more interested in it had the price been more realistic. Plus it was only a front wheel drive and I would much prefer a 4wd.
Our 2014 RAV 4 has been a winner so far. Just hit 100000. Put brakes and tires on it so far. It's kind of a noisy car. Have you guys looked at the
Chevy Trax. Cheap and I kind of like them. Just looked it up FWD only
 
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Agreed....Gordon Downing of the " the hip" used to do that all the time. saw them about 5 times and it gets old real fast. Play your music and keep your persaonal and political opiniions to yourself. I still want to see the movie based on his life. I believe it is on Netflex. Music at the time shaped my life, and Bruce ( with Clarence and Max )hit hard for me. Hollywood is finally being exposed for their demonic and self indulgent behaviour.
I still love The Hip but without Gordie it just wouldn't be the same.
 
I've been looking for a replacement for my wife's car (2002 Taurus wagon) for a while now. The car has 150k miles on it and still runs excellent, I would drive it anywhere, but the rocker panels have rusted out badly. She really likes it and it is great for hauling our 3 dogs around, plus it can carry a lot of stuff! Unfortunately Ford stopped making them around 2005 or 2006, and they were not sold in big numbers so it is very difficult to find another one that is not already rusted out and/or high mileage.
I don't have the budget for anything new, plus she HATES pretty much everything that is newer, so it is not easy to replace.
I was considering buying another Expedition, but the size of them is a little intimidating for her, so now I am looking at Escapes. So far they all have one thing in common, rust around the rear wheel openings. :BangHead:
I have found one about 3 hours away that appears to be in very good shape, no rust issues that I can see, but I can't go see it until at least Saturday.
What about replacing the rockers? At least you know what you have and a lot cheaper than buying a car you know nothing about
 
Our 2014 RAV 4 has been a winner so far. Just hit 100000. Put brakes and tires on it so far. It's kind of a noisy car. Have you guys looked at the
Chevy Trax. Cheap and I kind of like them. Just looked it up FWD only
My son's fiance just bought a 2025 RAV AWD Hybrid.
They like it but you're right it is noisy.
I still like our 300. Beautiful car to drive and quiet.
It has 82,000 k's (50,000 miles) and the body is excellent and gets undercoated every year.
Including on Friday
 
Morning guys.
So the car is now away for the winter. Just have to take the battery out.
Added the stabilizer and went and filled it up.
It was a nice day for a drive though.
When we were in Ireland we went down the Connor pass.
It's basically one lane unless you have a tiny car but it has intervals where you can pull over to let vehicles pass like busses.
Better hope your brakes don't give out.
Have a great day guys

Conor Pass Ireland.jpg
 

Our 2014 RAV 4 has been a winner so far. Just hit 100000. Put brakes and tires on it so far. It's kind of a noisy car. Have you guys looked at the
Chevy Trax. Cheap and I kind of like them. Just looked it up FWD only
I've been kinda looking at Rav4s and a few other vehicles, but I know that my wife is not going to be happy with anything GM, especially since the Equinox that my mom had crapped out. It was offered to me for free when the timing belt broke and destroyed the engine, only had 110k miles on it, but she wanted nothing to do with it. So a Chevy Trax is a non starter.
I have considered getting the rockers replaced, but I don't know if it's worth the expense on a 24 year old car. My thought is that I spend a couple thousand dollars on that, then something else major goes wrong, like the transmission. It has been a really good car, but in reality I think it would be a better idea to get something newer.
My nephew has a 4Runner with around 275k miles on it that my brother bought new, still runs excellent and is in good shape for the year. (I think it's a 2003)
My wife is not overly fond of imports either, but I have had a few and been quite happy with them. We'll see how things go.
 
I've been kinda looking at Rav4s and a few other vehicles, but I know that my wife is not going to be happy with anything GM, especially since the Equinox that my mom had crapped out. It was offered to me for free when the timing belt broke and destroyed the engine, only had 110k miles on it, but she wanted nothing to do with it. So a Chevy Trax is a non starter.
I have considered getting the rockers replaced, but I don't know if it's worth the expense on a 24 year old car. My thought is that I spend a couple thousand dollars on that, then something else major goes wrong, like the transmission. It has been a really good car, but in reality I think it would be a better idea to get something newer.
My nephew has a 4Runner with around 275k miles on it that my brother bought new, still runs excellent and is in good shape for the year. (I think it's a 2003)
My wife is not overly fond of imports either, but I have had a few and been quite happy with them. We'll see how things go.
Here's a thought....

If your Passport/Visa is up to date, there are a LOT of nice (non-rusted) vehicles in and around the Portland, OR area. I don't know what the import duty/fees would be to get one into Canada, but that may be a good trade-off when compared to replacing rocker panels and the like.
 
Here's a thought....

If your Passport/Visa is up to date, there are a LOT of nice (non-rusted) vehicles in and around the Portland, OR area. I don't know what the import duty/fees would be to get one into Canada, but that may be a good trade-off when compared to replacing rocker panels and the like.
thats good to know
 
My son's fiance just bought a 2025 RAV AWD Hybrid.
They like it but you're right it is noisy.
I still like our 300. Beautiful car to drive and quiet.
It has 82,000 k's (50,000 miles) and the body is excellent and gets undercoated every year.
Including on Friday
My dad had a 300 or should I say my step mom, nice looking car and performed well. It was not well suited for me or my dad though. Not enough headroom.
 
Here's a thought....

If your Passport/Visa is up to date, there are a LOT of nice (non-rusted) vehicles in and around the Portland, OR area. I don't know what the import duty/fees would be to get one into Canada, but that may be a good trade-off when compared to replacing rocker panels and the like.
I have given some thought to this idea, however, currency exchange rates are in the 40% range lately, plus federal tax on imported vehicles, which then require a specific inspection, done only by a small number of automotive shops that are licensed to do them. In addition, there are restrictions on which vehicles can be imported to Canada, not sure what the cutoff is today, but it used to be 15 model years before some of the rules were exempted. Then the travel costs, time off from work, etc. I also have read that the U.S. has changed the regulations on exporting vehicles from the country.
Seems like a good idea that has been turned into a nightmare.
 
My dad had a 300 or should I say my step mom, nice looking car and performed well. It was not well suited for me or my dad though. Not enough headroom.
I had a 2005 Magnum R/T that was a little bit shy in the headroom department. Fun car until the transmission decided to self destruct one morning while I was on my way to work. Fragged second gear at about 20 mph and very light acceleration.
 
I have given some thought to this idea, however, currency exchange rates are in the 40% range lately, plus federal tax on imported vehicles, which then require a specific inspection, done only by a small number of automotive shops that are licensed to do them. In addition, there are restrictions on which vehicles can be imported to Canada, not sure what the cutoff is today, but it used to be 15 model years before some of the rules were exempted. Then the travel costs, time off from work, etc. I also have read that the U.S. has changed the regulations on exporting vehicles from the country.
Seems like a good idea that has been turned into a nightmare.
Damn! Sorry to hear this.
Then again, if you ever find yourself taking a load "south of the border" (your border, not ours) and are dead-heading home, maybe you could smuggle one back in the trailer! :poke::lol:
 
Here's a thought....

If your Passport/Visa is up to date, there are a LOT of nice (non-rusted) vehicles in and around the Portland, OR area. I don't know what the import duty/fees would be to get one into Canada, but that may be a good trade-off when compared to replacing rocker panels and the like.
And when you pay American in Canada you get the exchange but you'll have to pay tariffs I think.
 
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