100000 miles with a bad sensor causing wonky shifts COULD kill the venerable Aisin tranny - but more likely the sensor and shift problem is more recent and the tranny will survive. No more crooked business model, world wide, than an automatic transmission chain shop.

The Mustang is a cinch compared to the abortion Nissan foisted on the world in the guise of the Nissan Altima. Much harder to get to, and then it needs to be scrunched up like a fan to get it out of or into the housing. 45 minutes and 2 square inches of skin compared to about 15 minutes on the ‘Stang

Apparently the SPAX coilover conversion is simple and effective

Just “retired” a perfectly operational i-phone 4 last fall - and it had replaced a Blackberry Q10 2 years earlier. Wife got my old SE when I got an 8 that was given to me

They would just source the fitting where Home Despot gets theirs, put a Tesla part number on it and package it with a piloted step drill to cut the mating surface square - with a tap on the other end and another TESLA part number - for $700 - or a smart aftermarket supplier would do it with THEIR part number and sell…

An i-phone is actually repairable. Screens and batteries are replaced every day - as are lightning connectors and the glass case-backs. - at SIGNIFICANTLY less than the stupid-high price of a replacement.

 For a limited production odd-ball “boutique” vehicle I could even see $50. $16000??? LUDICROUS

As a mechanic I’ve done many repairs similar to this with VERY FEW subsequent failures. As noted previously a plastic fitting would have likely been better and a tapered pipe fitting COULD result in splitting the housing. a straight thread o-ring sealed fitting would be safer - or a “plastic” fitting - but threads not …

A brass fitting “warp????” Hardly. The only problem I can see is if the tapered pipe thread was overtightened, and / or of the situation happens again and the brass fitting doesn’t break and ends up breaking the battery housing instead. The RIGHT fix would have been a plastic fitting - and the right DESIGN would have…

You obviously haven’t tried keeping a 2000's GM on the road. Being UGLY was only a small part of the problem with an Aztec

The 2.7 REQUIRED synthetic oil, and there was no driving conditions that met the “normal” conditions for extended drain intervals. Follow the extreme schedule with synthetic and they would run virtually forever - but virtually no-one “splurged” on synthetic oil, or regular enough changes.

The valve guides on the 3.0 Mittsoshitty engine were a well known problem with extended warranty coverage to 60000 miles. Other than that the 3.0 was a surprisingly robust and reliable engine - 2 sets of heads in 240000km, but running string and quiet at that mileage when I sold the ‘88

The Mittoshitty sourced 2.6 liter “hemi” made the 2.5 look like the epitomy of reliability

But that Ranger will still be running long after the Dakota is dead and gone, most likely and that Dakota drinks a LOT more gas and is basically what WAS a full sized truck 50 years ago. - and not a SMALL truck even today.

Could be - as mine was, a slightly bad front wheel bearing seal dirtied up the tone ring for the ABS and either a bad vac hose on the vapor purge solenoid/sensor assembly or a cracked fuel filler hose (The only “problems” my ‘96 has registered via dash lights in 8 years and $60000km - with $374000km accumulated)

My 1996 has 4 wheel ABS. Rear ABS stopped premature rear wheel locku which, particularly on a short wheelbase truck with no load CAN be “interesting”.

10 years ago it was a $2000 truck on a bad day - more like $3000. the automatic and 4 cyl limits the market somewhat - but also opens it up to buyers who are not clutch and lever conversant and those looking for the highest fuel mileage truck on the market. 2 WD meets the requirements of over 90% of “urban trucker”…

When I worked for a dealership used cars were cash assets. New stock was “on plan” Used cars were the “cash cow” - generally at least 3 times as much margin as new

Obvious you neve got too close to one of those POS. British cars, on the whole, are questionable. No question at all with Italian cars. Pure Junk - they rot away under you in about 3 years.

No such thing as a cheap German car, but this MIGHT be as close as you get. The “slick” is a capable little roadster and reasonably reliable IF well maintined - which this one appears to be. At $5200 it’s “affordable” - and it’s “cute”. Could possibly convince me to own my third German car - after a ‘49 split beetle…