Here’s the thing with these trucks - especially in the V8 config. They were fast as hell, super light in the back end, and could steer reasonable well BUT Dodge brakes and transmissions of those years were incredibly poorly designed and almost impossible to maintain.

Not mine, but that is the physical manifestation of Mall Wheel Drive.

That’s what happens when I’m stupidly vague on stuff - I would have called the model you spec’ed as ‘nicely equipped’ with ‘well equipped’ at the Lariat and ‘loaded’ at King Ranch - but that’s just the inner workings of my brain and by no means gospel.

I was looking more at the Lariat model with 4WD. Seems like I can’t swing a dead cat in my area without hitting either one of these, a new GMC truck, or a new four door Jeep Wrangler. That model of F-150 is more like $43-$45k.

Yes - the average monthly car payment in America was $530 dollars as of late last year.

Despite those that huddled near barrel fires during the Leyland days, Lucas smoke is entirely too capitalist to work on this. Need to find some Lada or Zaz smoke.  It’s hard to find - usually in square bottles with left handed threads.

14.7 is about right if your motor is under a bit of load - about 2200 to 2600 RPM.  If that’s the output at idle, it’s a bit higher than what I’m used to seeing.  At idle it’s usually barely over 12 - something like 12.7 to 13.1.  Again, not a HUGE distance away from what you were seeing but possibly high enough that…

My boys are very talkative. One thing that has helped is to ask them to take a bite, chew, swallow, and then they can ask a question or make a statement into the conversation.

I’m with you. I’m very much a DIY person, but that is also because of what my budget allows. But even within large DIY remodel projects I bring in a professional when required or when it gets me to the right spot. I brought in an electrician to help get power pulled for an exhaust fan and to help adjust an issue I…

There’s one other item to consider and that is what code requires. For example, I’m a pretty hardcore DIY guy - I rebuild privacy fences, installed 1100 sq ft of patio, built a shade pavilion over it, installed a deck, removed and rebuilt our basement stairs, and have gutted and rebuilt three of our bathrooms and the…

Queue up the Pentagon Wars!

1949 International trucks still had a foot starter. It’s next to the gas pedal on the floor. You turned the key to the ‘On’ position and then stomped the starter.  Always took me some searching to find in the dark as the one I was driving didn’t have a dome light.

Ford used the same front suspension design (Twin I-Beam) on trucks from 1965 to 1979.

Toyota Sienna Limited - AWD minivan FTW!

The key assumption here is the old car eating that $2,500 and not needing anything major for 18 months. I’m not familiar enough with VW reliability challenges as they add miles, but I can tell you with my history with Jeeps I would be rid of the car and probably end up money ahead with a newer vehicle.

The S trim is more basic and drawing a much lower NADA trade in/sale values:

Having driven a ‘91 Grand Am, I would say the two years without any further problems is specious at best. I had issues with suspension and electrical systems that would pop up every four to five months - and this was a car with manual windows and locks so the electrical system was relatively simple.

Sorry - should have included a /s comment. Yes - I know that mass transportation is propped up by government and rail is one of the grifters involved. Privatization is also problematic, as you point out, because those private operators usually have to go back to the government in order to force their ‘advancements’ in…

Wait, are you saying that AmTrack isn’t propped up by the government as well right now?

I think that Rugby has this right. If there is an issue, they call for the Television Match Official to show the replay on the screen and opine. The ref and the TMO are both mic’ed in big matches so you can hear them conversing and reviewing. They don’t have a time limit, but they must keep the game moving. They would…