Reliable and simple vehicles to maintain.

[vdubnut62]

Transmissions??

Automatic without a shadow of a doubt. If I were buying it NEW today.
That statement comes from a man that made his living from failed automatic transmissions for 20 years. In years past I worked in several departments of what was then a major aftermarket supplier. I rebuilt a Bunch of Torque Converters. Todays auto ain't your Dad's automatic transmission by 20 years and a long Mule ride.
Ok Okay. Yes. My Dodge is a 5 speed. And a Gear vendors Overdrive is in the plans. Really? You wanted to put 600 ftlbs plus of torque into a 720 torquflite and expect it to be reliable?  Well, yes A Torqueflite is bulletproof behind a straight six in a Postal Jeep, but a Cummins??.  Oh, the 68 Chevy C-50? 4 speed with a 2 speed rear end? Come on it's behind a 327 small journal 4 bolt main. It will never break. Look it up, it's picture is under bulletproof in Webster's dictionary. It's also listed as unbreakable, and made from unobtanium,  but I don't want to brag. Yes, I know the engine is worth more than the truck ever will be. Know what? I get to when I drive it, and everyone wonders , whats that old bastard grinning about?
Ron.

[Henry W]

I do know that automatics have become more reliable. The automatic in the 2005 Toyota Corolla has over 300,000 miles and seems to shift since it was first bought. The only work done to it is filter changes and regular fluid flushes  by removing the transmission oil cooler return line to hook up a six foot hose to pump the fluid in a 5 gallon bucket while filling the transmission. I normally use 12 quarts to do this. I always used Toyota Oem fluid that is spec'd for the year and model.

I also did the same for the 2000 Xterra automatic.

[LowGear]

Blind Ass Luck.

It's a beautiful thing.

I've got a friend that drove a Cadillac Diesel for 105,000 miles not knowing he was suppose to change the oil.  And then complained when one of the pistons tried to run away.  

Tesla and a couple of the other electric powered people have had the too much torque problem.  Transmissions?  We don't need no stinking transmissions.

I'm in the process of mourning the exit of a 1992 Subaru SVX.  What a neat car especially when you find out that it was designed in 1988.  However Subaru in their economy minded wisdom used a transmission out of 4 cylinder station wagon - 140 HP on 3,000 pounds of vehicle - to move this 230 HP - 4,000 pound machine.  And no tranny oil cooler the first two years of production.  I have found it impossible to put $2500 into a car that would pull out of the garage worth about $1250.

Casey

[SteveU.]

See? Using an iron-clad must-be third year of production, may have saved you this pain.

Another of my learned the hard ways rules is to only buy/aquiire vehicles that have at least 100,000 year production runs. By the 3rd year that means 300,000 in the same design/manufactured boat. By production model run end of 5-8 years that is a BIG pool needing/suppling parts, sharing out tips&tricks, pattern failure service information.
Learned this one the hard, hard way from owing super easy to work on, MG1100, BMW1600, MB250S, Saab 96, Suzuki Sammy. Now just get the parts. Waited shipped in from three state's away.  Pay for the parts. Return wrong parts? Make me laugh.
The under hood hanged on emissions stuffed carburetor 1980 Pinto SW was a nightmare to work on. Family Ranger pickups with the same engine then FI converted, easy to work on. Ha! Ha! I just h-a-d to be different back then.
Different comes with prices payed in break-down frustrations, emptied pocket books and bleeding knuckles.
S.U.

[thomasonw]

I think the Ford 300 six was one of the best gas engines ever put in a Ford pickup. I miss my 1993 F150  short bed 4.9 liter 5 speed 4x4.

I would have to agree  - to the topic of this post, the last vehicles I owned was a '89 F150 with the 300 I-6 engine, and the T18 4-speed manual.  Didn't get great millage (around 18mpg), was not fast (65 and you knew it), would pull a TON (actually, 8500lbs per ford spec).  Always started.  Biggest issue I had was the fuel hose rotting out when they added all the alcohol.

Last I knew, had around 370,000 miles on it.   Reliable, and yes very simple to maintain. 

[veggie]

My 97 Ford Explorer, 6 cyl, Automatic had over 300,000kms on it when I got rid of it.
No major repairs other than regular maintenance. I loved that vehicle.

Considering another one.

Veggie

[Hugh Conway]

We are still using out Toyota Townace....a 1988 model 4WD with a 2lt Diesel. No electronics anywhere, always goes, and goes anywhere. It is rated at 2,200 pound payload, with the fold-down sides, and low flat bed, it is a great firewood truck. I have carried 3500 of gravel pounds in it........front wheels barely on the ground though!
Here is a link showing it with my 6/1 Startomatic on board. http://listerengine.com/smf/index.php?topic=7030.msg79925#msg79925 it is at the bottom of the thread.
I imported this myself from Japan. Never sold in North America, but many N.A.Toyota parts fit, parts are readily available in U.K. if needed, just have not needed much. This is one tough little machine, slow though, a top speed warning bell comes on at 60mph.....it is wound out at that speed. Top speed limit here is 35mph, so slow is not an issue.  The same basic engine was available in other models with a turbo, and this one is naturally aspirated, so lightly stressed. Has only required oil and filters, tires and a muffler, have no idea of how many miles it has on it, but it has many. Apparently illegal in the U.SD. but OK here in Canada.

Cheers,
Hugh

[Derb]

I must have owned around 29 Toyotas over the years and not one dud amongst them. Current truck is a 2004 Landcruiser 1HD-FTE 5 speed auto with all the LTD fruit. I use it mainly to tow my 3 tonne van. Just coming up 300k. Oil and filter every 5k with 15/40 mineral. All other fluids roughly every 2nd year. I fully expect over 700k out of this unit before I sell it as my mate just sold his 4 speed auto 100 series with over 1 million k on it and speedo was disconnected for a while to save road tax. This was one abused truck. I would buy another new one the same in a heartbeat - wouldn't say the same for the 200 series ones though. They are far too intelligent and I cant fix them.

[mobile_bob]

vdub:

your '68 c50 is a large journal 327,  it was the only year for the large journal 327 in regular production.

i am unaware of any large journal 4bolt 327's from the factory put in trucks.

i do know you can fit a large journal 327 crank into a 4bolt 350 block

and of course there was the large journal 4bolt 302, but never heard of it in a truck.

all this is not to say that any number of combinations might have been built out in the field.

bob g

[vdubnut62]

    I'm sure you have seen at least a couple more of these old trucks than I have
There ya go raining on my parade. I was going by what the previous owner told me. I will learn someday to actually look before I shoot my mouth off.  I really didn't want to pull the pan
since believe it or not this one has no (or very few) leaks.
By the way thanks for the valuable information. No really!

Ron.

[AdeV]

Fancy electronics are the problem.... they're also the solution to getting good efficiency from a petrol or diesel engine. So, take your pick: Good mileage from your gallon, or easy maintenance?

As a friend of mine observed the other week - 20 years ago, the scrap yards were full of clapped out vehicles with worn out engines, buggered gearboxes, and usually lots of rot. Nowadays, the same scrap yards are full of pristine vehicles with barely worn engines or mechanicals and virtually no rust.... but somewhere a blown computer chip or circuit board has rendered the entire car useless, and it'll cost silly money to replace, cheaper to scrap it (for a couple of hundred quid - maybe $300) and buy a second hand one than to get it fixed.

The upshot, of course, is ever fewer vehicles can be serviced/maintained by a competent DIY mechanic.