Dad's truck

[98ciHemi]

In November of 1993, my Dad took delivery of a brand new Ford F350 7.3 IDI, crew cab, extended bed. That truck has been from the east coast to the west coast, towed a trailer to Alaska and back, moved us from Monroe, MI to Cadillac, MI, and has been Dad's daily driver for 17 years. The only major parts it has gone through are three transmissions (one manufacturing defect, one blown cooler line drained the fluid, and one tq converter went band and pushed all the fluid out the front seal. 4 times.) Anyway, the whole reason for this rambling is today I pulled out a chevy van the was stuck in our front yard. As I was doing this, I realized that the truck has been the most constant inanimate object in my life. It was the first vehicle I ever worked on, the first car I drove, and the first car I drove alone. It is a vehicle that is the epitome of reliable. It has never failed the simple test of walk out, put the key in, and fire it up. It is alway there when it is needed. Does anyone else have a vehicle like that in their life?

[jcharliem]

Re: Dad's truck

Go easy on some of the words you've used in your post. You'll freak out Groucho.

[Monster]

Re: Dad's truck

Wow Walt, you are doing allot of pondering lately ...
:D

[67prostreet]

Re: Dad's truck

Go easy on some of the words you've used in your post. You'll freak out Groucho.

:D ;D

[dieselgeek]

Re: Dad's truck

Sounds just like my Dodge truck. I keep telling myself I'll sell it when it lets me down. Hasn't happened yet in 350,000 miles. I've replaced in injector pump, installed a modified lift pump - we went through the trans once (NV4500 was notoriously weak for my model year, so I spent $300 to have it uprated), had an axle noise that was fixed under warranty when I first bought it...

other than that, it still fires right up even without a block heater when it's well below zero. It's been a good truck to me.

[milner351]

Re: Dad's truck

I've never managed to hold onto a vehicle that long. I seem to be going through daily drivers about every 2-3 years, when good deals fall into my lap. I've been payment free for about 8 years now.

My folks bought a dealer demo '80 olds 88 in early 81 that we drove all over the country - even after it was stolen and repaired at the dealership. My brother an I put a big hurting on that car as teenagers - I even had it at college for a while, ended up selling it sometime around '91 I believe.

My '97 powerstroke I purchased for $5100 5 years ago - and just sold it this week for $7500 - I wish I could do that type of dealing more often!

[moparmaniac07]

Re: Dad's truck

Used to be my Stratus. It started out as my sister's car, she beat it. I got it off of her when she bought a new car, put 36,000 more hard miles on it. That car had more mud on the tires and seen more time offroad than most trucks do, even seen some airtime. I've driven it down to WV, one time to NC and back, one day of that trip was 18 hours of driving only stopping for bathroom breaks and gas. The transmission leaked, probably from a dent in the pan from one of many rocks. Had to dump a quart of fluid in every month. The pin fell out of my passenger side rear drums on my way home from school recently, and stuff just started going all at once. A great deal on a Sebring kind of found me, so when the transmission finally went on 12/23/09, I parked it, for good most likely. It even managed to get me home, barely. It's been in my family for 8 years or so, that's as close as I've got.

[Eagle Kammback]

Re: Dad's truck

Unfortunately, no, though the F150 has been pretty consistent in my life, nothing special, just a 95 302 EXT Cab XLT Short Bed Auto, nothing went wrong with it that wasn't my fault, first accident, first ticket, second ticket (came with first accident). I'm gonna miss that truck

[JOES66FURY]

Re: Dad's truck

yup...my Ram

[Barry Donovan]

Re: Dad's truck

a ford 7.3 Liter that actually worked.
that same exact truck model bent a frame all by itself empty and nearly killed me and my brother...throttle stuck, a perfect omen. the front axle ripped off came through the floor and mauled my foot into a 17 hour operation. All four doors of the cab were bent enough to pry open to get us out. The speed? 50mph.
passed state inspections, up to date. Those rigs didn't last here in maine. A lot of bouncing pouncing oversized fairy tales do not.

I am optimistic, I have spotted the newer v8 deisels, I hope the classic chevy ford tough guy battle ensues. Just being a v8 is frame troubles gone for the most part. Chevy has a box beam for a reason...AMEN.

There are old winners...the 6.2 with a mechanic was a smart one. It still puts dummies in thier place...not even a turbo attached.A guy I woked with got more gas mileage at 1ton capable than me in a subaru. Impressive. 500k taken care of like a diesel ought to. I never forgot the real rigs.

Stories like this talking up a strong truck that failed north, always keeps in the market for way too long. I hope your story the best...it sure as heck does not last in a bad man's environment.

[98ciHemi]

Re: Dad's truck

Wow Walt, you are doing allot of pondering lately ...
:D

It's really rather disturbing. I have come to several dramatic realizations recently.
Dad's truck is just always there. It's slower than all get out, but it will get you where you want to go. When I was pulling that van out, it didn't even take effort. I just put it in gear, rolled forward and just easily tugged him out. The truck drives just like a vehicle should. You press the accelerator and the response is nice and predictable. There is just enough steering feedback to let you know where you are. It gets 20 mpg in town, and does this every single day. It has well over 200,000 miles now.

[realsteelfreak]

Re: Dad's truck

My 65 Dodge is like that, not that I drive it all that often now, but before it never let me down, many,many miles, road hard put up wet. I can still hit the gas,choke and key and it runs,sounds good, drum brakes all around and works great.
Like you ,mine has been a constant on my life, many things have changed. I have had mine 15 years this month, my oldest kids were small when I first got it(now 24,22,18), and they ask about it often ,still as they have gotten older and moved on.
The best part is my 2 year old son loves it, when going outside its the first thing he goes for.

[Bamfster]

Re: Dad's truck

Walt, my IDI is the same way....keeps on going with 374K on it.

My old reliable is the Camaro...I remember it when my folks bought it new, me and my two brothers learned to drive in it, I restored it once with my old man in '82....HUGE memories!

[kyhunter89]

Re: Dad's truck

mines been an 86 toyota 4x4 long bed with an auto. bought around 93 its been the cali and back twice, raced in baja when in cali, dad's daily, farm only truck for 2 years, my daily, and now is a farm truck again. although its had two head gaskets, ball joints, front axles, etc. the only time it ever failed it broke an arm. i guess a truck isn't made to go on a dirt bike course, i mean it did do baja, but glad dads not reading this :-X its slower tha anything now, has 240,xxx miles, it hauls more wood every weekend than it weighs.

[Shawn Anderson]

Re: Dad's truck

I have had a coupe F250's for work and they seem pretty tuff, my 01 was great right up to 200k. My 08 now has 83,000 on and has been a great work horse.