Faulkner
Member
I've driven GM's for 20 years. I've bought three vehicles since the bailout, all Fords, for this very reason.
Ford any good?
- Thread starter johngalt
- Start date
I've driven GM's for 20 years. I've bought three vehicles since the bailout, all Fords, for this very reason.
BuckeyeChuck
Member
Are Junk cars cost effective?
ALWAYS. I've had several free cars, and purchased multiple vehicles that cost under $500. Several of them have run for 50,000 miles or more. I literally have 10's of thousands of dollars more than my friends because in the past 15 years I have spent that much less than they on transportation.
What of Fords? I was always a GM guy, having a taste for *bad* junk cars. Fords were those boxy cars driven by stodgy people who didn't know what a good small block V8 was.
In 2002 I wanted a domestic, four cylidner, five-speed station wagon. That left three choices: a Ford Escort, a Chevrolet Cavalier, or a Saturn SW1. The Saturn was right out, and I just couldn't bring myself to own a Crapalier. Even I have standards. So I ended up with a $1900 1995 Ford Escort wagon with 91k on the odometer. When I gave that car away 7.5 years later, it had 202k on it and the A/C was still cold. I won't lie; I had to repair and maintain it and it wasn't built very well. But I was shocked at the design quality, especially the steering and the drivetrain. 112,000 miles for a total investiture of $5000-ish? FABULOUS.
I replaced it with a 2003 Ford Focus ZX5. I've put about 45k on it so far and I has yet to need a tow truck's services. I've also had to wrench on it (I found problems at the dealer, and I used that to get a lower price) but I accept that older cars must be worked on. (Just today I removed a water pump from a 1988 Pontiac Fiero 2.8L V6. This is my favorite form of genuine GM junk.)
I've become a Ford man mostly because they avoided the immorality that was the bailouts and the (in my opinion) illegal stiffing of secured creditors. I wish they made a minivan worth having because my P.O.S. 2000 Dodge Grand Caraturd will need to be replaced sooner than later.
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ChattanoogaPhil
Member
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Three Ford trucks since 1981? If they wear out and need replacing that quickly it's no wonder why Ford sells so many...
My first pickup-- 1981 Toyota 4X4
My second pickup-- 2000 Toyota Tundra 4x4
My third and last pickup - Year 2020. Make Toyota. Model unknown.
williamlayton
Member
I have several dogs in this hunt.
I have heard the same complaint about seats that Caj refrenced.
He is my barber and is a large man---didn't say fat---and the seats were too short for support on his legs.
I, on the other hand, don't experience any proble related to that.
I have owed several since 2000--going from a pick-up F150 to an Expedition to my 2010 Mustang.
We did a LOT of road traveling in the F150 and it was a dream---comfort was excellent.
Then i wanted an enclosed back end. Got a loaded out Expedition.
I did a wanderlust in that Expedition, from Houston Town to Albany New York where I picked up the Hen at the airport and we did a week or so looking at leaves in Vermont, New hampshire and Maine---put her back on a plane and then i wandered back hoe--gone three weeks.
In 2009 we took the Expedition from Houston Town to the Tetons, too Yellowstone too Glacier wandered back down to moab and then home.
We often drove 500 + miles per day just wandering around.
Most comfortable ride you could ask for.
Got the 2010 Mustang GT in 2010---because I wanted one before I passed--- and took it on a trip all the way up the Blue Ridge. On the way home the Hen made the most startleing comment. She said that the F150 was a great ride and the Expedition was better but, to her surprise, the GT was equal to the Expedition in a ride. This was an unsolicited comment from a lady that was not real happy when I showed up with the GT one day without asking permission.
Get a Ford.
I take mine on all kinds of day trips from Houston too, where Caj lives, Shreveport, Llano for Ribs and back home. 600 miles a day is an easy ride for me and I am almost 72.
Blessings
I have heard the same complaint about seats that Caj refrenced.
He is my barber and is a large man---didn't say fat---and the seats were too short for support on his legs.
I, on the other hand, don't experience any proble related to that.
I have owed several since 2000--going from a pick-up F150 to an Expedition to my 2010 Mustang.
We did a LOT of road traveling in the F150 and it was a dream---comfort was excellent.
Then i wanted an enclosed back end. Got a loaded out Expedition.
I did a wanderlust in that Expedition, from Houston Town to Albany New York where I picked up the Hen at the airport and we did a week or so looking at leaves in Vermont, New hampshire and Maine---put her back on a plane and then i wandered back hoe--gone three weeks.
In 2009 we took the Expedition from Houston Town to the Tetons, too Yellowstone too Glacier wandered back down to moab and then home.
We often drove 500 + miles per day just wandering around.
Most comfortable ride you could ask for.
Got the 2010 Mustang GT in 2010---because I wanted one before I passed--- and took it on a trip all the way up the Blue Ridge. On the way home the Hen made the most startleing comment. She said that the F150 was a great ride and the Expedition was better but, to her surprise, the GT was equal to the Expedition in a ride. This was an unsolicited comment from a lady that was not real happy when I showed up with the GT one day without asking permission.
Get a Ford.
I take mine on all kinds of day trips from Houston too, where Caj lives, Shreveport, Llano for Ribs and back home. 600 miles a day is an easy ride for me and I am almost 72.
Blessings
JcMack
Member
Since you live in Lafayette I'd suggest test driving a potential new ride in the winter with some snow on the ground. We've had some very light winters the last few years. One of the reasons I stay with pickups is the ground clearance. I'm a cheapskate and I buy the cheapest truck on the lot. Chevy "work trucks" are a few thou cheaper and just as reliable as a Ford.
I don't have a Found On Road Dead in this hunt, but I've seen several comments about Ford not taking any bailout money; in the GM sense, that's true, because it had already mortgaged it's assets in 2006 raise over 24 billion.
During the whole bailout mess they did however take a 5 billion dollar loan from the Energy Department and requested a 9 billion dollar line of credit from the gummint, pledging to take several actions in the small car/energy efficiency yada yada yada.
I'd still like to Fix Or Repair Daily a Mustang Laguna Seca, if one of you fine folks would like to give me one
During the whole bailout mess they did however take a 5 billion dollar loan from the Energy Department and requested a 9 billion dollar line of credit from the gummint, pledging to take several actions in the small car/energy efficiency yada yada yada.
I'd still like to Fix Or Repair Daily a Mustang Laguna Seca, if one of you fine folks would like to give me one
jframe
Member
LVSteve
Member
Wandering is about right if it resembled the one I test drove in 2000. Both my wife and I swore that it had a hinge in the middle. Later found out that the steering on the upmarket Expeditions was much better as they used a different rack.
I bought a Tahoe in 2001 and took it back to the dealer after six months for them to check out the front suspension. Sure enough it had been delivered with the caster and camber all wrong which explained occasional oddities on the freeway. It was arrow straight after they fixed it.
LoboGunLeather
US Veteran
Current vehicle is a 2004 Ford F150 XLT Supercab 4X4, V8, automatic (OD) with all the bells and most of the whistles. Bought it new in 2004, now has over 150K miles on it. Other than tires, brakes, and other routine maintenance I haven't spent $500 on it yet. Best truck I've ever owned and I plan on seeing just how far one can go with good regular maintenance.
