Talk me out of buying a more reliable car please!!!

[Grit dog]

Yeah man. Tough call. I had the room, either at home or my grandma across town had 2 acres and 3 different driveways.
Guess it depends on how “screwed up” the wiring is. Pretty much every hard part on an old truck is easy to replace. Relatively speaking.
Let’s see some pics of the truck!
Btw you can put about any 8 lug Ram wheels on your truck. You could get a set of newer truck takeoffs with new tires for the same price or less than a set of good tires. And wide 16” steelies that fit OE square body hubcaps are about $150 a piece.

 

[80BrownK10]

Thanks for this. This is some pretty good advice. Just for the record I do have a good bit of knowledge about working on my truck and for the most part if I don’t know something, I have a few buddies who can help me out. This ignition module was a bit different because I’m not great with testing electrical stuff and I felt like I didnt really have a good place to start looking because it had just died while driving. I just started a new job, so im not entirely confident taking time off or coming in late yet so I felt like it just needed to get done quickly instead of me spending a few weeks researching the cause.

I mostly struggle with diagnosis although im getting better. I had somewhat of an idea that something with the ignition went wrong and i had just replaced the module, cap and rotor, and plugs and wires so I thought it was the coil.

Anyway, my plan was to maybe purchase a used 350 and build it up on my free time and when its ready I’ll have a buddy come over and help me with the swap. Does that sound like a good plan? As long as it’s done right, I can imagine it would make my truck a lot more reliable.


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Just stopping running should be just a few things. Shouldn't take weeks of research or dinking around. Work back from where you don't have spark. You also said you needed help with the master cyl replacement. I agree don't try engine swapping. Only thing you should need help on a master cyl would be bleeding brakes. And that is if you don't know the few ways around that doing that by yourself. Keep learning, you really need to fix and trouble shoot these problems yourself to find out how to do it for the next time.

Forget buliding an engine unless it's for fun. That will be a great way to learn some things but it won't gain you any MPG going to a 350 unless your pulling a big block out??? And like pointed out the money you spend buying it and rebuilding it will take a long time to make up for in the small amount of fuel savings...IF ANY. Unless you have like a 150 mile a day ground trip commute.

Also good advice to replace all the old wear parts.

I'm not trying to be negative, it's just the reality. Shops now are expensive. They have high rates for the complex cars of today, but they don't lower their rate to work on simple 40 year old trucks. You can't really afford to take a truck to the shop every other month. If you do that you may as well buy a cheap beater daily with that money!

 

[80BrownK10]

Thanks for this! I was considering leasing a 2020 hyundai elantra for 125$ a month (3 year lease) with complimentary maintenance. I can definitely afford it and it would certainly be reliable. I just really wish I lived in the country. If I didn't live in my parents house with an HOA I'd just park the damn thing in back yard or something and buy a more reliable car. It just sucks I can't afford/ don't have space to keep it around as a weekend car if I do buy a newer car. That's honestly the biggest kicker for me. I think for now I've decided to give it some more time and figure it out as I go. I really had some big plans for my baby and it would suck to have no more car plans. If I buy a new car it would feel like giving up a part of my life. I won't have to think about my car anymore, it will just turn into a point A to point B kind of thing and I don't really want that. It's not like you can mod a lease car. With my truck it's like a blank slate that I can do whatever I want to.

After reading what some people had to say about gas mileage I'm starting to not care as much about it. I think as long as I get maybe 15 MPG or something close to that I'm happy. I guess I'm most worried about reliability. For now I might just start by rewiring everything so I have less electrical stuff to worry about. I like the idea someone had about making sure all the systems around the engine are good.

If I'm going to make it through the winter too I might need some better tires, and consequently new wheels. I don't have any other options for tires if I keep the 16.5 inch rims so I need 16" or 17". I'd kinda like some sportier rims to make my truck look a bit more aggressive but I'm not sure I want to lower it yet. That's another topic though.

New rims would be one of the last things I would actually do at this point. If your worried about reliability that will do nothing for you unless yours are so rotted they may blow. Tires for sure, those can strand you.

I know it's cool to think about rims and so many people put so much thought and pride in rims but in your situation that's one on the last things you need to think about.

15mpg is stretching it some unless you have bone stock truck that you baby and then it's going to be hard. I get 12mpg at best in mine but I have larger tires and 4wd.

My thoughts on a lease is that's a waste of money cause you have nothing other than a ride to work for those 3 years. Buying an old reliable car gets you to work those years and when done you can sell it and get some of your money back.

 

[DoubleDingo]

You've got some good advice from these guys. I'll add mine.

It all boils down to what you want to spend your money on. Fuel for a truck that is paid for, that will also need some loving once in a while. Or blow it on a car. If you can find a good used car that won't nickel and dime you, go for it, but that is a gamble, as you have already found out with the truck. As said, do not lease a car, it's a waste of money. Just remember, each thing you fix or replace is one less thing you have to deal with on that truck. There are some things that can go longer than others, but eventually each part will need to be serviced in one way, shape, or form. Once it's dialed-in, though, you then have a great truck you can rely upon no matter what. It's the fun of owning old vehicles.

 

[Slybeanx]

I love my truck. I love driving it, I love the amount of times I've started conversations with people who told me I had a nice truck, I love learning to work on it, and I love that I can haul stuff with it. Recently I've started to realize it may not be practical as a daily driver anymore.

Two weeks ago I lost brakes. A coworker helped me replace the master cylinder over the weekend and driving it home it died on the side of the road. Had AAA tow it to the shop because I had no time/patience or knowledge to try and figure out the issue. It ended up being the module which I had replaced myself just months ago with a nice accel unit. I also had them do some other things including replacing the sending unit so my fuel gauge would work and they screwed it up. I broke down 500 feet from the shop, they fixed it and were very rude to me when I went to pick it up again. I got it home today and now there is fuel leaking from the sending unit. I drove it to work today and the seal on the sending unit is leaking so now I have to take it back and have them drop the tank a third time.

I know this isn't all my trucks fault, but I am starting to consider buying a new car that is more practical gets better gas mileage and is more reliable. Only problem is where is the fun in that?

Even if I buy another car, I will not be able to bring myself to sell my first car after all the memories I've made in it. I'll have to find a place to store it until I can afford to own and insure two cars ,and by then It will probably end up rotting away.

I had plans to make it more of a street rod maybe lower it, put some nice wheels on it, and up the horsepower so I can have a bit more fun. Would buying a 350 and building it up make it reliable enough to get me to work and class every day and would that possibly get me slightly better gas mileage? Thanks!

As someone who owned an E30 in college rather recently id say just get the fuel system, ignition and brakes figured out. Everything else can probably wait if moneys is tight. I have yet to have either my 90' E30 or 87 V6 C10 break down on me besides the day of purchase for the truck (clogged filter). I would rather fix up the truck than have a monthly payment/ buying another used car which may have been abused and take a dump within 5k miles.

That said if you arnt comfortable having your transportation down for a few days/ arnt comfy ripping into things and a shop is your only choice I personally would get something else.