Recent content by Sneal46

Say what you want about Tacoma and 4Runners. That drive train will last 20+ years/300,000 miles without skipping a beat. Everyone knows it. The other stuff is fluff. Toyota is all about reducing risk in exposure to failing systems. Reliability. Thus, their technology is ancient.... because it is...

We are looking at the used car market right now for my 19YO son and are targeting 2014-17 Mazda 6. They are not quite as expensive as Toyota within the same class and look to get great mileage/longevity.

Dealers have a reputation for being slimy and this just solidifies that premise. A buddy of mine just bought a 2023 Ford F250 premium for a boat load of money and the dealer added that junk on there as well. He didnt like it, but he paid it.

I am currently the owner of a 2007 Explorer with the 4.0. It was a fleet vehicle for a fire department and has been meticulously maintained. However, here is what I have done to it in the 2 yrs I have owned it (91k-128k miles on my watch). 1. Transmission rebuild. How could this be you say...

I went to high school with the son of Harry Melling. Great people and they put out a great product from their business in rural Michigan.

I am about to purchase a 2022 Toyota 4Runner. I will report my findings once the deal is consummated. However, I do not believe the fit and finish will be affected by the pandemic.

2s are not common. Like sized cars are. I drive a 5. That is about the size I'd stick with. The passenger car fatalities I have witnessed were generally in vehicles hit from the side and lower to the ground than the opposing vehicle. However, driving a fun car is what life is for on some days.

I am a firefighter (29 years) and found out quickly what the rules of "acciden survival" looked like on a scene.

Owned a 2010 Mini Cooper S for a couple years. It was a fun car to drive, there is no doubt about that. Would not want to get hit in one of those unless it was a smartcar.

Lived in Michigan for 41 years and worked on my own vehicles quite a bit. Used to think dealing with rusty components and using torches was just part of the deal. However, after moving to Arizona 9 years ago, I saw the light. I have 20+ year old suburbans that still have frame paint and any bolt...

I just repainted the rear hatch of a 2007 Ford Explorer. It had a number of scratches and marks from decals that were taken off. Bought one rattle can of oxford white from Automotive Touchup. As this was my first attempt at painting anything on a car, I had low expectations. After sanding with...

I will pick one of these metal housings up. It looks like a more robust design than OEM.

Ok, that is good to hear. The reliability of these motors is good to know. I would hope the valve spring issue is just a one off and since we live in AZ, rust should not affect the body. The PO changed the tranny fluid every 30k so that should prolong the life a bit.

Just picked up a 2007 Ford Explorer 4x4 with 85k miles for 4k. One owner and well maintained. I know the 4.0 motors have an issue with the plastic thermostat housings failing. Is there an aftermarket fix for this? I thought about keeping a stock replacement on hand in case it develops a leak...

No this is an automatic. The manuals are difficult to find with low miles. The car was a two owner 59k mile M Sport. Only 1200 of them produced that year so I took what I could find at the time...lol.