Posted on 10/21/2002 10:34:06 AM PDT by wallcrawlr
It would RUN, though. The speedometer broke on me one night outside Memphis...at 140. The motor just asked for more. Even now, the paint's faded, the body has a ding or two, and the front end is a little questionable, that motor starts right up, EVERY time, and doesn't quit until I shut it off. I suspect it will do so as long as it has oil and gas.
I paid $600 for mine to use for a 2nd car when it had about 40,000 miles on the clock. It had the 383 engine with a 4 barrel carburetor. Plenty of power, but it only got 14-15 mpg on the highway. I sold it to a guy who worked at the same office when it had a little over 100,000 miles on it. He drove it on a 700 mile round trip every weekend to visit his parents in GA. He said he cruised at 100 mph most of the way up and back. One Monday morning he came to work with the hood all bent up and tied down with a rope, and a smashed windshield. He had failed to get the hood latched down good, and it blew up and wrapped up and over the windshield when he was doing 110mph.
He later left the company still driving the old bomber, and I think it had about 140,000 miles on it at the time. As far as I know the engine and transmission had never been touched. I never had a moment's trouble with it as long as I had it. That was when Chrysler still made good cars.
Ok, when you say 'melting aluminum engine block' do you actually mean melting, as in solid metal starting to melt? And why would they use Aluminum?
If that is what you mean (actual melting) i do not know whether to laugh at that car or cry for the people who acquired it! Did they not do tests on cars back then?
A melting engine block! That is a first!
Noooooooo ......my eyes deceiveth me! That actually looks like a tiny propeller at the bumper! Did it actually get turned by the wind as the car drove along or was it connected to the engine and turned by its revs?
I have to say some of these cars are really making me break into fits of laughter!
Some had me turning away and chanting mantras to ward off the evil eye (some of those cars must have been designed with demonic collaboration due to their supreme ugliness).
If dependability is important, and when isn't it, forget the Jeep and go for the Suburu. My cousin has a 96 Cherokee 2wd bought new which has been nothing but trouble. Consumer Report also gives Jeep a poor rating on dependability.
My daughter had a little well-used 2dr Suburu when she was in college. It rode like a truck, the seats were hard, and the interior was very noisy at highway speed. But the thing was unbreakable.
However when it came to picking up dates i guess you would have to push your charm and looks to the extreme because for certain the car was not going to help you. LOL
I guess that just shows you can't judge a model by one example. I had a '85 Celebrity which was exceptionally reliable. In 6 years and 90,000+ miles all I ever spent on it was a tune up, brake pads, and the front struts replaced, which is just normal maintenence. It drove reasonably well and got 31 mpg on highway driving. I thought it was a very practical midsize car.
I didn't need no help from the car, brutha. I was dating my high school sweetheart, who is now my bride of 20+ years! A very practical girl. ;^D
Lots of car engine blocks are aluminum--aluminum alloys. I don't know about this particular car, but it sounds to me that they miscalculated the alloy, or cheaped out on the ingredients, and ended up with a metal with too low a melting point.
I'd bet it didn't actually liquify, merely soften enough to warp.
Still though, how moronic can they be?
Well, I'm going to disagree with that. Your cousin may have gotten a lemon, but reliability is not a problem with the Cherokee. Consumer Reports has a well-known bias against American car manufacturers.
However don't you find it strange that i am congratulating you for staying married for 20 years! That has become so rare nowadays. I am certain there was a time staying married for 20 years was normal ....however today it is quite the rarity.
Not the Ford Maverick!
I returned from VN, newly married with a kid on the way. Bought a '70 Maverick, 6 cyl, 3 on the tree, two door.
I put nearly 115,000 miles on that thing, driving back and forth from Fort Rucker, AL to home in north GA, plus a lot of other trips, for 3 years.
Payment was $69.00 a month for a two year contract.
The only thing I ever did to it was a brake job and oil changes and one set of tires. Never even changed the plugs.
Even after I traded it in my hometown, my dad told me about seeing it running around for several years afterward.
Since then, I've owned many an automobile, from VW to Caddy to Mercedes Benz and I must say that none of them gave me the service for the amount of money invested than that little Maverick did.
Me and my wife had some good times in the back seat....oops, that's not a story for this forum, but suffice to say, that little Maverick still evokes quite a few good memories.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.