Posted by Don in Missouri [108.162.216.43] on Saturday, January 16, 2016 at 23:44:46 :
In Reply to: Re: POLL posted by Tim Holloway [108.162.219.246] on Saturday, January 16, 2016 at 18:23:03 :
My '92 has 407,000 miles on it. I've never had to do anything but grease the ball joints/king pins. They never should have stopped making them that way.
My truck is too old to qualify for the poll.
Imagine if instead of wasting all that effort on electronic hill descents, heated mirrors, and air conditioned seats, and a computer to turn you headlights on or lock your doors; imagine instead they focused only on stronger materials, and structural design. The First Gen bodies were thrown together pretty sloppily. Imagine if they had concentrated on improving the quality of the basic truck instead of so much effort on things many of us don't need. Imagine how reliable and affordable a truck could be today.
We can build some pretty functional vehicles, but no manufacture today builds a vehicle that you can truly own. You have to be reliant on the bank and the dealer to drive a new truck today. They have taken the independent spirit out of all cars and trucks.
I have dipped my toe into the 21st century by buying my first common rail diesel. It is a 2003 Grand Cherokee with a Mercedes 5 cylinder. I am on my own, because it is such an odd ball, no dealer knows anything about it. Dodge won't even sell me parts for it, because it was an export model. I can identify the parts in their computer catalog. They have prices listed in US dollars, but they won't order a part for me. I have to get my parts sent over from Europe.