SOLVED! Post 2853 Leaking Injectors, Dealer Techs Rock! Extended Cranking after Engine Swap 3.4L 5vz

I'm guessing you're gunna get two rigs!! The runner and a car!? And still be cheaper than a new car...

 

Ding ding ding! @bry838 is the winner!!

My thought was, if we were considering a $21K HRV, why not buy the Runner AND a $10-12K commuter - something good on gas and reliable, to be strictly a cheap but reliable commuter! I hate thinking of Eric driving 500 miles per month in a Taco or Runner that gets 18mpg, after how little we paid for gas in the Civ as our commuter all these years. Plus thinking of the unnecessary wear and tear on whichever one he's commuting in bugs me.

We could use the Taco during the warmest ~6 months, when we are more likely to haul lumber, landscape materials, etc, and also want to drive rough roads - the Taco is more suited to all of that when comparing the current state of each vehicle. Then in the winter, we drive the 4Runner, and just leave those studded Bighorns on there, so she is all ready to go - it clears up my worry about getting stranded on Mt Hood in the winter if the Taco died on us, plus that Runner would be ideal for winter driving - heated seats!! Something we'd care about only in winter. We'd have a better chance of prolonging the life of each, and just put the insurance to sleep on whichever is not in use, AND still get our MPG savings with the commuter while also taking that commuting wear and tear off the two beloved children..............errrr, I mean Toyotas.

But then.

Once I crunched the numbers and realized we'd have higher interest rates for two older vehicle loans, plus there would be some additional insurance costs, even if we were only driving 1 Toyota at a time, because the Runner would have a loan, etc etc etc, it's starting to not make sense. Still working on it. It all hinges on how much the other car would cost and what it's interest rate would be and how long we'd finance it for, because so far it looks like we'd wind up spending 400-500 per month total between the two payments, and that's just too much. Been searching commuters all morning, trying to find one that would make this work.

I really like this idea. Just still not sure if it's going to pan out or not.......

 

Its what I do. I have 2 Tacoma's and a Tundra. I love never having to depend on someone for a ride. Just grab the spare rig.

 

That is a fabulous idea!! I knew that was your angle!! That's exactly what the GF and I have done...two tacos and a Subaru.

I get the extra costs with interest and insurance. We were able to skirt that problem by not having to get a loan, but that's certainly not for everyone...

 

I will never not have at least three rigs just because of this!! I actually have a fourth too!! '68 bronco

 

Yeah unless someone else is paying for one of them IMHO vehicles should never out number people at a residence if you have any monetary concerns. I get a freebie, sort of, truck for work or else it'd just be two personal trucks at our house.

 

Normally I feel this way too. It's the Taco that is hanging us up though. We aren't willing to part with it, and yet we don't feel we can count on it's future, after all that happened. So we have to take that into consideration big time while making this decision. That's where getting 2 more (each specifically suited to a need, and fills that need well!!) that are the same price as 1 really nice new one that is limited in what it is capable of doing (HRV offroading, not happening) is appealing to me. But not if we have to lose our shirts in interest and wasted insurance expenses. Still thinking this through...........

 

Your guys' insurance can't be much. You've had the same rigs for years so I know u don't werck em! I have full coverage on one of my Tacoma's and it's $36 a month.

 

I would consider it more along the lines of having a classic car. You have 2 vehicles as primary rides and one that you have for special occasions. It is not uncommon to have 2 vehicles with notes and have one car that is paid off and is wholly owned.

I do consider myself lucky to be able to afford 3 cars, but I do know that I earned that privilege. All my vehicles were wrecks that I put back together. If someone has a genuine fondness for working on vehicles, having an extra vehicle is no big deal. I find it very therapeutic having a few beers and maintaining my fleet. Some people go to the casino, I buy a wreck that I have never laid my hands on or heard run. Buying wrecked Toyota truck's how I feed my gambling monster. In a total of 6 Tacoma's and Tundra's, I haven't lost to the house yet.

Because of that gamble, partly, I can say I'm payment free. I'm not bragging, but just wanted to point out that having extra older vehicles can be work, but not real painful work.

I actually looked for a year and a half before I found my 2004 V6. I knew they were solid vehicles and there was nothing under the hood that I couldn't handle. I wasn't willing to give up all the knowledge of these vehicles. Or I wasn't willing to gamble on something newer that I hadn't dealt with. (I kind of did that with the Tundra).

 

↑↑ good points and Erik seems to be fairly savvy with a wrench these days and doesn't seem to mind it too much...

 

Not knocking people with three vehicles or a hobby to work on an extra "junker", but if Jen is really worried about payments or costs getting out of control, buying three old cars or trucks is not a good way to go. It wasn't a generic comment for all, just a comment towards this situation. There are too many people on my block with an old Jeep, Corvette, etc etc with rotted off tires just sitting there because they couldn't do the upkeep on the older "third" vehicle and now it's worth next to nothing.

 

I don't remember what I pay for insurance, but I do know that I have full coverage on all the vehicles. I know that if a truck is wrecked, my insurance will not pay for a full replacement of these older vehicles. I'm okay with that. I have figured in my "sweat equity" of each vehicle. I figure I would just replace with another wreck or rebuild the present wreck and come out ahead. Obviously I wouldn't be counting my time it takes to rebuild. I consider this play time. I get to play in my shop, work with my tools and drink as much as I want while doing. Whether I'm getting paid for my time or not, I'm exactly where I want to be. Win. At least for me.

 

Insurance for me is just short of $2.4K a year. Unlike most though I have my modified Tacoma properly insured so I get nearly full value for my mods if I get in a wreck. That includes both my Tacoma and my wifes F150. We both have spotless driving records.

Different strokes for different folks. While I love tinkering on my Tacoma and doing my own minor repair, our family needs two personal vehicles available. I couldn't imagine depending on finding a wreck to replace what I have and bringing it back from the dead. Not many people working full hours have time for that if they want to keep there job.

Anywas, IMHO, buying a commuter to go with a Tacoma and a backup offroad vehicle seems like costly overkill that will take away any benefits the fuel savings on the commuter would have. I would have a different opinion if Jen already had two of those vehicles and was only taking out a loan for one more, but two loans to have three older vehicles just does not make sense to me.

 

I doesn't cost me any more to drive 3 cars vs 2 cars. We can only drive 2 at a time. Same amount of gas is bought.

The only added expense is insurance and maintenance. Maintenance is only slightly more because you just stretched your maintenance timers out by a 1/3.

I love the fact, for example, if I blow a shock, I don't have to replace it immediately. I can replace it when monetary constraints are eased. Money into my house hold moves up and down just like every one else. I just drive the other rig until I get the replacement parts.

I like working on cars. Until I'm so infirm that I can't do it, I will never be able to convince myself to buy new.

 

You forgot time as an expense to . I work up to 70 hours a week in busy season. With those hours I can wait on a broken shock, but if the transmission goes I'm screwed. Jen has to carry two loans to have a three car setup, and that just doesn't make sense to me if that's going to leave her unable to pay for a major repair, like let's say a transmission or other serious issue. Anyways, like I said, different strokes for different folks.

I'm not here to talk you into a new vehicle . Just voicing my opinion that if someone figures they will be tight on money with three vehicles and there are only two people living in the house.... well you get the picture.

 

It does usually take me 6+months to rebuild a vehicle, so I don't think time really has anything to do with it. Like I said, I'm unique in my hobby. I wouldn't be able to do it if I didn't already have 2 dependable rides...and I do have dependable rides because I go thru them very closely...it takes me 6 months.

I think we are straying, I know I am.

How do we justify 2 note on 3 used cars? The only answer is that The 'runner needs to be driven for a small amount of miles per year. Can you force yourself to take the Tacoma even though you love driving the 'runner? Can you add extra money to the payments to shorten the term? Can you afford the extra insurance.

I guess I'm gonna have to wait for some replies.

 

It wouldn't be 3 old cars.

One would be a ~$12K newish Corolla or a brand new (gulp) Hyundai or Kia or something that scored well for reliability, is cheap, and gets great MPG. That one would be our "we can count on it" vehicle. If we chose correctly by doing our homework (and you know me!), we could count on that vehicle for at least 15+ yrs to be a cheap, reliable commuter.

One would be lovemytacolots. And don't get me wrong here - as it stands today, the Taco is certainly no POS in my mind, that's for sure!! For the moment, it is doing great, and we are enjoying the hell out of it!! It's just that after all we went through, plus me being a worrier by nature, I am not going to hold my breath on it's future anymore. But until it's engine or transmission dies, it's not going anywhere, and there's no way I will be swayed from that. Period. Trust me, Eric already tried to explore that line of thinking with me.

And one would be a back up for lovemytacolots, and a pretty awesome winter mobile in the meantime!

EDIT: But I'm still crunching numbers over here, so my mind is definitely not made up yet!!

 

Maybe Eric should have foot surgery so that he can handle the tiny pedals in the Yaris? Then we can buy the new Yaris and the 4 R!!!

 

I guess there is only one answer. The budget is going to have to be revamped:
Dolly has to get dry O'le Roy dog food, dinner and drinks for you, 2 will have to be Ramon noodles and Miester Brau beer.

I've enjoyed the conversation, but gotta head out. Will catch up Wednesday around 03:30, midnight your time.