Chevy vs. Ford vs. Mopar

[Blinocac200sx]

My LS is turning me into a Lincoln snob, I'll take a Mark LT.

 

[Larry Morgan]

Don't they run dry sump systems eliminating the oil pump in the pan problem?

They most definitely do, they keep the entire crankcase under a vacuum. Last motor I saw dyno'd held like 11hg of vacuum after it was shut off. Needle just sat there. They want as little windage or drag on the moving parts as possible. They don't have guys who's entire job in life is to make their motors gain horsepower for nothing. Haha.

Some people argue that cam flex/twist can throw timing off a few degrees or so. The physics don't lie, and in that case they are right. However, I've seen motors generating upwards of 1100HP do just fine of a rear distributor. The big boys use a belt driven distributor, though.

 

[Waltherfan]

Ford

My first car was a '62 Chevy and I had GM products until my first truck, a new '91 F150. I've been with Ford ever since.

One of the reasons is service. Granted its a small sampling, but my wife's Pontiac needed a new head gasket years ago. We knew it would be expensive at the dealer but that's where she wanted it done. Part of the cost was for 10 bolts at $10 apiece. I may not be the brightest bulb in the lamp, but I felt I was getting ripped off. When I bought my F150, the fixed length antenna kept hitting the top of my garage everytime I went in or out. I went back to the dealer to see if they had a variable length antenna, expecting to pay through to nose for it. They said "$6.95, installed". I've been a Ford man ever since.

 

[onearmedman]

This shot appeared in a 2004 issue of "4-wheel & Off-Road" magazine's "Reader's Rides". The caption read "Me and my guys after a hard day riding the taliban."
http://www.brian894x4.com/MilitaryTacoma.html
Some of these photes were sent to me via email by John H. Some were found at www.cardomain.com/memberpage/289957/6
When I first saw these pictures as emailed to me by John H. and later Randy G., I assumed these were simply local
Afghanistan Toyota Hilux trucks being used by our American Special Forces in country. But when I took a closer look
and saw that they were in fact "real" Toyota Tacomas, built in Fremont, California, it completely blew me away.

What makes this so significant is that there are major differences between the Tacoma which is exclusively sold in the
United States and Canada and nowhere else and the Hilux trucks which are sold everywhere else in the world, including
the ones used by the Taliban and the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan The Tacoma uses an entirely different suspension
and frame and some (including myself) have questioned it's strength compared to the older Toyota trucks and the current
Hilux. From these photos we can see that the Tacoma is being used under perhaps the harshest conditions imaginable
for a truck and with very heavy loads, and they are apparently being used in combat! There is no greater test for a 4x4
than how it performs in both desert and mountainous conditions in actual combat. While this is the expected norm for
any other Toyota it is very impressive to see that even the Tacoma can live up to the Toyota name. And it's nice to see
that our troops believe the Tacoma is tough enough to put their own lives on the line with it. No doubt, the Tacomas are
holding up despite some questionable design features of the frame and front end.

So, the obvious question is, why ship brand new Tacomas all the way from the United States, when Middle East, Europe
and Asia is full of Hilux trucks, which include a heavier duty frame, suspension and diesel engines. The answer is that
was simply easier for the Special Forces to buy them from local U.S. dealers, outfit them as they needed and ship them
over. The reason why the 4 door Tacoma was chosen as the vehicle, is because Toyotas are very popular in Afghanistan
and they would not stand out as much as the Humvees. In addition, the gas V-6 engines are much quieter than the diesel
engines of the Humvees and other military transport vehicles and better suited to daytime and nighttime covert
operations. Finally, the Tacoma is a durable and reliable 4x4.

From Mr. Slim, via email: A lot of the trucks came from Fort Campbell. Some of the mods Including all interior and
exterior lights and door buzzers disconnected along with the radios. Roll cage and mount for an M60 machine gun, WARN
winch, cheap brush guard, and 2 antenna mounts. The 3.4 V-6 engines had no mods. that I know of. One of the coolest
things is that the front lights were changed to infrared for night vision.

 

[TerryMiller]

For what it is worth, I am 64 years old and have owned or driven everything from motorcycles to 18-wheelers, owned or driven Ford, GM, and Chrysler products, plus a few (damn few, thank you) foreign vehicles. My first car was a '54 Ford 2-door and my latest are a 2010 Mercury Mariner and a HONKIN' 2008 Ford F450 dually.

Over the years, with two different GM pickups I had nothing but problems with major drive train issues. NEVER had those problems with my Fords. In fact, looking at all the vehicles we've had, we've had fewer problems with the Ford products that we owned than any of the other brands.

We have a luxury fifth wheel camper that when loaded up will weigh around 18,500 lbs. When we hook that F450 up and start out, it is like we have very little behind us. Did I say it was a HONKIN' truck???

Oh, by the way.....

....your mileage may vary. Ain't it great to be in such a diverse society?
.

 

[71buickfreak]

Take a ford in the apocolypse and you will likely be in trouble. You can't find parts that fit. The SBC stayed the same for 50 years.

 

[cjjtulsa]

Take a ford in the apocolypse and you will likely be in trouble. You can't find parts that fit. The SBC stayed the same for 50 years.

Can't argue that, but in the apocolypse, what the hell (outside of a place to sleep) are you going to do with a car?

 

[Blinocac200sx]

I can argue that. Parts for the Modular are by no means scarce.

 

[Glocktogo]

Having owned Ford and Chevy's and driven Dodges at work, my preference is Subaru, Toyota and Lexus. None of the "American" brand cars I've owned hold a candle to the reliability, longevity and build quality of these three. Now that Toyota has a true full size pickup in the Tundra, I see no reason to ever own one of the big three again, unless they significantly improve their build quality.

About the only American car I'd consider owning right now would be the Cadillac CTS. It was in the running, but I bought a 2010 Lexus IS250 last week instead.

 

[71buickfreak]

I can argue that. Parts for the Modular are by no means scarce.

Scarce, no, but will the alternator from a '96 T-bird (with the 4.6) fit a 4.6 or 5.4 in an 2000 F150? nope. Will just about any alternator from the late 60s swap into a 1997 Chevy 1500? Yup. the problem with ford is that they have parts that were changed mid year, sometimes three or for times a year and nothing is compatible except that exact part. Time is everything in the apocolypse.

And to answer the "why would you need a car in the apocolypse?" question- to run, for defense, for basic travel, just as you need one now! If you have a truck and most people don't, then you are at an advantage. Understanding how to keep yours running is even more of an advantage.