On 7/26/2023 2:39 PM, Snag wrote:

  When we got this SUV , my wife called it a tank because it is a few inches taller/longer/wider than the Mazda Tribute . Well , today The
Tank came home from the "doctor" with a nearly-new "heart" . Some may
recall I was tearing the motor down to repair what I thought was a
seeping head gasket . Which turned out to be a cracked head . New heads
would fix the current problem , but the bottom end would still have
347,000 miles on it ... so I decided maybe the best thing was to dump it
. Until I looked at prices to replace it , and found out how much 1999 4Runners were going for . With over 200,000 miles they are selling for $7,000-$ 11,000 .
  So I've got just over $4,000 total cost in a motor with under 65,000 installed by someone else . I figger I'll be driving this 4Runner until
I can't drive any more ...
  Metalworking content ? I'm adding the cast aluminum pieces to my pile
of melt/casting stock . This is some really nice casting alloy , a lot
of thin wall sand cast parts . Cast Iron parts will go the the scrap
yard next time my neighbor makes a run .
   And now my truck can go back to "toy" status instead of "everyday driver" . Got a few parts on hand I was waiting to install ...

YEEEEE-HAAAAAAW!

--
Bob La Londe
CNC Molds N Stuff


--
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When we got this SUV , my wife called it a tank because it is a few
inches taller/longer/wider than the Mazda Tribute . Well , today The
Tank came home from the "doctor" with a nearly-new "heart" . Some may
recall I was tearing the motor down to repair what I thought was a
seeping head gasket . Which turned out to be a cracked head . New heads
would fix the current problem , but the bottom end would still have
347,000 miles on it ... so I decided maybe the best thing was to dump it
. Until I looked at prices to replace it , and found out how much 1999
4Runners were going for . With over 200,000 miles they are selling for
$7,000-$ 11,000 .
So I've got just over $4,000 total cost in a motor with under 65,000 installed by someone else . I figger I'll be driving this 4Runner until
I can't drive any more ...
Metalworking content ? I'm adding the cast aluminum pieces to my pile
of melt/casting stock . This is some really nice casting alloy , a lot
of thin wall sand cast parts . Cast Iron parts will go the the scrap
yard next time my neighbor makes a run .
And now my truck can go back to "toy" status instead of "everyday
driver" . Got a few parts on hand I was waiting to install ...
--
Snag
Men don't protect women because they're weak .
We protect them because they're important .

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On 7/26/2023 4:42 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:

On 7/26/2023 2:39 PM, Snag wrote:

   When we got this SUV , my wife called it a tank because it is a few
inches taller/longer/wider than the Mazda Tribute . Well , today The
Tank came home from the "doctor" with a nearly-new "heart" . Some may
recall I was tearing the motor down to repair what I thought was a
seeping head gasket . Which turned out to be a cracked head . New
heads would fix the current problem , but the bottom end would still
have 347,000 miles on it ... so I decided maybe the best thing was to
dump it . Until I looked at prices to replace it , and found out how
much 1999 4Runners were going for . With over 200,000 miles they are
selling for $7,000-$ 11,000 .
   So I've got just over $4,000 total cost in a motor with under
65,000 installed by someone else . I figger I'll be driving this
4Runner until I can't drive any more ...
   Metalworking content ? I'm adding the cast aluminum pieces to my
pile of melt/casting stock . This is some really nice casting alloy ,
a lot of thin wall sand cast parts . Cast Iron parts will go the the
scrap yard next time my neighbor makes a run .
    And now my truck can go back to "toy" status instead of "everyday
driver" . Got a few parts on hand I was waiting to install ...

YEEEEE-HAAAAAAW!

Indeed ! That thing has been a thorn in my side for a while now , I'm
happy as a Murff that it's fixed . I think the wife is less than
thrilled , she was kinda hoping we'd buy something a little smaller .
She made it a point to let me know that the motor swap was MY idea .
What she really wants is another Isuzu Rodeo Sport . That was her
favorite of the last few we've owned . I really liked it too , though if
we find another it'll be 4WD .
--
Snag
Men don't protect women because they're weak .
We protect them because they're important .

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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"Snag" wrote in message news:u9s69f$1k2t0$1@dont-email.me...

Indeed ! That thing has been a thorn in my side for a while now , I'm
happy as a Murff that it's fixed . I think the wife is less than
thrilled , she was kinda hoping we'd buy something a little smaller .
She made it a point to let me know that the motor swap was MY idea .
What she really wants is another Isuzu Rodeo Sport . That was her
favorite of the last few we've owned . I really liked it too , though if
we find another it'll be 4WD .
Snag

---------------------------

You can tell her I prompted you by posting a link to the values, since I'm
far out of reach.
Unless she's a Wiccan.

Good luck with it! Apparently the expensive-sounding noise on my car is
only a rusted splash shield rubbing the brake rotor. The previous expensive-sounding noise cost me a new catalytic converter, and before that
an alternator.

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On 7/26/2023 5:56 PM, Jim Wilkins wrote:

"Snag"  wrote in message news:u9s69f$1k2t0$1@dont-email.me...

  Indeed ! That thing has been a thorn in my side for a while now , I'm happy as a Murff that it's fixed . I think the wife is less than
thrilled , she was kinda hoping we'd buy something a little smaller .
She made it a point to let me know that the motor swap was MY idea .
What she really wants is another Isuzu Rodeo Sport . That was her
favorite of the last few we've owned . I really liked it too , though if
we find another it'll be 4WD .
Snag

---------------------------

You can tell her I prompted you by posting a link to the values, since
I'm far out of reach.
Unless she's a Wiccan.

Good luck with it!  Apparently the expensive-sounding noise on my car is only a rusted splash shield rubbing the brake rotor. The previous expensive-sounding noise cost me a new catalytic converter, and before
that an alternator.

That was part of the reason I decided to replace the motor . And part
was figuring out that in today's market I'd be spending that kind of
money or more for something equivalent . This was truly the most
economic option . I think this car will outlast me now .
--
Snag
Men don't protect women because they're weak .
We protect them because they're important .

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

"Snag" wrote in message news:u9sno0$1pga4$1@dont-email.me...

That was part of the reason I decided to replace the motor . And part
was figuring out that in today's market I'd be spending that kind of
money or more for something equivalent . This was truly the most
economic option . I think this car will outlast me now .
Snag

----------------------

I keep fixing the old because I'm less than impressed with the new, it's crammed with 'features' that I don't need and reportedly decrease
reliability. After a test drive it's a relief to get back into the
uncluttered interior and less restricted visibility of my boxy old CRV which was partly designed to Land Rover tastes. Their Freelander is nearly a duplicate, minus the 20-year reliability. My BIL is a recently retired Audi mechanic who feels the same and restores and drives older ones. They asked a flatbed driver who was bringing them one about new cars and he said he sees plenty of electronics failures.

Still, some of the new ones are tempting. I was just Googling this: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a44015248/gofastcamperss-platform-camper-ford-maverick-test/
That's one way to carry long loads with a small bed. My old truck has rain gutters for a roof rack and I made a ladder rack the same height to carry
long items such as corrugated roofing, scrap structural steel or my canoe.

A Maverick was easy to maneuver through the narrow and crowded parking lot behind the dealership and it offers AWD that can be used on dry roads with
icy patches, unlike the 4WD of larger models. The new Ranger will go
straight but not turn in 4WD. All the sand pits where I used to ride my dirt bike are now shopping malls so those are the worst challenges a vehicle now faces there.

However the seats of my 2000 CRV fold flat into a bed and it has a rear 12V outlet for my 20 liter mini freezer, plus a folding table that's the floor
of the cargo compartment and a basin to serve as the kitchen sink in the
unused spare tire well under it.

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