What’s the best and/or worst vehicle you’ve had?

[gtrainor21]

Well, wifi at work is down. Wind is blowing 30-40 mph so why not start a thread for us to ramble about some of the other stuff that may be sitting in our driveways. We’ve all had that lemon at some point, or that shit box that just wouldn’t die no matter what it went through.

I’ll start with the worst I’ve had, ironically I still own it... and that’s this pig. My 89 V3500 has been an absolute maintenance whore since day one. Multiple valve train issues in the original 454 that eventually kicked the bucket and got replaced with a 502. Repeatedly burning up ignition modules, god knows how many wheel seals in the rear end, A/C compressors, power steering pumps, brake boosters, radiators... even scattered the Dana 70HD in the back once (that one was my fault though). I’ve had it over 11 years and only put 53k miles on it.


Since working in Mine development and traveling I’ve been rotating cheap/high mile “throw away” pickups for daily’s of course that kind of stopped when the used vehicle market went absolutely nuts... but one of the best ones I’ve had, that I probably should’ve kept, was a 2002 Sierra 1500. Nothing special, Z71, 5.3, SLE trim. Had close to 275k miles on it when I sold it, I guess it finally torched a head gasket at almost 300k. I took it out wheeling in places it had no business being, ripped the air dam off more times than I could count, and managed to rack up over 15k miles in 5 months (1000 of those miles were probably from doing donuts in the parking lot at work). Aside from putting a transmission in it (trans was bad when I bought it) all it ever needed in my ownership was an o2 sensor and later a purge solenoid. Maybe someday I’ll track down another 99-06 era gm half ton...

 

[Midget Nate]

Well, wifi at work is down. Wind is blowing 30-40 mph so why not start a thread for us to ramble about some of the other stuff that may be sitting in our driveways. We’ve all had that lemon at some point, or that shit box that just wouldn’t die no matter what it went through.

I’ll start with the worst I’ve had, ironically I still own it... and that’s this pig. My 89 V3500 has been an absolute maintenance whore since day one. Multiple valve train issues in the original 454 that eventually kicked the bucket and got replaced with a 502. Repeatedly burning up ignition modules, god knows how many wheel seals in the rear end, A/C compressors, power steering pumps, brake boosters, radiators... even scattered the Dana 70HD in the back once (that one was my fault though). I’ve had it over 11 years and only put 53k miles on it.
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Since working in Mine development and traveling I’ve been rotating cheap/high mile “throw away” pickups for daily’s of course that kind of stopped when the used vehicle market went absolutely nuts... but one of the best ones I’ve had, that I probably should’ve kept, was a 2002 Sierra 1500. Nothing special, Z71, 5.3, SLE trim. Had close to 275k miles on it when I sold it, I guess it finally torched a head gasket at almost 300k. I took it out wheeling in places it had no business being, ripped the air dam off more times than I could count, and managed to rack up over 15k miles in 5 months (1000 of those miles were probably from doing donuts in the parking lot at work). Aside from putting a transmission in it (trans was bad when I bought it) all it ever needed in my ownership was an o2 sensor and later a purge solenoid. Maybe someday I’ll track down another 99-06 era gm half ton...
View attachment 7549

It is very hard to beat a GMT800 IMO. Also the best vehicle ive ever owned.

 

[Midget Nate]

Best thing I’ve ever owned is this 2005 LLY Duramax. My dad bought it new in 2005 and all it ever did for the first 130k miles was haul the toyhauler to the races. Then I bought it in June of 2011. It’s sitting at 274k miles now and been beat on from the first day I owned it. (Maybe even sooner, got my drivers license in this thing too haha) Obviously the first thing I did being an 18yr old kid was tune it which smoked whatever was left of the clutches. Had the trans built. Added an s366 which put it around the 580-600whp range. Took 60k miles of 50-60lbs of boost to finally blow the factory head gaskets. Added an s472 and some nitrous for drag racing, won a national championship, sold turbo and nitrous. Went back to stock and now it’s back to hauling heavy every week. Finally decided to swap original engine around 268k miles. 266-267k started making some good noise (had a minor rod knock but still ran like a champ) we’ve come full circle.

 

[gtrainor21]

Best thing I’ve ever owned is this 2005 LLY Duramax. My dad bought it new in 2005 and all it ever did for the first 130k miles was haul the toyhauler to the races. Then I bought it in June of 2011. It’s sitting at 274k miles now and been beat on from the first day I owned it. (Maybe even sooner, got my drivers license in this thing too haha) Obviously the first thing I did being an 18yr old kid was tune it which smoked whatever was left of the clutches. Had the trans built. Added a bigger turbo which put it around the 580-600whp range. Took 60k miles of 50-60lbs of boost to finally blow the factory head gaskets. Added an even bigger turbo and some nitrous for drag racing, won a national championship, sold turbo and nitrous. Went back to stock and now it’s back to hauling heavy every week. Finally decided to swap original enhine around 268k miles that started around 266-267k (had a minor rod knock but still ran like a champ) we’ve come full circle.

Full circle is an understatement! A lot of people knock the LLY because of its head gasket reputation but the one I had was great. But I agree that GMT800 platform was a home run for GM

 

[Midget Nate]

Full circle is an understatement! A lot of people knock the LLY because of its head gasket reputation but the one I had was great. But I agree that GMT800 platform was a home run for GM

Yeah that always cracks me up. We have a diesel shop in the valley and I have done 4-5 times more LBZ head gaskets than LLY lol. I also have a 2006 LBZ same configuration that I bought 7 years ago with 120k now has 218k ive done nothing but maintnance on. Outside of an air dog and efi live that ones bone stock.

 

[gtrainor21]

Yeah that always cracks me up. We have a diesel shop in the valley and I have done 4-5 times more LBZ head gaskets than LLY lol. I also have a 2006 LBZ same configuration that I bought 7 years ago with 120k now has 218k ive done nothing but maintnance on. Outside of an air dog and efi live that ones bone stock.

My buddy just got his LBZ back from getting head gaskets done not too long ago, but he’s running some kind of hot tune and loves the skinny pedal. He’s had all kinds of issues with his ever since he had all the work done to it so I’m thinking whoever tuned it didn’t really know what they were doing.

I recently sold my LBZ but I never had an issue with it either. But I did my research before working it over and doing the tuning on it. I’m sure someday I’ll regret selling that one!

 

[Midget Nate]

My buddy just got his LBZ back from getting head gaskets done not too long ago, but he’s running some kind of hot tune and loves the skinny pedal. He’s had all kinds of issues with his ever since he had all the work done to it so I’m thinking whoever tuned it didn’t really know what they were doing.

I recently sold my LBZ but I never had an issue with it either. But I did my research before working it over and doing the tuning on it. I’m sure someday I’ll regret selling that one!

yeah you will lol

If your buddy wants any help with his let me know.

 

[Heer_O]

Worst vehicle..... My first ( and last ) Toyota. My 97 4runner. I can't seem to catch a break with the damn thing. What can gone wrong, HAS gone wrong. The thing just hates me. What does the phrase "Toyota Reliability" and John Denver have in common? They're both full of shit!

Best was prob my 01 Silverado. After the 135k mile required transmission rebuild, I never had a single issue with it.

 

[Giant Geoff]

Best Fun-runner I ever "still have", haha, is: https://forum.badlinesgoodtimes.com/threads/“the-stocker”-phaze-2.471/
12 days to bolt together, 18* of caster, 3.0" IBP in front, tons of rear steer on the 64" spring, 4.0", 20" front and rear. I'm still amazed how much you can pushing this truck and it love smashing though anything!

 

[the bodj]

Worst vehicle..... My first ( and last ) Toyota. My 97 4runner. I can't seem to catch a break with the damn thing. What can gone wrong, HAS gone wrong. The thing just hates me. What does the phrase "Toyota Reliability" and John Denver have in common? They're both full of shit!

Best was prob my 01 Silverado. After the 135k mile required transmission rebuild, I never had a single issue with it.

Dude just sell it already and put the money towards the bronco and a beater DD.

 

[Brett_408]

Worst Vehicle my 2003 f-250 6.0 powerstroke do I need to say anymore. Fuck that thing. Best vehicle I've owned was a 2006 F-350 dually with the 6.0 this truck had a few of the key bulletproof diesel parts but man that truck ran so damn good never once had a mechanical issue in the time I had it. Used it to haul a massive camper, flatbed and my toyota and it would cruise 70mph up anything all day long!! man I miss that thing. honorable mention any of my jeep cherokee's i've owned were always great fun and could take some beatings.

 

[Heer_O]

Dude just sell it already and put the money towards the bronco and a beater DD.

I have to get everything fixed before I sell it. If I can get it to go 3 weeks without having to replace something else then she's going up for sale. And I swear, it's just me. The next owner will prob get 400k miles out of it.

 

[84projectFORD]

does worse really count if all of it was self inflicted??

My worse was 02 dmax but its still easily my favorite. Started as a bone stock 02 lb7 in 06 when i bough it with 85k on it. got injectors and headgaskets at 95k. 8" lift and 37s went on not long after (hated that lift kit). Initially had an edge attitude tuner, then a PPE hot+2, then a built trans, then a lift pump, then i bought EFI live and went through 3 different tuners in 09 to get good tuning. in all that, the truck never really let me down and was my reliable rig through college. i made really good friends through that truck too. at 145K, it got compound turbos and 2 months later, i bent the rods in the motor. truck got parked for a year while i drove a suzuki samurai and saved for a house but also bought used engines parts. Eventually built the engine a year later, put bigger injectors in it and dual cp3's. made 750hp on the dyno and i kept it on a 500hp tune to tow my toy hauler with. it then became a fight to see how much power i could tow with and keep it cool during az summers. got the point i had a custom ron davis radiator, secondary aux radiator, big ass engine oil cooler, upgraded trans cooler, fuel cooler, and i changed from a s475 primary to a s480 then a s483. valley turbo was stock then got modded/ported/polished. that got me up around 800rwhp and id tow on 600hp. I went through 3 built transmissions by this point as well because as my late trans builder friend would say "you are fucking animal with this thing, you kill shit inside no one else has". by this point, the truck has become a mutt and 200k on it. has a LML single piece rear driveshaft (crew cab long beds had 2 piece till 2011), rebuilt factory t-case by me, 06-07 6 speed allison trans with an L5P valve body running 6th gear, LLY top end with LLY electronics and injectors to ditch lb7 stuff, 4.56 gears, and has yet to leave me on teh side of the road with no way to get home BUT it was havnig to work on it more and more and more and more. Then came a point where the exhaust was starting to spit coolant. i cracked ever exhaust port on the LLY heads and they were bleeding coolant. got rebuild LBZ heads (better flow for coolant and lly injectors drop in) and started putting them on only to have my block give out and blow a chunk of it out as we did final torque on the head studs at 150ft lbs. faaaaack. So the final rendition of this truck got a LBZ block (good for 1500hp), callies narrowed rod journal crank to eliminate any crank failures, my old crower rods narrowed up, fingers oval bowl cast pistons, main studs, and my specs on clearances. i was building this short block for 1500hp. put the new lbz heads on it and had it back running in 4 months. by this point, ive had to fix so many issues that hve come from so much shit coming in and out of that truck that im just fucking over working on it. our first trip, truck overheats some pulling a grade so i back it down and BOOM, blow an intercooler boot. i patched it enough to get to flagstaff... fixed it there. By this point, im done. it was the straw that broke the camels back. i have a 4 and 1 year old and im tired of constantly working on this damn thing. So i sold it in May of 2020 to a friend of mine in cali.

that whole truck was self inflicted but i wouldnt have changed a thing and i know at some point, ill buy it back. Im just not quite ready for it lmao. the amount of custom shit i did on it was fucking dumb

 

[gtrainor21]

does worse really count if all of it was self inflicted??

My worse was 02 dmax but its still easily my favorite. Started as a bone stock 02 lb7 in 06 when i bough it with 85k on it. got injectors and headgaskets at 95k. 8" lift and 37s went on not long after (hated that lift kit). Initially had an edge attitude tuner, then a PPE hot+2, then a built trans, then a lift pump, then i bought EFI live and went through 3 different tuners in 09 to get good tuning. in all that, the truck never really let me down and was my reliable rig through college. i made really good friends through that truck too. at 145K, it got compound turbos and 2 months later, i bent the rods in the motor. truck got parked for a year while i drove a suzuki samurai and saved for a house but also bought used engines parts. Eventually built the engine a year later, put bigger injectors in it and dual cp3's. made 750hp on the dyno and i kept it on a 500hp tune to tow my toy hauler with. it then became a fight to see how much power i could tow with and keep it cool during az summers. got the point i had a custom ron davis radiator, secondary aux radiator, big ass engine oil cooler, upgraded trans cooler, fuel cooler, and i changed from a s475 primary to a s480 then a s483. valley turbo was stock then got modded/ported/polished. that got me up around 800rwhp and id tow on 600hp. I went through 3 built transmissions by this point as well because as my late trans builder friend would say "you are fucking animal with this thing, you kill shit inside no one else has". by this point, the truck has become a mutt and 200k on it. has a LML single piece rear driveshaft (crew cab long beds had 2 piece till 2011), rebuilt factory t-case by me, 06-07 6 speed allison trans with an L5P valve body running 6th gear, LLY top end with LLY electronics and injectors to ditch lb7 stuff, 4.56 gears, and has yet to leave me on teh side of the road with no way to get home BUT it was havnig to work on it more and more and more and more. Then came a point where the exhaust was starting to spit coolant. i cracked ever exhaust port on the LLY heads and they were bleeding coolant. got rebuild LBZ heads (better flow for coolant and lly injectors drop in) and started putting them on only to have my block give out and blow a chunk of it out as we did final torque on the head studs at 150ft lbs. faaaaack. So the final rendition of this truck got a LBZ block (good for 1500hp), callies narrowed rod journal crank to eliminate any crank failures, my old crower rods narrowed up, fingers oval bowl cast pistons, main studs, and my specs on clearances. i was building this short block for 1500hp. put the new lbz heads on it and had it back running in 4 months. by this point, ive had to fix so many issues that hve come from so much shit coming in and out of that truck that im just fucking over working on it. our first trip, truck overheats some pulling a grade so i back it down and BOOM, blow an intercooler boot. i patched it enough to get to flagstaff... fixed it there. By this point, im done. it was the straw that broke the camels back. i have a 4 and 1 year old and im tired of constantly working on this damn thing. So i sold it in May of 2020 to a friend of mine in cali.

that whole truck was self inflicted but i wouldnt have changed a thing and i know at some point, ill buy it back. Im just not quite ready for it lmao. the amount of custom shit i did on it was fucking dumb

Damn thats a good looking pickup! You had way more patience with that than I would have lol, I bet that thing was a goddam rocket.

I've yet to venture down the diesel performance path, I used to have a LBZ that I had done a few things to. It had a basic 60 HP tune and I thought that was more than enough. awesome truck though, I hated that it was a short bed so I sold it after someone hit me with a number I couldn't say no to and bought me a 17 3500 with the L5P. with the way things are heading that one will probably be forever stock. Although, I recently bought a single cab LLY for work. Trying to have some sort of self control with that one lol