Toyota's Woes

[Boomhauer]

I had an 08 V6 Tacoma with a manual tranny. And I can tell you the problem is software related. My engine free-revved between 2-3k rpm's without me touching the pedal, or just releasing the pedal. It did this all on its own without any input from me. It did this for a short time, then settled back down. Luckily the truck was a manual and was in neutral at the time. And this happened back in November. I have since sold the truck, and that was before all this stuff hit the news.

I love my Toyota's and Nissans, however I love my domestics as well. As long as you do your maintenance, they will both last equally long. My only gripe against modern domestics is it seems like the sensors are cheaper. It always seems like some sensor or other is going and has to constantly be replaced. But again this was on an Ex's vortec V6 Chevy SUV. She also had a 97 Silverado with a 350 in it and had over 300,000 miles on it with no issues or sensor issues.

And this is my opinion, but you can't beat an American pushrod V8. Look at the modern Corvette. It's using a V8 pushrod design and I think it is pushing out 500hp. Check a comparable import putting out the same and they are using twin to quad cam designs and supercharging or turbocharging. And those quadcam motors are huge in size compared to an American pushrod V8. I think that says a lot for American ingenuity when you can make a smaller(height and width not displacement) and simpler motor design keep up with the best state of the art technology from all over the world. When you consider Chrysler and GM are still using what import people call a dated engine design and keeping up with and even surpassing German and Japanese technology, it makes me proud to be an American.

 

[RGAZ]

Wow, the conversation here is really all over the place. I am little thrown off by the "southern non-union" talk (it pisses me off), but I'll give my experience.

RANT STARTS HERE...

I live in a small TN town, Cleveland, TN. It is primarily manufacturing and is really happy to get the VW plant right down the road (chattanooga). This is not because we are mostly farmers or miners as suggested, but because auto plants pay well, very well. VW is offering front line production assemblers over $20 an hour (plus training and benefits commensurate to any union plant). Some northerns may freak out and say too low, but think about this. TN has no state income tax at all, the property taxes are about 1/2 what most people pay and the city and local taxes are close to the national average. So OUR money goes ALOT farther than those people in Cali. and personally the weather in TN is much nicer (no mudslides or wild fires here). Keep that in mind. We don't need new SUV's every year, we have great healthcare and benefits and we think of family first. You hear of the friendly south, well that should be noted as a "contrast" to the unfriendly somewhere else (wanna guess?).

I am from Milwaukee, born and raised, I left the north 10 years ago and I will never go back due to the high taxes and "government interference" that occurs there (besides it too freakin cold). Keep thinking we are all just ignorant hicks and stay up north, we don't want moronic government-funded laziness and corruption here. (But we'll happily take your jobs)

Before anyone comments on Alabama, Tennessee, or Georgia, try living here for a while. If you do, you may begin to understand why we will never go back up north.

OK, RANT DONE.

Randy

 

[Revhendo]

Randy, thanks for tipping in. I am a native Californian, (there's like twelve of us left here.) I spent some time 'round Nashville, thanks to Uncle Sam, and really liked it there. Don't worry about our mudslides and fires, they're just a Hollywood special affect to keep the tourism in check.

 

[Propwash]

Common RGAZ,

Give the North a little credit. I grew up here my whole life and then spent a couple years in Texas then 6 years in North Carolina. Granted I grew up in Northern Wisconsin (Rhinelander), and not Milwaukee, I couldn't wait to get back up here after my time in the service was over.

When I got my Airframe and Powerplant License at the end of my military career, I scoped out work around the Carolina's.. I was offered anywhere between $11-13 dollars per hour. That's pretty sad considering I could easily get between $24-$30 dollars per hour up here. Yes we have state income tax (5%) and maybe a bit higher property tax but at a pay rate half the price, that does not offset between making $60,000 to $70,000 vs. $30,000 to $35,000.

Another thing to go with that is where I live now, paying state income tax we have a lot cleaner, safer, and more productive schools, better government programs like state and local parks, reliable police and emergency services, up to date hospitals and hardley no crime to speak of. Hell, I can still leave my car running outside at the gas station and not worry about someone taking off in it.

Keep in mind this is not Milwaukee, but I imagine you have crime issues and government interference in any larger city. I can also say we have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country and we are not lazy my friend. After living and working down south, most people down there thought I had a pile driving work-aholic work ethic. I couldn't beleive how slow paced and unproductive it was down there..and honestly, the south in known for their slow pace of life.

As far as cold..well...you can always dress for the cold, you can't dress for the heat. 95-100*F and humid, you can keep that , and I never did get used to it. I love the summer days of 75*-80*F. It's perfect! And far as hunting and fishing (big hobby of mine), the carolina's really did not compare to our 14,000 lakes, thousand of crystal clear streams and rivers or deer that dwarf the glorified german sheppards they called bucks down there in Carolina.

I honestly did enjoy living in the south. Yes, the people were really nice, the weather in general was less maintenence (besides the hurricanes and ice storms), and sometimes it was nice to settle in to the slower pace. I think both places have their pro's and con's but I think it's a bit unfair to say we are ruled and live by a moranic government-funded laziness and corruption here..maybe Milwaukee but not for the rest of the 99% of the state and also the rest of the north.

Take Care

 

[RGAZ]

OK, a bit of exaggeration, but the tone I heard was not right. And north is too much generalization, no one wants to be told where they live and love sucks, so hey its not the same. We'll let each defend their homes, it was a gimmie rant.

I loved Rhinelander, the Moen lake chain was a lot of fun. But with a family of alchoholics vacationing in a town where the bars outnumber the local populace, it can be stressful. I have family up there and happily visit when I can.

Hunting, yep, WI and MN is hard to beat. Deer the size of dogs is no fun. I gave up rifle season a while ago because of that. Fishing, WI and MN lake fishing is awesome and gets better the farther north you go.

I was talking about cost of living and entitlement attitudes. I am a northerner in the south so yeah, my work ethic is fast-paced, but I have seen the real people step up and work fast and hard too. Times they are a changing.

Schools are what you make of them. My kids go to the 360th least funded school yet it is in the top 10 in the state. They achieve all A's in the national test and my son and daughter are reading two levels above their class. Sure, my son has 50% of their class as title 1 recipients but at least their parents give a damn. So don't listen to the national rhetoric about how bad the schools are. My kids went to school in Florida and the schools were much-much worse due to NCLB.

As for the weather. I'll be swimming in my backyard pool and working on my Mopar by the time you break your frost, so to each their own.

As for laziness, take a close look around. Its now the American way.

Randy

 

[RGAZ]

Randy, thanks for tipping in. I am a native Californian, (there's like twelve of us left here.) I spent some time 'round Nashville, thanks to Uncle Sam, and really liked it there. Don't worry about our mudslides and fires, they're just a Hollywood special affect to keep the tourism in check.

:rolling:

You're killing me here. I tried to move to San Diego three years ago at the so called "downturn" in the market and to get a house to handle my two kids and two dogs as well as 5 cars, I was looking at $900k and a 1.5 hour drive to work. So yeah, throw on that earthquakes, mudslides, brushfires, torrential rain, and carrot top and you can keep cali.

I was told the Southern californian's "Live with less". I don't think so.

My personal opinion, San diego is a great place to visit, but not cost effective to live. Money goes a LOT farther elsewhere.

Randy

 

[Propwash]

But with a family of alchoholics vacationing in a town where the bars outnumber the local populace, it can be stressful. I have family up there and happily visit when I can.

Now that is not an exaggeration! Crazy Germans got bars everywhere you look....

Glad you luv were you live..Nothing better than that..Sure do miss the sweet tea..

I'll be in my heated garage working on my mopar while you're floating around the pool but come summer when your hiding in the air conditioning, I'll be outside in a t-shirt in jeans working on my mopar....hehehehehe....touch'e!"

Have a good one RGAZ, always respect your point of view, take care!

 

[Propwash]

Hey RGAZ, this is what I use to deal with our polar climate up here...Off the floor at 155HP, now runs the dyno at 185HP-438lbs wet weight. Helps me to keep my sanity in the winter buts allows me to go crazy at the same time...

Another reason I live up here

 

[Revhendo]

Hey Propwash, you can too dress for the heat.....

 

[Propwash]

hehehehehe....Nice! Maybe that should be the focus of your next thread created...Pic's required of course! Screw Politics, Economic's and Toyota's, let's get some almost naked broad's on the air.. Who the hell can argue with that? Well.......nevermind........someone will...

 

[6769Mopars]

hehehehehe....Nice! Maybe that should be the focus of your next thread created...Pic's required of course! Screw Politics, Economic's and Toyota's, let's get some almost naked broad's on the air.. Who the hell can argue with that? Well.......nevermind........someone will...

Not me. A beautiful woman can be as pleasing to my eyes as a beautiful American 60s muscle car.

 

[RGAZ]

Hey RAZ, this is what I use to deal with our polar climate up here...Off the floor at 155HP, now runs the dyno at 185HP-438lbs wet weight. Helps me to keep my sanity in the winter buts allows me to go crazy at the same time...

Another reason I live up here

That is sweet. I got my degree in Minneapolis and one of my best friends got a job as a mech engineer at Arctic Cat. lucky sob. I think he designs suspensions.

I try to stay off those badboys, scary as hell going flat-out across a frozen lake. I have seen the nastiest wrecks when snowmobiles are combined with drinking. I'll keep my automotive steel shell around my body, thank you.

If I did decide to go back, I'd have to stay to the small towns. I always liked the Lacrosse/Winona area. Pretty bluffs along the mississippi river and the water is actually clean at that point.

But, I am an operations guy, I work in manufacturing and manufacturing and the north are poor bedfellows. At least I don't have to cross the border everyday into Mexico like some of my peers. The best part is, my team can proudly put the Made in the USA sticker on everything we make while our competitors cannot. At least, for now.

Randy

 

[Revhendo]

hehehehehe....Nice! Maybe that should be the focus of your next thread created...Pic's required of course! Screw Politics, Economic's and Toyota's, let's get some almost naked broad's on the air.. Who the hell can argue with that? Well.......nevermind........someone will...

Hey pard, I don't have to start that thread, someone already did. It's where I pirated that pic from. Now I have to explain what that pic is doing in my saved from aol folder to the GF.

 

[Propwash]

As far as cold..well...you can always dress for the cold, you can't dress for the heat.

Just for the record folks....I stand corrected!

REV, you could always tell her you got that off the "Old Navy" site while shopping for all of her ST. Valentine gifts...

 

[Revhendo]

Just for the record folks....I stand corrected!

REV, you could always tell her you got that off the "Old Navy" site while shopping for all of her ST. Valentine gifts...

"But honey, I was getting her for you....":rolling:

 

[Propwash]

I try to stay off those badboys, scary as hell going flat-out across a frozen lake. I have seen the nastiest wrecks when snowmobiles are combined with drinking. I'll keep my automotive steel shell around my body, thank you.


But, I am an operations guy, I work in manufacturing and manufacturing and the north are poor bedfellows. At least I don't have to cross the border everyday into Mexico like some of my peers. The best part is, my team can proudly put the Made in the USA sticker on everything we make while our competitors cannot. At least, for now.

Randy

Randy, I definitly agree with you there. I had to ditch my sled twice last year trying to avoid drunks. There is no law out on the trails, pretty much a free for all. On top of that you get unexperienced folks coming up from the metro areas driving 1000CC power house Arctic Cats or 1100CC four stroke Yahmaha's, and don't have the slightest clue how to control them. Throw a little booze on that.....We watched two 16 year old girls get air lifted off the trail by Eagle River last year. Both from Illinois, no experience, riding a 170HP 1000CC Mach Z Ski-doo. One suffered brain damage, the other paralyzed from the waste down....Sad. I think we are up to around 30 deaths on the trails this year already.


Thanks for slaping those good old "MADE IN U.S.A." stickers on. Keep the machine rolling brother!

 

[Propwash]

"But honey, I was getting her for you....":rolling:

:rolling::rolling: yeah, and I heard they have a two for one sale going on right now!

 

[Propwash]

She must be dressing for the heat as well........

 

[moparstuart]

She must be dressing for the heat as well........

is she selling headers ? or her self ?

 

[Propwash]

is she selling headers ? or her self ?

:rolling::rolling::rolling:.....funny! Didn't really know which way to go with the nipple dress. I guess after looking at the pick for a while and a while longer, Hooker came too mind..No clue why