Bob
Well-Known Member
Your Beater can be whatever goes suck-squeeze-bang-blow.
No one else trusts it. You don't either, but it's not eating any groceries and you want to see how long it will last. There's a freedom in running something into the ground and walking away that only a Beater can give.
Mine's a 2008 GMC Canyon. About 140K on the body and 40k on the second motor. Five cylinder motor but I wasn't particular at the time. Climbs trees in 4L tho and goes off with a level pan of crushed stone without a whimper, at highway speeds too. I spent $2K on the front end and brakes last year hoping it would make it back to BC. I figured the chances were 50/50 and I wasn't worried either way as I had my bike in the pan. The Canyon never burned a drop of oil all the way across and gas mileage was 7.7 KM/L.
I had a Jeep once that got about half that.
This Beater is not without issues. Whenever I change the oil I'm amazed at the rust up underneath. Probably spent its tender years parked on Middle Cove Beach. Got a little weep in the output shaft now, plus I suspect some stuff connected by the drive belt needs some TLC. Both are terra prohibita for me here due to the mess, but I'd happily tackle it all if I was home.
Decided I'd "check on the spare" today. Looks like I'll need to replace the wheel and wheel hoist eventually. Will see how the engine and drivetrain checkup goes tomorrow and decide after that.
If your spare is stored up under your Beater you might want to check on it too, unless you've already decided that a flat will be your walk away point...
Where the wheel hoist once lived:
While my drive train gently weeps...
No one else trusts it. You don't either, but it's not eating any groceries and you want to see how long it will last. There's a freedom in running something into the ground and walking away that only a Beater can give.
Mine's a 2008 GMC Canyon. About 140K on the body and 40k on the second motor. Five cylinder motor but I wasn't particular at the time. Climbs trees in 4L tho and goes off with a level pan of crushed stone without a whimper, at highway speeds too. I spent $2K on the front end and brakes last year hoping it would make it back to BC. I figured the chances were 50/50 and I wasn't worried either way as I had my bike in the pan. The Canyon never burned a drop of oil all the way across and gas mileage was 7.7 KM/L.
I had a Jeep once that got about half that.
This Beater is not without issues. Whenever I change the oil I'm amazed at the rust up underneath. Probably spent its tender years parked on Middle Cove Beach. Got a little weep in the output shaft now, plus I suspect some stuff connected by the drive belt needs some TLC. Both are terra prohibita for me here due to the mess, but I'd happily tackle it all if I was home.
Decided I'd "check on the spare" today. Looks like I'll need to replace the wheel and wheel hoist eventually. Will see how the engine and drivetrain checkup goes tomorrow and decide after that.
If your spare is stored up under your Beater you might want to check on it too, unless you've already decided that a flat will be your walk away point...
Where the wheel hoist once lived:
While my drive train gently weeps...
