Can we start a Ford vs Chevy thread?

Homesteading & Country Living Forum

Help Support Homesteading & Country Living Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Mountain trapper said:
Where I live I've got no use for a car, or a 2 wheel drive pickup.
Comparing modern Chevy to Ford pickups is pointless. They both have their good points. They both make a decent work truck. They are both built in the same type of factories with the same type to tooling and the same type of union slackers. They also have to follow the same government regulations.
I bought my 97 F250 new and have never had a problem with it. My only interest in a pick up is the 4 wheel drive, ground clearance, HP, torque and towing capacity. Don't care about gas mileage.
Click to expand...
I totally agree on the newer trucks. I work at a parts store so I know what a lot of their issues are. Which motor do you have?
 
Heartbroken said:
Learned how to drive in a 1972 F250 with a stickshift. Did ya know that when it's in creeper gear it will go right through a five-wire fence? We were always a Ford family. Then I grew up and bought my first car, a Ford, and it was a lemon. Complete and utter crap. I could have forgiven the mess if the dealership had made it right, instead of ripping me off at every turn. Flat out lied to me, claming they had changed the plugs and wires and it was all good to go. I popped the hood and it was the same damn plugs and wires I had put in myself trying to get the stupid thing to run. When I complained they were nasty and said I didn't know what I was talking about because I was a woman.
Ever since that day Ford is a 4-letter word and I'll never buy another one. (It was also one of my earliest lessons about dealing with idiots as a single woman.)
I switched to GMC trucks and never looked back. Drove a 1997 Silverado to 350,000 miles. The 2007 Sierra I have just hit 300,000 miles, and my 2016 Silverado just rolled 100,000.

Yeah, manufacturing defects/bad components/planned obsolescence is everywhere these days and spending money on a vehicle will always be a gamble, no matter what you choose. But the way I was treated by Ford means I will never drive one again, and will always encourage others to step away from Ford. Their failure to fix that car almost killed me, as it simply shut off while driving. In the middle of I-75. And they stood there and said it was because I was driving it in the rain, and they expected me to believe it. I will never forget that.
Click to expand...
I like Ford because that's what I have, but I absolutely agree with you that they can be a terrible company to work with. Heard many horror stories myself. But, you know, they're pretty much all like that these days.
 
Heartbroken said:
Learned how to drive in a 1972 F250 with a stickshift. Did ya know that when it's in creeper gear it will go right through a five-wire fence? We were always a Ford family. Then I grew up and bought my first car, a Ford, and it was a lemon. Complete and utter crap. I could have forgiven the mess if the dealership had made it right, instead of ripping me off at every turn. Flat out lied to me, claming they had changed the plugs and wires and it was all good to go. I popped the hood and it was the same damn plugs and wires I had put in myself trying to get the stupid thing to run. When I complained they were nasty and said I didn't know what I was talking about because I was a woman.
Ever since that day Ford is a 4-letter word and I'll never buy another one. (It was also one of my earliest lessons about dealing with idiots as a single woman.)
I switched to GMC trucks and never looked back. Drove a 1997 Silverado to 350,000 miles. The 2007 Sierra I have just hit 300,000 miles, and my 2016 Silverado just rolled 100,000.

Yeah, manufacturing defects/bad components/planned obsolescence is everywhere these days and spending money on a vehicle will always be a gamble, no matter what you choose. But the way I was treated by Ford means I will never drive one again, and will always encourage others to step away from Ford. Their failure to fix that car almost killed me, as it simply shut off while driving. In the middle of I-75. And they stood there and said it was because I was driving it in the rain, and they expected me to believe it. I will never forget that.
Click to expand...
I had someone sell me a lemon. It was really bad, completely worn out. Shame on them! Another time I was looking at a car and it was a father selling it for his son. I had a bad feeling about it. Dad kept trying to fix cosmetics. I passed.

Now I won't buy a used car unless my mechanics can have a look at it. It costs me $50 of well spent money. I have dealing with this shop and head mechanic for more than 20 years.
I was looking a new to me Camry last summer and they advised against it. It was from Boston, where they salt the roads. The bottom was so rusted that they would not be able to replace or repair underneath.
 
Ifitaintbroke said:
I totally agree on the newer trucks. I work at a parts store so I know what a lot of their issues are. Which motor do you have?
Click to expand...
I've got the 460.
Before I retired I was in charge of fleet purchases. I've bought thousands of Ford pickups and Ford Explorers and Expeditions. I inherited a few Chevy trucks too. Overseas I have a fleet of Toyota pickups, all diesel. Another location I had Ford Rangers with diesel engines. Best small truck in my opinion, too bad they aren't available in the US.
What I have learned over the years is, all are good vehicles with the proper maintenance program.
 
Mountain trapper said:
I've got the 460.
Before I retired I was in charge of fleet purchases. I've bought thousands of Ford pickups and Ford Explorers and Expeditions. I inherited a few Chevy trucks too. Overseas I have a fleet of Toyota pickups, all diesel. Another location I had Ford Rangers with diesel engines. Best small truck in my opinion, too bad they aren't available in the US.
What I have learned over the years is, all are good vehicles with the proper maintenance program.
Click to expand...
I'm currently having a 460 built, and I also have a Ranger. Tough little truck. We use it like an F350 dually. Blew a rear end and transmission, and bounced it off a pine tree once, sideways, but that little 4banger never complains. Feels like it's powered by a Briggs and Stratton though.
 
It's funny you would bring this up. I've been driving a 25 year old 2 wheel drive GMC Sonoma (Chevrolet with a face change) that had roll up windows. Loved it but it would get stuck in a parking lot on a winter's day. I bought it used 22 years ago and it has served me well, but last month it started showing trouble signs, the fuel injection system started going bad, then the primary computer started really acting up.... I have only purchased a new truck once in my life, a 1973 Chevrolet 3/4 ton 4X4 with a 350. As I pondered I decided that I don't want to work on cars any more if I can avoid it... So I found what I wanted on-line and purchased a new 2023 Chevrolet 1500 extra cab 4X4 with the 5.3 liter engine (not a fan of turbos in pickups). I told the sales person that I like the idea of buying a new truck every 50 years as sort of a birthday present to me. I don't know if she'll be working there when I need my next one :)
 
F261E59F-5821-4F23-85F3-08987B55459A.png
 
Mountain trapper said:
I've been buying only new vehicles since 1984, with zero problems or regrets. All of my equipment on the ranch was also bought new. Our house, barn and all the buildings here are new. The only thing that I've bought used was my jet boat, and I'm going to sell it and buy a new jet boat.
Click to expand...
Well, that's all good and well if you can afford to keep replacing them. Us poor folks can't do that. These newer vehicles ain't built for the long haul. Just meant to last until the warranty is up and by that time they're usually traded in for something else anyway.

And again, I give no appy polly loggies to thee or thine (or anyone) for that.

Out of curiosity though, what have you bought and how long do you keep them?
 
Never bought new. Generally I buy junk CHEAP and get a second life out of it for the cost of parts and labor.
Vehicles are just transportation unless you make them your own toy so why buy new? Unless you have money to burn and find something new that really strikes your fancy! Say something like a new Dodge Demon since I had one of the originals.
 
I buy my trucks new. Buying a used truck, you may be buying into the previous owners issues. I keep my trucks for about 10 years. When I traded my 05 Sierra on a 16 Silverado, they gave me something like $17000 for my trade-in. Not bad since I paid $25000 for it 11 years earlier. 11 years for $8000 isn't bad at all in my book.

For our other vehicles, we buy used. A couple tactics I use:
Obviously, get a CarFax.
Getting a picture of the vehicle title before purchase. We then search the persons name. We tend to buy vehicles that were owned by old people. In general, they're dealer maintained, babied and have low miles.
 
Raised on Ford, Father said Chevy where Cursed.
Then I got a Nissan 1996 truck in 2012 for $400.00, best four hundred I ever spent & bought a used 2005 Nissan crew cab truck in 20017.
Bought a new Toyota in 2020 & am sold on Asian made trucks, not that it matters, I will probably drive this one for the rest of my life.
Son had a Subaru for three years, a friend totaled it for him. He has a Chevy crew cab now.
 
An old mechanic told me one day the secret to fixing a Chevrolet he said :
Son, The secret to a Chevy is the radiator cap. He paused and thumped his skoal can, then stuck a pinch in his mouth. Son, raise the hood on any Chevy and remove the radiator cap. Have one of the young boys back that vehicle up. Do not move. Stay in the same spot holding that cap. Pull a ford in front of you and try to screw that cap on the radiator . Then he winked at me and said, If the cap does not fit toss it in the weeds and buy one that will
 
Frodo said:
An old mechanic told me one day the secret to fixing a Chevrolet he said :
Son, The secret to a Chevy is the radiator cap. He paused and thumped his skoal can, then stuck a pinch in his mouth. Son, raise the hood on any Chevy and remove the radiator cap. Have one of the young boys back that vehicle up. Do not move. Stay in the same spot holding that cap. Pull a ford in front of you and try to screw that cap on the radiator . Then he winked at me and said, If the cap does not fit toss it in the weeds and buy one that will
Click to expand...
Wow he had that one backwards!
 
A friend and I were at the pond shooting turtles. I had my AK he had his tricked out tactacool Ar
OF COURSE we went back and forth on which was the best gun
I got tired of the bull and tossed my AK in the pond then reached in and grabbed it
Pulled the lever back and fired it while it was dripping water
I said
Your turn Brah!
Time to put up or shut up

He did not toss his in
That tells the story right their
 
I never understood the whole "fanboy" thing. If you want tough and powerful, get a Ford, if you want fast and reliable, Get a Chevrolet, If you're broke and can't afford gas and repairs, get something from Japan, and if you can't do mechanic work at all, get something recent.
 
Magus said:
I never understood the whole "fanboy" thing. If you want tough and powerful, get a Ford, if you want fast and reliable, Get a Chevrolet, If you're broke and can't afford gas and repairs, get something from Japan, and if you can't do mechanic work at all, get something recent.
Click to expand...
Well said. I just like to start the argument. Working at a parts store, I listen to it all day.
 
Chesney Richardson said:
Michael the insane motorhead I married, apparently has hoarding tendencies towards ridiculous automobiles, this dingbat comes home with not one but 2 VW bugs, not the cool ones from back in the day either but the newer ones....what a weirdo
Click to expand...
Have you ever had car parts inside your house??
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top