Faults:

Replaced the original motor with a 1986 Shelby 2.2 turbo; lasted 6 years before spinning all the main bearings. Upgraded to a full chassis chrome-moly tube. Now building a small block blower motor.

General Comments:

Just love the car in general, it's been a unique truck, and the limited production makes it the best drag car-truck ever!!

Faults:

Carburetor, The vacuum system and that little Weber carburetor are junk. I keep an extra freshly overhauled carburetor on hand. I wish they could have used fuel injection.

General Comments:

I love they way it handles and the excellent fuel mileage. This is my second one. I put over 150,000 on the first one. Both get over 30 mpg on the highway and handle very well in the snow during our winter months. It will actually haul 1/2 ton. I know because I've done it.

Faults:

It seems that the automatic choke system is defective in the 2.2 carburated engine. It idles high, and leaks some oil. Hard starting after it sits for a few days, but pumping the gas about 20-30 times it will start.

Around 105,000 miles, it developed piston slap. It sounds more like a diesel engine than a gas one.

Replaced the seats at 110,000 miles.

Replaced rear shocks, front struts, brakes tires etc.

General Comments:

This truck does not owe me anything.

I have not had to replace anything major on this truck.

The clutch was replaced at 49,000 according to records I found.

It is my second vehicle, but this truck over the last 5, almost 6 years, has started when the primary vehicle has let me down. Even with the high idle, the truck gets almost 30 MPG.

I like the manual steering on my truck. It's almost like driving a sports car.

I have another truck that is for parts, and even it still runs. I will replace the drive train in this truck when it finally goes. It's a little rusted; nothing bondo could not handle.

I may be willing to sell it to the right person who would restore or use it as a back up vehicle, and the parts truck would go with it, plus the extra parts I have

This has been my backup vehicle since 1998, and it will start and run when the others won't. I call this truck "Penny" because she doesn't owe me a penny.

mgsites@juno.com

Faults:

Fuel pump cracked in half in extreme winter cold.

General Comments:

Suspension could use some help, but other than that, this truck is reliable, quick,& simple to fix.

Faults:

Engine had rod knock in it when I bought it, a junkyard engine fixed it right up. Be sure to replace the timing belt and clutch if you ever do this, ask me how I know.

I have put 5 clutches in it, one from age 3 from defective parts and 1 from pure abuse.

I have also replaced the alternator and voltage regulator.

General Comments:

I bought this little truck for $50 from a guy who couldn't keep it running, it had a bad hall effect pickup coil in it. Five years later I still have less than $500 in it and this includes replacing the engine once, the transmission 3 times (I had to have a 5 speed rather than a 4, it took 3 trannys to get a good one), the clutch 5 times, the alternator once and the voltage regulator once. I have replaced the stock bucket seats with a 50/50 bench from an Acclaim and installed a center console from a Charger. I put 70 miles a day on this truck, average 29 MPG (it has a Shelby transmission with the tall gears), and have hauled everything from furniture to firewood in it.

Future plans after the bodywork is done include a turbocharged motor and some brake and suspension improvements. I would like to see if I can get the ABS from a Caravan to work in it.

It is slow to warm up on cold days and has a hesitation under partial throttle. Fuel injection would fix this, but to install it would take a tank change. I can't seem to get rid of all the oil leaks, seems that I get one fixed and another crops up. The heater core is partially plugged and will need to be replaced.

All in all this little truck owes me not a thing, it starts when I turn the key and takes me everywhere I want to go. If I could find another one I would buy it, but it seems like anyone who has one wants to hold on to it just a little while longer.