The fee had been increased to $2,350 in 2014, prompting criticism and legal challenges from advocacy groups and Americans living abroad.
The Ford Godzilla 7.3L engine is supposedly one of the simplest, most reliable big block engines produced today. It’s a solid workhorse, expected to last hundreds of thousands of miles, pull demanding commercial loads and provide reliable transportation.
But yeah, they had a run of bad lifters and maybe the variable oil pump on some trucks, especially those doing extensive all-day idling in a commerical setting have had failures, especially in the first years of engine production. And thanks to social media, I am fully aware of how devesating it can be to an engine, sometimes without a lot of miles on it if it blows up. Many get replaced by Ford, and others get replaced by their owners for $10,000 or so. And it sucks.
But all of life have risks. No engine is going to be perfect, but once you click on one post and study how somebody’s engine failed, then all your social media is full of posts about blown up Godzilla engines. And then you get to learn about all the other failures of gasser SuperDuties from the blown up transmissions to electrical gremlins to failed steering shafts and radios that don’t work. Indeed, if you are a member of any car owners group, they’ll be primarily people turning it trying to find help and solutions to their problems.
Then the other series of posts I’ve clicked on miles per gallon that people are getting in a real world. It’s an HD truck, I don’t expect it to sip gas, but probably have fuel economy similar to my lifted Silverado. And indeed, most of the reliable sources suggests that is about what I should expect, and maybe even slightly better on the highway with the stock tires. However, some people, espeically those who use their trucks in urban traffic or idle a lot, get much worse gas milage. But then again, my Silverado burned a lot of fuel city driving too. Yet, it seems like my social media is full of horror stories about those who are averaging not 15 1/2 miles per gallon, but regularly 8-9 MPG, although most seem to be towing or doing a lot of idling. I am not going to argue a large displacement pushrod engine without active fuel management or auto-idle shutdown is not going to be fuel hungry in the city, but some of the posts just scare me to no end.
And yet that has filled my mind full of fears. Am I buying a white elephant? Will it burn an Iran’s amount of fuel with gas prices at $5, maybe $6 or $7 or $10 a gallon? Are all big Ford trucks not SuperDuties but instead Super Bad unreliable junk? And then I look at all the problems Chevy, Dodge and Toyota have, and I can’t think Fords aren’t worse, but are even better. Still it puts Super Doubts in my mind about whether or not want a SuperDuty.
One of the topics I’ve long been interested in is personal finance, investing, and growing my personal wealth – while advancing my career.
My goal is not just short term – camping, traveling, and weekends in the wilderness – but eventually that off-grid homestead in a free state where I can burn whatever I want and own whatever guns I want without government permission. Have livestock without government agents telling my I’m not raising them right way or that my hog shit smells like pig shit. Yes, there may be an occasional wift of burn plastic on my homestead but at least it’s not going to the mound on outskirts of the city.
Still this all triggers me in the wrong kind of way, as I see yet another article about the importance of a responsible individual getting the cheapest used car as possible, as expensive cars ruin personal finance. They also suggest buying a house as soon as possible, as renting in ruinous for finances. Oh you rent that dumpy apartment and have a nice truck? You must be living paycheck to paycheck. Don’t even get me started on the people who think because I don’t currently have an operating vehicle, living in city riding my bike everywhere, I must be some kind of truly poor desprate individual and not be actually relatively wealthy or be middle management.
I am not arguing that a car loan is generally a bad decision, unless it’s absolutely necessary. I abhor debt of all kinds. For a lot of families, and those needing a full-sized house, then definately buying a house is a real money saver over the long-term. But a one-room apartment on the bus line and close to bike path, where you can ride your bike to work also is a real money saver. I also don’t disagree that many renters are financially irresponsible and don’t put their modest savings by renting back into investments. But I do. And I’ve been doing that for going on 20 years now, and with the strong markets, things have grown into the seven digits. I also have 20 years plus into the State Pension system and more then half of my investments are in tax-advantaged retirement accounts. I will be able to buy that homestead when I retire – I know looking at the Christman Associates listings and New York Land Quest, rural land with modest, especially off-grid cabins are very affordable relative my investments and savings.
Still I can’t help but feel awful every time I see another post with the boosters of homeownership and praising the virtues of used, basic automobiles. But I don’t use my truck for my commuting, I use it for recreation and camping. I have my bike to get around town, and indeed in recent years a great recent of my shopping is done using the bike. If I didn’t care about traveling, I think I would me more then happy with not getting another truck any time soon. I hate driving in city and dealing with traffic. And a lifted truck and a certainly a SuperDuty guzzles gas and is hard to maneuver in traffic. Yet, I can’t help to but be triggered every time I see a post advocating purchasing a used car, and homeownership over renting. Owning a home is great if you enjoy mowing your lawn or painting your house and calling furnace repairman – and paying electric and gas bill for energy guzzling buildings – but I enjoy the low cost of my very basic apartment.
Maybe because I live so below my means in my very basic apartment of 18 1/2 years now, first rented when I was out of college, or I ride my bike to work and take public transit, I am so enamored by financial advice that is mostly tailored for those who are just starting out on my journey. Good advice for those getting started, who make far less then I do these days, and have families and other priorities. Used cars are great if you want basic transportation to drive aound the city, but don’t really provide the capacity I want for getting to remote back country, camping and traveling. Could I live with less on the transportation front? Of course. I don’t really need a truck at all, still, I want one, and it’s one little nice excess in life when everything else I do is so frugal and aimed towards building a better tomorrow.
Still, I feel so bitten and attacked by the financial advice I keep seeing on the internet, that trends in my feeds and should me feel like maybe I shouldn’t buy the damn truck, and that I should run out and buy a vinyl clad suburban house, as it’s a good investment.
Watch out for all those friendly strangers in Black Sedans with candy, pitchers, and lovable things. And hopefully they won’t hit a pothole and spill all that green beer all over their car.
Yesterday was so windy and cold, 🌬️ the wind roaring for the balance of the day. I ended up making chicken and rice soup, and baking bread, which was okay but not great as I ran out of salt. Salt is on the top of my list when I ride to Walmart shortly.
First I am going to ride down to the Schiffendecker Preserve for a little hike, 🐸 then run over to Walmart. Lemons, apples, bananas, frozen fruit, cider vinegar, onions and stevia are the primary things on my list. Honestly I don’t want to overload my bike so much this time going shopping, 🛒 especially as after Monday’s rain I’ll be going by Hannaford every day and can just get groceries there on the way home.
Then at 2 PM going out to visit the family for a while, 👨👨👦 going to have corn beef and cabbage 🍀 you know the Saint Patrick’s Day thing. Still haven’t turned the heat on, though yesterday I did burn through a kilowatt or two using the space heater and heating pad to stay warm as I read, watched YouTube and other just keep me busy activities. 🤷♂️ And mostly stayed warm with the bead and soup.
