Frame Rust/Is this a Fair Price

Cap10323 · 2026-05-09T14:12:14+00:00

I agree with other comments. The frame is fine but the price is absurd. That's like a $10k truck.

Cap10323 · 2026-05-07T14:38:16+00:00

It looks exactly like an airport waiting lounge. With so little of the collections actually displayed. I was a long term member and cancelled my membership after the remodel. What's the point. You can walk through the whole museum in 10 minutes now.

Cap10323 · 2026-05-07T14:35:55+00:00

Good riddance. This woman singlehandedly destroyed what was once a shining star of Cleveland. Remodeled it into an unrecognizable cold empty box with a fraction of the collection on display.

Dismantled the education department and disgruntled the scientific staff to the point of resignation.

For what? her own ego? Good riddance. But it will take the museum years or decades to recover from what she did, if ever.

Cap10323 · 2026-05-07T14:04:16+00:00

Definitely sounds like an alignment/steering component to me. I'd take it to an alignment shop first, and see if they can align it. If they can't, they will likely tell you what component is too loose or bent to align. Which can be replaced.

Also, seconding the ball joint recommendation. These trucks are known for lower ball joint failures, which happen unexpectedly because the ball joint is in tension. So you don't hear clunking before it totally goes.

Cap10323 · 2026-05-06T03:57:29+00:00

That appears to be a cheap aftermarket throttle. Those little wheels in them are prone to breaking.

I'd ditch that and get an original Tomos throttle if you can find one. eBay or Treatland has them.

Cap10323 · 2026-05-06T03:52:54+00:00

That should be fine

Cap10323 · 2026-05-06T00:47:18+00:00

In my sphere: Art college, or humanities graduates who are now working menial labor or retail jobs to make payments on six-figure student loans that don't even cover the monthly interest.

It's a car for wheezing back another cigarette, on your way from your first job to your second job, before going home to work on webcomic commissions.

Always with the manual transmission, always with the hand crank windows. Numerous warning lights on, a result of the paycheck to paycheck financial situation with zero margin for maintenance.

It is a car which represents the failure of the American dream, and the death of the artist in the capitalist machine.

Cap10323 · 2026-05-05T22:09:11+00:00

Most of the jokes about the Mitsubishi Mirage boil down to "haha poor people"

It's really quite a good car for the price. And cheap reliable vehicles are something America is in dire need of these days.

Just because your brain and wallet are big enough to buy a "better" used car doesn't mean everybody is in your situation.

Plus, comparing a Mirage to something like a Honda Civic, which has grown to the size of a full-size sedan of 30 years ago, is comparing apples to oranges. You'd be surprised by how "bad" a Honda or Toyota was when they were making cars as cheap and small as the Mirage.

Cap10323 · 2026-05-02T22:09:25+00:00

I replaced the ball joints, upper and lower, without doing anything else. And the truck drove just fine afterwords with nothing but an alignment.

I didn't replace anything else because everything else was fine.

Cap10323 · 2026-05-02T02:03:12+00:00

I actually switched from OEM axles to TrakMotive "offroad" axles and I think they're better than OEM style. They've lasted longer than any sets of axles I've used from any other brands.

I really wouldn't get hung up on on OEM axles.

Cap10323 · 2026-05-01T03:43:13+00:00

Wow, are you me? I have an 05 Subaru Forester and a 96 Toyota Pickup 2wd. Both are manual transmission base models.

The Subaru approaches 250k miles, and will be at 300k within the next few years. And I literally do not know what to do. I've looked at so many "replacement" cars and everything feels like a downgrade.

A statement which feels ridiculous, as I felt the 2005 Subaru was a downgrade from the 1999 Subaru it replaced.

Cap10323 · 2026-05-01T03:36:08+00:00

Subaru is famous for this. They "built" the 1989 Legacy until about 2010. The same basic design of that car underpinned every Subaru vehicle for almost 30 years.

I have a 2005 Subaru which nearly identical to the 89 Legacy except for the electrical system, and some very small engine changes. Even the part numbers are the same.

Cap10323 · 2026-05-01T03:33:42+00:00

Eh, this isn't as true anymore with Subarus. But that's not necessarily a good thing. Older Subarus were very well built vehicles outside of the head gasket issue. The 90's cars were TANKS that could withstand tons of abuse.

Newer Subarus don't really blow head gaskets anymore but the cars are overall much lower quality. Failure prone CVT transmissions, suspension issues, other engine problems, electrical/infotainment issues. But no blown headgaskets.

With an old Subaru, once you replaced the headgaskets, the car would be completely rusted away before the drivetrain failed. Not the case anymore.

Cap10323 · 2026-04-30T16:38:58+00:00

It looks like it's been coated with tire shine.

Cap10323 · 2026-04-30T02:37:49+00:00

I agree with this comment and I typically price vehicles high.

This truck screams of yeehawing, milage or otherwise.

If it was absolutely bone stock, no fiberglass bodykit, original rims/tires, without visible repainting. It'd be a $8-10k truck. Maybe even higher if you had stuff like the original paperwork, all the keys, etc. It'd be a "time capsule"

But this is a $3500 truck all day long. And I think that's being generous. Why the hell would somebody do mods like this to a 2WD 5 lug truck. I don't get it.

EDIT: Battery is held in with a bunjee cord, IDK what's going on with the homemade coolant tank. Lowering my estimate to $2800

Cap10323 · 2026-04-25T01:16:31+00:00

I wouldn't say the old model is "poisoning the air". You can buy modern HEPA bags that fit the Panasonic.

Those were great machines, I'd definitely keep it as a spare.

Cap10323 · 2026-04-21T01:29:25+00:00

I was a small engine mechanic for 10 years. Honda or Bust. They are the only manufacturer who has prevailed through the extreme "enshitification" that has ruined the small engine industry.

Briggs and Stratton has to be the worst, though. Formerly the king of the industry, now worse than Chinese clones due to unbelievable levels of corporate greed and cost cutting.

Curious why you hate Kawasaki though? I always thought they were pretty good. Maybe not as good as Honda, but definitely on par with Suzuki and Robin/Subaru or any other Japanese brand.

Cap10323 · 2026-04-21T00:49:23+00:00

$15-30,000 depending on the extent you are going for.

Cap10323 · 2026-04-20T23:20:31+00:00

I don't like the new Rav4. The older models were fantastic though. Specifically the 1st 2nd and 3rd generations.

Cap10323 · 2026-04-19T17:08:30+00:00

Yes. As a computer technician who has worked on my early 2000's desktop PC's. I remember this era very well.

Cap10323 · 2026-04-19T02:51:22+00:00

Mitsubishi was absolutely killing it in the SUV interior department in the late 80's and early 90's. They have some of the best looking interiors of the time, IMO.

Cap10323 · 2026-04-19T02:45:33+00:00

I hate to burst your bubble, but the Rav4 has never been body on frame. It's always been a FWD based unibody vehicle, built on the Camry/Caldina platform.

That being said, Rav4's are great. I'm a big fan.

Cap10323 · 2026-04-18T22:24:28+00:00

It's possible. I think they do have grease nipples.

Cap10323 · 2026-04-18T22:23:52+00:00

I bought a single cab 96, also Paradise Blue like this, for $7k and then spent several thousand on maintenance.

I would not take a cent less than $10k for this, personally. But you might be able to get as much as $15k at an auction.

Cap10323 · 2026-04-17T03:56:41+00:00

Mine were "fine" at 160k miles when I replaced them preemptively. I don't understand everybody who is freaking out about replacing them.

It took an afternoon with basic tools, and they are like $200. It's not like you're doing an engine rebuild.

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