Hey guys, our 02 F150 finally threw a crankshaft bearing and with the age + mileage we've decided not to invest another 3K+ for a rebuilt engine.

Due to a wrist surgery for the wife, and 4K dental work, we've decided to forgo adding another auto payment at this time.

We were offered two different vehicles, both of which need about $1500 worth the repairs.

Number 1 is a 95 2 door Tahoe. It needs brake lines, a new fuel line, and tires. It's in desperate need of a driver's seat, and has a leaking sunroof.

I am the previous owner, but gave it to my BiL when he returned from Iraq 8 years ago. I have no idea what he did to maintain it, and I don't have a clue on the odometer reading. He says he has a guy willing to buy it for $1500 after he replaces the brake and fuel line. He says he'll take small payments from us, but at the end of the day, I don't think he'll push for any money.

Vehicle 2 is a 99 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo.

What I've been told, the Jeep needs a radiator, a battery and new tires, and it's been sitting for almost a year. The Jeep is located 2.5 hours from where I live, and I plan on going down to look at it Saturday.

Now the guy who owns the Jeep is the BiL of my best friend. He's a lazy guy, but makes a shit ton of money driving dump trucks for the coal mines. Instead of fixing up the Jeep, he and his wife just wait for bonuses and go buy new vehicles. The Jeep is parked behind a rental property, and they want it gone.

From the short video my friend made, the Jeep is filled with trash, and in desperate need of a good detailing, other than that, the body looks clean and sound.

I don't know anything about Jeeps, is there anything I need to be concerned about? I do know the Tahoe had 150+K on the Odometer when I gave it to my brother.

If you had a choice which vehicle would you take?

My only input would be if a vehicle needs brake and fuel lines that means corrosion. IF those parts are rusted out I hate to think about how bad a shape the suspension components are in.

I guess I am a bit confused. For $3k you can have a new engine in your F150. That you have owned, maintained and know the history on. By the time you screw around with either of these two. Buy and repair I think you would be significantly worse off. What I am missing?

With the options at hand fix the F150.
You'll be close to $3000 in the others as I promise you will find more issues as you have no idea what has or has not been done to the others.

Look for a used and not rebuilt motor to save some money.

It sounds like either of your options could be a money-pit way beyond fixing and keeping your pickup.

So you gave your BIL a truck and he wants to sell it back to you in less than good working order (will still have a leak)? No thanks.

Jeep repairs are easy but I'd be more concerned about how the radiator degraded. sounds like they didn't maintain the coolant system. Probably didn't maintain anything else either.

Replace your engine - If you can't find a rebuilt, and don't like your choices of a crate engine, go search car-parts.com or your local junk dealers for a complete engine.

I think that's the best bet.

General advice. If one has to choose between a known with an issue, and a slightly better but unknown, stay with what you know.

I just ran this by a buddy of mine who is a master mechanic. He said crank and rod bearings can be replaced by removing the pan. He said it is fairly easy and shouldn't be a $3000 repair. He feels it is simple enough that you could do it yourself with some instruction and a manual. Then you're only out parts and some tools.

Fix your truck. It'll have a reliable engine when it's done. And it's many years newer than your other options.

What makes you think the other cars will be more reliable than yours? Do those cars have recently rebuilt engines in them?

I'm with these guys. Your best bet is fixing what you have.

I would look for a reman short block for the F150, move your parts from the top end that are good to the short block, you have a known good engine that will be in a truck you know has been taken care of.

Think I'd stay away from both the others, as you'll be putting $1500 to $2000 into them just to get them running, the Jeep I'd run from, unknown, sitting, whats been living in it, mice love wires....

You could probably find a $1500 engine from a wrecking yard pull and replace...

^^^^^^^
what everyone else is saying. figure out how to repair what you already have and know. the others sound like money pits. one sounds like a leaky rust bucket and the other sounds like the local dump. and I am sure what has been told is wrong with either of the options that both have way more than that going on with them. good luck. I just sold a 17 year old infinity sedan with 200K on it for $1800. other than the faded out original paint, the vehicle was more than road worthy. look around and you might actually find something local in your price point that's better than what these folks are trying to off load on you.

quote:

Originally posted by Aeteocles:
Fix your truck. It'll have a reliable engine when it's done. And it's many years newer than your other options.

I'm with these guys. Your best bet is fixing what you have.

Having said that.... the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo sounds like it's probably the better of the other two.
Replacing a radiator isn't expensive and a battery and tires are probably just because it has sat for a year. Put it on a battery charger and start it up. See how it sounds. Drive it, if possible. You can always offer less money... it sounds like he just wants to be rid of it.

Fix the one you have, the other two read as nightmares.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
I guess I am a bit confused. For $3k you can have a new engine in your F150. That you have owned, maintained and know the history on. By the time you screw around with either of these two. Buy and repair I think you would be significantly worse off. What I am missing?

The F150 has been nothing but trouble, it's constantly blowing coil packs, and has 200K on the drivetrain. It hasn't been a good truck for us.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
With the options at hand fix the F150.
You'll be close to $3000 in the others as I promise you will find more issues as you have no idea what has or has not been done to the others.

Look for a used and not rebuilt motor to save some money.

What he said

quote:

Originally posted by IndyRob:

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
I guess I am a bit confused. For $3k you can have a new engine in your F150. That you have owned, maintained and know the history on. By the time you screw around with either of these two. Buy and repair I think you would be significantly worse off. What I am missing?

The F150 has been nothing but trouble, it's constantly blowing coil packs, and has 200K on the drivetrain. It hasn't been a good truck for us.

While that is true, I believe like several others the other 2 options could end up costing you way more in a very short period of time. You might reconsider fixing your F150 or move on to additional options.

quote:

Originally posted by IndyRob:

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
I guess I am a bit confused. For $3k you can have a new engine in your F150. That you have owned, maintained and know the history on. By the time you screw around with either of these two. Buy and repair I think you would be significantly worse off. What I am missing?

The F150 has been nothing but trouble, it's constantly blowing coil packs, and has 200K on the drivetrain. It hasn't been a good truck for us.

That being said find yourself a $3000 vehicle that does not need work.
Your $1500 options will certainly be in that ballpark quickly.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:

quote:

Originally posted by IndyRob:

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
I guess I am a bit confused. For $3k you can have a new engine in your F150. That you have owned, maintained and know the history on. By the time you screw around with either of these two. Buy and repair I think you would be significantly worse off. What I am missing?

The F150 has been nothing but trouble, it's constantly blowing coil packs, and has 200K on the drivetrain. It hasn't been a good truck for us.

That being said find yourself a $3000 vehicle that does not need work.
Your $1500 options will certainly be in that ballpark quickly.

We don't have 3K to spend right now, we've been swamped with medical costs. If we did have the 3K we would buy a rebuilt engine. The only used engine we could find has 150K on it, and no warranty.

Negotiate your medical bills?

Don't buy the JeeP! My daughter had one, constantly broken, money pit POS.