When Life Gives You Lemons

[Thor-in]

I'm sad to hear about your misfortune Thor-in.
At least you are still able to see the positive side of things. When life gives you lemons, you squeeze those lemons into your eyes, enter a berserker-rage and punches life in the face.
I hope 2019 will bring a happy conclusion to your post

Well 2019 has started off great (complete sarcasm), and the hits just keep on coming.

My truck old red (dubbed - my Chevy is a saucy wench) that I have owned for 11 years out of its 16 year life now needs to go to the graveyard. Its a 2003 Chevy Silverado 1,500 4X4 with a standard transmission (GM stopped making them in 2007).

I was driving done the road Monday on my way to work and I heard a snap followed by a thud. I figured I dropped part of my custom exhaust system (that I paid almost $3,000 for). When I looked behind me and saw nothing rolling down the road, I knew instantly that one of my leaf spring brackets let go and the spring was riding on the bed of the truck. I got to work and sure enough, I was right.

I send it to the garage to get fixed and sure enough the mechanic finds a crack in my frame, I'm not surprised (I'll explain in a moment). One of my cross members has completely rotted away and split from the main frame of the truck. Now my truck won't pass inspection anymore.

48074.jpeg

I blame my ex-wife for this issue.

I have owned the truck for 11 years but I was never allowed to drive it for at least 9 years. It was a $9,000 lawn ordainment.

In the past two years I have dumped around $7,000 into the truck to keep it on the road.

Completely New Exhaust system $3,000
Four New Tires $1,000
Front End Alignment $150
Front Wheel Bearings $1,000
Rear Deferential Seal and Cap $100
Tie Rod Ends $50
New Spark Plugs and Plug Wires $300
8 New Ignition Coil Packs $400

There is more I did but that's all that comes to mind at the moment. I'm sure all of you are saying just get a new truck (I have no choice now), BUT I can't get a standard transmission anymore in a truck. It's a dying bread to find someone that can drive a standard.

If she would of just let me drive it like she was told (by my grandfather (a GM mechanic), my father, her ex-husband (a John Deer mechanic), both her brothers) then it wouldn't of rotted out as fast in the Upstate New York weather.

So now that I have my story out of the way. I would like it for members to share stories (if they are comfortable doing so) of when life gives you lemons out of nowhere, that make you sit back and ask whats next....

[lestodante]

Let's just try to see only the positive side of the coin: 2019 will start with a new truck!

[Thor-in]

Let's just try to see only the positive side of the coin: 2019 will start with a new truck!

Yup and a second job to pay for said truck.

[knightkrawler]

Let's just try to see only the positive side of the coin: 2019 will start with a new truck!

Yup and a second job to pay for said truck.

...which you need to get to the first job.

[Thor-in]

Let's just try to see only the positive side of the coin: 2019 will start with a new truck!

Yup and a second job to pay for said truck.

...which you need to get to the first job.

I know, life gave me a while bushel of lemons today. Fortunately I can still drive my truck for a few more months until I get the new truck.

[Anderas]

Is it a truck you use and need for your work, or do you just use it to get to work and walmart?

I'm European. Especially I live in France. If we need a cheap replacement car in this area, to bridge the time until the next "real" car, it will most likely be some silver-grey or dark blue renault clio produced in the early 2000'th. I guess for american eyes the look of it is at least as hurtful as hitting the thump instead the nail with a hammer.

For mine, too.

There are only roundabouts here, and the streets have just under 2,5m size per lane. Two real 7.5 tonne trucks or buses meeting each other is always solved by one of the two putting some wheels on the greenery or the pedestrian way next to the street.
The city planners make curve radiuses you really can't drive, so most of the people use the other side of the road even with small vehicles. Also, they do not accept the necessity of speed restrictions, so they do this with over speed and even if they have no sight. Finally, other than in other countries, you need to change your wheels only after five years, but without relation to the profile that is remaining on them. So many people drive without profile on their tires.... each and any time there is some rain, there is also an accident. Always.

There are some with a nice pick up truck around here, but I can only guess how they deal with the roads and drivers here.

[j_dean80]

I have an '01 Silverado with 287,000 miles on it. I put all but the first 30,000, have had it since '01. Fortunately it does not have rust problems since I lived in Cali for 11 years. The truck is like a baby to me and it would be hard to deal with "retiring" it.

[Thor-in]

I have an '01 Silverado with 287,000 miles on it. I put all but the first 30,000, have had it since '01. Fortunately it does not have rust problems since I lived in Cali for 11 years. The truck is like a baby to me and it would be hard to deal with "retiring" it.

You completely get it. I just broke 210,000 miles only because I was never aloud to drive my truck. I was planning on putting it in a garage and rebuilding it in about two years when I could afford a new one. Unfortunately I have to park her a few years earlier then I wanted.

Is it a truck you use and need for your work, or do you just use it to get to work and walmart?

I'm a contractor for a Federal funded program through the U.S. Department of Energy. I also have a side business doing home repairs, like flooring, kitchens, bathrooms, insulation, ext... So I also use it for that, and Wally-World because it's the only vehicle I own at the moment. It's a multi-use truck.

[whitebeard]

Your relatives are right about not letting a vehicle sit. First you will flat spot the tires. Then your brake rotors and drums surfaces will completely rust up because they are not spinning. Then all of your rubber bushings (suspension, motor mounts, etc.) and seals will dry rot. The frame however should be better for it.

Driving in NY winters sprays salt water all on the underside and that is far worse than sitting. For this member to break it is either
(1) GM and their experiments light weighting these vehicles.
(2) previous owner damage. Sure it is all rusted, but the crack which propagated through over the years you owned it was started by someone.

(3) Prior duty cycle - Was the previous owner plowing and hauling salt in the bed all winter?

Sitting any vehicle for years is bad and there is lots to be angry about having wasted money... but you can't pin this particular failure on your wife.

Body on chassis desings like your pickup truck should still be good after 50 years sitting on blocks in the lawn underneath a truck body, even in upstate NY.

[Thor-in]

Your relatives are right about not letting a vehicle sit. First you will flat spot the tires. Then your brake rotors and drums surfaces will completely rust up because they are not spinning. Then all of your rubber bushings (suspension, motor mounts, etc.) and seals will dry rot. The frame however should be better for it.

Driving in NY winters sprays salt water all on the underside and that is far worse than sitting. For this member to break it is either
(1) GM and their experiments light weighting these vehicles.
(2) previous owner damage. Sure it is all rusted, but the crack which propagated through over the years you owned it was started by someone.

(3) Prior duty cycle - Was the previous owner plowing and hauling salt in the bed all winter?

Sitting any vehicle for years is bad and there is lots to be angry about having wasted money... but you can't pin this particular failure on your wife.

Body on chassis desings like your pickup truck should still be good after 50 years sitting on blocks in the lawn underneath a truck body, even in upstate NY.

I agree with with you on everything except one thing, the only time she let me drive it was in the nice salty conditions or when I picked up side work (I had to always use her car). Now that we are getting a divorce I have been able to drive it everyday for almost two years, and everything just started falling apart.
I live at the base of the Adirondack Mountains where I don't get a lot of dry conditions in the Spring. My yard and driveway become a swap in the Spring. So when it was sitting the rest of the winter my nice red truck was white ish, and before you ask yes I did wash it, in the spring when I had a few extra dollars.
I was the only income for 13 +/- years. So I had all I could to keep the roof over head and food on the table.
Maybe I am being too harsh on her but, I see plenty of Silverado's that are the same model year as mine and older that are in better condition then mine.