[77 TRASHCAN]

Originally Posted by zeebo

ill third that..lol..and just to know, that the supercharged 3800s did not have the leaky plastic intake manifolds..they were aluminum, and not subject to leaking, or the recall...only caveat is that you need to run premium fuel. i have to say that those buicks n pontiacs of that era with the 3800 are hard to beat for a daily driver...like was mentioned, some cars' parts can really bite ya....

FYI...
But...the supercharged engines have a cast aluminum bracket that hold on the a belt pulley...it fatigues and breaks, but is generally good for around 100,000, kinda like that plastic plenum (I have changed mine, it's a good idea to yank the lower part of the intake also, when doing this, clean the gunk out of it). I still wouldn't own a ford...

[jusjay]

05 or 06 Pontiac GTO LS2 M6 400 hp. You get 18mpg around town and close to 26 open road. Plus when you want to you blow the doors off of everthing on the except the new CTS V and vert Z06.

[fyrffytr1]

I like the GTO option but I need a lot better gas mileage. For that I will keep driving the GMC. It gets 16 in town and 21 on the road.

[poncho-mike]

The most reliable car I've ever had is my 02 Saturn Vue with the 4-cylinder 5-spd manual. It gets 25 - 28 MPG and is roomy. Just be sure to stay away from the automatic cars. One of the nice things about the ECOTEC 4 is it has a timing chain, rather than a timing belt, so there are no expensive services at 100K mile intervals.

[Ben M.]

Originally Posted by poncho-mike

One of the nice things about the ECOTEC 4 is it has a timing chain, rather than a timing belt, so there are no expensive services at 100K mile intervals.

Yeah but if the chain gives out it's an interference engine and you've just ruined your valves or pistons. Got burned by one of those...

[vin63]

Originally Posted by fyrffytr1

I may be in the market for a daily driver in the near future and would like some input on what to look for. It will be mostly driving to and from work and that is only a 10 minute ride on city streets. Currently I am driving my 06 GMC crewcab.
I want something good on gas, dependable and inexpensive. Also, I am not looking for a new car. I would really like to get a motorcycle but the wife has vetoed that idea.
What do Y'all suggest?

How much are you looking to spend? I ask because for between $18K to $30K, you can find a 2010 or newer TDI (VW or Audi) in a Jetta or A3. I replaced our 3/4-ton Duramax with a 2011 Audi A3 TDI and cut my fuel bill by 70%. My commute was a little different - 20 minutes one-way per day during the week, but we make longer trips on the weekends to visit family, etc., so the diesel worked better for us. Here is my fuel mileage log - averaging just about 40 mpg combined and 50+ mpg on the freeway:
http://www.fuelly.com/driver/vin63/a3

[fyrffytr1]

Thank Y'all for the replies. You have given me a lot to think about. I know it would be impractical and probably hard to find but I would really like an early 60s Chevy II or Pontiac station wagon.
Other than that I would just like to have something mechanically sound. Not too concerned about looks but I don't want to have to do paint and body work to make it presentable.
I do a lot of relic hunting so I want something I can carry my metal detector and digging tools in. That's why I thought about a wagon. I don't want another truck.

[zeebo]

im not sure i follow you on what aluminum bracket i need to replace..do you have a pic? i have the supercharged 3800..almost 200k..runs great....