*BOV Myths*
In "survival adventure books" the hero always drives a rebuilt, pre-1980's vehicle because "it's easier to work on and it doesn't have a computer"... Sadly MANY people have wasted THOUSANDS of dollars trying this routine only to end up with a vehicle that cost more than a newer one, and still breaks down a lot.
Before Japan put cars on the market that ran 300,000+ miles, American vehicles were KNOWN for breaking down.. nothing has changed except now American Car makers ramped up to keep up with the Japanese cars...
My Bud's Old "rebuilt" Bronco breaks down AT LEAST once a year.. in the 11 years I've owned my Nissan 4x4, other than routine maintenance, I have replaced a throw-out bushing, period. My Truck has lived a HARD life on "Strip mining sites" all over WV, and it still looks (and drives) like new... Next year this truck will be passed on to my Daughter, and I'm getting a 4X4 Nissan Frontier Nismo 4 door kingcab.
My Father has a 1972 Datsun that's flipped the odometer so many times he's not even sure how many hundreds of thousands of miles it has on it.. he only uses it as his "Going fishing vehicle" now, but it's run trouble free for THIRTY THREE years (I take that back, he replaced the water pump on the side of the road about 10 years back, he knew the pump was going bad, so he bought a new one and put it in the trunk... he likes to get every OUNCE out of anything he owns, so he WOULD NOT change out the water pump until it died)
What vehicles are the "enemy combatants" in Iraq/Afghanistan using? Toyota and Nissan Pickups.. you just can't kill them.
My Red neck neighbor has a 1980 Toyota 4WD that he has NEVER done anything to other than routine maintenance.
Forget "Rebuilding an older truck".. that's a Myth that survival fiction writers should leave out, and WOULD leave out if they had any real experience with them.. the average life expectancy of those vehicles was 80,000 miles, with numerous repairs within those 80,000 miles.
A Toyota or Nissan is as easy to work on as any old American Vehicle, and the computer is no big deal.. I have NEVER had a computer problem with ANY vehicle I have owned... Nowadays the computers VERY RARELY go bad... Actually, you may never see a bad one in your lifetime.
If you want a good BOV go get a new, or slightly used, Toyota or Nissan and then forget it.. it'll be passed on to your children.
I'm sure there's lots of people that will say "I have 300 grand on my old 1970 American made vehicle", but believe me, they are the exception, not the rule.
IMO (and in the opinion of many others), this "Rebuild an old truck because they don't have electronics and are easier to work on" is a myth.. they are easier to work on because they break down more.
I can find any part for my Nissan A LOT easier than you'll find a part for a pre-1980's American made vehicle, and I'll get twice the gas milage and have far fewer mechanical problems..
Worried about EMP? There is NO evidence that newer vehicle's computers are effected by EMP.
It's another one of those things that SOUNDS good in theory, but in reality ISN'T good. That's why we tout Facta Non Verba.
Warlord
www.alpharubicon.com
All materials at this site not otherwise credited are Copyright © 1996 - 2005 Trip Williams. All rights reserved. May be reproduced for personal use only. Use of any material contained herein is subject to stated terms or written permission.