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View Full Version : Stay Honda or Go Domestic?



JFreddy
04-12-2006, 11:23 AM
I am confused... dont know what to do....

I've blown two transmissions b/c of my car being lowered and axles hitting the diff pin (i think its called the diff pin? the piece that u can see when u take the axles out of ur tranny?) It seems like this only happens to my car too, so its only lowered 1" as opposed to 3.25" like it was before. So with all this frustration from the 3Gee.. it is temporarily up for sale (has Dollar store for sale sign on it, no rush to sell though) , the dilemma is... there is a white 2 door accord, 5 spd for sale for 700 dollars near me, which if i kept my car, I could have the 2 door as a project with knowledge about the car. The other way was I am looking for a 2WD truck... preferably a 97+ Dakota... just because I'm tired of the frotn wheel drive blowing transmissions.... :rocket:

What do u guys suggest? I kno this is biased... but I am really not impressed with the old 3Gee right now, so i need some convincing... either way to help on a decision.

DBMaster
04-12-2006, 11:24 AM
The only experience I can speak from is friends' experiences with Chrysler products. Those experiences tell me to run, not walk AWAY from any Chrysler product.

Of course, there must be some lemmon Hondas out there, too. I just haven't heard about any.

B16KILLA
04-12-2006, 11:45 AM
uh..........STAY HONDA!:slap:

JFreddy
04-12-2006, 12:34 PM
lol, shouldnt have expected anything else from here 8)

Cheeseburger
04-12-2006, 12:40 PM
lol, shouldnt have expected anything else from here 8)


big DUH lol ya most people on here like me are going to say go honda

DBMaster
04-12-2006, 01:12 PM
Given the fact that my Accord was built in Ohio and contains 90% American sourced parts and a Ford Taurus of the same year was most likely built in Canada (those were the two best selling cars in 1989) I would say that my car IS domestic.

The lines are so blurred now regarding domestic v. imported, but I have seen too many folks end up with garbage from Chrysler.

Hash_man_Se_i
04-12-2006, 02:02 PM
stay honda... but let me buy the coupe.! ...

Deadhead
04-12-2006, 03:00 PM
well... the main question you should be asking is, what are you really looking for in a car?

With the truck, are you going to be hauling stuff? Are you prepared for the gas mileage?

The honda is obviously a good choice assuming it's in good shape. I'm not a fan of pre-2000 dodge trucks for the simple fact that i just hear bad things about them. I would, however, take a new dodge cummins diesel any time, any day.

Vanilla Sky
04-12-2006, 03:28 PM
hehe, and with that new dodge, you'd be getting fun trans rebuilds.

i would stay honda. i would say that you have a bad motor mount to be doing that to your diff constantly.

speedpenguin
04-12-2006, 06:44 PM
Yea, something's up, that's not exactly a simple Honda problem. Just take care of that and fix the car.

JFreddy
04-12-2006, 09:20 PM
oh ... shit.. never thought of that..., which motor mount? the dogbone? ... I'll take some pics tomorrow of my taken apart tranny to show u guys the problem.

Vanilla Sky
04-13-2006, 12:07 AM
check them all. vinny had problems with his axles wearing quickly, and it turned out to be his motor mounts. i would say the front and the rear would cause most of your problems, but i would say that any of them have the ability to throw the engine far enough out of alignment to cause this problem.

HondaBoy
04-13-2006, 12:30 AM
do i even need to say it? read below

Deadhead
04-13-2006, 05:52 AM
hehe, and with that new dodge, you'd be getting fun trans rebuilds.
i would stay honda. i would say that you have a bad motor mount to be doing that to your diff constantly.

I haven't heard of the new one's doing that, but ok. My neighbor just bought a cummins 3500 turbo diesel and the motor has a 400,000 mile warranty before it needs rebuilt. I thought that was pretty impressive, not to mention that thing has some serious cahones.

snoopyloopy
04-13-2006, 06:25 AM
yeah, bad choice of comparisons. because the function of the two vehicles is quite different from one another. and i imagine that the truck wouldn't be $700 either. so it all depends on your needs.

JFreddy
04-13-2006, 06:56 AM
No, this 2 door would more just be a project accord for me... somethin I wanted to do for a long time... but with the two tranny's going on me left a very sour taste in my mouth about our bullet proof accords. I'd still keep my 4 door as a daily driver, but build up the a20 or do a b-series swap in the two door, this way is probably the cheaper way to go other than an R/T dakota.

ex1z7
04-15-2006, 09:43 PM
Radiator cracked, exhaust wrecked, trans blew, motor blew, axle busted, cv's.. and now I'm in the process of buying a new 3g ;). Regardless of problems, keep it Honda..

I've had so many problems, VERY expensive problems, with domestics. I'll never buy a domestic over a honda/nissan/toyota ever again.

Go with Honda, or like stated above, at least Asian.

Whistler225
04-15-2006, 11:10 PM
I love my Honda.

Having said that, I respectfully, completely disagree with those who have disparaged Chrysler products in this thread. I've owned many Chryslers, Fords, and Chevys. Chrysler makes a pretty damned good car. I still have a 79 Dodge truck, which runs awesome, has never given me a bit of trouble, and is a total workhorse It has one of if not the best, most reliable engines ever made by anyone, a 225 slant six and a three speed manual on the column. Yes, Dodge had some issues with transmissions in the early to mid 90's, but there was never a car manufacturer that didn't have a problem ocassionally with one of their products (Ford had to recall a good percentage of their light trucks and SUV's for two reasons. One was those notorious tires they put on them which were exploding out of the sidewall, the other was a faulty cruise control switch which would overheat while your truck was parked overnight. One guy lost his garage when his truck caught fire at 2:30 in the morning because of that switch. Chevy had that famous problem with their trucks in the late 70's when they would explode if hit in the rear. Audi had a 20,000 dollar car reduced to a 2,000 car overnight when a woman claimed the car lurched forward out of control and crushed her son while he was raising the garage door. That was the mid-late 80's model 5000s, which I've also owned....it never ran away from me though). The mid 90's marked a transition between drivetrains for Chrysler. As with any car, the first model years of a new generation of vehicle give you the most problems.

My point is, some people like foreign, some people like domestic, some people like both. Everyone has their own preference, and if anyone tells you they never had troubles with any brand x car, they're most likely lying. Most folks swear by whatever car they're used to working on.

Now to the issue of your selection: If you like Hondas, and don't mind working on them, and a Honda will satisfy your vehicular needs, then by all means buy a Honda. If you need a truck, a 97 Dodge Dakota is not a bad choice. By 97, they had most of the issues with the trannys worked out, though they still had a few. If you buy a manual, you should have little or no problems with the transmission. The Magnum V8 is a time-tested, reliable motor. Even the V6 is a decent engine. Dodge's V8's were (and are) still 318's and 360's, both of which have proven themselves since the 1970's.

speedpenguin
04-16-2006, 05:15 AM
I love my Honda.
Having said that, I respectfully, completely disagree with those who have disparaged Chrysler products in this thread. I've owned many Chryslers, Fords, and Chevys. Chrysler makes a pretty damned good car. I still have a 79 Dodge truck, which runs awesome, has never given me a bit of trouble, and is a total workhorse It has one of if not the best, most reliable engines ever made by anyone, a 225 slant six and a three speed manual on the column. Yes, Dodge had some issues with transmissions in the early to mid 90's, but there was never a car manufacturer that didn't have a problem ocassionally with one of their products (Ford had to recall a good percentage of their light trucks and SUV's for two reasons. One was those notorious tires they put on them which were exploding out of the sidewall, the other was a faulty cruise control switch which would overheat while your truck was parked overnight. One guy lost his garage when his truck caught fire at 2:30 in the morning because of that switch. Chevy had that famous problem with their trucks in the late 70's when they would explode if hit in the rear. Audi had a 20,000 dollar car reduced to a 2,000 car overnight when a woman claimed the car lurched forward out of control and crushed her son while he was raising the garage door. That was the mid-late 80's model 5000s, which I've also owned....it never ran away from me though). The mid 90's marked a transition between drivetrains for Chrysler. As with any car, the first model years of a new generation of vehicle give you the most problems.
My point is, some people like foreign, some people like domestic, some people like both. Everyone has their own preference, and if anyone tells you they never had troubles with any brand x car, they're most likely lying. Most folks swear by whatever car they're used to working on.
Now to the issue of your selection: If you like Hondas, and don't mind working on them, and a Honda will satisfy your vehicular needs, then by all means buy a Honda. If you need a truck, a 97 Dodge Dakota is not a bad choice. By 97, they had most of the issues with the trannys worked out, though they still had a few. If you buy a manual, you should have little or no problems with the transmission. The Magnum V8 is a time-tested, reliable motor. Even the V6 is a decent engine. Dodge's V8's were (and are) still 318's and 360's, both of which have proven themselves since the 1970's.
Hondas do have a proven reliability record over domestics, though.

Whistler225
04-16-2006, 08:13 AM
Absolutely. No question about that....I was merely addressing those who were calling Chrysler "junk." As far as "domestic" (though technically, Honda IS domestic, seeing as how the full name of the company is Honda of America), is concerned, at least among the big three, Chrysler stacks up just fine.

One other thing about that Dakota you're thinking about: if you're looking at a 4WD model you'll be pleased to learn that Chrysler (and by extension Dodge) makes one of the best and toughest 4WD systems on the market. They also make quite a large portion of the transfer cases and differentials in many 4WD's made by other companies (Chrysler owns the company that makes those transfer cases and diffs, I should say). Particularly Dodge's part-time 4WD system is tough as nails.....

Whistler225
04-16-2006, 08:20 AM
oh....and Penguin: while I agree with you about Honda's proven record of reliability, from my personal experience, Dodge makes a vehicle that has proven (to me) nearly as high a level of reliability. Not many people can saay they have a 27 year old vehicle they use on a daily basis that runs as well as my truck, without having rebuilt the drivetrain at some point, or replaced it all together. My truck is dead stock (and looks it lol), and it's my "old reliable." It drove 900 miles towing the biggest Uhaul you can get full of my stuff, from NC to NH.

*shrugs* Like I said, I love my Honda....it is my daily driver....and I will be selling ole Bessie pretty soon, but I will miss the hell out of that truck. Selling it feels like yanking out my safety net lol....

speedpenguin
04-16-2006, 09:46 AM
oh....and Penguin: while I agree with you about Honda's proven record of reliability, from my personal experience, Dodge makes a vehicle that has proven (to me) nearly as high a level of reliability. Not many people can saay they have a 27 year old vehicle they use on a daily basis that runs as well as my truck, without having rebuilt the drivetrain at some point, or replaced it all together. My truck is dead stock (and looks it lol), and it's my "old reliable." It drove 900 miles towing the biggest Uhaul you can get full of my stuff, from NC to NH.
*shrugs* Like I said, I love my Honda....it is my daily driver....and I will be selling ole Bessie pretty soon, but I will miss the hell out of that truck. Selling it feels like yanking out my safety net lol....
I'm just talking pure statistics, of course. My friend's parent's have a 1980 Ford F-150 that is showing no signs of old age at all. Regular maintenance and gentle treatment make more of a difference when it comes to the mechanicals of an older car than the manufacterer. Except of course, for british cars, those things fall apart. But statistically, Hondas are more reliable.

Whistler225
04-16-2006, 10:41 AM
I think you hit the nail on the head. It's how you take care of your car that has the most effect on how long it lasts. To use Chrysler as an example again, when they came out with the K car in the mid eighties, people assumed it was a disposable car, so they bought them, never changed the oil, plugs, or anything else, never washed or waxed them (hence the ones you do see on the road usually look like crap), and then got all upset when the cars only lasted 5 years or so....well no crap. People buy a Honda, and they know they're buying a nice car, so they take care of it. So I totally agree with you....maintenance is the thing. I'm not a huge Ford fan, but I had a 77 T-Bird that I bought from this guy for 500 bucks, and he had taken immaculate care of it so the car was awesome....never gave me any trouble. I can say the same for the 66 Falcon I used to have....great car (until I wrecked it) because it was well cared for. I really don't understand why people don't do the simple things to help their cars last longer....it's not that difficult to change the oil every 3000 miles, or replace the plugs wires and cap and rotor every couple of years. People are just lazy, and then like I said they get all upset and talk crap about a vehicle because it lets them down after being mistreated.

SQ is the SQUAD
04-16-2006, 04:22 PM
sorry to say, with the new cars coming out, chrysler is on top

Vanilla Sky
04-16-2006, 04:38 PM
only when it comes to what's nice, not longterm reliability. honda and toyota are still on top there.

cubert
04-16-2006, 04:42 PM
if you want a truck..i say get an s-10 and slam that thing

speedpenguin
04-16-2006, 04:45 PM
if you want a truck..i say get an s-10 and slam that thing
My dad's got a Ranger. That thing is fun. But, don't get a truck if you're not going to haul stuff. Otherwise you're a tool.

PS
Note I said when it comes to older cars. New cars have so much electronic crap I have no idea how to keep them running outside of basic maintenance. All the preventative maintenance in the world isn't going to help you when your harness shorts and your 4,982 onboard computers shut down.

Vanilla Sky
04-16-2006, 04:56 PM
eh, i was given a truck. i'm pretty much stuck with it. it got me a bit into minitrucking.

if you're looking for a truck, i'd look into a toyota or nissan. tacos and hbs aren't done enough, IMO. everyone buys an s-10 to work on because it's ALL freakin bolt on.

cubert
04-16-2006, 05:09 PM
My dad's got a Ranger. That thing is fun. But, don't get a truck if you're not going to haul stuff. Otherwise you're a tool.

PS
Note I said when it comes to older cars. New cars have so much electronic crap I have no idea how to keep them running outside of basic maintenance. All the preventative maintenance in the world isn't going to help you when your harness shorts and your 4,982 onboard computers shut down.

ok then..dont buy a four cylinder unless youre looking for a 30 mpg econobox to drive 50 miles back and forth to work everyday....:rolleyes:


vanilla..yes..most people do go to S-10s for that reason...ive always been a chevy guy and think if theyre done right...they look great...especially when theyre slammed and have a 350 or similar motor in them...

As far as other brands go...tacos look great when laying frame...in fact..im a sucker for any minitruck thats scraping :lol:

speedpenguin
04-16-2006, 05:19 PM
ok then..dont buy a four cylinder unless youre looking for a 30 mpg econobox to drive 50 miles back and forth to work everyday....:rolleyes:
vanilla..yes..most people do go to S-10s for that reason...ive always been a chevy guy and think if theyre done right...they look great...especially when theyre slammed and have a 350 or similar motor in them...
As far as other brands go...tacos look great when laying frame...in fact..im a sucker for any minitruck thats scraping :lol:
His is a V6. I'd get a 4, because I like gas mileage, though.

Whistler225
04-17-2006, 02:44 AM
Speed: digging the FF2 Avatar :)

S10's are good all around trucks, 350's have more parts available for less money than probably any other motor out there. I've never really been into low rider trucks, simply because I think it contradicts the purpose of a truck. A truck is for carrying stuff, and you can't really carry anything if your front bumper hits speed bumps when the thing is empty....no offense intended. Besides, low riders are kind of out of fad now....now the in thing for trucks seems to be off road accessories....

but getting back to the original topic: Dude, buy whatever is going to make you happy....if you're not in a rush, test drive anything you think you might be interested in. You're not going to know if it will be reliable until you've had it awhile anyway.

speedpenguin
04-17-2006, 06:51 AM
Speed: digging the FF2 Avatar :)
S10's are good all around trucks, 350's have more parts available for less money than probably any other motor out there. I've never really been into low rider trucks, simply because I think it contradicts the purpose of a truck. A truck is for carrying stuff, and you can't really carry anything if your front bumper hits speed bumps when the thing is empty....no offense intended. Besides, low riders are kind of out of fad now....now the in thing for trucks seems to be off road accessories....
but getting back to the original topic: Dude, buy whatever is going to make you happy....if you're not in a rush, test drive anything you think you might be interested in. You're not going to know if it will be reliable until you've had it awhile anyway.
:werd: Trucks is for hauling.
I didn't make the avatar, A20A1 did. it's FFVI, not FFII
I'm a nerd. :)

Whistler225
04-17-2006, 06:22 PM
lol....sorry, I should have looked a little closer. I played FFVI, but didn't finish it.