Topic: New Daily Driver - Parked the Rubi

[aka-justin]

13 mpg and those 7+ year old 35s on my '03 Rubicon are killing my wallet and comfort to drive to work. Bought a 91 Toyota 4banger beater to drive to work. Got it on the cheap, just needed a head gasket. It's been driving great the past two weeks with only a few minor issues. Some plus's are - recently replaced tires, clutch, brakes, and it's ugliness is built-in anti-theft. Cons - no a/c (compressor gone), no heat (fan not working), miles are up there - 278k miles, but drives pretty damn good. It's already saved me over $100 in gas in the last few fill ups - 23+ mpg. Driving to San Diego tomorrow, so I'll get a better idea of it's highway mileage.

[Jeffy]

You live in San Diego where it's never really hot nor cold.  I'd put a new compressor and evaporator on it and see if you can get the AC working.  Replacing a heater blower isn't that hard either.

Could you see the original hone marks on the cylinder walls?  They look really clean.  I know those 22R's run forever.

[aka-justin]

Well, I go camping with my son's den, and it gets pretty cold up in the mountains where we go. It's not a #1 priority, but the heater will be getting fixed. A/C, I can live with out for this summer, maybe another summer I'll be motivated enough. As far as the hone marks, I don't know what it'd supposed to look like either way. I hit it with the wire wheel on my drill and it cleaned up really nice and I forgot to take before pictures... Dohhh.

Also, I got about 29-30 mpg today to San Diego - around 148 miles. Not too shabby.

[Jeffy]

Hone marks are the marks when they bored and honed the cylinders at the factory.  If the engine was well kept you can sometimes see them still.  They look like cross hatching.

[aka-justin]

It looked pretty smooth, not like that.

[Tr00b]

Nice ride man. Those are all rusted and gone here.

[aka-justin]

Got bored the other weekend and decided to clean it...





...which lead to getting some chrome cleaner... and some tint, since I was already there.



I also threw in my pre-Fathers day present - some inexpensive MTX components in the doors that sound sweet.

[Jeffy]

Sure looks clean.  I don't see those older toyotas on the roads much anymore.