Still on the hunt for a truck. I got some tips from mechanic Mary about what to look for when I check out a vehicle:
- check the back of the wheel wells: oily? bad
- check the pan under the drivers feet - lift up the mat or rubber if you have to. rust? bad
- test drive it, and get it up to at least 55mph. Loose steering? bad. Soft brakes? bad
- look for leaks of any kind on the ground, try and see the color of the fluid if possible
- check the transmission dipstick - should be red, should not have a burnt smell.
- check the rim around the oil cap - any visible gooey gunk?
- check the oil dipstick - any baked on oil? burned looking? dirty is fine, baked on is not.
- put a penny in the treads, head up. If abe's nose is covered, you're okay. If the tread exposes his nose-throat area, they're worn down.
- inspection sticker - up to date?
- do the wipers and doors work? open well? scrape horribly across the windshield? bad
Now that I have an idea of what sort of vehicle I want, the hunt has gotten a little harder. Or.. at least it feels harder to find viable candidates since I can eliminate what I don't want so much more easily.