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The locals seem to have a taste / preference for dodge / mopar trucks - lots of taco's as well
My insight would be to keep it simple - electronics in this rainfall tough - wires and connectors green in six months - if the rats dont get em
lots of 1950's trucks as well 1953 5 window gmc like gold out here - straight front axle works on our 1950's roads - grin
Posts: 2,980
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That'll totally fit right in. Sounds like a perfect "Island car". You really don't want anything too precious over here --- the going can get a little rough and you kinda want something you won't worry about hurting.
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Oneself, I have a VW. So far, so good. It's been about 18 months, and no issues.
One thing I did think of in the meantime is that it would be very nice to have a car with really good rain-sensing windshield wipers. A luxury, admittedly, but I can't tell you how many times I've wished I had the wipers of my wife's car on the mainland (where it hardly ever rains) - so much easier than turning up and down the frequency of the wipers every 5 seconds as the rain goes from drizzle to downpour and back.
Leilani Estates, 2011 to Present
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I plan to bring my 05 F-150 4X4 extended cab with small V-8. Power brakes and steering but manual everything else including transfer case. Pretty good rear seat but not much leg room for 6'+ people. Only get 17-19 mpg though. Plenty clearance for not being raised. My Big Island experience tells me you need at least one vehicle with 4X4 and clearance. I really can't imagine life without a P-U truck. I like the Toyota Tacoma trucks too but I don't think they get much better mileage for being a lot smaller.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
Posts: 1,975
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Joined: Jul 2012
I think you want a small truck - as new / low mileage as possible. (Gets good mileage/small engine)
You want to get brand new tires/shocks/brakes etc. you want to line the bed and the undercarriage with that "rhino-lining" (not sure if thats a brand or what) but its the stuff you spray on and prevents rust/scratches/dings.
Then you ship her over here using matson, pasha, etc.
Aloha mai kakou
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Oink, my 4cyl Tacoma gets 21 in town, staying in 4th gear. 26 during extended trips in 5th gear. Had an F150 4x4 with small v8 myself. Agree 4wd can come in handy. Stock clearance is PLENTY good...
bamboo2u
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I wonder what my F-150 would get at BI highway speeds? I've never done any distance at 55 to 60 mph. Highway is generally 75 to 80 mph. I drive like Gramps in town.
Yous is obviously 2WD getting that mileage. The Gov. says a 2014 Tacoma 4X4 is 18 to 21. Of course the Gov. says I get 12 to 16 mpg. I do better than that. But then it says the average user is reporting 15.7 so their figures are off somewhere. With the Toy, going back to 2012 to get a user reported average, the automatic 4X4 shows 18 to 21, with a user reported average of 17.9. Oddly, it shows the manual tranny getting only 19 to 20 but with a user reported average of 22.4
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/PowerSearch.do?action=Cars&path=1&year=2012&mclass=Pickup%20Trucks&comb=15&srchtyp=marClassMpg&pageno=3&sortBy=Comb&tabView=0&rowLimit=10
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/PowerSearch.do?action=noform&path=1&year1=2005&year2=2005&make=Ford&model=F150%20Pickup%204WD&srchtyp=ymm
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
Posts: 1,100
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If you don't need 4WD, a hatchback is the way to go. I have a Honda Fit (one of the most popular non-pickups on the island) and love it. It's got a ton of space for a small car, and I regularly get 38-40 mpg. The other makers have similar ones, but I think most of them (at least Toyota and Mazda) only the smaller two-door versions get similar mileage, the equivalent-size four-doors only get 30-32 mpg.
