JWR,
I know that you advocate American made cars and trucks for BOV purposes based on availability of parts, but I would like to share with you a three-part video series demonstrating the abuse that a Toyota 4×4 pickup truck can take and still be driven. All with only a mechanic using no specialty tools and no replacement parts. This truck was driven down stairs, lost in the Bristol Channel at high tide, driven through a shed, had a camping trailer dropped on it, hit with a wrecking ball, set on fire, and put on the top of a high rise apartment building while it was demolished. Spoiler alert…the truck still started up and was driven after all this.
Video 1 of 3
Video 2 of 3
Video 3 of 3
Regards, – Mike Q.
JWR Replies: The Toyota 4×4 pickup truck was the first BOV choice of my Chinese-American friend D., upon whom the fictional “Dan Fong” in Patriots was based. I often talked down his choice (mainly because of parts availability), but I must concede that these videos vindicate him.