Most Frugal and Practical Pickup Truck?
Too_Many_Tools
opinion the best candidate for a frugal and practical pickup truck?
Thanks
TMT
Roger
"Too_Many_Tools" <too_man...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:b41fb467-5caf-4ccd...@t1g2000pra.googlegroups.com...
A 1958 Landrover diesel with a dropside tray.
Frugal - has 4 wheels, 3 seats, sometimes 2 doors - they come (fall) off
very easily, sometimes a windscreen - folds flat under heavy braking, canvas
roof - rolls back on hot days, engine runs forever on a range of oily
substances from diesel to used chip oil from McDonalds.
Has amazing Chick pulling properties - they dont realise you are kidnapping
them as they are laughing so much.
Well you did ask.
James
Too many unanswered questions. Why do you want/need a pickup, whats
the biggest load you will carry/tow, whats the max passengers you
carry etc.
Domestic pickups are pretty price competitive given the market.
If can fit your needs, the Ford Ranger is being heavily discounted as
its discontinued. Good on gas. I've rented one and it was fine.
Of course you know that pickup brands are a dangerous territory
becuase people have life long prejudicies. My father grew up with
Chevies and will never have anything else. My brother has driven Fords
since 1980. Neither would buy a Dodge. Pickups tend to gather long
term loyalties.
James
Too_Many_Tools
So did cowboys to their horses...;<)
I NEED a pickup ;<)...I haul too many items that would not fit inside
a car and the spontaneous nature of the hauling (like finding that
special tool hundreds of miles from home) means that a car-trailer
combo won't work.
As for the price competitiveness of domestic pickups, I am not sure on
that. Try finding an used domestic pickup in good shape at a
reasonable price...it takes years to find a good match with that
criteria.
Brand wise I do not care as long as long term maintainance costs are
low.
TMT
nick hull
"Roger" <som...@microsoft.com> wrote:
I did well with my 1970 chev 1 ton I bought for $700 many years ago.
Lots of rust, still runs and has hauled a bull weighing close to a ton ;)
Free men own guns - www(dot)geocities(dot)com/CapitolHill/5357/
Seerialmom
1987 Nissan Hardbody, bought mine for $1100...needs a paint job but
that's all. Still see ton's of those being driven by the "lawnmowers"
out there, too.
Trevor Jones
Reasonably new, used domestic trucks kind of suck, as they cost only a
little less than you can get a new truck for. When you factor in nearly
free financing, from the maker, you can do pretty well there.
There is a wide gap between the price of new, and the low end of the
market, where it costs you for the price of purchase, then it costs you
dear for repairs or perpetual problems. It has been my experience that
the middle ground, is a poor place to shop.
After that, in the low end, you have to be willing and able to twist
your own wrenches for the majority of things that might go wrong, and be
accepting of the other less urgent needs of the truck. Must resist urge
to run to the dealer because the check engine light is on! :-)
You nedd a little beater truck, or you gotta pull a fifth wheel with it?
Cheers
Trevor Jones
Too_Many_Tools
>
> - Show quoted text -
Beater 1/2T-3/4T truck...mechanical condition good...paint is
optional. ;<)
My experience is the same...either buy new or buy junk.
Junk won't do.
That tells you that everyone hangs on to them...because of the high
pricing of the new stuff.
TMT
ra...@vt.edu
> >
> > Domestic pickups are pretty price competitive given the market.
> As for the price competitiveness of domestic pickups, I am not sure on
> that. Try finding an used domestic pickup in good shape at a
> reasonable price...it takes years to find a good match with that
> criteria.
The thing to look for is 2WD and a stick shift. Nothing kills the
resale value of a pickup like 2WD and stick shift. Most people
don't really need 4WD and automatics are only good if you are
going to be doing a lot of towing. Look for a used pickup with
those 2 things and the prices will be well below average for the
year and make. Oh, those 2 things also make the truck cheaper to
maintain and get better fuel economy. Good luck.
Bill Ranck
Blacksburg, Va.
JR North
JR
dweller in the cellar
Too_Many_Tools wrote:
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Ignoramus25819
pickup with 31,000 miles (sic) for $2,600. There was some rust, but
not that much. I drove it for a year, then sold it for less than what
I paid, it was highly upsetting. The truck was in tip top shape, but,
I guess, the jaded eBayers did not believe it and did not bid as much
as I hoped.
Here it is with video
http://yabe.algebra.com/~ichudov/misc/ebay/Dodge350/
i
Trevor Jones
> Beater 1/2T-3/4T truck...mechanical condition good...paint is
> optional. ;<)
>
> My experience is the same...either buy new or buy junk.
>
> Junk won't do.
>
> That tells you that everyone hangs on to them...because of the high
> pricing of the new stuff.
>
> TMT
Mazda/Ford 2WD Standard trans, with a larger cab, if you carry stuff
around that you are keener on keeping.
It's not extra passenger space, as much as the trunk, behind the
driver and passenger seats, but in front of the box. Sometimes doubles
as weathertite cargo area.
I put nearly 400 000 kilometers on an 86 B2000. Drove it like it was
stolen, right up until I gave it away last year. It is still on the road.
I know guys that treated their Toyotas similarly, and had good
reliability.
Smaller engines will get you every bit as far down the highway as the
larger, but seem to reduce the resale value.
Those are quarter ton class for the most part,though. Maybe heavy
quarter ton at best, or really light half...
If looking at new, shop the low end of the line. IIRC there were Ford
F150's on the lot ranging from well under $20K, to way over twice that.
It was a year or two back, that I last looked at new trucks, so check.
If you don't need the flashy wheels or a big engine, they have some, at
least, to choose from. Hard to argue with near zero percent, with a net
cost of pretty near what it would cost to get a bank loan to buy used,
if you are financing. New and a warranty for $300 a month, or used and
no warrantee, for the same or barely less...
Choosing between a new or a used truck in the near new range, new
looks like a better deal, sometimes.
<shrug>
Gotta meet your needs, not mine! Only you know for sure, eh!
Cheers
Trevor Jones
Joe Pfeiffer
> I am considering getting my next pickup truck...what is in your
> opinion the best candidate for a frugal and practical pickup truck?
That just covers too, too much ground for a useful answer to be
possible.
Frugal, of course, means you want to spend as little as possible on
the truck and gas for it. So you want the smallest available engine,
two wheel drive, and the rubber-floormat version.
It's when you dial in "practical" that things get rough.
In my case, my first concern is I want to be able to do my own
repairs. There's nobody like Chrysler for being able to do it
yourself, so the truck is a Dodge. I've also got a 1990 Toyota pickup
(now up in Albuquerque with my daughter) which is the most impossible
vehicle I've ever owned to work on. Replacing the PVC valve requires
taking off the top half ot the intake manifold, and goes downhill from
there....
Second concern was the truck occasionally goes out in the desert, and
on those once-in-a-decade snowstorms my county doesn't own a
snowplow. 4WD, manual transmission.
Third, need a back seat with room for a couple of dogs, and want a
decent bed.
Stir up these ingredients, and my wife and I bought a Dodge Dakota a
year ago. So far, I love it.
Too_Many_Tools
About that pickup I am looking for...here's one accessory that is
optional...
TMT
Watch what you put on trailer hitches By BOB LEWIS, Associated Press
Writer
It's one thing to dangle fuzzy dice from a rear view mirror, but
decorating a trailer hitch with a large pair of rubber testicles might
be a bit much in Virginia.
State Del. Lionel Spruill introduced a bill Tuesday to ban displaying
replicas of human genitalia on vehicles, calling it a safety issue
because it could distract other drivers.
Under his measure, displaying the ornamentation on a motor vehicle
would be a misdemeanor punishable by a maximum fine of $250.
He said the idea came from a constituent whose young daughter spotted
an example of the trail hitch adornment and asked her father to
explain it.
"'I didn't know what to tell her,'" Spruill said the constituent told
him before Spruill vowed to stop such displays.
"I said, 'Sir, I'm going to be a laughingstock, but I'm going to do
it,'" he said.
The Virginia General Assembly has some experience with offbeat bills.
Three years ago, it drew widespread attention with an unsuccessful
effort to outlaw baggy pants worn so low they expose underwear.
Spruill, 61, said the indignity of the "droopy drawers" debate
wouldn't deter him. He said he won't hesitate to bring a set of $24.95
trailer testicles with him for a legislative show-and-tell.
"I'm going to do it," Spruill told a handful of reporters after
Tuesday's House session adjourned. "I'm going to bring them out here
and show them to you till they tell me to stop."
webs...@cox.net
I've got a 2003 GMC Sonoma. 2WD and a stick ;<)
I bought it new after a looking at lots of trucks, getting turned of
by all the sales tactics. I got an excellent deal with no haggling.
I get 27 mpg; at 84,000 miles I am still on the original tires. In a
few months I'll need tires, front shocks, and a couple trivial items.
When I was searching for a truck, I knew exactly what I was after: 4
cyl, stick, white, the shorter extended cab (the kind without the full
extra seat), and no extras.
This has pretty much been the best vehicle I've had.
Gunner
wrote:
>
> Mazda/Ford 2WD Standard trans, with a larger cab, if you carry stuff
>around that you are keener on keeping.
> It's not extra passenger space, as much as the trunk, behind the
>driver and passenger seats, but in front of the box. Sometimes doubles
>as weathertite cargo area.
> I put nearly 400 000 kilometers on an 86 B2000. Drove it like it was
>stolen, right up until I gave it away last year. It is still on the road.
If he is looking for a truck of that size..indeed. My Mazda B3000 has
440,000 MILES on it and still runs fine, just wont pass California
smog, so it gets a lower mileage engine this spring and then likely be
passed on the the daughter in law.
And its hauled more than 3000 lbs on many occasions, over the
Grapevine.
Gunner
Gunner
Though on second thought..Id get the B4000 Mazda/Ranger with the 4.0
engine in it.
I get 19mpg with my current Ranger with the 3.0 and automatic tranny.
Id not have bought an auto..but I couldnt beat the deal. Shrug
The B3000 (3.0) averaged about 20-21 with the 5 speed. So far..Ive
pulled just as heavy a load as the standard tranny with no problems.
But Ive got an aftermarket trany cooler too.
BTW...that big assed Ford F350 extended van with the 351, average
15mpg if I keep it around 55-60 miles an hour, even pulling a trailer
with 1500 lbs of stuff on it.
Im starting to think it should be rated at gallons per hour..as it
seems to use almost as much idling as it does driving.
I scrounged up a 3000 watt Xantrex inverter and have idled the truck
to keep the deep cycle charged, that runs the inverter
Runs drill motors, grinders, Sawzalls and so forth just hunky.
Gunner
Michael A. Terrell
I got a '97 Dakota a couple months ago, with less than 100K on it. I
don't know how I ever lived without an air conditioner, or working radio
for the last 20 years. :)
--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.
Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
clareatsnyder.on.ca
wrote:
>Too_Many_Tools wrote:
>
>> Beater 1/2T-3/4T truck...mechanical condition good...paint is
>> optional. ;<)
>>
>> My experience is the same...either buy new or buy junk.
>>
>> Junk won't do.
>>
>> That tells you that everyone hangs on to them...because of the high
>> pricing of the new stuff.
>>
>> TMT
>
> Mazda/Ford 2WD Standard trans, with a larger cab, if you carry stuff
>around that you are keener on keeping.
> It's not extra passenger space, as much as the trunk, behind the
>driver and passenger seats, but in front of the box. Sometimes doubles
>as weathertite cargo area.
> I put nearly 400 000 kilometers on an 86 B2000. Drove it like it was
>stolen, right up until I gave it away last year. It is still on the road.
>
> I know guys that treated their Toyotas similarly, and had good
>reliability.
>
> Smaller engines will get you every bit as far down the highway as the
>larger, but seem to reduce the resale value.
>
> Those are quarter ton class for the most part,though. Maybe heavy
>quarter ton at best, or really light half...
Actually, They are full Half ton - and Toyota made a 3/4 and a
"Wonton" 1 ton Hilux. (about 1984?)
My dad had a "wonton" with a 3/4" plywood box on it that he used in
his electrical contracting business. Don't think it put 100 miles on
it with less than 2 tons, and he pounded it around for 6 years, IIRC,
and over 180,000 km.
The only mechanical problem he had was one rear axle bearing.
>
> If looking at new, shop the low end of the line. IIRC there were Ford
>F150's on the lot ranging from well under $20K, to way over twice that.
>It was a year or two back, that I last looked at new trucks, so check.
>If you don't need the flashy wheels or a big engine, they have some, at
>least, to choose from. Hard to argue with near zero percent, with a net
>cost of pretty near what it would cost to get a bank loan to buy used,
>if you are financing. New and a warranty for $300 a month, or used and
>no warrantee, for the same or barely less...
>
> Choosing between a new or a used truck in the near new range, new
>looks like a better deal, sometimes.
>
> <shrug>
> Gotta meet your needs, not mine! Only you know for sure, eh!
>
>
> Cheers
> Trevor Jones
--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
clareatsnyder.on.ca
Also makes them a WHOLE LOT harder to find - particularly if you want
a "standard cab" too!!!
James
I'm not questioning that you need a pickup. Some people do. But if you
tell us more about why, it will help us define what.
Size is a good place to start. All things being equal a smaller truck
uses less gas, but if a small truck won't meet your needs, whats the
point.
My dad runs a beater truck fullsize chevy 2 door 2x4, nothing newer
than 10 years old. He does have the occasional problem, did have to
replace the tranny, but its cheaper in a pickup than almost any other
vehicle.
James
RAMł
895a-6bd...@t1g2000pra.googlegroups.com:
> I am considering getting my next pickup truck...what is in your
> opinion the best candidate for a frugal and practical pickup truck?
One with a Diesel engine BUT expect to pay a premium price for one in good
shape:
Before I bought mine [2003.5 Dodge/Cummins 1-ton] I checked around to see
what might be available on the used market and was universally told that
the gassers that came in had worn-out engines and that the Diesels had good
engines but everything else was "shot".
Obviously, the "answer" was to buy 2 trucks (1 gasser & 1 diesel) and
convert the gasser into a diesel. [An expensive option.]
If you're insistent upon a gasoline-engined truck, the Dodge RAM comes with
a Hemi engine and a control computer that will shut off the fuel for up to
4 cylinders if the power isn't needed at the moment. [They've been using
this engine in cars for a couple of years.] This will extend fuel economy.
marc.b...@gmail.com
> On Jan 15, 2:06 pm, James <jl...@idirect.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Jan 15, 2:25 pm, Too_Many_Tools <too_many_to...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > > I am considering getting my next pickup truck...what is in your
> > > opinion the best candidate for a frugal and practical pickup truck?
>
> that. Try finding an used domestic pickup in good shape at a
> reasonable price...it takes years to find a good match with that
> criteria.
Depends on where you are. Took me months to find a long bed (8')
extend cab pickup in the price range I wanted. But I did finally
score an F-150 for 4K. Runs great, minimal on features though.
Around Chicago long beds seem to be next to extinct in the used
market. Or where when I was looking. Of course the low price point
did limit me.
I've ran that pickup for 3 years now, and only had to change the fuel
pump (I have a bad habit of letting the gas run real low which tends
to lower fuel pump life). Has 215K miles on it, 100 of which I've put
on.
Its the 4.6L version so its not a great trailer puller, but does get
about 22MPG on the highway without a heavy load.
Too_Many_Tools
Why does running low on fuel harm the fuel pump?
TMT
wws
Perhaps, maybe, just could be,
Because they (electrical, fi type,) are vane type pumps; and rely on
fuel for lubrication and cooling?
A few seconds or a minute running dry causes some wear, but hot wiring
one and letting it run for a half hour dry will accelerate the damage.
Cheap plastic cr__.
OT: I just got a frugal truck. 1987 F150 Supercab Lariat XLT, 302
auto.
$495, wouldn't start.
Runs now. Tank selector leaks, needs tie rod ends. Touchup.
wws
marc.b...@gmail.com
The fuel works as coolant and Lube. Extremely low tanks don't give
nearly enough of the coolant. I'm talking about needle on E kinda
low. I used to have a tenancy to let the needle go under the E before
filling.