Buying an older truck

[clinebarger]

Originally Posted by ram_man
Originally Posted by clinebarger
Bob is The Life Coach Guy.......


So many of you are just useless.


Was this directed at me?

 

[Skippy722]

FWIW, my brothers 2001 Dakota R/T felt very "truck like" just smaller. Like I knew and it felt like I was driving a truck, but I wasn't even with or towering (I like coupes and sedans, everything else is tall!) over everyone else. It did handle some heavy loads in the bed very well.

 

[DuckRyder]

Well, about 3.0 Rangers:

Plan on a Timing cover gasket if it hasn't been done, cam synchronizer, heater hose assy, PCV elbow, coil packs are somewhat notorious. Sway bar bushings... nothing too bad.

Mine is a Supercab with a 3.73 gear (a common configuration here) and gets 17-18 highway, 12-14 around town. It has all the power of a 4cyl and all the economy of a V8... It is not a bad truck, its not a great truck either.

I think your old truck would be a good candidate honestly.

I think square body GM, dent and bump side Fords are all going to be out of your pricing (if you can find nice ones of these for 2 grand you should start flipping them seriously...) All of those have the advantage of being stone axe simple, with good enthusiast community support.

Watch out for S10's (maybe full size too) with the spyder injection, I believe these are problematic. I'd probably stay away from the 80-86'ish Fords too, those are sorta odd balls.

What you are asking of the truck is not particularly strenuous save for the gravel, a yard of gravel is probably over 2000 lbs, so pick what you want and buy the best one you can find.

 

[Andrew1972]

Your self justification (obviously on your mind) could have been left out and then just asked the question losing a paragraph filtering out answers you don't care for or agree with. Leave out your life.

This is not a knock just trying to help you out.

Next time write:

I have $2000 in hand to spend on a truck. I am mechanically adept and what would be the truck for the money compact to full size. The MPG is a factor.

 

[ram_man]

Originally Posted by madRiver
Your self justification (obviously on your mind) could have been left out and then just asked the question losing a paragraph filtering out answers you don't care for or agree with. Leave out your life.

This is not a knock just trying to help you out.

Next time write:

I have $2000 in hand to spend on a truck. I am mechanically adept and what would be the truck for the money compact to full size. The MPG is a factor.


Pretty sad that you can't just be real with people and they can't leave the nonsense out. But I'm sure your right.

 

[01rangerxl]

Seems like we've had this thread a few times before...

Your best option IMO is to get a 2000-2006 2WD Suburban 1500 or Yukon XL 1500. Poor resale compared to Silverado/Sierra/Avalanche, capable of long life, good parts availability, most of the capability of a truck, though you may need a trailer for some things. It's probably going to be rough at that price, but I haven't seen a $2K truck/SUV that wasn't.

Find out when tow yards have auctions. Here, tow yard auctions are open to the public by law. I paid $250 for a no key/no run Explorer that I now drive regularly (after spending another $1500 and a month fixing things). At the same auction a run/drive Tahoe covered in police evidence stickers went for somewhere around $2k.

 

[MONKEYMAN]

With the Ranger with the 3.0 not sure if it will be much of advantage unless the suspension is different from the one with the 4 cylinder motor. My B2300 (Ranger clone) with less powerful motor was not the issue with loads. Suspension was. I hauled a lot of mulch. With the 92 Mazda B2600i hauled a lot of gravel to parents 70 miles away. I would not rule out a 4 cylinder motor in a Ranger. Later ones had more power than mine. Small truck means more, smaller loads. Time is money.

If you do get a small truck one with at least a rear jump seat and extended cab is nice. That was the way my 92 Mazda was. That gave a place to put tools, etc when bed was loaded. Speaking of loaded bed the challenge I had was unloading a bed full of rock or mulch. I bought a Load Handler. Here is Harbor Freights version.
Haul-Master

Here is the full size Load Handler version. I found this thing really worked.
LoadHandler Truck Bed Unloader

With a small truck with extended cab you may be able to fit a kid or two in the back seat. When I grew up kids rode in the bed of our 1972 GMC pickup (probably prohibited today). Good luck!

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted by ram_man
Originally Posted by madRiver
Your self justification (obviously on your mind) could have been left out and then just asked the question losing a paragraph filtering out answers you don't care for or agree with. Leave out your life.

This is not a knock just trying to help you out.

Next time write:

I have $2000 in hand to spend on a truck. I am mechanically adept and what would be the truck for the money compact to full size. The MPG is a factor.


Pretty sad that you can't just be real with people and they can't leave the nonsense out. But I'm sure your right.



Sorry but when you put your whole story out there and it doesn't make sense, people are going to comment on it. This is a discussion forum after all...

You say you want to get rid of your little Saturn, because it doesn't work for your family, but then want to get a truck that is likely a single cab, old, and also won't work for your family. Why? So you can drive this thing 120-140 miles to go do work for $18/hr, furnishing your own vehicle to do it?

Then when folks slightly better at math talk about the prudence, you get up in arms? And you rationally expect that all these folks should be able to tell you pros and cons on truck models and power trains? Somehow there are so many experts that know so much more, when you are both a trained mechanic (as I recall), and seemingly an expert at finding diamond in the rough low cost trucks?!?

And instead of asking objective questions, like, can I fit ____ in the bed of an _____ safely, or can I haul ____ weight in a truck of _____ type, like, real, meaningful questions, you expect folks to paint a tapestry?

Did I get that all right?

How about some straightforward questions, based upon what you've seen on the market that you might be able to get?

Stuff like how rust prone is some model, or where to check if a used one has issues. Stuff like the reliability of a specific engine or transmission, because you've found a decent truck with whatever the setup is. Reasonable, rational questions.

Seems like you've got your mind set on buying some truck, even if you're net losing money. You're free to make choices that others think are questionable or poor. But like someone else said, don't put paragraphs of other info out there if you don't want it discussed. Just cut to the chase. Anything you put out is open to scrutiny since it is, after all, a discussion forum.

I still would look for a mason dump since they don't hold value as well as regular trucks, if you're truly going to be hauling stuff... otherwise, I'd look for a bare bones I6/V6 Chevy, ford or dodge. The 300ci and 225ci I6 and the 4.3L V6 are all stout enough for sporadic work use.

But in the end it's more likely thst you'll be a victim of what you can find in good condition within a reasonable distance at the time you have ready money.

 

[ram_man]

Originally Posted by JHZR2
Originally Posted by ram_man
Originally Posted by madRiver
Your self justification (obviously on your mind) could have been left out and then just asked the question losing a paragraph filtering out answers you don't care for or agree with. Leave out your life.

This is not a knock just trying to help you out.

Next time write:

I have $2000 in hand to spend on a truck. I am mechanically adept and what would be the truck for the money compact to full size. The MPG is a factor.


Pretty sad that you can't just be real with people and they can't leave the nonsense out. But I'm sure your right.



Sorry but when you put your whole story out there and it doesn't make sense, people are going to comment on it. This is a discussion forum after all...

You say you want to get rid of your little Saturn, because it doesn't work for your family, but then want to get a truck that is likely a single cab, old, and also won't work for your family. Why? So you can drive this thing 120-140 miles to go do work for $18/hr, furnishing your own vehicle to do it?

Then when folks slightly better at math talk about the prudence, you get up in arms? And you rationally expect that all these folks should be able to tell you pros and cons on truck models and power trains? Somehow there are so many experts that know so much more, when you are both a trained mechanic (as I recall), and seemingly an expert at finding diamond in the rough low cost trucks?!?

And instead of asking objective questions, like, can I fit ____ in the bed of an _____ safely, or can I haul ____ weight in a truck of _____ type, like, real, meaningful questions, you expect folks to paint a tapestry?

Did I get that all right?

How about some straightforward questions, based upon what you've seen on the market that you might be able to get?

Stuff like how rust prone is some model, or where to check if a used one has issues. Stuff like the reliability of a specific engine or transmission, because you've found a decent truck with whatever the setup is. Reasonable, rational questions.

Seems like you've got your mind set on buying some truck, even if you're net losing money. You're free to make choices that others think are questionable or poor. But like someone else said, don't put paragraphs of other info out there if you don't want it discussed. Just cut to the chase. Anything you put out is open to scrutiny since it is, after all, a discussion forum.

I still would look for a mason dump since they don't hold value as well as regular trucks, if you're truly going to be hauling stuff... otherwise, I'd look for a bare bones I6/V6 Chevy, ford or dodge. The 300ci and 225ci I6 and the 4.3L V6 are all stout enough for sporadic work use.

But in the end it's more likely thst you'll be a victim of what you can find in good condition within a reasonable distance at the time you have ready money.




You know I'm going to assume you aren't on many other forum's at least not decent one's! I'm on several and none of them are as judgmental and ridiculous as it is here.
Let me try this simpler one more time since complex English doesn't resonate here.
I'm buying a truck for many reasons one of them is the new job another is I could use one almost daily another reason is because I want one.
That should really be the end of any of the issues that the keyboard haters have. That one line right there should end the issue or the concern.
It's funny years ago I got a talking to by a Mod on here for pointing out some common issues in a members new truck. I gave suggestions on things to watch out for and was scolded for raining on his parade. But a few **** head members run their mouths on here constantly judging and berating everyone and I guess as long as they pay their fee it's overlooked.
All I did was mention my reasons for buying a truck...... not complicated to actually answer the questions at hand. Instead of going off on a tangent about how I'm going to spend money in gas.

Also if you read what I said, I said the Saturn didn't meet the needs of a truck nor is it capable of meeting either need so there isn't much sense in keeping it. I'll have the ram and the dart to haul the family and a truck for me to have as a work truck / dd.
So yes let's have this discussion maybe after 4 pages we can actually get to it.
1st question, transmission reliability of early 90's fords and chevys e4od vs 700r4
Engine choices 300, 302, 4.3, 305, 350
I think I'll just stick to buying a half ton sounds like the better decision.
Another question I learned my ram has some sort of rubber coating under the carpet on the floor pan. Does Chevy or Ford do this, or did they do it in 90's I assume it was done for sound deadening but is very obnoxious to weld around.

Another thing that has always surprised me is how ford attaches their beds with big bolts through the floor bed where as Chevy and dodge bolt the bed channels straight to the frame is their any benefit to one way or the other.

 

[01rangerxl]

Wow.

Originally Posted by ram_man

1st question, transmission reliability of early 90's fords and chevys e4od vs 700r4


If it still shifts, that's pretty good for a 25-30 year old $2k truck.

Search for scans of brochures to see bragging/highlights about things like bed bolts and carpet padding.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted by ram_man
You know I'm going to assume you aren't on many other forum's at least not decent one's! I'm on several and none of them are as judgmental and ridiculous as it is here.

I'm on several myself and most forums tend to be echo chambers.

Maybe I'm not understanding what being "judgmental" is, I always thought it meant having an opinion that alter's one actions. Challenging one's belief's or thought process wouldn't be judgmental, rather that is playing devil's advocate, trying to test the thought and decision making process, making sure all points of consideration were examined.

 

[MONKEYMAN]

I like what my teacher said repeatedly. "Take what you like and leave the rest".

I have been following your threads since you first came here. Whatever you buy I hope it works out for you.

 

[jeepman3071]

Are you getting reimbursed for mileage when using the truck? If not then this job will be terrible. Why don't they have their own "maintenance truck" owned by the facility? Sounds to me like they cut corners a lot if they prefer that you have a truck to work there and use your own truck to ensure their business continuity. Don't work for cheapskates like this.

Example:

You buy a $1200 Ford Ranger and go to haul gravel for this place. The truck has a mechanical issue because of hauling the load, now will it be expected that you pay to have it fixed since you own the truck but still need it for the job? These situations never end well. If you still want to work for them let them know that you will learn whatever you can, be reliable, etc, but don't want the liability of using your own vehicle for their business purposes.

 

[ram_man]

Originally Posted by jeepman3071
Are you getting reimbursed for mileage when using the truck? If not then this job will be terrible. Why don't they have their own "maintenance truck" owned by the facility? Sounds to me like they cut corners a lot if they prefer that you have a truck to work there and use your own truck to ensure their business continuity. Don't work for cheapskates like this.

Example:

You buy a $1200 Ford Ranger and go to haul gravel for this place. The truck has a mechanical issue because of hauling the load, now will it be expected that you pay to have it fixed since you own the truck but still need it for the job? These situations never end well. If you still want to work for them let them know that you will learn whatever you can, be reliable, etc, but don't want the liability of using your own vehicle for their business purposes.



I don't feel the need to disclose all that information to you especially since it's not on topic.

Mods may as well close this thread I'm done here. I posted several questions and still get the stupid rhetoric.

 

[jeepman3071]

Originally Posted by ram_man





I don't feel the need to disclose all that information to you especially since it's not on topic.

Mods may as well close this thread I'm done here. I posted several questions and still get the stupid rhetoric.



Just trying to help man, not judging you at all. Just don't want you to get taken advantage of since I've been there.

 

[dogememe]

Originally Posted by 01rangerxl
Seems like we've had this thread a few times before...

Your best option IMO is to get a 2000-2006 2WD Suburban 1500 or Yukon XL 1500. Poor resale compared to Silverado/Sierra/Avalanche, capable of long life, good parts availability, most of the capability of a truck, though you may need a trailer for some things. It's probably going to be rough at that price, but I haven't seen a $2K truck/SUV that wasn't.

Find out when tow yards have auctions. Here, tow yard auctions are open to the public by law. I paid $250 for a no key/no run Explorer that I now drive regularly (after spending another $1500 and a month fixing things). At the same auction a run/drive Tahoe covered in police evidence stickers went for somewhere around $2k.


I paid $2k for my clean 01 Burb with 290K... Only issues were dead power mirror switch and an issue with the stereo. I agree that a GMT800 is a great choice.

 

[brages]

You can get a reasonable used Ranger for 2k... I have a 1997 2.3 extended cab manual, and it's pretty good. I get around 25 mpg with mixed driving. I like the 2.3 better than the 3.0. Mine has nearly 260,000 miles and it runs well.

Not a great choice if you have a lot of bulky or heavy stuff like gravel or mulch. Does great hauling appliances (much lower load height than most modern trucks).

 

[glock19]

Originally Posted by ram_man
Mods may as well close this thread I'm done here. I posted several questions and still get the stupid rhetoric.


I know that you're frustrated but you know what they say: Free advice is worth what you pay for it.

I think you have a pretty good plan though. Stick to a half ton and just buy the cleanest example you can find. At that price it doesn't make too much sense to be picky about make/model/powertrain/etc...

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by ram_man
You know I'm going to assume you aren't on many other forum's at least not decent one's! I'm on several and none of them are as judgmental and ridiculous as it is here.


Boy, I guess you've never been on any of the Mustang forums then, LOL! This place is a LOT more civil.

Originally Posted by ram_man
Let me try this simpler one more time since complex English doesn't resonate here.

I've yet to see you use much beyond pretty rudimentary language, so implying that you are speaking with a degree of sophistication beyond the capabilities of those participating here seems a bit amusing.

Originally Posted by ram_man
I'm buying a truck for many reasons one of them is the new job another is I could use one almost daily another reason is because I want one.
That should really be the end of any of the issues that the keyboard haters have. That one line right there should end the issue or the concern.


But it really doesn't address the concerns, which, while seemingly tangential, are legitimate in nature. I think JHZR2 made some very good points regarding the financials here, have you actually run the numbers to see how much this is costing you versus how much you'll be earning?

Originally Posted by ram_man
Instead of going off on a tangent about how I'm going to spend money in gas.


But that's a VERY important point. The assumption here is that going into an $18/hr job you aren't rolling in dough, so people are just trying to watch out for your well being. That's not being mean, quite the opposite. People are concerned you might be making a financially unwise decision.

You say you want a truck to "have a truck", but you have a truck, albeit, one that needs some work. But the Dodge, fixed up, would likely satisfy your "local" truck needs, and you already own it and already know what it needs/doesn't need. I still believe another truck, ideally, provided by the employer and located close to where it would be used and you commuting with something that sips fuel makes the most sense if you aren't being paid mileage. If you ARE being paid mileage, that's a whole different story. I get $0.52/km for work, so if I'm driving to Toronto and take my own vehicle, that's $104 in my pocket (200km round trip) to cover gas ($40) and wear and tear. That kind of arrangement completely changes the logistics here.

Let's make some assumptions based on you not being reimbursed for mileage, just to see how this distills out (I'm trying to help you here, not trying to be a ****):
You buy a 1995 Ford F-150 with a 302 that gets 16Mpg highway, 12 in town for $2,000
- Gas is $2.04/gallon
- Trip is 60 miles each way highway
- In-town driving lets say is 5 miles doing running around
- You make $18/hr, you leave at 6AM, arrive on-site at 7AM, leave at 3PM, are home by 4PM.

This breaks down as:
- Wage if paid from point of leaving home: $180.00
- Wage if paid from time you arrive on/leave site: $144.00
- Cost of fuel to/from work: $15.30
- Cost of fuel from around town: $0.85
- Total cost of fuel: $16.15
- Take home: $163.85 or $127.85
- That's either $819.25/week or $639.25/week, minus whatever your taxes and deductions are (not familiar with US tax laws) if you get paid for 10 or 8 hours for 5 days; 50 or 40 hours.
- That's at bare minimum $80.70/week in gas just for work commuting; $323/month.
- Now, any repairs, maintenance....etc for that truck come out of that income.
- If gas prices go up, your take home is immediately reduced. If gas were to get to $3.00/gallon, the to/from work $ is suddenly $22.50; $112.50/week, $450/month.
- If you are hauling anything with some weight to it, gas mileage is going to go down, reducing your take home.
- This assumes you have $2,000 in cash right now to pay for the truck and aren't borrowing it, in which case that needs to come out of that income too.

Have you already done this and determined you are still ahead doing it this way? Again, assuming you are NOT being paid mileage. If you ARE being paid mileage, this entire conversation changes.

Originally Posted by ram_man
1st question, transmission reliability of early 90's fords and chevys e4od vs 700r4
Engine choices 300, 302, 4.3, 305, 350
I think I'll just stick to buying a half ton sounds like the better decision.
Another question I learned my ram has some sort of rubber coating under the carpet on the floor pan. Does Chevy or Ford do this, or did they do it in 90's I assume it was done for sound deadening but is very obnoxious to weld around.

Another thing that has always surprised me is how ford attaches their beds with big bolts through the floor bed where as Chevy and dodge bolt the bed channels straight to the frame is their any benefit to one way or the other.


The Ford, for fuel economy, the 302 with a 5spd if you can find one is probably the best. The E4OD isn't a bad tranny though. The 351 and 300 I6 will both be harder on fuel.

 

[ram_man]

Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by ram_man
You know I'm going to assume you aren't on many other forum's at least not decent one's! I'm on several and none of them are as judgmental and ridiculous as it is here.


Boy, I guess you've never been on any of the Mustang forums then, LOL! This place is a LOT more civil.

Originally Posted by ram_man
Let me try this simpler one more time since complex English doesn't resonate here.

I've yet to see you use much beyond pretty rudimentary language, so implying that you are speaking with a degree of sophistication beyond the capabilities of those participating here seems a bit amusing.

Originally Posted by ram_man
I'm buying a truck for many reasons one of them is the new job another is I could use one almost daily another reason is because I want one.
That should really be the end of any of the issues that the keyboard haters have. That one line right there should end the issue or the concern.


But it really doesn't address the concerns, which, while seemingly tangential, are legitimate in nature. I think JHZR2 made some very good points regarding the financials here, have you actually run the numbers to see how much this is costing you versus how much you'll be earning?

Originally Posted by ram_man
Instead of going off on a tangent about how I'm going to spend money in gas.


But that's a VERY important point. The assumption here is that going into an $18/hr job you aren't rolling in dough, so people are just trying to watch out for your well being. That's not being mean, quite the opposite. People are concerned you might be making a financially unwise decision.

You say you want a truck to "have a truck", but you have a truck, albeit, one that needs some work. But the Dodge, fixed up, would likely satisfy your "local" truck needs, and you already own it and already know what it needs/doesn't need. I still believe another truck, ideally, provided by the employer and located close to where it would be used and you commuting with something that sips fuel makes the most sense if you aren't being paid mileage. If you ARE being paid mileage, that's a whole different story. I get $0.52/km for work, so if I'm driving to Toronto and take my own vehicle, that's $104 in my pocket (200km round trip) to cover gas ($40) and wear and tear. That kind of arrangement completely changes the logistics here.

Let's make some assumptions based on you not being reimbursed for mileage, just to see how this distills out (I'm trying to help you here, not trying to be a ****):
You buy a 1995 Ford F-150 with a 302 that gets 16Mpg highway, 12 in town for $2,000
- Gas is $2.04/gallon
- Trip is 60 miles each way highway
- In-town driving lets say is 5 miles doing running around
- You make $18/hr, you leave at 6AM, arrive on-site at 7AM, leave at 3PM, are home by 4PM.

This breaks down as:
- Wage if paid from point of leaving home: $180.00
- Wage if paid from time you arrive on/leave site: $144.00
- Cost of fuel to/from work: $15.30
- Cost of fuel from around town: $0.85
- Total cost of fuel: $16.15
- Take home: $163.85 or $127.85
- That's either $819.25/week or $639.25/week, minus whatever your taxes and deductions are (not familiar with US tax laws) if you get paid for 10 or 8 hours for 5 days; 50 or 40 hours.
- That's at bare minimum $80.70/week in gas just for work commuting; $323/month.
- Now, any repairs, maintenance....etc for that truck come out of that income.
- If gas prices go up, your take home is immediately reduced. If gas were to get to $3.00/gallon, the to/from work $ is suddenly $22.50; $112.50/week, $450/month.
- If you are hauling anything with some weight to it, gas mileage is going to go down, reducing your take home.
- This assumes you have $2,000 in cash right now to pay for the truck and aren't borrowing it, in which case that needs to come out of that income too.

Have you already done this and determined you are still ahead doing it this way? Again, assuming you are NOT being paid mileage. If you ARE being paid mileage, this entire conversation changes.

Originally Posted by ram_man
1st question, transmission reliability of early 90's fords and chevys e4od vs 700r4
Engine choices 300, 302, 4.3, 305, 350
I think I'll just stick to buying a half ton sounds like the better decision.
Another question I learned my ram has some sort of rubber coating under the carpet on the floor pan. Does Chevy or Ford do this, or did they do it in 90's I assume it was done for sound deadening but is very obnoxious to weld around.

Another thing that has always surprised me is how ford attaches their beds with big bolts through the floor bed where as Chevy and dodge bolt the bed channels straight to the frame is their any benefit to one way or the other.


The Ford, for fuel economy, the 302 with a 5spd if you can find one is probably the best. The E4OD isn't a bad tranny though. The 351 and 300 I6 will both be harder on fuel.


Going to be honest most of what you said doesn't mean much to me except for the last part since the points you quoted were off topic. Yes I have run the numbers on gas yes I'm fine with it. If I wasn't I wouldn't be looking at trucks to begin with. Especially not half tons. The loss in fuel mileage is worth it to me both financially and personally.
My comment about complex English was a simple one, I believe when I ask questions and create a topic that of people can read and comprehend correctly they would for the most part stay on topic. I am also not to surprised that you chimed in to rehash every point.

Besides all the bs about needing a truck which I already said I did. But whatever even if I didn't need one. Let's just say I want one. Is that ok? Or do I still need to justify myself repeatedly?

I say that because the need I do also want one. May sound crazy but i enjoy trucks. I enjoy what they offer I enjoy the ride I enjoy driving them. There is no better feeling in the world than driving an old truck on a rural route back road. I'm sure that is very weird to some but I love it. And you know with kids a fiancé and all the stresses of every day life sometimes it's nice to just be able to throw a tackle box in the back and drive your truck to the river and cast a line.
Everyone has their thing cars and trucks are my thing. I love to drive more than just about anything else. And I really enjoy an old truck so that is what I'd like.

Now regarding your last point. Would you prefer the 302 over the 300? I once had a 302 5speed truck I really liked it was probably the best ford truck I ever had also had a 5speed f250 with the 300 it was great all the automatic fords I've had have been less enjoyable, the last f150 I had the torque converter shuddered it was an e4od
It's been so long ago I don't really remember how the 302 felt.
Also if I work 20 hours or more a week I'll get reimbursed for fuel I believe it's .15 a mile. Which I will work the 20 hours a week minimum most of the time. I also get very good pay when I haul mulch or gravel and spread it. As I said its usually around $1000 to do so.