More old trucks than old cars still on the road?

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Jan 29, 2014
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Something interesting I have noticed is it seems that there are way more old (say mid 90's and earlier) trucks still on the road than cars from the same era, at least where I live. As an example, I see late 80's to early 90's Ford F150s and F250s on a daily basis still appearing to be in decent condition. Old Dodge Ram's and Chevy trucks are also very common.

On the other hand, 90's cars are not nearly as common. Pre mid 90's cars are pretty far and few in between by comparison though. Even cars known for their reliability such as Civics, Accords, Corollas, Camrys, etc aren't nearly as common. While they are certainly still out there, I see them more on a monthly or bimonthly basis than a daily basis. About the oldest car I still see with any regularity around here is the 6th gen Accord and it still isn't anywhere near as common as trucks from the same era.

I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed this and if anyone has ideas about why this is the case.

My theories are:

1. Since those old trucks tend to be pretty simple and easy/cheap to fix compared to cars, maybe they are more likely to get repaired rather than junked and replaced.

2. Perhaps those trucks need fewer repairs during their lifetime than cars from the same era since they tend to be somewhat more overbuilt to cope with the stresses of hauling heavy loads.

3. Maybe the trucks held up better in accidents and less got totaled since they have frames, real metal bumpers, etc.

Interested to hear your thoughts on this!
 
If 15 year old Civic/Corolla/Jetta/Cobalt/Focus rear ends an F150 at 10 MPH, the car will most likely be totaled while the trucks rear bumper and bumper brackets might need replaced at worst.
That is certainly true. Years ago my mom rear ended a Ford Expedition in her then almost new 06 Civic at about 5 MPH and her Civic was nearly totaled and had to be towed home due to a busted radiator while the Expedition she hit had nothing more than a scuff on the back bumper.
 
Out here in the Midwest, yes there are more older trucks than there are cars. Because the farmers/firemen often have older vehicles that are only used for a special purpose. Grain trucks are parked 3/4 of the year in the tool shed. Farm pickups the same way. Fire trucks often retired based on age.

Trucks used in the oil field, say for a prod. string puller often sit unused. Trucks tend to sit around longer.
 
You have to think also about the rust situation if you live in an area that uses salt. A truck might rot out the rockers, cab corners, bedsides, etc, but for the most part be "safely" driven. Now a unibody car, yea rust will get to the point where it's not feasible in cost to keep it on the road as it'll eat that inner structure.
 
a few seventies Ford pick ups too. 2 WD, 4WD. The Super Dutys & Excursions, they've been breaking & littering the side of the road up here.
Guess time catches up with them & $6k-10k repair costs scrap them.
But the seventies carbed stuff will get rebuilt cheaply for ever.

There have been some really scabby cars out lately too. The Sun has not been kind to early 2000's clear coats. Nope.
 
"Handy" people own trucks so won't sell half-used-up ones to each other for less than their real value.

America is rich. I bet a bunch of our 15 year old Corollas get exported to somewhere that will really appreciate them for years to come.
 
a few seventies Ford pick ups too. 2 WD, 4WD. The Super Dutys & Excursions, they've been breaking & littering the side of the road up here.
Guess time catches up with them & $6k-10k repair costs scrap them.
But the seventies carbed stuff will get rebuilt cheaply for ever.

There have been some really scabby cars out lately too. The Sun has not been kind to early 2000's clear coats. Nope.
I wonder what it is about early 2000's clear coats. Both my 7th gen Civics have clear coat problems to some extent as most of them do, but some older cars seem to have much more durable clear coat. For example, a few weeks ago I saw a 4th gen Accord (a very rare sight here) and the paint looked like it held up great considering it's about 30 years old. And judging by the condition of the car, I'm guessing it hasn't been repainted.

I wonder if clear coat has changed over the years for environmental reasons or something.
 
It's the same way here in SW Mo. I think it's because trucks are still pretty useful even when they are older here where it's pretty rural and they usually are built a little better than cars of the same vintage.
 
Personally I doubt there are more 90's truck on the road's than 90's cars. Up here in hockeyland I'd say there's about just as many or more 90's Civic's and Camry's left as there is F-150's or Silverado's. Anything from the 80's is truly rare to see so it's hard to compare.
 
I still see alot of older trucks as work trucks in Colorado. Unfortunately all of these "we buy junk car places" keep taking non-junk cars off the road and scrap them immediately. A few were leaking oil pa. Gaskets and a tune-up. My first car was an 81 Honda Civic. It was starting to get rusty, then the head gasket went .
 
First we must define what is a "truck" and what is a "car." Those terms have changed over the last few decades!
 
I used to have an '87 F150 for towing our camper and hauling stuff. It sat on our parking pad next to the camper most of the time for the twelve years we owned it, and didn't accumulate many miles. I suspect a lot of older trucks are used like that, and don't wear out from mileage.
 
Didn't we just this thread, oh, like last month?

Anyway, like I said in the other thread, the answer depends on where you live. I live in DuPage County IL which contains towns such as Hinsdale where everyone drives late-model high-end European SUVs, and a 90s-era car or truck of any kind probably gets all the stinkeye the residents can muster. Or drive a few miles to Addison and a 90s vehicle would be quite common.
 
Didn't we just this thread, oh, like last month?

Anyway, like I said in the other thread, the answer depends on where you live. I live in DuPage County IL which contains towns such as Hinsdale where everyone drives late-model high-end European SUVs, and a 90s-era car or truck of any kind probably gets all the stinkeye the residents can muster. Or drive a few miles to Addison and a 90s vehicle would be quite common.
We have this thread constantly on BITOG.
 
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