Any of you guys make a recommendation for a p/u/ I was thinking of getting an F150, no particular preference on brand though. Want to spend about $8-10k.
Ducati doesn't make trucks. I've always had good luck with Chevy's. 95 S-10 130K just oil changes , one serpentine belt, two sets of pads up front and one set of shoes in back, one set of plugs and one universal joint. Thats it so far. But by posting this I have doomed myself to major mechanical failure in the immediate future. Damn!
Ducati doesn't make trucks. I've always had good luck with Chevy's. 95 S-10 130K just oil changes , one serpentine belt, two sets of pads up front and one set of shoes in back, one set of plugs and one universal joint. Thats it so far. But by posting this I have doomed myself to major mechanical failure in the immediate future. Damn!
Chevy S10 , say it aint so! I drove my S10 from NYC to Daytona to work during the races and somewhere near Savana Ga. it threw a piston out of the block. After something like 18 hours of straight driving I had to sell my S10 for $150 to a junk yard and get a rental car. Good stuff!
I love my Silverado, but I'm biased because I work for the General. The powertrain is awesome, the styling leaves something to be desired though. And it's got all the goods inside, but that will depend on how much you want to spend on a trim package. But if you are buying used, I'm sure it's going to come down to what kind of deal you can get, not necessarily the brand.
A bit out of your range, but I just got a Chevy 2500HD with the Duramax deisel and the Allison tranny. I love it, and I think it would tow the moon if I could find a rope long enough. The newer 2500's ride really well too, not like the 1500's that oscillate over every bump.
I've got a '76 Datsun 620 PU that I absolutely LOVE!!!
You don't have to go big if you don't want...just check the bed size and don't be afraid to put her in sideways...only problem you will have is if you are packing a pair!
Plus I just back into the curb and only have about a 3-5" rise to push up!
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DC
I love my " Bikini Blonde "...
03 SS1000DS
76 Yamaha RD400C
Go with a Dodge. By far the best truck I have ever owned. If you can, try to find a mid 90s 2500 with a Cummins diesel. They are no the best looking things in the world but what a powerhouse. Also getting 500,000 miles out of one is no prob.
I'm in southern CA. I don't want to have to put the bike in sideways. Being able to close the tailgate with a bike in there would be preferable too.
Diesel would be kinda nice I guess.
What additional problems should I expect from 4wd?
I'm very mechanical, but b/c I really don't have a place to do major level stuff I want to avoid a truck with known issues. I'd get a little grouchy having to change a trans right now or something like that.
Anything in particular I should look out for? Thanks for the Dodge/Cummins advice...
I would stay away from small trucks, like S-10's and Rangers, they both are riddled with problems, the S-10 will last longer, but the fuel pump always goes out a 90k miles, then everything needs to be replaced at once after that.
4 cylinder Rangers are gas pigs with no power, I don't know how Ford managed that one, but they did.
Not sure about the 6 cylinder ones though.
Getting a mid 90s Ford or Chevy diesel is a safe bet, but for a gas vehicle I would buy Dodge, cheap and lasts for a good 220-290k under heavy to moderate loads, you can pick a 95-97 up for about 5-7grand, VS 13-18grand for a Chevy with high miles.
They are more reliable then Ford, and compete with the Chevy well enough for the price.
I really wish they would make a small diesel Dakota or S-10 with a full sized box, but that is just a pipe dream of mine.
Any of you guys make a recommendation for a p/u/ I was thinking of getting an F150, no particular preference on brand though. Want to spend about $8-10k.
Thanks!
I miss having a truck and have also considered buying one as a third car. About the same price range too. It seems you can get a nice truck for $10k, but finding a loaded Diesel Crew Cab 4X4 with less than 100k miles might be tough.
For me, it either goes two ways: big comfortable V8, or small 4cyl. A V6 doesn't get much better mileage than a V8 (20mpg if you are lucky on the highway), so I'm really not looking for one this time. Toyota makes their Tundra as a crew cab (4 real doors and seats) that also is a 4-cyl. To get a Ford, Chevy, or Dodge with crew cab in the small trucks, you have to also get a bigger engine that is more thirsty. So if I go small, the Toyota will probably be it.
But I really don't want a small one this time (drove a Mazda B3000 extra-cab for years, best car I've ever had). An F150 crew cab is basically a Ford Expedition with a cargo bed in the back, they are huge and very comfortable. But if you want leather, 4WD, etc...you are looking again at 100k+ miles or thereabouts for $8-10k. Dodge seems to depreciate worse than GM or Ford, perhaps they offer the best value to a used-car purchaser.
IMO, all of the gasoline big trucks from Ford/GM/Dodge/Toyota should last a long time and be dependable transportation. The gas engines are lightly stressed cast iron lumps, and after selling a few hundred thousand of them I would think most of the bugs are worked out. Keeping one on the road for years should be easy and relatively inexpensive (lots of used transmissions and differentials around if it matters). Living in the heart of truck country, some of my coworkers have experienced troubles with late-model diesels from Dodge and Ford. Only two of each, but that is also a high percentage of the diesels in the parking lot too. Many expensive repairs under warranty.
You didn't mention your preference for 4WD/2WD. Let me just say that after owning both, for what I used them for, 2WD worked just as well 99% of the time. Only in icy weather was the 4WD nice to have, but it would just encourgae my wife to go out in even worse weather and drive faster than she should. I never got stuck in my 2WD B3000 (manual). It had such feel, I could tell what the back end was doing all of the time, I drove it one winter on balding tires without problems, I preferred it in winter to the Mercury AWD SUV we also had at the time.
Bought a used 97 F150 4x4 4.6L V8 with 60k miles four years ago. Just turned 110k this week and it runs like a top. Replaced the starter a couple years ago, front brakes last year and that's it. Gas mileage sukks, 12-15mpg max, but I knew that going into it.
Mine is the extended cab with the 3rd door so the bed is a little short. The tailgate won't close with the duc in there but it comes within a foot or so and I use a couple of bungie cords to hold it up. Works fine. This is my 1st truck and it's been a very practical vehicle. My next vehicle will be a 4dr pickup, probably a Ford SuperCrew. But as long as this baby keeps goin I'll keep drivin it.
The 2 wheel drive gets better mileage so if you don't need 4wd you'll save $$ buying & driving. good luck.
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George 97 900sp 90 750 Sport (sold) 75 Commando
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