Just can't get a good basic truck, like the old days!

[3930dave]

Anyone remember the small Toyota dually, build of the pre-tacoma truck, used by Uhaul. 2.4L 4 cylinder. I think its rated for 87 hp?View attachment 4093915

There was an OE (not homemade) camper on that chassis, down the road from me for a # of years. Didn't confirm the engine in it, but unlikely it was a 'yoda V6.

Popular truck, in other applications, but for "dually" loads, it needed a Tdiesel..... likely common elsewhere.

Rgds, D.

 

[Hay Dude]

A little trivia, the 360-390 "FE block" ended its pickup truck career in mid 1977. Next in line was the 351m-400 and later the 460 and 302-351w.

I guess it was a 351 then. Boss said it was a 360.
I had an F-350 with a 460 in it in the early 90’s and thought that was a big deal
460 cubic inches and like 230HP.

People that complain about “today’s trucks” seem to have forgotten what poor choices we had decades ago.

 

[Jstpssng]

There was an OE (not homemade) camper on that chassis, down the road from me for a # of years. Didn't confirm the engine in it, but unlikely it was a 'yoda V6.

Popular truck, in other applications, but for "dually" loads, it needed a Tdiesel..... likely common elsewhere.

Rgds, D.

I remember those. They also made what they called a "one ton" which looked like a regular Toyota with a different decal on it.

Back then we were used to driving vehicles which went from 0-60 in ten minutes.

 

[RB5]

I guess it was a 351 then. Boss said it was a 360.
I had an F-350 with a 460 in it in the early 90’s and thought that was a big deal
460 cubic inches and like 230HP.

People that complain about “today’s trucks” seem to have forgotten what poor choices we had decades ago.

No complaints on more power and better drive trains. I just passed 280k miles on my 2013 F150 5.0 4x4. My only complaint is I don't need or want a touch screen, nav, and all the little things they are now adding for a 1 to 2 mpg increase. Cylinder deactivation and start/stop tech are a waste of money and potentially cause engine life to go down.

 

[ultrarunner]

V10 Ford pickup anyone…?

 

[tacticalturnip]

I remember those. They also made what they called a "one ton" which looked like a regular Toyota with a different decal on it.

Back then we were used to driving vehicles which went from 0-60 in ten minutes.

I don't recall if I've seen one so I had to look it up.

Very cool!

 

[paulsharvey]

V10 Ford pickup anyone…?

Nah, I'll pass, but if the right 8.1L Vortec came along, as an Extra vehicle, I would consider it. As a daily/primary, nah.

 

[4570Man]

V10 Ford pickup anyone…?

I’ve had one before and I’d probably buy another one. They’re pretty cheap to buy because nobody wants them. An 8.1 with an Allison is by almost everyone’s standards a better combo but those trucks are selling for almost duramax money.

 

[QRTRHRS]

I remember those. They also made what they called a "one ton" which looked like a regular Toyota with a different decal on it.

Back then we were used to driving vehicles which went from 0-60 in ten minutes.

I had a 79' one ton. I had a CB antenna the looked like and also functioned as a normal radio antenna. Truckers used to make fun of me. I guess that Toyota did not understand that our one ton's could easily carry much more.

 

[Jstpssng]

What was popular for a while was the little diesel Rangers and Toyotas. I never drove one but knew a few people who did and were getting around 40mpg with them.

 

[Hay Dude]

Nah, I'll pass, but if the right 8.1L Vortec came along, as an Extra vehicle, I would consider it. As a daily/primary, nah.

The 8.1/Allison was a better choice than the V-10/Ford transmission.

 

[Runner]

V10 Ford pickup anyone…?

Love mine.

 

[3930dave]

What was popular for a while was the little diesel Rangers and Toyotas. I never drove one but knew a few people who did and were getting around 40mpg with them.

And, of course, the VW p/u......

There are modern turboD versions of all of these (that mostly we can't get).... but for just a basic run-around personal vehicle (vs. hauler), I could still drive one.

Patrick Bedard (wrote for C&D for a long-time, qualified (then crashed IIRC) @ Indy) wrote a neat op-ed about what (strange) cars speak to you. He was stuck (back then) shuttling a vw diesel p/u across a good chunk of the USA one holiday weekend...... and had a blast driving it (seriously), had it up against the rev-limiter in top-gear much of the time. IDK if VW even had a gas option for those old p/u here ?

Rgds, D.

 

[Jstpssng]

IDK if VW even had a gas option for those old p/u here

Yes, they did. If memory serves me they were based on a Rabbit platform.

 

[John0829]

Yes, they did. If memory serves me they were based on a Rabbit platform.

A guy I worked with drove a diesel Rabbit until he just wore it slap out, unbelievable mpg and he drove it hard. Just like a Timex it kept on tickin

 

[QRTRHRS]

What was popular for a while was the little diesel Rangers and Toyotas. I never drove one but knew a few people who did and were getting around 40mpg with them.

I had a diesel Toyota and I did get good mileage but it was a non turbo slug. I had to time it just right to hop onto a busy four lane road. It did have plenty of torque which was rough on the manual transmission which I had to have rebuilt.

 

[QRTRHRS]

I had a Ford E450 box truck with the V10. It ran strong but changing the plugs out was a bear. Only issue that I ever had was at least for that model year, 04', was the temp sensor. It had a sensor in the front of the drivers side head but no actual liquid sensor. It went out while driving and cut the power to about half. I do not recall the symptoms that led me to the sensor as it was not overheating. When I got home and looked for the usual sensor setup and found none is when I dove into the setup. It had some parts supply people scratching their head as well. When I ordered the part in, the sensor in the box was not the correct one, it was a liquid sensor. The parts store reordered and the next one was correct.

 

[ultrarunner]

And, of course, the VW p/u......

View attachment 4107532
There are modern turboD versions of all of these (that mostly we can't get).... but for just a basic run-around personal vehicle (vs. hauler), I could still drive one.

Patrick Bedard (wrote for C&D for a long-time, qualified (then crashed IIRC) @ Indy) wrote a neat op-ed about what (strange) cars speak to you. He was stuck (back then) shuttling a vw diesel p/u across a good chunk of the USA one holiday weekend...... and had a blast driving it (seriously), had it up against the rev-limiter in top-gear much of the time. IDK if VW even had a gas option for those old p/u here ?

Rgds, D.

My boss bought the first diesel VW delivered to the local dealer ordered from press releases.

He used it to deliver rebuilt engines and had a cradle/lift in the bed.

It was super economical and a rebuilt engine handled with ease.

Boss was just shy of 6’7” and didn’t factor the comfort of a full size truck for his stature so I often made deliveries with the diesel… we did one comparison and he said easily 4 times the miles per gallon…

 

[ultrarunner]

For decades a gardener had a Corvair truck with the side ramp… it was a dream to load with built in ramp and he probably ran it for 39 years…

 

[3930dave]

For decades a gardener had a Corvair truck with the side ramp… it was a dream to load with built in ramp and he probably ran it for 39 years…

View attachment 4107744View attachment 4107745

Pretty much the perfect setup for that task , I can see why he kept it. Turning over vehicles that "fast"... sure he wasn't a relative of yours ?

Posting that VW today, had me thinking of the drop-sided Transporters, which your pic also reminded me of, again....

Rgds, D.