Aluminum vs Steel truck bodies

[Oaktree]

You are correct on GM vehicles having aluminum doors and hoods. The salesman explained it as "If it has a hinge attached to it, it is aluminum."

I just checked my '19 Colorado with a magnet. Doors are steel, hood is aluminum (or some other non-ferrous metal).

I still have a vivid memory of one of the first Chevy Vega's I saw in northern Vermont in about 1972. The vehicle was about 1 year old and had a rust hole eaten through the passenger door big enough to stick my hand through.

No worse than the Japanese cars of that era. You were lucky to get 3-4 years out of one before it was swiss cheese. Remember being parked next to a co-workers corrola. From 25 feet away it looked fine, but if you got closer the fenders were nothing but duct tape painted the body color. It couldn't have been more than a year or two old.

 

[jyoutz]

Not a brand thing at all. Just a general comment on the pussification of trucks with all the useless electronics and screens that have no business in a pickup, or at least should be an option or an "upgrade". I really don't like this even with the base level XL interior (having electronics/screen) in mine.

Most people who buy half ton trucks don’t buy them for work. They buy them for hauling RVs or boats and many use them as daily drivers. Who’s to say that deluxe features have no business in a truck? But yes you can still buy stripped trucks with rubber floor mats and minimal features. They are called work trucks and the fleet department stocks and sells a lot of these to businesses. Most larger dealerships do have a fleet salesman.

 

[WinterDeere]

I just checked my '19 Colorado with a magnet. Doors are steel, hood is aluminum (or some other non-ferrous metal).

No worse than the Japanese cars of that era. You were lucky to get 3-4 years out of one before it was swiss cheese. Remember being parked next to a co-workers corrola. From 25 feet away it looked fine, but if you got closer the fenders were nothing but duct tape painted the body color. It couldn't have been more than a year or two old.

I remember Datsun being just terrible, to the point where every image of a ca.1980 Datsun in my mind's eye has the bottom half of every door rusted out.

My 1978 Ford was also pretty bad. Folks would blame their switch to Mexican steel, but I honestly think it was more about the EPA outlawing some of the better chemical rust treatments they had, at the time. They would always rust from inside out, where passivation coatings would have taken the place of paint.

 

[Rustyiron]

Hey you didn't read me fussing about backup cameras.
I even like electric mirrors.
It's probably me, but our roads are so bad that it's normal around here to use the whole lane and more if there's no traffic, and my latest complaint is the steering vibration when I get close or cross the painted line. I did find a sensitivity adjustment but can't figure out how to deactivate it. You don't know how many times I thought it had a mechanical problem before I put 2 and 2 together. I've pulled over more than once to check the lug nuts.

 

[WinterDeere]

Yeah, two of our vehicles have that. Dodge calls in "Lane Assist", I think. At least on those two cars, it can be turned off, and it keeps your using setting (stays off) when you restart the car. I always turn off all of those features, except occasionally forward collision avoidance.

I will admit I did have the rear motion detection save me once, about 5 years ago. I was just starting to back out of a blind parking space, when the thing started screaming at me, so I slammed on the brakes just as a car went flying by at speed. That would've wrecked my day, as I was headed somewhere I couldn't afford to be late.

 

[Jstpssng]

I remember Datsun being just terrible, to the point where every image of a ca.1980 Datsun in my mind's eye has the bottom half of every door rusted out.

My 1978 Ford was also pretty bad. Folks would blame their switch to Mexican steel, but I honestly think it was more about the EPA outlawing some of the better chemical rust treatments they had, at the time. They would always rust from inside out, where passivation coatings would have taken the place of paint.

They were all around junk back then. My father bought a new 1975 Power Wagon. It was just over a year old when he lost the u-joints in the front axle. With only a 12,000 mile warranty he had to fix it himself. The same year he bought a used 1973 Torino. Everyone commented on what good shape the body was on that 3 year old car. Imagine a 2021 vehicle of any brand showing major rust today; that would never fly

 

[groundcover]

They were all around junk back then. My father bought a new 1975 Power Wagon. It was just over a year old when he lost the u-joints in the front axle. With only a 12,000 mile warranty he had to fix it himself. The same year he bought a used 1973 Torino. Everyone commented on what good shape the body was on that 3 year old car. Imagine a 2021 vehicle of any brand showing major rust today; that would never fly

Had close to those myself,'69 Torino and a '75 Ramcharger, both served me well.

 

[nisaacs]

They were all around junk back then.

I disagree. It is not about "back then", it is where you live. Try the desert southwest, they live forever.

1974 F-350, 1991 Dodge D-250 and 2001 Dodge 2500, still on the road.

Does this 1975 F-250 sled puller look and sound like junk?

 

[dj1701]

I used to be a Chevy guy like my dad but switched to Ford many years ago. I liked the wing windows, lockout hubs and the manual 4x4 shifter on the floor. I think Chevy started phasing them out before Ford did.

Anyway, back in 2016 I bought a new F150 V8 XLT with the FX4 and the sport package. It now has 175,000 on her and the body is perfect. She is showing her age underneath but that is to be expected since I live south of Buffalo NY, where they never seem to run out of salt.

Dave

 

[Hay Dude]

I disagree. It is not about "back then", it is where you live. Try the desert southwest, they live forever.

1974 F-350, 1991 Dodge D-250 and 2001 Dodge 2500, still on the road.

Does this 1975 F-250 sled puller look and sound like junk?

View attachment 2088129

I think the point some of my friends from the salt belt or northeast USA are trying to make is that the processes of rust proofing were lacking and IMO, better today, but still lacking.

We all know “Snowflake, AZ” steel is gonna outlast “Wilkes Barre, PA” steel.

What we’d all like to see is the application of rust inhibitors on steel or other materials that are used made to last 20+ years in corrosive types of environments.