asking for experience with particular pickup/straight truck?

[dragonhorseboy]

I know that there's a lot of them used and well used out there but I kind of wanted some specific needs...

# four wheel drive or [in case of a truck] just rear locker works too
# manual transmission (I guess only 4 gears is ok if I have to!)
# gas or diesel not a preference (but I'll like to skip EFI? )
# not difficult to get motor or some body parts for
# pickup specific: like straight brakes but could not mind ABS

lets just say that if I decide on this kind of vehicle it would be fun to take photos of it over time especially when it starts getting a lot of dirt and grim from the gravel and dirt roads traveled on

about the brakes, I just thought of that because both I'm used to some threshold braking and the fact that I think it would be easier to dig the tires in to stop on soft road surfaces rather than skittering over it? if anyone have their own thoughts on this then feel free to share it

p.s I didn't think of asking this in here before but I decided to just post it for no reason now as to add one more live thread to the poor quiet forum

[etinhidesert]

It has been my experience that anti lock brakes work just as well on soft sand and dirt. I would think that you would not want the tires to dig in, as that is just 4 small hills you have to overcome to get rolling again, not to mention the "steerability" to go around something if you have to.

Just my thoughts,

Elden in Hesperia

[Mark R. Obtinario]

What you end up purchasing is pretty much a personal choice. What would work for you may not work for someone else.

I am in the position of upgrading my fleet due to the impending arrival of a baby in my family.

As a consequence, I am going to need a truck with space to mount a baby seat. Some sort of extra cab or 'burb is what is going to work best for me.

At this time anyway.

If you live somewhere where 4X4 is handy, it is well worth the expense. If you live in an urban setting where the majority of your driving is on pavement, 4X4 is a nice luxury. Good tires and traction chains cost a lot less than additional drive axles.

Being shifty is okay. As one gets older, being shiftless becomes very attractive, particularly if you have to drive in stop/go traffic on a regular basis.

More gears is always better than fewer. Overdrive sometimes is not as advantagous as a direct drive with higher speed rear end.

Unless you go back to something more than 15 years old you are going to be stuck with some sort of electronic controls on the engine. When they work they work better than any points distributor or carb could hope to work. The downside is when the electronics get buggy or get fried it is very $$$ to fix.

Gas or diesel is a personal preference more than anything else. With the high cost, relatively speaking, of diesel the advantages of owning diesel become less advantagous.

Diesels are great if you haul big loads long distances. If you aren't going far or if you aren't moving lots of weight when you do, a gas engine is perfectly capable of getting the job done.

There are lots of Fords with 460's and GM's with 454's out there for sale that are going cheap right now.

It all comes down to what is going to work for you the best.

Mark O.
Winlock, WA

[dragonhorseboy]

mark thats ratherly well said..

and yeah I'll probably need the help especially with hilly country roads in winter (this is where typical "two wheel drive" often really turns into only one wheel you know heh )

re more gears, yeah thats true then again I've noticed that some pickups early enough only come with four but then at least i don't have much highway driving plan in mind

about buggy/fried electronics, yeah that's one thing I had thought a bit about. I'll prefer a toolbox and some duct tape to the mysterious electrons inside a sealed black box...but then you know what? having a sledge packed in case I get way too fed up with anything of the vehicle could be a way different story!

well thats all I can think of saying while I'm tired, goodnight till tomorrow!