Who can afford a new truck anymore?

[4570Man]

<img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/related-topics/431576-who-can-afford-new-truck-170-jpg"/><img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/related-topics/431579-who-can-afford-new-truck-hoarded-stuff-021-jpg"/><img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/related-topics/431573-who-can-afford-new-truck-689-jpg"/> The short bed has a 250 six bored .040 hedders & cam 4 bbl intake ect. I convert my old trucks to electronic ignition and install hard valves on the intake and rotators on the exhaust valves. the leaded gas was what fouled the plugs. the plugs in my trucks last as long as they do in the newer fuel injected vehicles. Up until about 1963 most vehicles had a road draft crankcase ventilation. and the engines where shot like stated around 70,0000 miles. after 1963 the PCV was used and the engines began to last longer. my dad bought a new 666 ford car. that Fe engine ran 325 000 miles and never had the valve covers off. I also use the Frantz toiler paper oil cleaners on my vehicles. I carry a spare fan belt distributer & alternator under the seat. my 71 is pretty quick on take off it has 456 gears. my wife named it scooter actually I don't know how many vehicles I do own. Somewhere between Two and three hundred. I have owned over a thousand vehicles the past fifty years. Ive sent plenty to the crusher. My wife has a 66 3/4 long bed 292 granny 4 speed. Her daddy bought it new and gave it to her a few years before he died. she drove it several years. Its waiting to be rebuilt. we are going to keep it 4 speed but add power steering power disk brakes and air cond. I buy the newer 73 up chevy trucks and junk them. I use the front suspension and rear ends under the older trucks.

Cool, I am currently restoring a 1965 two door just like yours. I am putting disk brakes and power steering on it.

 

[TomSeller]

Cool, I am currently restoring a 1965 two door just like yours. I am putting disk brakes and power steering on it.

Any pictures? No fair posting about a cool old truck and leaving us wondering

 

[Old Junk Man]

Nice, I have always like that series of GMC. My dad had a dark green one and I think it was of the coolest trucks I was ever around. He had a chev panel truck of the same style that I bought from him and drove to high school. Very "comfortable" inside.

I prefer the GMC,s because they have rear leaf springs . makes it easier to install a 73 up 5hole rear end. that way you can get taller gears. I also prefer the GMC dash. every part is available from reproduction vendors . ive seen lots of older trucks with the vortec engines 7 overdrive trans. Ive got one out back with a Isuzu diesel and 4 speed automatic. the guy I got it from claimed 50 mpg and that it had a half million miles? the body & frame are shot. I still believe you can rebuild a old truck to be as good as a new one at a fraction of the cost.

 

[RDrancher]

I prefer the GMC,s because they have rear leaf springs . makes it easier to install a 73 up 5hole rear end. that way you can get taller gears. I also prefer the GMC dash. every part is available from reproduction vendors . ive seen lots of older trucks with the vortec engines 7 overdrive trans. Ive got one out back with a Isuzu diesel and 4 speed automatic. the guy I got it from claimed 50 mpg and that it had a half million miles? the body & frame are shot. I still believe you can rebuild a old truck to be as good as a new one at a fraction of the cost.

I agree. Not a truck, but here's our family hauler. Thirty years old this year and just rolled over 70k original miles.

With a few tools, spare HEI module and a set of belts onboard...it's easily repaired if need be and super simple to work on. I can't think of any vehicle in current production that would fit our needs AND be even half as much fun to own.

 

[newbury]

<snip> But for daily driving, dependability, safety AND fun when wanted, the new cars are just plain better. I'd never send my kid out alone on a road trip in a 70's era car. I've sent her across the country in the newer cars many times. :thumbsup:

And she kept coming back?

As a consumer of modern vehicles and a maintainer of older ones the cost benefits of a new TRUCK for personal sub 15,000 miles per year use have definite implications, especially if you are occasionally towing around 12K.

If the NEW truck costs around $50K (equipped similar to my dually) it will cost me about $10K/yr to pay off on a 5 yr loan. If I put $1K a year in to maintenance of my $18K dually it will probably run for a DARN long time.

If it was a daily driver or a work truck the extra $9K a year might make sense. But even if I have to replace an engine ($7K?) or transmission ($3K?) I think I'll still come out ahead.

 

[Old Junk Man]

I can buy and install a brand new 350 chevy crate engine for less than $2000.00 a auto trans less than a $1000.00 . Of course I build my own engines order the parts online and have a local guy do my machine work. Im a old drag racer. I still have a 55 chevy hot rod. and its a real hot rod with three pedals & a floor shifter.

 

[dmccarty]

I think the Texting is worse then the Yakking.

It is but yakking without a headset is still really bad. I don't see many people actively driving while texting. They usually are doing that at a stop light but when they are moving, look out!

Later,
Dan

 

[dmccarty]

...
I am curious who will be restoring a 2015 Chevy/Dodge/Ford- 30 to 50years after production. Something has forever changed and soon there will be no shade tree mechanics and everything will be disposable. Sad really that automakers and emissions regulations have thwarted any (souping up of engines and such).....

I think what will stop people from restoring a car build over the 20 or so years, is that the electrical parts will not be available. Who will have replacement computers and chips? At some point there none will exist and nobody will know how to make replacements much less be able to afford to make the parts. Then the vehicle is just a pile of trash where the best that can be done is recycle.

I think the shade tree mechanic can exist as long as there are parts and one learns the new systems, and systems they are, in the new vehicles. Car repair has long been more about figuring out electrical issues. I worked with a lady whose husband was a danged good car mechanic. He helped me fix a non starting car over the phone one Sunday afternoon. :shocked::thumbsup: That was back in the late 1980's. :laughing::laughing::laughing: He was making loads of money fixing electrical issues in cars.

Later,
Dan

 

[dmccarty]

...
Reliability - throw a serpentine belt and you are stranded however throw a V-belt off a alternator and you still can make it to a repair shop (water pump is still running off of the other V-belt). No need for a tune-up for those new cars until you roll 100,000 miles, but when that time comes miles of plastic and even hard parts must be removed to even access the "hard to reach plugs". The old vehicles do need serviced more frequently, "Just climb in the engine bay and access whatever you want easily". There are perks with those new vehicles because they are 'reliable' but if they fail... you had better just call AAA because it will not be an easy fix...

I have never had a serpentine belt fail but I have lost a V-Belt. :shocked: Brand new car too and only lost a belt that one time. :thumbsup: Thank goodness. I keep a spare old serpentine belt in my truck. :thumbsup: Hmm, about time to change the belt in current use.

My 1984 z28 had to be jacked up to replace spark plugs. Because of pollution controls the car had problems starting after stopping for a short time. That car was loaded with plastic the squeaked and made noise that drove me nuts. Lots of plastic that broke easily too. You don't see many of those cars on the road today but I have seen two recently. One was restored and the other, no so much. Paint job sucked to say the least and rust started pretty quickly. Current truck is over 202K miles. Non of my previous vehicles lasted half as long without major repairs. Hope this truck lasts for at least another 15 years. :laughing::laughing::laughing:

Later,
Dan

 

[buickanddeere]

you said it!




All true, but remember you paid more, up front, for this (much) higher level of service, performance and safety.

Vehicles in general are lower cost per mile in purchase price than 30 years ago. Vehicles are also cheaper now vs pre tax income than they were 30 years ago.
Anybody that lives whete there is winter and salt has to religiously wash and oil the chassis prevent rust perforation by 15 years. There is no choice to drive an older vehicle. Unless your driving season is only from April until November.