It's time we talked about pickup trucks

[Deej 76791]

I want to like that Hyundai, but a four foot bed?

 

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

3 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Moonroofs/sunroofs have got to be the worst value for money premium feature on a car. I had one on aforementioned Passat and really can’t remember opening it up. I don’t have one now and I have never, ever said “I wish I could open up the moonroof.”

Extra weight, extra money for a window you never look out of. 

Quote

mostly because of the sunroof taking up all the headroom.

Yeah, in Texas at least, it’s the most worthless feature.   Hail damage, frying your brain, unnecessary leakage, just worthless.   What is the point if you don’t smoke in your ride?  

[Shaddie 1651]

I drove a truck for 30 something years. Sold the boat (used at least 2 per month) and got a small suv. Hated it. 
Sold it and bought a tacoma. Told the wife if I ever decide to do work on the house or yard I will need it, in case I don’t want to pay someone else to do it.  Haven’t needed it yet. But like it.  Figure it’s my last vehicle cause I usually keep 12+ years.

 

[RDCanecutter 26443]

1 hour ago, atomheartbevo said:

 

Yep that'll work just fine too.

With the ridonkulous prices of new vehicles full of shit I don't want, I sometimes wonder if it wouldn't be better to save up cash for a restored vehicle I do like, and just buy some nice tools to go with it.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

4 minutes ago, Shaddie said:

I drove a truck for 30 something years. Sold the boat (used at least 2 per month) and got a small suv. Hated it. 
Sold it and bought a tacoma. Told the wife if I ever decide to do work on the house or yard I will need it, in case I don’t want to pay someone else to do it.  Haven’t needed it yet. But like it.  Figure it’s my last vehicle cause I usually keep 12+ years.

 

I bought a Nissan, the bed is small, the gas mileage is pretty shitty, but it gets me to my backwater fishing spots and I only have to commute once a week.  

I also have a tractor, I only need it a few days a year, but when I do need it, I have it.

[52-80 19158]

12 minutes ago, Deej said:

I want to like that Hyundai, but a four foot bed?

 

Just cut the hooker in half. Problem sawed. 

[Shaddie 1651]

1 minute ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

I bought a Nissan, the bed is small, the gas mileage is pretty shitty, but it gets me to my backwater fishing spots and I only have to commute once a week.  

I also have a tractor, I only need it a few days a year, but when I do need it, I have it.

Speaking of fishing spots, uhhhh pm me. swear to Arch Manning and the holy ghost I want let them known.

[atomheartbevo 89668]

50 minutes ago, Macanudo said:

Look, if I want to mount a dual barrel .50 cal in the bed of a Hilux, it's no business of yours.   Stop treading on my freedoms.

And the reasons why you want or need to mount dual .50s are not relevant to the discussion, nor are they anybody else's business.

[RDCanecutter 26443]

59 minutes ago, Macanudo said:

Look, if I want to mount a dual barrel .50 cal in the bed of a Hilux, it's no business of yours.   Stop treading on my freedoms.

Back in my day we made do with a single .50 cal and it worked fine in every kind of weather. Now everybody thinks they need a dual barrel .50 and I bet they never even point it anything.

[Celery Man 20950]

I generally always park in the back to make things easy/ensure I‘m not blocking others and that I have some space (if even just to load the baby in the car seat). And I am conflicted about the poor gas economy and what that means from a green perspective. I always thought that the driveway queen thing was an argument about unnecessary gas guzzling, lol at the notion that apart from that I need to somehow take my vehicle to its limits on a regular basis to justify driving what I like.

Edited January 24, 2023 by Celery Man

[Shaddie 1651]

Just now, RDCanecutter said:

Back in my day we made do with a single .50 cal and it worked fine in every kind of weather. Now everybody thinks they need a dual barrel .50 and I bet they never even point it anything.

So fricking old school. 
In todays world the ruskies could fall on your head at any time. Half the wolverines are dead or have aids so please realize the issues of todays 50 cal owners and quit trying to block our rights.  

[TwiceHorn 31471]

I know one thing and that is that I am sick to death of trying to see over and around the gotdam things. 

[Deej 76791]

37 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

Just cut the hooker in half. Problem sawed. 

 

[Shaddie 1651]

7 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

I know one thing and that is that I am sick to death of trying to see over and around the gotdam things. 

Need better optics. Better optics are a game changer. 

[Brothahorn 10087]

13 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

I know one thing and that is that I am sick to death of trying to see over and around the gotdam things. 

 

[Pato del Muerto 52498]

As a mostly non-relevant aside, in WY they charge for car registration and renewal using a % of the vehicle’s original listed msrp, with an additional % decrease for the first 5 years from the model year. 
which means 2 things- 

1) the ridiculous price of trucks means you will be paying out the ass. For instance, on a 70k msrp vehicle, irrespective of what you actually paid, the registration is 70k x 60% and then take 3% of that. So that’s $1260 the first year. That 60% figure, over the course of 6 years, drops to 15% where it remains forever. So year 6 and afterward, it would be $315. 
 

which leads to 2) lots of people spend their money maintaining their trucks and keep older ones so there’s lots of eye candy for all decades of trucks rolling around, especially relative to the population. 

big reason I bought a 1992 bronco (msrp was like 19k) as my daily driver up there for most of it, and when I bought the f150 and f250 I bought 5 year old examples  

the first year registration is mitigated by the 4% sales tax there, and in general the 0.6% property tax also means you likely come out ahead all told. But that sure is a big nut for a few years. 

Edited January 24, 2023 by Pato del Muerto

[Gil Bang 25958]

7 hours ago, Deej said:

NTTAWWT

 

I sold a home to a woman who's brother tours as one of the Village People.  He's straight but doesn't advertise it.

 

7 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

One thing not in this discussion is the fact that “light trucks (including SUVs) get different CAFE standards.  
 

If I could buy a truck the size of my 1998 Dakota or my dad’s 1996 S-10, I would. Rangers and Colorados are now the size of an F-150 from that era. And they are dangerous to pedestrians and barely can be parked without the sensors and cameras. 
 

I live overseas and we’re a one car family, so I tell myself the Honda Pilot with third row was needed, especially since we get lots of guests and take road trips where we use it. In truth— I miss my old car— a VW Passat Wagon. Better handling, easier to drive, more fun to driver, better mileage and the cargo bay easily fits wherever I could in the Pilot. More, when I use the third row. 

I have no idea why wagons died the death they did in America as they are an objectively better solution than virtually all SUVs, even if you drive them to the trailhead. Virtually anything most people carry in a truck, you could fit inside and then lock the doors so your shit isn’t stolen. 
 

For that matter, minivans are better although my parents’ Odessey back stateside is no smaller than the Pilot. The one thing that is worse about a wagon— in the U.S. it’s the feeling of SUVs and trucks looming over you. 
 

The comment above about men in sedans who can’t do anything cracks me up. Even in Texas, a sedan or wagon was the car of choice for your granddad or great granddad unless he was a farmer or rancher and those guys did a hell of a lot more than any of us do, including fix said sedan themselves. 
 

 

 

3 hours ago, Deej said:

I had a 98 Dakota. It was a great truck and just the right size for around town. Plus, it had a manual transmission.

The 98 Dakota, IMHO, is the PERFECT sized truck.  A dakota can do 99% of the shit that the average guy does with his F250. 

[fattyflattie 4639]

I feel like this is one of those threads where everyone says they’d love this and that (small truck) yet still buy the 150.  You’ve certainly got the chance. Ford, Chevy, Yoda, Nissan(?), Honda all make sub half ton trucks.   Also lol at being offended at the size of someones vehicle, or it’s lack of “intended” use.  95%+ of the 911’s and vettes around town never get tracked.  That’s more offensive, imo. 

[YGIFS 19450]

3 hours ago, Deej said:

I want to like that Hyundai, but a four foot bed?

 

well you see, they're Asian.  They sleep in very short beds.  Why, I knew a friend in Manhattan that could sleep three grown Asian men in chest of drawers where the beds measured no more than four feet.  And they were very comfortable.  Particularly with the hot tub and sake and cigars before bedtime.  

What were we talking about?  

Oh yeah, the thread is interesting because it's this other American phenomenon that is undergoing a tectonic shift in its role like big box stores, branch banks, main street stores, and rural living.  They serve less of a purpose, are getting larger with worse mileage, more expensive, yet more popular as most manufacturers make fewer sedans and even vans.  They're a weird conundrum.  Other than tradesman and a few ranchers I knew, I barely knew anyone with a large truck 20 years ago.  Now, I only know a handful of friends who don't have a full-size truck.  It's fucking weird.  But an interesting window into Americana.  And what's the deal with Radio Shacks?  

[Gil Bang 25958]

My dad bought a 1978 Ford F150 Ranger Explorer new in December '77.   It had AC, dual gas tthnks, nice carpet, and a nice bench seat.  He paid $6200 IIRC.   

We took it from SoCal to Austin for Christmas, and, there was a problem with the vacuum lines so the heater didn't work and we froze our asses off.  My Dad took it to an Austin dealer for warranty work, and they fixed it, and we got warm after that. 

And the Beat Notre Dame thing was big in Austin that Xmas.  My uncle gave me 100 bucks to spend on gear at Rooster Andrews. 

Good times. 

 

Edited January 24, 2023 by Gil Bang

[UTexasFight 9450]

8 hours ago, Steel Shank said:

Not me. Mine's not giant.

Nice rims

 

 

i’m back to driving this while my current truck is in the shop after an accident. 
something seems to go wrong with this one every other day…and I love figuring out and fixing it.

 

 

 

Edited January 24, 2023 by UTexasFight

[atomheartbevo 89668]

This is the truck I would buy in a heartbeat if one just like it became available.  I'd prefer that Elisabeth Shue accompany it - everything nothing against Claudia Wells.

 

[956 Worldwide 34715]

1 hour ago, UTexasFight said:

Nice rims

 

 

i’m back to driving this while my current truck is in the shop after an accident. 
something seems to go wrong with this one every other day…and I love figuring out and fixing it.

 

 

 

Damn man, beautiful truck. 
 

I always thought that gen Chevy (and the one before and after) were the best looking trucks on the road.  That’s an another thing, so many trucks look completely aggro. The 1990s Ram refresh started the “driving a semi” look although it was restrained in restrospect.

When I was a kid virtually every truck was a single cab or maybe club cab. Ford made their huge crew cab but it was so rare you really noticed it on the road. So dad had a truck and mom had a sedan or wagon or minivan when the whole family went somewhere. Now it’s the opposite, rare to see single cabs. I think single cab/short bed were kickass looking trucks. Every day we stray farther from the light…..

[tbone_ 14123]

I agree those old single short beds were great looking. I also agree my giant back seat kicks ass.

[RPM 26321]

11 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Moonroofs/sunroofs have got to be the worst value for money premium feature on a car. I had one on aforementioned Passat and really can’t remember opening it up. I don’t have one now and I have never, ever said “I wish I could open up the moonroof.”

Extra weight, extra money for a window you never look out of. 

I'm just the opposite. I love moonroofs. Crack open the back and you have quiet fresh air ventilation.

[956 Worldwide 34715]

4 hours ago, Gil Bang said:

I sold a home to a woman who's brother tours as one of the Village People.  He's straight but doesn't advertise it.

 

 

The 98 Dakota, IMHO, is the PERFECT sized truck.  A dakota can do 99% of the shit that the average guy does with his F250. 

I loved that truck. Mine was a club-cab, R/T version with the 5.9. Totally unneeded and sounded/looked faster than it was but it was fucking awesome. 
 

And yeah, the bed and size were perfect for about anything. I never towed with it, but college kids don’t have boats. 

[956 Worldwide 34715]

11 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

Toyota needs to get the god dammit Hilux produced here in the USA.  There is not a more robust, bulletproof vehicle made.  

The Hilux is great, but at this point it is about the same size as a Taco/Ranger. Tacos have an almost religious following here and so it’s hard to see Toyota introducing a model in the same segment. The Hilux gives you those ISIS warlord vibes though.

This is the overseas forbidden fruit Toyota that needs to be here:

[YGIFS 19450]

13 hours ago, Steel Shank said:

Not me. Mine's not giant.

You see the shoes on that thing?  You gotta get some tires on this, these things are pizza-cutters, man.  /D&C

If I ever have to buy a foreign pickup truck, there's only one place to get it:  Patterson Nissan in Longview, Texas. 

Edited January 24, 2023 by YGIFS

[Voldemort86 2259]

Why do most people who drive pickup trucks tailgate the fuck out of you and generally be toxic as hell out there on the roads?

I usually drive 5-10 mph over the posted speed limit and still get treated like I’m some Granny Smith out there.

[Hpara759 1778]

11 minutes ago, Voldemort86 said:

Why do most people who drive pickup trucks tailgate the fuck out of you and generally be toxic as hell out there on the roads?

I usually drive 5-10 mph over the posted speed limit and still get treated like I’m some Granny Smith out there.

Texas Slower Traffic Keep Right Law: The “Move Over” Rule Texas requires slower cars to keep right, whether in the right-hand lane or near the right curb. Unless you need to pass or prepare for a left turn, keep to the right if you’re driving slower than others on the road.

[YGIFS 19450]

"Left Lane for Passing Only" is the most worthless fucking sign in Texas.  

[Make em eat Taco Bell 1549]

1 hour ago, Hpara759 said:

Texas Slower Traffic Keep Right Law: The “Move Over” Rule Texas requires slower cars to keep right, whether in the right-hand lane or near the right curb. Unless you need to pass or prepare for a left turn, keep to the right if you’re driving slower than others on the road.

doesn't answer his question though , ie, why do trucks do the psychotic bullying more than other vehicles? It's all about being big and bad, machismo, I am God, I am self important, the whole world was made for me, GTFO my way little sedan! Which is why i favor unmarked cop cars on the highway.

[deadshank 24653]

18 minutes ago, Make em eat Taco Bell said:

doesn't answer his question though , ie, why do trucks do the psychotic bullying more than other vehicles? It's all about being big and bad, machismo, I am God, I am self important, the whole world was made for me, GTFO my way little sedan! Which is why i favor unmarked cop cars on the highway.

Show your work. 

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4976]

Two big reasons why trucks have gotten bigger:

1. Men, who are more likely to drive trucks, generally take a more proactive role in their family. Your grandad with the small single cab didn't load up his children in his pickup truck to bring them to town get pick up feed or lumber or whatever, and if he did they weren't strapped into rear facing car seats. Heck, he might have just tossed them in the bed. Fathers these days are much more likely to be hauling kids around when they are doing things that require a truck, so they need full size back seats that can fit rear facing car seats up to teenagers.

2. Emissions rules enacted under the Obama (no CR, just giving a general time frame for reference) made it easier for vehicles with larger footprints to meet emissions requirements. So naturally, vehicles across the board got larger.

[Jkwellborn 6702]

I’ve got a 1997 z71 and a 2001 1500HD. I haul stuff in the bed, go to the woods and pull a small trailer with both of them. I can’t see me not having a 4wheel drive truck because I need one. I also can’t see me buying a new one at any point in time because of the damn cost.

I’d love a diesel 3/4 ton, but I don’t necessarily tow anything to need it.

[Bateshorn 9927]

Much like America is really an insurance company with a military, most domestic auto manufacturers are really lending companies that specialize in SUVs/Trucks. And in the case of Dodge, it’s a predatory lending company. 

/noCR/ Light duty trucks are subject to easier emissions standards than cars.  Due to their size and that exemption, They are easier and cheaper to engineer, update, and produce, relative to cars, across a manufacturing line over time. With marketing, they sell for far more money and with much greater profit margins. It’s an easy decision for the companies to push trucks as the ultimate product.  Until the US closes the light truck exemption, and/or gas prices get and stay high, this trend will continue /noCR/

[Armybrat 40845]

#2 son’s work truck and his ‘59 “hobby”

 

[Armybrat 40845]

#1 son works for an agricultural bank, so he and other execs get free 4x vehicles so they can drive around on client properties.  
plus 12,000 miles annual free gas milage.

 

[RPM 26321]

2 hours ago, Make em eat Taco Bell said:

doesn't answer his question though , ie, why do trucks do the psychotic bullying more than other vehicles? It's all about being big and bad, machismo, I am God, I am self important, the whole world was made for me, GTFO my way little sedan! Which is why i favor unmarked cop cars on the highway.

Or it could be with the higher sight line in a truck they can see over your vehicle and know there's not a fucking thing in front of you. Move the fuck over, asswipe. You are not the religator of speed.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, deadshank said:

Show your work. 

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/dfw/news/garland-police-seek-road-rage-suspect-driving-a-silver-dodge-ram-truck/
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/two-girls-shot-drivers-fire-florida-road-rage-rcna52036

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/idling-pickup-truck-blocking-tesla-supercharger-proves-that-iceing-is-still-a-thing-198877.html

https://insideevs.com/news/544449/pickup-blocked-7-tesla-superchargers/

https://electrek.co/2019/01/01/tesla-pickup-truck-drivers-supercharger-protest/
 

[Jkwellborn 6702]

#2 son’s work truck and his ‘59 “hobby”
 

Makes me miss my ‘57 Chevy pickup.

[LebongJames 1811]

We have for years given full size Silverados to our supers wrapped in our logos but we recently made the shift to crew cab Colorados with a camper shell and a ladder rack. You can’t really justify having 75 $50k trucks on the road. It was pure chaos the day the first few arrived, no one in the shops wanted to drive a mini truck.

[RPM 26321]

I had a '64 short bed step side. Bought it from a farmer's widow. It had been bounced off just about every tree they had. Paid $500 and drove it for 2 years.

[Guest]

33 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

#2 son’s work truck and his ‘59 “hobby”

 

I miss those license plates.

[locodos 5387]

Pickup trucks have gone from utilitarian cool to status symbol cool.   I just want to know who these giants are that can easily put something in the bed of their truck without opening the tailgate.  I have a Tundra Crewmax and its stupid what a pain in the ass it is to load and unload.  I always think about the OLD Tacoma I had that was quick nimble and easy to use.  

 

The older smaller trucks are become boutique / collector items now

[Bateshorn 9927]

7 minutes ago, LebongJames said:

We have for years given full size Silverados to our supers wrapped in our logos but we recently made the shift to crew cab Colorados with a camper shell and a ladder rack. You can’t really justify having 75 $50k trucks on the road. It was pure chaos the day the first few arrived, no one in the shops wanted to drive a mini truck.

I think gas and vehicle cost is the simplest explanation for the sudden interest/move to medium trucks.  I live in a heavily Central American community and the contractors around here universally drive two trucks: old full size beaters, and Tacos, of many vintages.  The only full-size driveway queens I regularly see is the fat white guy who’s gonna show up on day one to give me the price for the job.

Edited January 24, 2023 by Bateshorn

[Jkwellborn 6702]

I get asked all the time if I want to sell either of my trucks. People love the body style of the 1997. I’ve got a few years before I start fixing it up for my son.

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, locodos said:

Pickup trucks have gone from utilitarian cool to status symbol cool.   I just want to know who these giants are that can easily put something in the bed of their truck without opening the tailgate.  I have a Tundra Crewmax and its stupid what a pain in the ass it is to load and unload.  I always think about the OLD Tacoma I had that was quick nimble and easy to use.  

 

The older smaller trucks are become boutique / collector items now

My dad had a Toyota T100 years ago. He loved it, but then they stopped making it and it was either go to the gigantic Tundra or the smaller Tacoma. He is in and out of the toolboxes in the bed all day so Toyota made the decision easy.

[deadshank 24653]

11 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/dfw/news/garland-police-seek-road-rage-suspect-driving-a-silver-dodge-ram-truck/
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/two-girls-shot-drivers-fire-florida-road-rage-rcna52036

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/idling-pickup-truck-blocking-tesla-supercharger-proves-that-iceing-is-still-a-thing-198877.html

https://insideevs.com/news/544449/pickup-blocked-7-tesla-superchargers/

https://electrek.co/2019/01/01/tesla-pickup-truck-drivers-supercharger-protest/
 

Absolutely.  There are idiots that drive trucks. Some of those trucks are never off the pavement, tow anything or generally used like trucks.

Has EVER been an owner of an Audi, BMW, hot rod Camaro, exhaust-tuned Mustang, dipshit Mini Cooper or Dodge Challenger drive aggressively or drive like an A-hole?

Sorry you folks hate trucks.  I guess it is time they should be taken away from us and we all drive Ladas.

 

 

[956 Worldwide 34715]

2 minutes ago, Bateshorn said:

I think gas and vehicle cost is the simplistic explanation for the sudden interest/move to medium trucks.  I live in a heavily Central American community and the contractors around here universally drive two trucks: old full size beaters, and Tacos, of many vintages.  The only full-size driveway queens I regularly see is the fat white guy whose gonna show up on day one to give me the price for the job.

I completely get the idea of a full-size being great for long road trips with lots of stuff. I just can’t imagine wanting to drive one daily if you didn’t have to because of work. I guess a lot has to do with where you live. Most places in Texas have parking for miles and street parking is something you just don’t do often.  
 

I was in DC a few years back for about two months and would rent cars on weekends for errands and stuff.  I had a deal where they basically gave whatever was on their lot for the price of a compact in exchange for renting every weekend. 
 

One weekend it was a crew cab F-150 and I loved it till the moment I had to street park it. Forget difficult to park, most spades I had to just drive past— if anyone’s ass or nose wasn’t lined up just right, it simply wouldn’t fit.