It takes $557.44 today to buy what $100 bought in 1976. Gas was just $0.50 a gallon. I had a full time 4x4 Chevy 3/4 ton that gave me about 5-8 mpg. The transmission was the weak point and after 2 rebuilds it went down the road. My 1974 IH Scout was the most reliable vehicle I ever had, and the most uncomfortable.Soooo, that yeller Ford pictured above was a 1976. Back then, the bare bones model of them went for about $5700. That was 3/4 ton, 4x4, 360 CID, -- about the only frill was power steering. (power assist)
At that time I was making about $6.50 an hour, and gas was pretty horrible, at around 50 some cents a gallon.
Was I better off then, or now??I sure do miss those trucks. jd
Who's got a new truck ?
- Thread starter TTE
- Start date
jds holler
Gold $$ Contributor
I think our desires for what our trucks should be have changed over the years, and a lot of that drives the price up.
Back in the day, upgrading your truck usually involved wheels/tires, beefier suspension or lift, better bumpers, winch, hitch, traction differentials, -- mostly working related accessories.
Then with marketing tactics, the manufacturers basically turned us all into a bunch of pussies.
--- little by little trucks started having stuff like standard AC, power windows, incredibly quality sound systems, on and on until we are at the point we are today -- seat warmers for God sake!!
These days when your brother in law shows up in camp with his new truck, even he won't be stupid enough to take it to places called "The Hole". or "Broke Axil Canyon" or "Radiator Flats", or "Jeep Mountain". And you'll never get him to go down into "Paint-job Gulch". jd
Back in the day, upgrading your truck usually involved wheels/tires, beefier suspension or lift, better bumpers, winch, hitch, traction differentials, -- mostly working related accessories.
Then with marketing tactics, the manufacturers basically turned us all into a bunch of pussies.
--- little by little trucks started having stuff like standard AC, power windows, incredibly quality sound systems, on and on until we are at the point we are today -- seat warmers for God sake!!These days when your brother in law shows up in camp with his new truck, even he won't be stupid enough to take it to places called "The Hole". or "Broke Axil Canyon" or "Radiator Flats", or "Jeep Mountain". And you'll never get him to go down into "Paint-job Gulch". jd
Barrelhorses
Silver $$ Contributor
I looked at a couple Chevrolet trucks the other day. One was $77K and the other was $96K. I'll stick with my paid for 2016 F250 Lariat.
PhilC
Silver $$ Contributor
Not a Y-block, it's an FE, kinda know both "families" intimately.
jds holler
Gold $$ Contributor
Josh, it looks kinda like you're stuck in the eighties, like I'm stuck in the seventies. I'm pretty OK with a lot of the body styles of Fords in the nineties also. And I've gotta admit that when fuel injection became "a thing", the old motors that I was used to became a lot more powerful and economical. jd
Plus it’s a tremendous safety factor on the towing with more rubber on the ground and substantial more suspension.
brokeasajoke
Silver $$ Contributor
I don't miss points although I guess it was simplistic.
joshb
Gold $$ Contributor
I keep poking around in different categories. 70’s to 1990. I’m finding lots of good old trucks. I may buy one. It has to have hand crank windows and no electronic chips. AC would be nice, too. 4x4 would be a must. I have fond memories of my ‘88 Ford. Helping my future wife up into the cab was always fun! Guess where I “pushed”.
urbanrifleman
Site $$ Sponsor
Not a Y-block, it's an FE, kinda know both "families" intimately.
My bad!
jxb
Gold $$ Contributor
Yeah if I was pulling a really big/heavy 5th wheel then it would be a dually for sure. Same if I was pulling more than a couple horses as they can really move a trailer when they shift around and if you've got 7-9 horses/mules in the trailer even with a dually a person needs to be on top of it.
NorCalMikie
Gold $$ Contributor
Must be maybe a year ago, drove by the local Ford dealer and saw the price tag on the front windshield. Had to go around the block and get a better look. Something like $80K???? For a jive azz truck??? 
Remember talking to someone on the forum that saw the same thing. Talked to the sales people and found out they shipped the rig (dealer trade) off to another dealer and added another $20K onto the bottom line? Off the lot and out the driveway and you've already lost $5K to $10k??? But you HAD to have that truck??? It's your $$$. 
The old saying, you can sleep in your truck but you can't drive your house to the grocery store.
Remember talking to someone on the forum that saw the same thing. Talked to the sales people and found out they shipped the rig (dealer trade) off to another dealer and added another $20K onto the bottom line?
Off the lot and out the driveway and you've already lost $5K to $10k??? But you HAD to have that truck??? It's your $$$. The old saying, you can sleep in your truck but you can't drive your house to the grocery store.
That's why I'll keep driving "Rusty" as I call her. My 01 f150 with the lowly 4.2 v-6. Pulls my boat and hauls what I need hauled. She sure ain't purty but she's long been paid for...Must be maybe a year ago, drove by the local Ford dealer and saw the price tag on the front windshield. Had to go around the block and get a better look. Something like $80K???? For a jive azz truck???
Remember talking to someone on the forum that saw the same thing. Talked to the sales people and found out they shipped the rig (dealer trade) off to another dealer and added another $20K onto the bottom line?
The old saying, you can sleep in your truck but you can't drive your house to the grocery store.
urbanrifleman
Site $$ Sponsor
So, I paid 6k for the Blazer. Figure if I went totally crazy and dropped a 6.2 liter LS engine on with a trans, and aftermarket AC I might have $15k in it if I went whole hog.
But I would rather have a 454 with a carb. People bad mouth carbs, but other than letting the engine warm up a bit when it's 10 degrees outside, my carbed trucks always got me there. And I could drop a new one on in an hour if I needed.
But I would rather have a 454 with a carb. People bad mouth carbs, but other than letting the engine warm up a bit when it's 10 degrees outside, my carbed trucks always got me there. And I could drop a new one on in an hour if I needed.
prowler
Silver $$ Contributor
Where do the profits go? Better look into it. Have driven Gmc or chevy for over 35 yrs ,no prblems.
If I remember right, the last good year for the F150 was 1979? And then we had the gas crunch and Ford came out with the 'tin can' 80's versions.
shoot4fun
Gold $$ Contributor
Funny, I look at it as not where company profits go but where all the wages and jobs go.
Alabama has become an automobile manufacturing powerhouse with the likes of Mercedes, Honda, Toyota and Hyundai to make a few. Thousands upon thousands of Americans go to work in those plants everyday and the economy is strong here. Every one of those plants has grown in both size and manpower over the years. Merrcedes (only one example) has spent billions in the USA on manufacturing facilities, infrastructure and donating much more to the future of the State. All these auto manufacturers also use vendors for parts here in the state. Those companies come here too, bringing more jobs and more investment in the State and the Country.
Are you starting to see my point?
urbanrifleman
Site $$ Sponsor
Foreign companies believe in American workers more than many of the US companies.
That is because their export costs are greater than the inefficiency cost of US labor. And now x 5 when Trump gets into action.
Gary in MD
Gold $$ Contributor
That’s because they know that with “proper management” and lack of corporate greed that they can do well with the American workforce.
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