Who's got a new truck ?

[Kracken McGraw]

I think Duck Dynasty put a new truck with aftermarket wheels into mainstream where everyone thought they could afford one too.

 

[brokeasajoke]

Maybe someday they will make trucks again instead of status symbols. Just a cab and a bed. For us that use trucks for work instead of a qualification to wear cowboy boots.

I miss my 1996 f150 with a 300 6cyl. Heavy duty rear springs were added as it was a service bed truck. Frame broke in half and I sold it. Paid 1200 and worked it hard for about 5 years pulling 2 mowers and countless loads of fire wood. Sold it for $400 after frame broke. I already fixed it once so it was time to move it along.

 

[urbanrifleman]

We have a 1996 Blazer. It gets better gas mileage than my wife's Land Cruiser and it has the smoothest ride of any of our vehicles. For these 3rd world Oklahoma roads, nothing I've driven smooths out the bumps. It's a pleasure to drive.

I have a new motor to drop in it, but it only has 53k rust free miles.

We paid 6k for it. The low miles motor we got for free. Heck, even if I bought a crate motor for 4k it's a bargain.

 

[pdog06]

When a new truck started costing more than I could buy a 1969 Z28 I decided the Z28 the better value.

Amen

 

[urbanrifleman]

Amen

Of course, anyone who would pay $200k for a mint 69 Z28 could be a part of the problem too.

It seems to me the line between the "haves and haves nots" is wider than it has ever been. And then there are the "have nots" trying to keep up with the "haves" and going into debt slavery.

Of course, we live in a world where guys that fly around in private planes and drive limousines, tell us we need to ride a bicycle to work because of cow farts.

 

[Tesoro]

About what I figured. Far, far less when I was in the industry in the 70's on the supply side. Kind of scary how much influence Uncle Sammy has and the lengths the industry has to go, and spend, in the name of compliance. Then we pay big. Thanks for your insight.

Well I hope in 2025> Uncle Sammy is going to de-influence itself from private industry. Or so It promises. I would just hate to have a regulator's resume and have to be knocking on doors looking for another job!

 

[butchlambert]

Negative. GM in their infinite wisdom (probably under pressure to further increase efficiency) decided to equip these engines with a dual pressure oil system. The oil pump contains a solenoid valve that opens under certain operating conditions to bleed "excess" pressure. When this valve fails, it supposedly fails closed and keeps the engine in high pressure mode. So, I could technically keep on just running it as is since it stays at ~40 lbs of pressure. But that's beside the point; the fix is dropping the front differential, removing the oil pan and engine front cover, and replacing the oil pump.

I'm aware of that as even though we live in Texas it ain't new news. It ain't the oil pump, it is the solenoid.

 

[butchlambert]

When a new truck started costing more than I could buy a 1969 Z28 I decided the Z28 the better value.

The bed in a Z28 won't carry much!

 

[rjtfroggy]

I have a 21 F150, just turned 3 on the 22nd. Regular cab, 6.5' bed with the standard V6 (302). After my trade (9500) it cost me 31k, I get about 26 mpg average city/highway, only has 7800 miles on it.
I could have spent a lot more but decided that a XLT was better than a lariat at 11000 more just to get the color I wanted (diamond ice), so I went with black. While waiting for it I spent 2k on accessories instead of 6k on Ford parts.
For me at 72 it is all I need for the rest of my time, God willing.

 

[joshb]

Last time I bought a new vehicle, my wife picked out what she wanted. I came in at the end of the negotiations and freaked at the price. I asked the sales guy how I could shave some off the cost. He told me that if I dropped the “super duper electronics” package, I could save $10,000. Of course, I did. It’s a bunch of crap I don’t use anyway.

 

[Downhill]

I'll be honest, I lost interest in new pickups when they hit $40,000. My 03 Dodge 3500 has served me well but it does suffer from electronic gremlins from time to time. I am looking for a 3/4 ton mid 80's Chevy now, it will receive a 12 valve Cummings. Straight mechanical, standard trans and no friggin ECM. All that will be needed is a battery to start it and diesel to run down the road.

 

[Tesoro]

I'll be honest, I lost interest in new pickups when they hit $40,000. My 03 Dodge 3500 has served me well but it does suffer from electronic gremlins from time to time. I am looking for a 3/4 ton mid 80's Chevy now, it will receive a 12 valve Cummings. Straight mechanical, standard trans and no friggin ECM. All that will be needed is a battery to start it and diesel to run down the road.

I was going to do the same thing about 10 yrs ago with a 75k budget to build a lifetime truck but I scrapped the idea due to safety issues, ie if ever got in a bad wreck chances of surviving waaay less than in a modern vehicle. ps it is Cummins without the g !

 

[urbanrifleman]

I would love this truck. 352 y block! And I can fix everything on it.

 

[jds holler]

The bed in a Z28 won't carry much!

Heck, the beds in the pick-ups of most guys driving them haven't hauled much more than a few sacks of groceries. -- And many of them are covered with weather proof covers that keep them cleaner than the cab of the "truck".

Sooo yesterday our little shop was donated a AC/DC welder, and a set of oxi-acetylene tanks and torch. Of the guys (mentors) who have a "truck" none want to put that kind of stuff in the bed, or weren't available. So I go over there and pick up the stuff with my little RAV4 hatchback, which has been used for quite a bit of hauling. Maybe I'm gonna have to look for some after market overloads for the thing. jd

 

[jds holler]

Here's a few of the trucks I've owned back in my "real truck days".
When I got done using these, there usually wasn't much left of them. But by God they did real truck stuff while they lived. As a matter of fact, a typical weekend would prolly cost a thousand bucks worth of devaluation on one of todays "trucks".



Oh, and by the way, this is what we used to call Land Cruisers.

jd

 

[joshb]

Heck, the beds in the pick-ups of most guys driving them haven't hauled much more than a few sacks of groceries. -- And many of them are covered with weather proof covers that keep them cleaner than the cab of the "truck".

Sooo yesterday our little shop was donated a AC/DC welder, and a set of oxi-acetylene tanks and torch. Of the guys (mentors) who have a "truck" none want to put that kind of stuff in the bed, or weren't available. So I go over there and pick up the stuff with my little RAV4 hatchback, which has been used for quite a bit of hauling. Maybe I'm gonna have to look for some after market overloads for the thing. jd

Yup…and “short bed”= useless!

 

[brokeasajoke]

Here's a few of the trucks I've owned back in my "real truck days".
When I got done using these, there usually wasn't much left of them. But by God they did real truck stuff while they lived. As a matter of fact, a typical weekend would prolly cost a thousand bucks worth of devaluation on one of todays "trucks".

View attachment 1616500
View attachment 1616501
Oh, and by the way, this is what we used to call Land Cruisers.
View attachment 1616502
jd

Those are trucks. New stuff is trars and cruks Truck+car=trar or cruk

 

[jxb]

Last time I bought a new vehicle, my wife picked out what she wanted. I came in at the end of the negotiations and freaked at the price. I asked the sales guy how I could shave some off the cost. He told me that if I dropped the “super duper electronics” package, I could save $10,000. Of course, I did. It’s a bunch of crap I don’t use anyway.

Yeah if a person spends a little time with the manufacturers build tool other than moving from gas to diesel nearly all the extra cost is inside the cab and for wants not needs.

Yesterday I priced both Chevy 2024 and GMC 2025 starting with a base 3500 4x4, lowest was $49k/52k add diesel +$10k which is almost exactly what it was in 2016. I went to crewcab LB 3500 4x4 diesel and added the things I really wanted which was quite a few of the bells/whistles for towing/safety and ended up <$71k for each. So no leather, heated everything, infotainment out the backside, etc. But otherwise pretty loaded. They were each only few thousand more than I paid for my 2016 Denali 3500 and sure not nearly the creature comforts / bling, but I still get all the stuff that makes it a usable and comfortable truck.

Here's the Sierra 3500 I worked up. The Silverado was roughly the same options and maybe $2k less.
'https://www.gmc.com/byo-vc/tiny/Sh4tAhw5I8GE'

Still pricey, but a long ways from the $80-110k trucks which cost 15-55% more just for the bling! (same chassis, engine, body).

Here's the rip-off rub: I checked dealer inventory, same price but no diesel, or many of the packages I added. Based on that build sheet, appears the dealers are doing a huge markup.

 

[tygranch]

I bought a '24 F250 in April. My 96 F250 farm truck finally gave up. I looked for months for a used replacement but prices were stupid. Sticker on the new one was under $60,000. 7.3 gas. I've used it to haul hay, pull trailers, including a stock trailer. I hung on to my '01 F150 to use as a daily driver but like this new truck so much it sits most of the time.

 

[urbanrifleman]

Based on that build sheet, appears the dealers are doing a huge markup.

Really? I am shocked.