help choose a beater truck!

sweet jesus.. I need this.. http://seattle.craigslist.org/skc/cto/4949063832.html

I recently helped a neighbor kid look for a good first vehicle for him. We ended up picking up a '94 S10 stripper model. It has the 2.2/5-speed and it perfectly description for it is "beater truck"

$4k budget seems like you could buy a nice truck. Maybe a 99-03 ish silverado? The 2wd 1500 trucks get pretty decent mileage, really not much worse than a 4-banger mini.

If you are not opposed to a full-size, check out the pre -95 Fords with the 300 cid inline six. They aren't fancy, they aren't refined, but they will run forever with minimal attention. You can also pick them up all day long for under $3K. Heck, for $3K, you could get a later EFI one, with working A/C, and in great shape.

Impossible to kill, and more versatile than a "mini" truck. MPG isn't great though--- 10-15mpg.

it's really hard to kick a boxy 4.3 5 speed s10/sonoma out of bed.

Where are you located? I might be selling my rust free 92 S10 extra cab with 2wd/2.8/5 speed soon.

If you live in the rust belt, just buy whatever has the least holes.

If you had asked this question 3 weeks ago I would have directed you to KCMO to pick up a 4g63t swapped Mitsu Mighty Max that was in your budget and remarkably without rust.

In the absence of that, s-10 all day long over the others.

Joe Gearin wrote: If you are not opposed to a full-size, check out the pre -95 Fords with the 300 cid inline six. They aren't fancy, they aren't refined, but they will run forever with minimal attention. You can also pick them up all day long for under $3K. Heck, for $3K, you could get a later EFI one, with working A/C, and in great shape. Impossible to kill, and more versatile than a "mini" truck. MPG isn't great though--- 10-15mpg.

My cousin's I6 4WD 5 speed got around 17 mpg. They are good trucks!

I'd go with a Ranger or the Mazda B series twin.

Flip06gt wrote: No regular towing or hauling... Maybe the occasional few bags of mulch or furniture. slight chance a two wheel toy every now and again.

Uh, REPU?

My brother's driving a 1974 Datsun with a 90's Nissan 240sx engine/transmission in it. That thing is a nifty little demon Caffeine:

If you're going to post ads of cheap Toyota pickups, could you at least post ads that are located three states away?

This would be tough to say no to if it were my choice. Heck I may even buy it, and I don't need it, or have any money. It's the one on JNC I posted about earlier.

http://albuquerque.craigslist.org/cto/4902828690.html

I bought a 01 F250 with 50K miles and a liftgate for that about six months ago. Ugly as sin but it does everything I could want. I would go big and ugly.

95 or older f150 with the 300 straight 6. Damn near indestructible.

If you can't do a full size, then hop on the s10 band wagon.

Mazdax605 wrote: This would be tough to say no to if it were my choice. Heck I may even buy it, and I don't need it, or have any money. It's the one on JNC I posted about earlier. http://albuquerque.craigslist.org/cto/4902828690.html

That thing is perfect

Mazdax605 wrote: http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/vernon/1973-mazda-b-series-pickups-pickup-truck/1059719416?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true Just around $2100 with the exchange rate right now

That truck is 35 minutes from me, if anyone wants a looksee. Just saying.

is there a bad pickup truck, really

SkinnyG wrote:

Mazdax605 wrote: http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/vernon/1973-mazda-b-series-pickups-pickup-truck/1059719416?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true Just around $2100 with the exchange rate right now

That truck is 35 minutes from me, if anyone wants a looksee. Just saying.

I want a looksee.

Tuna and I were given a full size GM pickup from the mid-1990's a while back, it had the 5 speed manual trans and the 4.3, 2 wheel drive. It was "given" away because the P/O said it wouldn't stay in 5th gear. As it turns out, it was just a little crunchy going into said gear, but it really wasn't bad to drive. I ran a couple of tanks of gas through it just driving it around, and shockingly it got like 25 mpg. It was a pretty awesome truck. I think we sold it for $1000 after it became redundant.

I know the 4.3's aren't without their issues, but even the one in my wife's Jimmy (which is annoying to work on, due to it being a compact truck) has never stranded us. In a full size, it's a freaking piece of cake to do anything. The serviceability of it alone would drive me to a full size over a compact. The 4.3 is really wedged into the S-10.

There's a reason the compact trucks went away...the full sizes get only a tick less fuel economy, hold more stuff, and gas is still cheap.

EDIT: more anecdotal evidence, my brother has a '97 1/2 ton Chevy pickup, 2WD with the 4.3, and it's finally getting a new engine- at 300,000 miles.

Is there some reason nobody is suggesting a Toyota Pickup? $4k should get you a near-perfect example...

In reply to ¯_(ツ)_/¯:

You missed Fueledbycaffeine's links. Both were Toyotas.

I have serious toyota mini truck list after owning a 1986 for some time

In reply to nepa03focus:Forgive the stupid question. Having no experience with that truck, are parts available?

Rupert wrote: In reply to nepa03focus:Forgive the stupid question. Having no experience with that truck, are parts available?

That's a good question and I have no clue either! I've never even had a truck, but I want one and I have a weird fascination for older Japanese things with fender mirrors.

In reply to Fueled by Caffeine:

I had an '87 4x4 that ticked over 300k before I sold her (that last 100k were some pretty brutal miles too). I will have another.