Learn me - cheap trucks

As opposed to small ones, that is.

We just signed a rental on cabin (with garages) and I expect that for the next few months we'll be hauling bits of furniture from IKEA or yard sales, appliances and all the stuff you need to make a place habitable. Plus firewood for the wood burning stove that should be able to heat most of the cabin in winter. Plus, living on 3 acres feels wrong without a truck parked outside .

So it's time for a beater truck, which will also have to be 4x4 so it can double as winter transport for myself, hopefully so I can put some money aside to get something a little better next year.

Apart from buying on condition rather than miles etc, any advice as to which trucks to avoid in the sub-$3k bracket? Like, ones that are known for expensive repairs...

A couple of possibilities that I found before resorting to craigslook:

http://reno.craigslist.org/cto/1837806172.html

http://reno.craigslist.org/cto/1837521176.html

http://reno.craigslist.org/ctd/1834580135.html

I have a problem with the in-between stuff. Early fuel injection has all the complications with none of the on-board diagnostics. 95 isn't too bad, but personally I would want something either older or newer.

I have had a 98 F150 now for a couple years. The 4.6L is wimpy, but it is about as simple as you can get. The engine has some complex stuff, but no crazy variable valve timing or adaptive knock intake tuning or anything. It has crank windows, the 4x4 shifts with a manual stick on the floor, and it has been completely problem free. $4500 was the purchase price.

OR... I would go the other way - super simple, like a 78 chevy pickup. A carb, three vacuum lines, and 8 plug wires.

If it were me, of the trucks you listed in your sample....I'd be tempted to go with the '80 Chevy. But I don't think it would be THE best choice for you, giving what you will be using it for. I'd avoid stepsides, if I were you, only because they don't have a "full" bed, and are just a little bit harder to load. For hauling something like wood, you will need to make more trips for a given amount of wood, in a stepside, than you would a "styleside".

As a "beater" truck, or 2nd or 3rd vehicle, I'm also not so sure that a diesel would be the best bet, either.....but then, I've only driven a few diesel cars and never owned a diesel truck. Like curtis73 suggests, stick with simple and mainstream. Ford or Chevy are easy to source parts for, and in a year or two, when you want to get rid of it, easier to sell.

At this price level, a diesel truck would only happen by accident - in fact I don't really want to know how bad a $1k Diesel truck is around here. Might be fun to look, though...

curtis73 raises a valid point, FI without diagnostics is a bit of a PITA - I assume that mid-nineties trucks wouldn't be OBD1 or similar as I naively assumed?

I kinda like the '80 Chevy simply because it's just silly to have a truck that size with a big block...

curtis73 wrote: ... I would go the other way - super simple, like a 78 chevy pickup. A carb, three vacuum lines, and 8 plug wires.

This. If your willing to travel, the west is littered with running, rust free trucks. All under $1200. Montana for example:

65 Ford

75 Dodge<a

78 Jeep

The Jeep is so choice.

I'm a little partial to that '65 Appleseed posted since I own one. As simple as a rock, easily fixed with vice grips and some scrap wire. The only issue on trucks that old is rust in bad places like floors and cab mounts.

If I were looking for a good beater truck that's a bit more modern (and has 4x4) I'd search for a 70s-80s Ford with a 300 six and a stick. The V8s of that period (in Fords anyway) were pigs, but the six was torquey, economical and as dependable as they come. Most stick shift trucks seemed to have the sixes back then. I've driven a few and always found them to be better than expected.

As cool as the Jeeps are they are gas pigs and some of the parts aren't going to be as easy to get as those from the other Big 2.5 makers.

Cheap,Awesome,but some assembly required:

http://www.mazdarepu.com/board/viewthread.php3?FID=5&TID=2632

Close enough to you as well. Rated at 3/4 ton payload by the way. These are not wimpy trucks. I love mine !!!!!

Our company uses Ford F150 PUs for our fleet. The ones with V6 and stick are pretty reliable and get decent mileage for a 4x4. The only common problem we have is the synchros seem to go on some. They usually sell for less than 3k with they are sold off.

ddavidv wrote: If I were looking for a good beater truck that's a bit more modern (and has 4x4) I'd search for a 70s-80s Ford with a 300 six and a stick. The V8s of that period (in Fords anyway) were pigs, but the six was torquey, economical and as dependable as they come. Most stick shift trucks seemed to have the sixes back then.

Those trans can be trouble. Big trouble.

If the bed size and towing capacity aren't deal breakers you may want to look into a Toyota mini truck. Plenty of them out there in that price range and they tend to run like clocks.

If I were buying a 1/2, 3/4 or 1-ton I would probably go GM. Around here there are some decent '74 - '87 generation trucks in the $1,500 - 2,500. I'd buy one and then spend a little money to make sure the carb is perfect, the battery is good, u-joints and brakes are good and the tires are good. Then proceed to drive it into the ground.

Actually the Toyotas are more expensive around here than trucks from the big 3. REPU would be cool but they're not 4WD, are they?

So far I've seen only one Ford I6 4x4 truck, everything else had a V8. About half of the GM trucks I've seen within my budget seem to have the 4.3 Vortec, from what I read on here that's probably not the engine to have, is it?

the 98-04 f150's are pretty reliable. the 4.6 v8 gets better mileage than the 4.2 v6, more reliable too.

stay away from the manual trans, as the clutch is a bit undersized and tends to go through throwout bearings. models with the 4.6 v8 and towing package will have the 9.75 heavier duty rear axle instead of the 8.8, which is no slouch itself. all 5.4l models have the 9.75.

My bad I forgot the 4wd thing. You are correct the REPU was never offered in a 4wd chassis. It could,and has been done,but I wouldn't do it. How about a Unimog. I saw one this past weekend at a local cruise night,and it was screaming Zombie Assault Vehicle. It was a flat bed in the rear,and the cab over diesel up front. I was in love the instant I saw it on its maybe 44" tires.

I'm not sure that I want to find out what a $3k Unimog looks like . Same goes for the 98+ Ford F150s, they go for roughly twice as much or more out here.

I bet a $3k Unimog doesn't look that different than an expensive one. I mean they are not much to look at. A face only a motehr could love I suppose. Awesome though in almost every other respect. How about a Toyota Land Cruiser wagon. They can hold wood in the rear behind the seats,but not nearly as much as a pickup truck.

I'm kinda keeping an eye on Land Cruisers and 4Runners but again, the seem to be a little above budget and won't be able to hold much more firewood than my wife's Cherokee. Plus we need quite a lot of furniture and other large items so any SUV this side of a Suburban is going to be a little too small.

You can get Suburbans within my budget so if I can't find a truck that might be an option.

Something to consider. Any older 4wd Dodge (IIRC, up until the '94 redesign) will have full-time 4wd. These will drink gas like there is no tomorrow (the 2wd versions aren't particularly economical either).

I had a 92 Dodge that was part time 4wd. It had a regular transfer case with a shifter in the cab on the floor.

Appleseed wrote:

curtis73 wrote: ... I would go the other way - super simple, like a 78 chevy pickup. A carb, three vacuum lines, and 8 plug wires.

This. If your willing to travel, the west is littered with running, rust free trucks. All under $1200. Montana for example: 65 Ford 75 Dodge<a 78 Jeep The Jeep is so choice.

He's right...the Jeep is choice. And it's currently licensed. That blue and white scheme is the newest state plate.

Screw that J series...if you're going to go with something from the Kaiser Jeep era, it's time for a M715! That'll haul your wood. Heck, it'll pull your house off it's foundation.

http://reno.craigslist.org/cto/1838981631.html

2900

302 v8

5spd.

4x4.. fairly simple good truck.

Or a Tacoma http://reno.craigslist.org/cto/1837682415.html <-- Check the frame for rust through.. If it's rusted through, BUY IT... Go to a toyota dealer, have the frame checked and get PAID 1.5 X the value of the truck.

While the Montana trucks are tempting, it's just too far to travel - I'll have to pick up something in a radius of about 150 miles, which basically means between the Bay Area and Reno.

I noticed a couple of potentials including a '78 Chevy that's almost in walking distance from where I work, let's see how that turns out...

ddavidv wrote: If I were looking for a good beater truck that's a bit more modern (and has 4x4) I'd search for a 70s-80s Ford with a 300 six and a stick. The V8s of that period (in Fords anyway) were pigs, but the six was torquey, economical and as dependable as they come. Most stick shift trucks seemed to have the sixes back then. I've driven a few and always found them to be better than expected.

I love those trucks (the 3rd gen. F-series). That is about all I have to add to the topic.

ddavidv wrote: Screw that J series...if you're going to go with something from the Kaiser Jeep era, it's time for a M715! That'll haul your wood. Heck, it'll pull your house off it's foundation.

Try and find one cheap.

ddavidv wrote: Screw that J series...if you're going to go with something from the Kaiser Jeep era, it's time for a M715! That'll haul your wood. Heck, it'll pull your house off it's foundation.

Now THAT is a proper ZAV.