Why I love driving a 40 year old truck

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Russianwolf

Russianwolf

Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2007
Messages
5,690
Location
Martinsburg, WV, USA.
Now, I miss my 2002 Dodge Ram a good bit. It had leather interior and all the trimming and was great to take on long trips. But when I had to get rid of it and I replaced it with a 1970 Jeep Gladiator pick-up some people thought I was nuts. But not only does the Gladiator have character that today's truck just can't match with it's classic front end and brow over the windshield, but there's nothing fancy about it. No power steering, no AC, no emission. Nothing to get in the way.

I went out a couple months ago and tried to tighten the cables on the starter on our Saturn Vue. After a lot of looking, I finally found it on the bottom near the firewall. COVERED BY SEVERAL CROSS MEMBERS AND INACCESSIBLE. okay. Later I bought plugs so I could change those out since the car has 60k (now at 85k). Went and looked and couldn't figure out where the plugs even were. Called the dealership and "to replace the plugs you have to remove the top half of the engine" WHAT? "but they are good for at least 100k" okay. So I gave up doing anything more basic than changing the oil on that one.

Now my Gladiator is a different beast. A couple months ago the front driver's brake line gave out on me. So I pull it off and while I'm at it notice that the passengers looks old too, so pull it off too. Go to the parts store and after a bit of figuring I bring home new lines and a bender. Couple hours, and the front line are fixed (spent at least 2 hours getting them off as I was fighting through 40 years of rust). So I go to have it inspected today. Passed without a look at anything. But on my way home the brake pedal hits the floor again. I make it home (for those that don't know how, please learn to drive a vehicle without brakes, as you never know when you will need that talent. Standards are much easier than Autos in this category) . I go grab one of the boys next door as an assistant and have him press the pedal while I look. Sure enough, one of the line at the rear had that same 40 year crusty look and was spitting at me. A quick trip to the parts store and an hour later, fixed.

Now try that on your Saturn or any newer vehicle, if you can even FIND the problem under all the other stuff they put on.

And the best part about my old girl. She only cost me $600 2 and a half years ago. I might, with gas, have $2000 in her to date.
 
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Mike, I'm with you on the old truck. I drove my (purchased used) 1977 Dodge for 23 years and, at least, 500,000 miles. I called it a bucket of bolts. If something broke, I could see it, remove it and replace it. I'm no mechanic but this thing was repairable. It looked like a truck and stuff under the hood could be identified. I believe by the time I sold it all that was original was the frame, sheet metal and power steering pump. Oh, my truck was air conditioned. I could see the road under my feet and with the rear sliding window open, lots of air conditioning.
 
I love my old truck. I'm an '87, and it's an '89. My dad purchased it brand new, now it's mine. I favor my motorcycle for gas economy mostly these days, or the wifes car. But I take it to work in the rain, or whenever I need to haul stuff. On another related subject, I HATE it when chicks drive trucks (ya know, the little 20 year old airheads with the hurley stickers who think life is all about getting what they want and looking cute....). Not saying women can't work, there are those who do, but I mean the ones who got them from daddy, usually a raised F150 with a NORCAL sticker on the back window and a bed that's never seen a 2x4 in it's life.... driving around, wasting gas, running over motorcyclists. Trucks are for WORK (and sometimes play), get a ruddy car, and a job, and a purpose....

Same goes for SUV (cage) drivers who buy a tank just so they can feel safe knowing if they hit anything, they'll win.

Sorry for the rant... I saw a sticker in the window of one of the aforementioned raised F150s earlier today that read "Silly Boys, Trucks are for Girls!".

My favorite thing about having an old truck is being able to drive and spill coffee all over the place without caring.
 
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Is it the straight 6? Hi-torque 232?

My buddy had one and he loved it. I had a 68 GMC with a 305 V-6 that in 4 wheel low and the granny gear in the transmission it would climb a house. When I worked on that truck I used to climb in the engine compartment and sit on the wheel well.
 
Mudder said:
Is it the straight 6? Hi-torque 232?

My buddy had one and he loved it. I had a 68 GMC with a 305 V-6 that in 4 wheel low and the granny gear in the transmission it would climb a house. When I worked on that truck I used to climb in the engine compartment and sit on the wheel well.
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Scott, The Jeep has the original Dauntless 350 v-8 (off the old Buick castings, not GM's), a Dana 3 speed manual tranny with a first gear so low most of the time I don't need 4wd (also can't stay in it over about 10mph). They were built for working. I try not to take her over 60mph, but I did do 70 on the highway one time.
 
Except for my time in the Marine Corps, I've been a mechanic for most of my life. I've wrenched on everything from lawn mowers to heavy equipment and I too am turned off by the engineering of today's vehicles. Well, at least for me being able to tinker. I'll always have an old truck around mainly for that purpose. Otherwise, that is why I switched trades and became a bodyman several years back.

I've had a handful of trucks over the years. First one was a '66 Chevy with a 366, 3 on the tree with overdrive. Man would that truck move!!! Then there were a couple early 70's 350 powered C10s, followed by an identical pair of big block '77 Dodges, and presently an '88 4.0 Jeep Comanche which is slowly getting restored as it is driven almost daily. Thinking of buying a co-workers project he hasn't touched in over 2 years. A '71 Chevy. This one would get a total frame off restoration and pampered till I can no longer tend to it.
 
cozee said:
Except for my time in the Marine Corps, I've been a mechanic for most of my life. I've wrenched on everything from lawn mowers to heavy equipment and I too am turned off by the engineering of today's vehicles. Well, at least for me being able to tinker. I'll always have an old truck around mainly for that purpose. Otherwise, that is why I switched trades and became a bodyman several years back.

I've had a handful of trucks over the years. First one was a '66 Chevy with a 366, 3 on the tree with overdrive. Man would that truck move!!! Then there were a couple early 70's 350 powered C10s, followed by an identical pair of big block '77 Dodges, and presently an '88 4.0 Jeep Comanche which is slowly getting restored as it is driven almost daily. Thinking of buying a co-workers project he hasn't touched in over 2 years. A '71 Chevy. This one would get a total frame off restoration and pampered till I can no longer tend to it.
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Cozee, I had one of those '71 Chevy's... it was a 6 cylinder that I inherited from my step-father... there was about 4 acres of space under the hood with this little engine down the middle. Great truck.. it sat in my drive way for over 6 months once never started, until the home owners association finally sent me a letter about having "an abandoned vehicle" in my driveway. I went out and tried to start it, nothing... so put a new battery in it and it fired up immediately. So I moved it to the other side of the driveway. After that I moved it once a week to keep the HOA satisfied. It was airconditioned like Franks.. you could throw a cat through the floorboard in a couple of places. The body was rusted out under both doors, but I could tow my boat anywhere I wanted and it didn't even know it back there.
It was an ugly powder blue that was oxidized to a powdery even paler blue and my step-father (he was an Okie) had put a swan on the hood... but a young Mexican knocked on my door one day and asked if I was interested in selling. I said, No. The he asked if I was interested in selling what would I ask.. I said no less than $500. He pulled out a wad of $100 bills - so I sold it. Still regret selling that truck.
 
Ive got an 88 f150 but it died on me and i havent figured out whats wrong with it
but it is easy to work on
ohio weather isnt being nice to it very rusty
 
Alan, Here's what she looked like when I got her. I put $10 worth of paint on her last year to get rid of the grey, but haven't taken a new pic yet.She now has an AC Orange (as in Tractor) and Gloss White scheme that similar to this truck http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=48656

At some point, most likely when we have a third car, I'll tear her down to the frame and rebuild her. She'll stay pretty close to stock with only minor upgrades (axles with discs, Electronic Ignition, and some new body panels to get rid of the rust.)
 

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My first vehicle was a 1971 3/4 ton Ford Pickup. Vinyl seats and a vinyl floor. Three speed on the column. It was an adventure to drive. When you nhit a good sized bump, you never knew what lane you would end up in!!! Making repairs was simple and easy - everything was easily accessable, and I loved that truck, red with white trim. It drove like a dream with a fill load in back, but never a dull moment empty.

I spent 20 years in the automotive aftermarket business(firestone-montgomeryward), and todays mechanics are more computer technicians that wrenches.

Dan
 
I Have 2000 F150 was gettin a miss fire so time to chance plugs and wire ( damm that shows my age), But NOOO you have to remove the fuel injector rail and a coil on each plug which happens to be 4" down. Can't even see the plugs. Then reading up online the plug only have 4 threads on them and the head is alluminum. So $800 later for a tune up I wish for the days I could fix a vehicle with duck tape and vise grips

Craig
 
My first truck was a 55 chevy pickup that the fenders flapped when I went down the road it was so rusty. I think upgraded to a 94 chevy truck. I drove that one for 13 years and sold it because I thought I wanted a car with "creature comforts" Sure having power windows and door locks is nice, but man do I miss my truck! As soon as I pay off the car I'm giving it to the wifey and buying an old truck where you don't have to have a computer hooked up to it to tell you what's wrong with it.
 
AAAHHH yes! And lets not forget those three speeds on the column that would wear and hang in between gears. And you had to raise the hood and fiddle with them. But bailing wire, black tape, screw driver and pliers and you were set to go anywhere. Stop and set the points every now and then, and those truck run forever. Maybe thats why they cost so much now. That '71 or '72 is worth more now in bad shape then it cost new. That auction site is always full of them and people pay that price for them. My ol beater is an '89 and it's to new. You can still see the motor and get to everthing but still has too much electronic stuff that you can't tell what keeps it from running if it dies.
 
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