Family Truck
Make a cup of coffee, more auto tech talk coming.
When I was searching for my Dream Work-Truck, my first consideration was to find one with minimal rust on the body or frame. The Dodge truck from Tennessee (where they do not use salt on their roads very often) had no rust. There were some dents but I could straighten those. Vehicles from southern and southwestern states and ones not driven much during winter in other states are often free of rust.
Next on my want list was finding a heavy duty truck. Not too heavy, not too light. 3/4-ton was just right. 3/4-ton trucks may look like 1/2-ton models but they have heavy duty suspension parts. I also wanted real bumpers which most of these trucks had. If I have a fender-bender with my truck it’s not my fender I worry about.
I wanted an engine in my truck that was made by the millions so parts would be easy to find. The 318 cubic inch Mopar engine was my choice. It has been around for decades and used in just about every full size vehicle built by Dodge, Plymouth and Chrysler. New and rebuilt parts are inexpensive and easy to find. There are stock and after-market parts to customize performance if you like. Chevy and Ford have engines of similar displacement and truck model choices as good as my Dodge. I just like Dodges.
It is not politically correct or “green,” but I wanted a vehicle built before the hysteria of emissions controls came along. That meant finding something made before 1976. An engine with so many wires, tubes and inexplicable little electric and mechanical gizmos attached that it looks like it is on life support violated my simplicity requirement. Fortunately there were untold numbers of vehicles like I wanted available in 1980. It is a little harder to find them now.
Next time I’ll give more reasons for adopting an elderly truck into your family.
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Reader Bob Taylor has a 1991 Nissan pickup with a gas engine and wants to investigate getting a small diesel pickup with better mileage. He remembers Isuzu selling such a pickup that got 50 miles per gallon.
Bob, Isuzu has been around since 1936 and they are still here. I know general things about them but I always had trouble getting my fingers into those tiny engine parts and using those odd sized little wrenches they need.
If you want an Isuzu engine you will find them under the hood of Chevy trucks and cars these days. Google Isuzu Diesel Engines and you will find plenty of information to start your search. You will find contacts for technical information, history, vehicles for sale and parts to fix them.
In these latest posts I recommend specializing in one brand of vehicle, even one particular model year. If an Isuzu diesel pickup is your Dream Vehicle then go for it. However, read my next post or two and maybe you will be converted to an alternative vehicle buying philosophy. You may decide to consider something as tempting as the 1930’s vintage beauty in the above picture to use in your business. Notice the resemblance to the PT Cruiser which is so popular these days? Retro styling means old will be new again.
