My how trucks have grown...

In reply to Flynlow (Four-Digit Forum Supporter) :

My wife has given me permission to get an M715 if I sell a car.  She's a keeper.  

So who wants a 944 or Boxster S?  

In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :

Maybe a 944.  Depends on how far.  Wanted one ever since these dudes got the last two discount Road America roadside stand tickets last summer.  

terrible photos but her truck absolutely dwarfs the c10. 
 

it may be small but it looks cool. 

Torching ridgelines as a not a truck really makes me wonder about people  Who go full on triggered snowflake about it.  It's like the mere mentioning the word ridgline and truck makes them feel attacked.   For those folks  I'm sorry about your fragile masculinity   

anyway . I'm going to probably buy one soon. I need interior space for my three kids, dirty space for canoe/mountain bike/ camping stuff and all other small truck offerings have a tiny back seat for said kids.  
 

The Colorado may work,  I'll go look at one. New ranger has a laughable back seat and Toyota's are made of gold. they rust  just as fast as everything else up here. If I lived down south I'd probably get a Toyota. 
 

edit.  Wow I'm rambling and grammar is bad. 

Cousin_Eddie (Forum Supporter) said:

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

ShawnG said:

In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :

The Ranchero started out on a full size platform.

D'oh!  I thought the Falcon had it first.

1957 was the first, way before they went Falcon based. I've always wanted one. I personally think they were the prettiest Rancheros ever.

Before the first El Camino too which was 1959.

I'm surprised no one has started making the noses tilt like big trucks.  

It's probably because most commercial trucks would be considered absolute deathtraps if they weren't running into objects much smaller than themselves. If all they tested them against were each other and the customer bought on that as a big factor, the tilt nose would probably go away there too.  

Biggest truck I regularly use is still an 01 Ram 1500 (dads). I scheme about ways to change/improve it all the time (not that i dont like it for truck stuff already) but i never wish it was bigger. Other than to wish we had our 96 Ram 2500 back that got stolen. But that truck wasn't really better at anything, it just had a greater sense of occasion. 

I just need something to carry stuff around, like lawn/snow blowers, yard project material, etc.  So an old 80/90's mini truck is perfect for me, I don't need a huge F150/250 etc.  Won't be towing with it, don't want to have to crawl into the bed to get stuff or struggle to load/unload it.

I've found an 80's Mitsubishi 4x4 truck locally for a decent price, plan is to wait and see what my practice does this month, since this past week is the first week I've been open and then if that truck is still around, buy it.

My sister and BIL bought a new Ridgeline last year, its seriously nice.  I'd own one.  It does its share of issues though.  I think its been through like 3 sets of injectors so far, and who knows how long the next set will last.  It is covered under warrranty however.

At work we just bought a new F-250 turbo diesel.  It is HUUUGGGEEEE.  Parked next to our 2016 F-150, the 150 seems tiny.  Does anyone really need a truck this big.  We bought it because of govt. incentives, and they gave a nice discount to its $88k list price.  Yes, $88k.  It's nice an all, but geez.  And yes, it has an included ladder to set up to the bed.

In reply to bobzilla :

C10 is lowered right? Mine wasn't that low. 

I don't think the F150 is considered huge. Maybe compared to a 1990 mighty max but that trend is true for all modern vehicles. 

My roomates 2019 Camry is a big as the Mercedes s600 I had. 

I'm amazed this thread is 4 pages already. But, I guess we were due for our quarterly "trucks are big " discussion lol. 

Vigo (Forum Supporter) said:

I'm surprised no one has started making the noses tilt like big trucks.  

It's probably because most commercial trucks would be considered absolute deathtraps if they weren't running into objects much smaller than themselves. If all they tested them against were each other and the customer bought on that as a big factor, the tilt nose would probably go away there too.  

Biggest truck I regularly use is still an 01 Ram 1500 (dads). I scheme about ways to change/improve it all the time (not that i dont like it for truck stuff already) but i never wish it was bigger. Other than to wish we had our 96 Ram 2500 back that got stolen. But that truck wasn't really better at anything, it just had a greater sense of occasion. 

Serious question for the chassis engineers:  On a body on frame vehicle with a frame as high as a modern truck, how important is the cab forward of the firewall for collision safety?

Given that they have to engineer weak points in the frame, I would think that the cab (outside of the actual passenger cabin) is fairly unimportant.

The only nice thing about a flip front is that it is usually four pins and a connector or two and you can set it aside.  You still have the cooling stack and everything else in your way.  And at least on the GMs, half the engine bay is accessed through a doghouse, like a van.

yupididit said:

In reply to bobzilla :

C10 is lowered right? Mine wasn't that low. 

oh yeah. 2.5" spindles, 2 " springs, flip kit in the rear and cnotch

In reply to bobzilla :

So it isn't that much shorter than your other truck at stock height. 

I drove a customers 2wd F150 home last night on an extended test drive.  I stopped for groceries, and at 6'2", I could barely reach over the tailgate to set the bags down...and I couldn't open the tailgate because it was locked.  With a factory applied lock.  On a truck.  With no lid.

People want different things in trucks than I do.

yupididit said:

In reply to bobzilla :

So it isn't that much shorter than your other truck at stock height. 

It's about 9" shorter on level ground. Her GMT800 is about the last of the "normal size" trucks IMO. 

In reply to Streetwiseguy :

Those factory no-lid locks is because tailgates get stolen very often,  ask me how I know lol

yupididit said:

In reply to Streetwiseguy :

Those factory no-lid locks is because tailgates get stolen very often,  ask me how I know lol

and cost a couple grand to replace. 

Maybe it’s time for dropside or partial dropside beds.  I suspect NVH might be an issue, though - too many new sources for rattles.

yupididit said:

In reply to Streetwiseguy :

Those factory no-lid locks is because tailgates get stolen very often,  ask me how I know lol

Not the best username/comment combination 

I remember when that happened.

eastsideTim said:

Maybe it’s time for dropside or partial dropside beds.  I suspect NVH might be an issue, though - too many new sources for rattles.

There is really no reason for the beds to be that high, there is so much airspace under modern trucks it is silly.  And they definitely don't have that much suspension travel either.

Didn't Dodge have a work truck recently that had tool boxes built in to the outside of the bed, or is this one of those parallel-universe things I remember like the Dodge hybrid pickups that had 220v AC (might have even been 3 phase) outlets in the bed?

Edit:  You know what would rock?  A Transit Connect ute.  Parts delivery guys would eat them up now that all of the final gen 2wd Rangers that they'd hoarded are gone.

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

 

Edit:  You know what would rock?  A Transit Connect ute.  Parts delivery guys would eat them up now that all of the final gen 2wd Rangers that they'd hoarded are gone.

With how popular the Transit Connects have become with businesses that don’t need full size vans, I think you’re right. I suspect they just don’t think they could sell enough to make it worth their while.  

If I really needed a full size truck for work purposes, I think I’d look into a Transit chassis cab and an aftermarket aluminum bed.  Probably more space than an F150, and due to the engine being partial tucked under the cab, it might even be shorter and more maneuverable.

bobzilla said:

yupididit said:

In reply to bobzilla :

So it isn't that much shorter than your other truck at stock height. 

It's about 9" shorter on level ground. Her GMT800 is about the last of the "normal size" trucks IMO. 

Yea, the GMT800 isn't big compared to the trucks that came after it. The 900 is much bigger when you place them side by side. 

I would rather do parts delivery in a regular van. Pickups don't work well in rain and snow.

Now for a daily driver, I would love a Promaster/Transit Connect based ute. Although the Promaster somehow has the turning radius of a full size truck. Compact pickups are great commuter vehicles because the visibility is so good, you lose that with a van.

Unless your commute is to the construction site or farm compact pickups are terrible commuter vehicles.  I've done it.  Poor fuel economy, uncomfortable, crappy handling, all your stuff is in the open (unless you have a cap/lid) and most importantly no fun to drive.  Fiesta ST, GTI or even a Neon back in the day are better at commuting.

ShawnG said:

In reply to Klayfish :

I think registration is up to the local authorities.

My wife's 1999 3/4 ton Suburban is a car but my 2003 Tacoma is a truck, according to the socialist insurance company of British Columbia.

My landy is considered a "station wagon" according to the NJ DMV