Need help picking a beater truck

I'm looking for a beater truck, and don't have much experience with trucks in general, so I'm not sure what generations of what trucks were good/bad. My budget is ~$6k, and I need 4x4. Just looking for something to be a parts hauler, fishing rig, hunting rig, etc.

Here's what I've been leaning towards so far based on what I can find on various forums: 80s/early 90s F-150 with I-6 (don't see many with this motor on CL), Last gen K1500, Tahoe from same gen as K1500.

Not a big fan of Broncos/Blazers.

Any other ideas? Experiences? Anything I should absolutely positively avoid? I'm definitely willing to go older, just don't want something that's going to suck to drive.

buy on condition

Buy whatever appears to have been looked after well, with decent tires.

Then don't do ANY of the things you see on televised truck ads.

I'd get a late model (99+) silverado/tahoe/suburban. Easily found in the price range. Reliable and cheap to fix if they break. Leaps and bounds above the older trucks.

97-99 F150 with either the 4.2 or 4.6.

S10/S15 with the 4.3

/thread

.... ok, I'll explain more

The F150s with the 4.6L have been long-proven to last darn near forever. Make sure its not a COP version (coil-on-plug) because they fail regularly and are very difficult to diagnose. The later 5.4L have those funky long spark plugs that like to seize in the head. The 4R70W trans isn't the best, but if you find one with the 5-speed its the M5OD with an excellent reputation. The M5ODs get a bad rep because people don't pay attention to oil spots on their driveway, a seal blows out, and then they don't notice the plumes of oil smoke behind them, and then they have a pile of scrap. I used to run 13 transmission shops. The M5OD is an awesome tranny.

The S-trucks with the 4.3 are pretty bulletproof, although they do like to rust. The 4.3 is a 3/4 version of a 350. Parts are cheap and you probably won't need any. 4L60E auto is overkill, and the manual tranny will either be a T5 on the older models or an NV3550 on later models. Both of them are overkill, but I wouldn't do any heavier towing with a T5

On any truck, don't get the pushbutton 4x4. They use vacuum, electric motors, solenoids, and unicorn pee to function. If you're too lazy to reach down and pull a shifter three times a year, you don't deserve to drive.

The Ford will likely have a Borg Warner transfer case; smooth shifting, fair strength, reliable. The GM will likely have a NP transfer case; stronger, a little clunkier, deeper low ratio, reliable. Both will be chain drive cases, so don't go crawling Moab with 37" tires.

I currently have a Dakota. Its a fine truck, but the 3.9L is very wimpy, especially considering the 18-20 mpg I'm getting. My Sonoma got 26 (2wd) with the 4.3L. I'm also not a fan of the plasticky interior of the Dodge. Its a fine truck though.

Yeah Curtis is right. Dad had 3 F150s with over 200K on them. Still kicking hard. All 4.6s

If you don't plan on abusing it and want a truck that goes UP in value find yourself an inline 6 4x4 Jeep Comanche in the best shape possible. They are hard to find but $5k should get you a nice one. All Cherokee parts swap over so all the XJ goodness plus a bed.

I still want one for my next pickup.

that's too much to fit my definition of "beater".. that's getting into "nice truck" money..

i have $1000 into my 87 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4- and $500 of that was in tires i added a couple of years later.. it's rusty.. it's ugly.. it drinks gas at the rate of 9 miles per gallon... but it's dependable and i don't care if anything gets scratched or dented on it..

Don't forget about the 90's and earlier Fords with the 300 cube I6.

My wife has a 96 F-150 with a 300 and a M5OD and it's the best damn truck I've ever had.

My '90 250HD with a 460 and E4OD is a close second.

Trans_Maro wrote: Don't forget about the 90's and earlier Fords with the 300 cube I6. My wife has a 96 F-150 with a 300 and a M5OD and it's the best damn truck I've ever had. My '90 250HD with a 460 and E4OD is a close second.

Love to find me a 90-94 F250 4wd extended cab.

I have one and agree with the vast majority of these guys:

http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/ford/f150/1995/single-page/

Had a '90 F-150 XLT Lariat 4X4 w/ 300 six E40D, absolutely loved it.

I'm looking at selling my '04 Silverado 4.8l with a manual shift 4wd for well less than your max budget, so clearly there are plenty around in that price range.

Decide early if you want an extended or crew cab, because you can't easily add seats later, and if you are OK with a W/T package truck, because they are cheaper to buy but also don't sell for as much on the back end.

If you just need something small and simple, my choice would be an old Nissan hardbody 4x4 or old Toyota 4x4. Reliable, common, easy to work on, tough. They can also be found in a wide range of conditions, so stock, cheap, beater, expensive, modified, etc., are all out there to buy.

i have honestly loved every pickup ive ever owned

Another idea... For $6k, you could buy an El Camino with no drivetrain, drop in a Suby STI drivetrain with a fair amount of cut 'n paste. Bingo... cool 4x4 truck.

curtis73 wrote: Another idea... For $6k, you could buy an El Camino with no drivetrain, drop in a Suby STI drivetrain with a fair amount of cut 'n paste. Bingo... cool 4x4 truck.

be easier to just get a 4X4 S series and swap a 350 in... it's not that hard- i did it in my garage with basic tools and a welder..

I don't bother with other brands, because I just like Fords better. I just know which ones have issues and work around those. You've got a pretty decent budget to work with. About six months ago, when I thought I would lose my company car, I planned on buying a beater truck as an interim solution because they are fairly easy to fix/work on, are plentiful, and junkyards make cheap repairs easy. Herewith some notes from my research:

Fuel injection 1987 and onwards (run much better, superior mpg)

1994 first year for airbag

1997 first year for Triton engines, and all the foibles they carry (blowing out spark plugs, plugs breaking off in heads)

1999 first year for Super Duty (a real truck; not the car-with-a-bed F150s have become)

1996 last year for the 300 six

My plan, shopping in the market about half of what you are spending, was to buy a 300 six with fuel injection. These were fairly plentiful in all both standard and extended cab configurations and trim levels (I was, however, shopping 4x2). ALL Ford pickups rust out over the rear wheels; they make patch panels, so if you only need one for beater use, it's a great bargaining chip. Watch for rusted radiator supports, rusted brake and fuel lines, and generally, uh, rust. There's enough solid ones out there to not bother with the really rotten ones. I really wanted a SD, but the only ones falling within my budget had 200,000+ miles on them and were pretty haggard. Lots of SD's were bought for commercial use (around here, townships and park services used them) so there are plenty with rubber floor mats and crank windows to choose from. After researching the 5.4 Triton on a few web sites I'd still buy one, just be aware of the pitfalls and hopefully find one that's had plugs replaced already (usually the first set is what causes the problems). You really can't go wrong with the mighty 300 six, though, if you're willing to shop for something that old. It's the Mopar Slant Six cockroach of Fords.

I briefly skimmed GM trucks enough to find some years had problems with leaking intake manifolds. That's as far as I got before deciding to stick with what I know.

I have to say I rarely hear anything good about Dodges. Front suspensions wear out, doors rust out, they tend to be bad on gas...and I just never liked the way they felt.

Anything smaller than a full size truck to me isn't useful. I know others on here will say they use their S-10 or Rabbit pickup to do XY and Z but I've found all smaller pickups to be lacking in both driver comfort and utility. I've owned several of various brands and none of them stuck around long.

I have a 95 F150 with a 5.8. It is a truck and it cost me $1000. What else can I say about it?

ddavidv wrote: 1996 last year for the 300 six

And only real year for Mass Air (California got Mass Air in '95?). I paid $1,000 for this 1996 inline 6,auto, new tires, dual tanks, with towing package, etc. "The Green Hornet" runs like a dream.

ddavidv wrote: I don't bother with other brands, because I just like Fords better. I just know which ones have issues and work around those. You've got a pretty decent budget to work with. About six months ago, when I thought I would lose my company car, I planned on buying a beater truck as an interim solution because they are fairly easy to fix/work on, are plentiful, and junkyards make cheap repairs easy. Herewith some notes from my research: Fuel injection 1987 and onwards (run much better, superior mpg) 1994 first year for airbag 1997 first year for Triton engines, and all the foibles they carry (blowing out spark plugs, plugs breaking off in heads) 1999 first year for Super Duty (a real truck; not the car-with-a-bed F150s have become) 1996 last year for the 300 six My plan, shopping in the market about half of what you are spending, was to buy a 300 six with fuel injection. These were fairly plentiful in all both standard and extended cab configurations and trim levels (I was, however, shopping 4x2). ALL Ford pickups rust out over the rear wheels; they make patch panels, so if you only need one for beater use, it's a great bargaining chip. Watch for rusted radiator supports, rusted brake and fuel lines, and generally, uh, rust. There's enough solid ones out there to not bother with the really rotten ones. I really wanted a SD, but the only ones falling within my budget had 200,000+ miles on them and were pretty haggard. Lots of SD's were bought for commercial use (around here, townships and park services used them) so there are plenty with rubber floor mats and crank windows to choose from. After researching the 5.4 Triton on a few web sites I'd still buy one, just be aware of the pitfalls and hopefully find one that's had plugs replaced already (usually the first set is what causes the problems). You really can't go wrong with the mighty 300 six, though, if you're willing to shop for something that old. It's the Mopar Slant Six cockroach of Fords. I briefly skimmed GM trucks enough to find some years had problems with leaking intake manifolds. That's as far as I got before deciding to stick with what I know. I have to say I rarely hear anything good about Dodges. Front suspensions wear out, doors rust out, they tend to be bad on gas...and I just never liked the way they felt. Anything smaller than a full size truck to me isn't useful. I know others on here will say they use their S-10 or Rabbit pickup to do XY and Z but I've found all smaller pickups to be lacking in both driver comfort and utility. I've owned several of various brands and none of them stuck around long.

This is some awesome information, thanks! I've been leaning that direction myself, being a Ford fanboy and all. If I can find one for $2-3k, that'd be perfect. Leaves money for other things that I probably don't need!

curtis73 wrote: .... ok, I'll explain more The F150s with the 4.6L have been long-proven to last darn near forever. Make sure its not a COP version (coil-on-plug) because they fail regularly and are very difficult to diagnose. The later 5.4L have those funky long spark plugs that like to seize in the head. The 4R70W trans isn't the best, but if you find one with the 5-speed its the M5OD with an excellent reputation. The M5ODs get a bad rep because people don't pay attention to oil spots on their driveway, a seal blows out, and then they don't notice the plumes of oil smoke behind them, and then they have a pile of scrap. I used to run 13 transmission shops. The M5OD is an awesome tranny. The S-trucks with the 4.3 are pretty bulletproof, although they do like to rust. The 4.3 is a 3/4 version of a 350. Parts are cheap and you probably won't need any. 4L60E auto is overkill, and the manual tranny will either be a T5 on the older models or an NV3550 on later models. Both of them are overkill, but I wouldn't do any heavier towing with a T5 On any truck, don't get the pushbutton 4x4. They use vacuum, electric motors, solenoids, and unicorn pee to function. If you're too lazy to reach down and pull a shifter three times a year, you don't deserve to drive. The Ford will likely have a Borg Warner transfer case; smooth shifting, fair strength, reliable. The GM will likely have a NP transfer case; stronger, a little clunkier, deeper low ratio, reliable. Both will be chain drive cases, so don't go crawling Moab with 37" tires. I currently have a Dakota. Its a fine truck, but the 3.9L is very wimpy, especially considering the 18-20 mpg I'm getting. My Sonoma got 26 (2wd) with the 4.3L. I'm also not a fan of the plasticky interior of the Dodge. Its a fine truck though.

Great info, thanks. I'm looking for a full-size so the S10 is out, and I just can't get over the looks of that generation of F-150

coldaudio wrote: Great info, thanks. I'm looking for a full-size so the S10 is out, and I just can't get over the looks of that generation of F-150

They aren't very pretty, you're right. I did have a 95 F250 powerstroke for a long time. I much prefer that body style, and for your budget you should be able to find one with low miles.

Of course, most diesel F250s from that era will have a half-zillion miles on them, but I found a 99 Powerstroke van with 93k for $4500. The powerstroke isn't a necessity, but even when you consider the oil changes and other more expensive maintenance, the 22+ mpg will mean lower operating costs. Plus, consider resale value and long-term lack of repairs and it will definitely keep more money in your wallet.

But... the same era 4.9L inline six is equally reliable.

My 95 'stroke was the stripped-down, rubber-floor, no radio version. I added A/C. It was a 4x2, but I used it from 30k miles to 110k miles and actually didn't lose a penny when I sold it. I actually made $310 because of a dent that was covered by insurance and I didn't fix.