What were the last of the real trucks

New trucks to me are glorified, lifted cars with leather, heated seats and electronic nanny aids.

What are the last real trucks in your opinions?

My choice is late 60s to early 70's

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1969-Ford-F-250-4x4-Regular-Cab-No-Reserve-/121024414373?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item1c2d9e02a5

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1971-F-250-4X4-HIGH-BOY-CHASSIS-390-ENGINE-DANA-60-HEADERS-SUPER-SWAMPERS-/281027384427?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item416e89946b

Any trucks w/ granny low, manual t-case and rubber floor mats you could pop the cab corner plugs n hose it out after a day in the woods or a mud run.

80's at the latest

Early 90's was the last good ones. Straight axles, real low-range transfer cases, good engines, and bullet-proof EFi with no nannies. I'd love a late 80's/early 90's Grand Wagoneer, an early 90's Diesel F-250, etc. Vinyl interior for the pickup!

IDK what size of truck you're looking at, but I would argue the XJ Cherokee and Comanche as the last of the true "bare-bones-ish" utility vehicles. The few comfort features they had didn't really work anyhow, and the interior was definitely DESIGNED in the 1960s, from the looks of things.

So that would be up to about 1992 or so.

I would also argue that Toyota pickups through the early 90s or so (4x4/Hilux). As we all know from Top Gear, they're indestructible. And if you've ever been to Afghanistan or Africa....they are ALL OVER THE PLACE. The #1 choice for people who can't get spare parts, drive in inhospitable terrain ALL the time, and need stuff that runs forever and can carry an anti-aircraft gun.

Hell, the US military even shipped a bunch of them over to Afghanistan to use....and they didn't need no stinkin' CAMO!

my personal favorite though...

irish44j wrote: I would also argue that Toyota pickups through the early 90s or so (4x4/Hilux). As we all know from Top Gear, they're indestructible. And if you've ever been to Afghanistan or Africa....they are ALL OVER THE PLACE. The #1 choice for people who can't get spare parts, drive in inhospitable terrain ALL the time, and need stuff that runs forever.

As long as they never see snow or road salt ... otherwise they start to self compost.

Now for a REAL Truck:

My company vehicle is a 2011 F250, and it has a rubber floor mat, vinyl seats, manual hubs, manual transfer case, and a solid front axle. All hope is not lost.

the last decent truck (a combination of looks and utility) that i've seen was the '02 Chevy HD2500. the one i had came with the 300hp 6.0 gas engine, 4L80E trans, 14 bolt rear end with 4.10:1 gears and posi, heavy duty suspension and electrical system with the "plow prep" package, towing package with all the wiring for the trailer brake, rubber floor mat instead of carpet, roll up windows, am/fm stereo and- most importantly- a real throttle cable and none of that silly "torque management" tuning crap that makes new GM trucks absolutely suck when you load them down. the only way that truck would have been better would have been if it had the 8100 engine backed by the old cast iron 4 speed manual trans and cast iron NP205 transfer case and a Dana 60 solid axle up front instead of that stupid IFS setup they've had since 88. gas mileage would have dropped a lot without the overdrive and the old trans doesn't shift as smoothly- but dammit, it's a truck that was built to do truck stuff and gas mileage and easy shifting are things that take a backseat to pure brute force and durability in a truck.

mine looked almost exactly like this, only pewter instead of blue and without the bed rails:

it would tow a 20 foot car trailer with a 3500 pound car like it wasn't even there, and a couple thousand pounds of scrap iron in the back hardly made it squat. i miss that truck..

turbojunker wrote: My company vehicle is a 2011 F250, and it has a rubber floor mat, vinyl seats, manual hubs, manual transfer case, and a solid front axle. All hope is not lost.

Does it have manual roll down windows?

As far as full size suvs go, 1991 was the last year of the "real" ones imo. They were the last year for the square bodied Suburbans.

In reply to novaderrik:

My Dad has one of these, it wears a cap full of tools, average total weight is about 8k lbs. You hardly notice it, the thing really is a beast.

In Chevy it's the HD, in Ford it's the Super Duty. You can still get them with painted bumpers and manual windows, as far as I know. The 'standard' trucks are just cars with beds.

Yup, they still exist in 3/4 ton form (alongside the fancy pants Texas ranch platinum editions).

I believe 2011 was the last year you could get manual hubs as a factory option on F250's. When I built one online recently, I couldn't find them.

As far as the last of the "true" old style trucks, imho its the 1993 Dodge (last of the boxy body style, pre-Ram). Even the most luxury optioned versions were minimalist by today's standards.

Personally, I don't mind power windows in a truck. That passenger door window is a hell of a long ways away...

turbojunker wrote: My company vehicle is a 2011 F250, and it has a rubber floor mat, vinyl seats, manual hubs, manual transfer case, and a solid front axle. All hope is not lost.

This.

Modern half-ton trucks are mommymobiles for people whose image problems can't have them be seen in a car. They're leather and SYNC and pushbutton transfer case (if it's not 100% automatic) and doilies on the bedcover. In a perverse twist of fate, they are also usually so tall that the bed is over waist high, which is the truck's way of saying "You don't actually want to put anything in the bed, you know."

If you want to buy a truck so that you can do truck things like tow and haul and plow and clean out the inside with a hose and a brush every now and then, the world starts at 3/4 ton.

Depends in what market...could be the late '80s/early '90s Hilux/4runner (in North America/Europe) or the Nissan Patrol utility pickup that was produced right up to the early 2000s IIRC, or the Toyota FJ-series utility pickups still produced today (South Africa/Australia/South America/Caribbean)

Base trucks are still available. Almost nobody buys them but fleet customers. Sure, some things like AC, radios and power windows have become standard, but its cheaper to build with that stuff than try to maintain seperate parts for a low take rate option.

My dad's criteria is that you have to be able to hose out the interior. His newest truck was an '84 Isuzu P'up that was indestructable. Gutless 4 cyl, but you could still do burnouts all day long with no load in the back.

Knurled wrote:

turbojunker wrote: My company vehicle is a 2011 F250, and it has a rubber floor mat, vinyl seats, manual hubs, manual transfer case, and a solid front axle. All hope is not lost.

This. Modern half-ton trucks are mommymobiles for people whose image problems can't have them be seen in a car. They're leather and SYNC and pushbutton transfer case (if it's not 100% automatic) and doilies on the bedcover. In a perverse twist of fate, they are also usually so tall that the bed is over waist high, which is the truck's way of saying "You don't actually want to put anything in the bed, you know."

And they can tow and haul more than the "manly" vintage trucks of yore, and outrun them, all while delivering better mileage and cleaner emissions. I love the fact that my F-150 can haul and tow like a champ, but also has a really nice interior. To me it's the best of both worlds. But by all means, keep ripping the bestselling vehicles on the road for being "soft" because they have Sync.

Full size trucks died in the late 70's early 80's with all the escalation of emissions and electronics killed off a lot of fixing it on your own. Was the last years of getting carbs, 3onthetree or CI 4-spds, manual steering, two working gauges when new, etc...

"Mini" trucks got stupid complex around 92-95. Still could get the rubber mat, crank windows, no AC, stick deals up into the 00's, but still need a BSEE to fix them at times.

Even in 3/4 ton almost all is lost...I'm not sure about the 3500 series.

I was looking online last night, and it seems the only 3/4 available with a manual trans is the Dodge CTD.

Only Toyota and Nissan offer anything with a stick that doesn't require a mortgage to buy new. Not good for people who want a basic full size truck with a stick.

Sure autos have higher tow ratings and better resale, but I want something where if there is a slip in the driveline, you can fix it in an afternoon in the driveway for under $500. Not several thousand dollars and days in the shop.

ddavidv wrote: In Chevy it's the HD, in Ford it's the Super Duty. You can still get them with painted bumpers and manual windows, as far as I know. The 'standard' trucks are just cars with beds.

you say "painted bumpers" like that's a good thing.. are there any trucks made today that have actual honest-to-goodness steel bumpers on them that don't cave in and/or shatter in a 5mph collision?

before i bought it from my cousin, he hit a deer hard at 60mph with the right front of my 87 GMC truck... it tweaked the bumper about 1/4" back and put a small crack in the plastic headlight bezel. that might also be what broke one of the mounting lugs on that side of the grille, but i'm not sure about that.. the fender and hood didn't get bent at all.. are there any new trucks sitting on dealer lots right now that wouldn't be in for a $5k trip to the body shop after that happened?

My 97 f150 is pretty close to your real truck definition. Vinyl floors, 5 speed, and ecu only controls the engine, roll up windows, manual mirrors, etc. When I replace it due to rust, I'll be looking for an exact replacement(save maybe cruise.)

F250 Powerstroke with the International engine and manual transmission .

So I gather a real truck is one that sucks to drive. I'll stick to my 2008 dodge 3500. I like old trucks, but I don't mind being comfortable.

bearmtnmartin wrote: So I gather a real truck is one that sucks to drive. I'll stick to my 2008 dodge 3500. I like old trucks, but I don't mind being comfortable.

I agree. I have land to tend to, cars to tow, crap to haul, two kids to drop at school and a commute. Nothing wrong with modern trucks.

I'll throw my vote for best all-around utility truck: Nissan 720 4WD extended cab, 5spd up through the earliest Frontiers. If you don't need to tow, these will do everything else. Big trucks don't work off road.