Yea so most of yall know I was looking into a 5.0 or jeap. Well my dad and I are starting the first stage of our jeap project (looking for one to buy). So we scratched the 5.0 idea. Thing is, my dad is going to buy me a used (like a 04-06) truck when I finish high school this year.
Terms are I go to community college, and sell the mustang.
So if yall had like $15,000 to spend on a truck what would yall buy?
I want somthing that I can make fast. At first I was thinking the new body tacomas but they ONLY HAVE V6s! Whatever I get it WILL be a v8.
Considering a extended cab titan. Maybe I could get that into the 13-14s with some bolt-ons? What do yall think, what truck would yall buy?
Oh yea I'm getting a truck because my dad just bought 600 acres out in west texas, jeap will probably be kept up there so i don't HAVE to have a truck but would be nice. Would just buy a GT or z28 but insurance is horrible.
if i were to get a truck, it would be a new F series, with a diesel.
you can do some major work on a diesel for some serious torque and power.
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1965 Mustang Coupe Project: 1965 Mustang Inline 6 (For Now) Coupe, New Floors, New Quarters | Ford 9 Inch Rear, 11" Rear Disc Brakes, 3.50:1 Gears | Control Freak Front U/L Control Arms, Global West Adj. Strut Rods | KYB Gas-A-Justs, Grab-A-Trak 620 Coils & Mid-Eye 5-Leafs | Global West Tubular Subframe Connectors | Addco 1-1/8 Front Swaybar Kit
Trucks gobble gas. They're generally slower then cars with few exceptions. Are you going to be hauling a bunch of stuff or what? Why do people that nearly never haul anything get trucks? Is this is Texas issue or what?
Be a good smart yahoo, and get yourself a 4 banger Japanese car. Save gas, save $$, and get into your studies.
Then after you graduate and get one of those high paying jobs that haven't gone to India yet, reward yourself with a nice Mustang GT.
Delayed gratification. Get a cheapo daily driver for school....use your $$ to get laid, and have a little fun.
Listen to me! I'm old enough to be your father for pete's sake!
Trucks gobble gas. They're generally slower then cars with few exceptions. Are you going to be hauling a bunch of stuff or what? Why do people that nearly never haul anything get trucks? Is this is Texas issue or what?
Be a good smart yahoo, and get yourself a 4 banger Japanese car. Save gas, save $$, and get into your studies.
Then after you graduate and get one of those high paying jobs that haven't gone to India yet, reward yourself with a nice Mustang GT.
Delayed gratification. Get a cheapo daily driver for school....use your $$ to get laid, and have a little fun.
Listen to me! I'm old enough to be your father for pete's sake!
haha! i like your advice. it might be wise for him to pay attention, but i guess he's keen on the jeep.
Babii C, I have two teen aged daughters, ages 16 & 18...we go around and around about stuff they want that seems unreasonable... Oh well....I can't say I was any wiser when I was their age...I was perhaps worse....No, I WAS worse.
Why do people that nearly never haul anything get trucks? Is this is Texas issue or what?
I've always wondered the same thing, from the time I was 16... My '75 Chevy was hauling things at least once a week, whether it was Ag projects at school, carrying equipment to and from the restaraunt I worked at to the car wash to pressure wash it, carrying half the band's instruments to and from local events the school wasn't going to waste the diesel to use a bus for, hauling firewood for my mom's girl scout troop down roads her minivan could never handle, towing a friend's truck/car/ATV home, hauling hay, stringing barb wire, whatever it was, it got used.. so did my 1995 S10 when I was 17, hell, I worked that poor, pathetic excuse for a truck even harder! Pulled a fallen tree 2 miles with it to get it out of the road to a safe place, carried a small tractor all the way across the county for a friend, towed another down the road a ways, hauled bicycles for a Boy Scout charity drive, hauled canned food for the Thanksgiving food drive (I had more in my pickup than an elder in the church had in his 1-ton dually because "he didn't want to load it down too much!"). Almost every other kid in my high school had a pickup, but less than 5-10% of them actually used them for anything (of course, that was the 5-10% I hung out with, so it also lead to dares and much bench-racing about who's truck could do what, my '95 S10 pulled an F250 across the high school parking lot as a result of one such "discussion".. My 1975 Chevy was still working hard all the way up to a few weeks ago when she officially "retired" and I bought my 2003 Dodge, and the Dodge's already been hard at work, moving brush, pulling a Mustang, hauling car parts, moving a friend... I use the daylights outta my trucks, and when I didn't have a truck (short little 7 month span) I used whatever car I was driving like a truck, I hauled two transmissions across town in the trunk of my Thunderbird, and 2 radiators, a starter, an alternator, and three batteries in my '94 Saturn SL1.. at the same time!
Only answer I can come up with is the notorious Texas drive for independance... nothing chaps my ass more than for someone to offer to deliver something for me, I've got a truck dammit, I don't need any help! lol My dad, Grandpa, and uncles have all been the same way, all of them have or had a pickup, full-size van, or SUV, they either use(d) them constantly like I do mine, or have them just so they never have to rely on someone else.
Hey Godlik3?
All of the big-three brands of pickup are about equally upgradeable with the exception of the MDS Hemis and the Variable Displacement GMs. The imports tend to be somewhat less upgradeable than the domestics, but that's something that's changing quickly these days.
Personally? I looked at all of the 2003-2007 V8 pickups and picked my Dodge with it's 4.7 for a reason, it's smooth, powerful, and great on gas for a pickup (I average 15-17mpg, with a best of 28mpg (extremely ideal conditions, 39 miles, all highway, all at 52-58mph, no wind, mild weather, A/C off), and a worst of 11mpg (worst of conditions, 73 miles, at 93-105mph, it was an emergency, but the truck drove like a champ!) My second choice was a GMC 2500HD with the 6.0, whole reason I didn't go for it was because I didn't need a 3/4ton pickup.!
Get what you're comfortable with, and don't forget, all of the manufacturers have their own performance parts for these babies too,
Mopar has Dodge covered (can't wait till I save up for the HO cams and HO intake for my 4.7!!!) Ford Racing's got Ford's handled, TRD makes the parts to modify a Toyota, Nismo does the same for Nissan, and GM Performance Parts has the stuff for GMC and Chevrolet.
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1976 Ford Mustang II Ghia: 302 with a 600cfm Edelbrock carb, Edelbrock Performer 289 intake, Dynomax Blackjack headers, 2.5" exhaust with Flowmaster Super 44s. RJS 11-gallon fuel cell, C4 tranny, chrome 16" pony wheels, fuzzy dice, brown vinyl half-top, and painted in the tackiest color ever (harvest gold, that's why I call it "The Goldenrod").
Also have a 2003 Dodge Ram (lightly modded daily driver/tow rig/office/dining room/home away from home/workshop... I call it "The Big Blue Dawg".)
Personally, unless I wanted to build a truck to be a drag-racing truck (which would include lots of suspension mods, etc. to make up for the lack of weight in the rear-end), I wouldn't worry about making a truck super fast. I mean, the Lightnings were cool, and I have heard it said that they could still actually be used as a truck, but aside from factory sport-trucks (many of which don't seem to me like they would be much use for running through fields - they are built for the street) trucks are meant to be just that - trucks - not speedsters. Many of the trucks that are 'built' to be fast are also lowered to increase handling, which, again, means you aren't going to want to run them through a field. When it comes to a 'regular' truck - as in the kind you wouldn't mind running through a field - building a fast truck strikes me as being comparable to building a fast tractor - I really don't get the point. I know there are those who disagree with me but, as I said, this is my point of view. I have driven trucks as daily drivers, just so you don't think I am pulling my opinion from thin air. The list:
1964 Ford F100: converted to automatic (before I got it) with, at the time, a 400 engine (had a 351 when I got it but that engine was just about shot - we had the 400 'lying around', so in it went.) That one had impressive power and could move pretty well in a straight line, but handled like a truck - like a then 30 year old truck, in fact - so I treated it like a truck, not a musclecar. (Have mentioned this one to you before - was my daily driver for a couple of my College years and I still have it and plan to put it back on the road soon.)
1990 Dodge Dakota V6: Had plenty of power for a smaller truck. Had no problem hauling a load of furniture from Loudon (Knoxville area) to Nashville for some friends of mine (or with anything else I ever wanted to haul with it.) It easily kept up with the flow of traffic on that trip to Nashville - even while hauling furniture across all the hills, valleys, etc. between here and there. Totalled it when it slid two carlengths uphill at twenty miles an hour (seriously - there was a cop behind me, so I was being really careful) because trucks, being so light in the rear, don't always like to stop - especially in the rain - at even low speeds.
1994 Chevy 1500 W/T longbed V6: The sorriest excuse for a truck I have ever had the displeasure of driving. Didn't have the power to pull a greased string out of a cat's a$$ - but still managed to spin the tires or slide around on any kind of a grade, or have the rear end slide out in the rain (again, even at reasonable speeds) because, generally, that's what trucks do. When I got it, I wanted a big, full-sized truck because the accident in the Dakota made me 'gunshy' of small trucks (this was not my immediate next vehicle after the Dakota - I had a Grand Am for a few years in between)
2000 Ford Ranger extended cab XLT 4X4 shortbed flareside with a 4.0 V6: The greatest truck I have ever owned. Should have my a$$ kicked for getting a wild hair and trading it (for a piece of crap 2003 VW GTI that I traded a month later for my Mustang - if not for the fact I ended up with the nicest car I have ever owned, I'd still be kicking myself.) Had the factory lift and large tires, but still handled and rode comfortably (no high-speed maneuvers, but hey - it's a truck - they aren't meant for high speed maneuvers.) Had plenty of power for towing and getting around, but not a great deal of 'take-off' (probably due to the automatic transmission), which was my one problem with it. Again, not that I was trying to dragrace from a redlight, but pulling out into traffic from a stop, I like to be able to match speeds and get out of the way. Honestly, though, it still had more takeoff, better pickup and highway speed than the '03 V6 Mustang convertible I test drove (not slamming anybody's ride, that's just the truth from my experience.) The best thing about it was the automatic, shift on the fly four wheel drive. Any pickup truck can encounter conditions where the rear wheels have trouble gaining traction - it's their nature because of the light rear-end. Being able to switch to four wheel drive and ease on up out of such a condition is the single most important feature I would look for in any pickup truck I consider buying in the future. For convenience sake in regular conditions and 'running through fields', the auto locking hubs and auto transfer case would be my choice (although they don't seem to hold up as well to offroad trail use as do manual hubs and a manual shift transfer case like in my Bronco II, but I think there are some aftermarket parts to make the auto stuff stronger.)
As I have already alluded, pickups are generally light in the rear-end. Because of this, they can lose traction, have trouble getting traction or just be plain, downright 'squirrelly' to drive - even when driven sensibly. Of course, this is coming from someone living in Tennessee where there are lots of hills, valleys and steep curves and in an area that is literally considered a temperate rain forest. Your experience on the relatively straight, flat roads in Texas would likely be quite different.
Now, to give a direct answer to your question of, "If I were looking to buy a truck and had $15,000 or so to spend, what would I get?" For that kind of money, I would look for a newer model, used, shortbed (so I would have space to haul some things but not too much space so I wouldn't get roped into moving pianos and couches every weekend, not to mention better handling - plus, unless it is to be a true work truck, I don't really see the need for a longbed - I learned my lesson) flareside (love the flareside look) 4X4 Ranger with a 4.0. Get the extended cab - they are more comfortable than the standard cab (I worked with a guy who had a standard and I rode in it several times and drove it once or twice while I had mine, so I had the chance for direct comparison). Also, that extra space is nice for 'in the cab' storage space and you could put a nice sub box in there (since I know you already have an amp and subs in your Mustang that you could take out before you sell it and transfer over.) I bought my 2000 Ranger 4X4 used in the summer of 2004 (yeah, I've traded a lot in the last few years, which is out of character for me), with nearly 60k on the clock (which for a pickup is just getting broken in), for $10,500. It was the XLT model (highest package offered) with cloth bucket seats (bar none the single most comfortable seats I have ever sat on in any car, period - and other people who rode with me said the same), console, tilt steering, factory fog lights, factory AM/FM/Cassette/CD stereo, cruise control, jump seats in the back of the cab (pretty much useless except for a really small kid for a very short distance), sport wheels, nerf bars, practically new tires, sliding rear window, ventvisor pieces over the front side door windows and over the rear sliding window, ventvisor bug/rock guard, Rhinoliner in the bed and a soft tonneau cover. The truck was in excellent shape. In fact, the person who bought it after I traded it in lives somewhere in my area because I still see it from time to time (I recognize it because of a distinctive front license plate that was on it when I bought it and that neither I nor, apparently, the new owner removed) and it is still in excellent shape. The window price was a little over $11,000 and they had marked it down that very day from $12,000 - I know because I had looked at it earlier that week while they were closed. I managed to get them down a little more because I had cash in hand - I was changing jobs and had cashed in my retirement plan from the old job because I was in need of a vehicle.
Failing a Ranger, I would look at that Tacoma you were talking about - but 4WD would be a neccessity for me. If I can help it, I will never buy another truck that doesn't have 4WD capability. Toyota trucks seem to run forever and be very reliable and, from my limited experience with them, the 4WD capability in them is very good. Whatever the case, were it me, I would forget all notions of a fast truck and concentrate more on a reliable, usable truck.
Also, an SUV can be a good compromise between a truck and a car. In my experience, they handle better than a pickup, but you still have to be careful of the possibility of rollover.
Trucks gobble gas. They're generally slower then cars with few exceptions. Are you going to be hauling a bunch of stuff or what? Why do people that nearly never haul anything get trucks? Is this is Texas issue or what?
Be a good smart yahoo, and get yourself a 4 banger Japanese car. Save gas, save $$, and get into your studies.
Then after you graduate and get one of those high paying jobs that haven't gone to India yet, reward yourself with a nice Mustang GT.
Delayed gratification. Get a cheapo daily driver for school....use your $$ to get laid, and have a little fun.
Listen to me! I'm old enough to be your father for pete's sake!
Not all trucks 'gobble gas.' My 2000 Ranger averaged around 23mpg and it was 4WD. My 2WD V6 Dakota got great mileage. My Chevy 1500 got crappy mileage (yet one more reason to hate that truck.)
Trucks are slower than cars, not doubt. Of course, they still go fast enough to get speeding tickets.
I think part of the reason some folks like trucks for daily drivers is, as 74stang2togo said, they want to know that they have a truck if they need it. Also, trucks are, traditionally, good for a lot more miles than an comparable car. Godlik3 has already seen one advantage a truck has over a car when he ran his Mustang through a puddle in the rain - you won't drown most trucks (unless they have been lowered) in a few inches of standing water that could be enough to kill a car. Plus, some folks just like trucks. Why do people who don't habitually race get Mustangs, Camaros, etc. - or even Corvettes? Because they like them. Personally, I think trucks are generally more comfortable, easier to get in and out of and provide better visibility (as long as you aren't hauling something that blocks your field of vision) than most cars. (Not trying to be a smarta$$, just making an honest attempt at addressing your points.) Thing is, though, they are trucks, not sportscars, and should be driven as such (again, I know there are certain exceptions but this generally remains true.)
Godlik3, I agree with lovcom about not trying to buy a Mustang GT or a high-end (high maintenance) truck - or even worrying so much about 'modding' your vehicle right now (in fact, I think I have expressed that opinion specifically to you in more than one thread.) In your situation, dependability is much more important than speed. Find a good truck (or a car, or whatever) that will provide good, reliable transportation while you are in College. Be sure it is something you like well enough to 'live with' and even enjoy for the next few years. If you go with a truck, check insurance price differences between a 2WD and 4WD - they used to be pretty significant. If it isn't too big a difference, seriously consider 4WD (but remember that '4WD pickup' is not synonymous with 'serious offroad vehicle' - stay away from mudding, etc. unless you are looking for body damage, parts breakage, etc.) Pay attention to maintenance, keep the vehicle running well and just drive the heck out of it. That is the type of car or truck you need which, right now, is more important than having the car you want.
Buy an old short bed Chevy and put a 350ci in it... they're cheap and that 350 will give you a hell of a lot of power for $15000.... I know this is a Ford site, but before i got my 5.0 i owned a "78 Chevy Silverado w/a 350 and it could get up and go... blew the engine though ... so yeah....
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Red 95 GT 5speed
Mac cold air intake
Mac headers, off road H pipe, mufflers
under drive pulleys
3.73 gears
1.7:1 roller rockers
Trucks gobble gas. They're generally slower then cars with few exceptions. Are you going to be hauling a bunch of stuff or what? Why do people that nearly never haul anything get trucks? Is this is Texas issue or what?
Be a good smart yahoo, and get yourself a 4 banger Japanese car. Save gas, save $$, and get into your studies.
Then after you graduate and get one of those high paying jobs that haven't gone to India yet, reward yourself with a nice Mustang GT.
Delayed gratification. Get a cheapo daily driver for school....use your $$ to get laid, and have a little fun.
Listen to me! I'm old enough to be your father for pete's sake!
Go with a Ranger. Cheap dependable, and easy to park, drive, and haul engine parts for your jeep.
__________________
Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness,his upper rooms by injustice,making his countrymen work for nothing...Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar?Did not your father have food and drink?He did what was right and just,so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy,and so all went well...But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain,on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion. Jer 22:13, 15-17
Personally, unless I wanted to build a truck to be a drag-racing truck (which would include lots of suspension mods, etc. to make up for the lack of weight in the rear-end), I wouldn't worry about making a truck super fast. I mean, the Lightnings were cool, and I have heard it said that they could still actually be used as a truck, but aside from factory sport-trucks (many of which don't seem to me like they would be much use for running through fields - they are built for the street) trucks are meant to be just that - trucks - not speedsters. Many of the trucks that are 'built' to be fast are also lowered to increase handling, which, again, means you aren't going to want to run them through a field. When it comes to a 'regular' truck - as in the kind you wouldn't mind running through a field - building a fast truck strikes me as being comparable to building a fast tractor - I really don't get the point. I know there are those who disagree with me but, as I said, this is my point of view. I have driven trucks as daily drivers, just so you don't think I am pulling my opinion from thin air. The list:
1964 Ford F100: converted to automatic (before I got it) with, at the time, a 400 engine (had a 351 when I got it but that engine was just about shot - we had the 400 'lying around', so in it went.) That one had impressive power and could move pretty well in a straight line, but handled like a truck - like a then 30 year old truck, in fact - so I treated it like a truck, not a musclecar. (Have mentioned this one to you before - was my daily driver for a couple of my College years and I still have it and plan to put it back on the road soon.)
1990 Dodge Dakota V6: Had plenty of power for a smaller truck. Had no problem hauling a load of furniture from Loudon (Knoxville area) to Nashville for some friends of mine (or with anything else I ever wanted to haul with it.) It easily kept up with the flow of traffic on that trip to Nashville - even while hauling furniture across all the hills, valleys, etc. between here and there. Totalled it when it slid two carlengths uphill at twenty miles an hour (seriously - there was a cop behind me, so I was being really careful) because trucks, being so light in the rear, don't always like to stop - especially in the rain - at even low speeds.
1994 Chevy 1500 W/T longbed V6: The sorriest excuse for a truck I have ever had the displeasure of driving. Didn't have the power to pull a greased string out of a cat's a$$ - but still managed to spin the tires or slide around on any kind of a grade, or have the rear end slide out in the rain (again, even at reasonable speeds) because, generally, that's what trucks do. When I got it, I wanted a big, full-sized truck because the accident in the Dakota made me 'gunshy' of small trucks (this was not my immediate next vehicle after the Dakota - I had a Grand Am for a few years in between)
2000 Ford Ranger extended cab XLT 4X4 shortbed flareside with a 4.0 V6: The greatest truck I have ever owned. Should have my a$$ kicked for getting a wild hair and trading it (for a piece of crap 2003 VW GTI that I traded a month later for my Mustang - if not for the fact I ended up with the nicest car I have ever owned, I'd still be kicking myself.) Had the factory lift and large tires, but still handled and rode comfortably (no high-speed maneuvers, but hey - it's a truck - they aren't meant for high speed maneuvers.) Had plenty of power for towing and getting around, but not a great deal of 'take-off' (probably due to the automatic transmission), which was my one problem with it. Again, not that I was trying to dragrace from a redlight, but pulling out into traffic from a stop, I like to be able to match speeds and get out of the way. Honestly, though, it still had more takeoff, better pickup and highway speed than the '03 V6 Mustang convertible I test drove (not slamming anybody's ride, that's just the truth from my experience.) The best thing about it was the automatic, shift on the fly four wheel drive. Any pickup truck can encounter conditions where the rear wheels have trouble gaining traction - it's their nature because of the light rear-end. Being able to switch to four wheel drive and ease on up out of such a condition is the single most important feature I would look for in any pickup truck I consider buying in the future. For convenience sake in regular conditions and 'running through fields', the auto locking hubs and auto transfer case would be my choice (although they don't seem to hold up as well to offroad trail use as do manual hubs and a manual shift transfer case like in my Bronco II, but I think there are some aftermarket parts to make the auto stuff stronger.)
As I have already alluded, pickups are generally light in the rear-end. Because of this, they can lose traction, have trouble getting traction or just be plain, downright 'squirrelly' to drive - even when driven sensibly. Of course, this is coming from someone living in Tennessee where there are lots of hills, valleys and steep curves and in an area that is literally considered a temperate rain forest. Your experience on the relatively straight, flat roads in Texas would likely be quite different.
Now, to give a direct answer to your question of, "If I were looking to buy a truck and had $15,000 or so to spend, what would I get?" For that kind of money, I would look for a newer model, used, shortbed (so I would have space to haul some things but not too much space so I wouldn't get roped into moving pianos and couches every weekend, not to mention better handling - plus, unless it is to be a true work truck, I don't really see the need for a longbed - I learned my lesson) flareside (love the flareside look) 4X4 Ranger with a 4.0. Get the extended cab - they are more comfortable than the standard cab (I worked with a guy who had a standard and I rode in it several times and drove it once or twice while I had mine, so I had the chance for direct comparison). Also, that extra space is nice for 'in the cab' storage space and you could put a nice sub box in there (since I know you already have an amp and subs in your Mustang that you could take out before you sell it and transfer over.) I bought my 2000 Ranger 4X4 used in the summer of 2004 (yeah, I've traded a lot in the last few years, which is out of character for me), with nearly 60k on the clock (which for a pickup is just getting broken in), for $10,500. It was the XLT model (highest package offered) with cloth bucket seats (bar none the single most comfortable seats I have ever sat on in any car, period - and other people who rode with me said the same), console, tilt steering, factory fog lights, factory AM/FM/Cassette/CD stereo, cruise control, jump seats in the back of the cab (pretty much useless except for a really small kid for a very short distance), sport wheels, nerf bars, practically new tires, sliding rear window, ventvisor pieces over the front side door windows and over the rear sliding window, ventvisor bug/rock guard, Rhinoliner in the bed and a soft tonneau cover. The truck was in excellent shape. In fact, the person who bought it after I traded it in lives somewhere in my area because I still see it from time to time (I recognize it because of a distinctive front license plate that was on it when I bought it and that neither I nor, apparently, the new owner removed) and it is still in excellent shape. The window price was a little over $11,000 and they had marked it down that very day from $12,000 - I know because I had looked at it earlier that week while they were closed. I managed to get them down a little more because I had cash in hand - I was changing jobs and had cashed in my retirement plan from the old job because I was in need of a vehicle.
Failing a Ranger, I would look at that Tacoma you were talking about - but 4WD would be a neccessity for me. If I can help it, I will never buy another truck that doesn't have 4WD capability. Toyota trucks seem to run forever and be very reliable and, from my limited experience with them, the 4WD capability in them is very good. Whatever the case, were it me, I would forget all notions of a fast truck and concentrate more on a reliable, usable truck.
Also, an SUV can be a good compromise between a truck and a car. In my experience, they handle better than a pickup, but you still have to be careful of the possibility of rollover.
The ranger is actually quite a bit slower, but it "feels" faster because of the low gears.
I've driven plenty of trucks from Dodge, Chevy, Ford, and Toyota, my favorite has always been the Ranger.
Except for my 1977 F-150 SWB 4X4, but I had to get rid of that in college, even with gas running at $0.87. That thing would suck down my lunch and dinner money while going to the grocery store.
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Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness,his upper rooms by injustice,making his countrymen work for nothing...Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar?Did not your father have food and drink?He did what was right and just,so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy,and so all went well...But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain,on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion. Jer 22:13, 15-17
If you could have a truck... advice every 1. 
