Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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Yeah, I hate that tiny, can’t fit well if you’re over 6’ tall, underpowered screaming 85 ponies, sparsely appointed, roll yer own windows and an AM radio, trucks aren’t available any more….
I’m sure they’d sell like hotcakes! Lol
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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Although in all seriousness, a little OBS S-10 or S-15 with the 4.3 and a 5speed would be sweet. Would be a good commuter for the boy.
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valhalla360
No paticular place.
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Grit dog wrote:Yeah, I hate that tiny, can’t fit well if you’re over 6’ tall, underpowered screaming 85 ponies, sparsely appointed, roll yer own windows and an AM radio, trucks aren’t available any more….
I’m sure they’d sell like hotcakes! Lol
I'm 6'2" and the regular cab was plenty spacious. If I had a couple of my football buddies, it was a bit crammed but otherwise no issue for 2 big guys.
Actually had 93hp but it only weighed in just over 3000lb curb weight. No you aren't going to win a lot of drag races but plenty of pep for normal driving.
Sure our current F250 has 365hp but also weighs in at 7500lb, so it needs that extra HP.
Tammy & Mike
Ford F250 V10
2021 Gray Wolf
Gemini Catamaran 34'
Full Time spliting time between boat and RV
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MFL
Midwest
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Grit dog wrote:Although in all seriousness, a little OBS S-10 or S-15 with the 4.3 and a 5speed would be sweet. Would be a good commuter for the boy.
![[image]](https://i.imgur.com/qp5e2lAl.jpg)
I traded my Chevy Cheyenne sport for this gem, in the early 80s. Gas shortage took my 454 away, replaced by this 4-banger 4-speed commuter/workhorse. Notice the snowmobile in the bed, on way to trailhead, with new GF. I am 6' but truck makes me look BIGGER!
![[image]](https://i.imgur.com/kEjss0ol.jpg)
At my apartment building, loaded for a 400 mile trip. Big load, no problem. With the pedal flat to floor, could reach 70 mph! Backed off a bit though, not wantin to kill all those horses.
Jerry
.jpg)
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garyp4951
TN
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Jerry, yes the good old days, I wish I could forget trading my Dodge Super Bee for a Chevy Vega due to gas prices, getting married, and long commutes to work.
Grit, I agree that the 4.3 was a little beast of a motor I had in a 1985 swb Chevy 4spd granny 4wd truck.
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rjstractor
Maple Valley, WA
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The 70s and 80s Japanese trucks like the Ford Courier (actually a Mazda B series) were IMO tougher and more reliable than the first Ranger and S10. IIRC those Couriers had pretty stout spring packs. The photo shows a decent size street bike and lots of camping gear in the bed and the truck is sitting level. They just didn't have any power.
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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valhalla360 wrote:Grit dog wrote:Yeah, I hate that tiny, can’t fit well if you’re over 6’ tall, underpowered screaming 85 ponies, sparsely appointed, roll yer own windows and an AM radio, trucks aren’t available any more….
I’m sure they’d sell like hotcakes! Lol
I'm 6'2" and the regular cab was plenty spacious. If I had a couple of my football buddies, it was a bit crammed but otherwise no issue for 2 big guys.
Actually had 93hp but it only weighed in just over 3000lb curb weight. No you aren't going to win a lot of drag races but plenty of pep for normal driving.
Sure our current F250 has 365hp but also weighs in at 7500lb, so it needs that extra HP.
Yup, for sure. But 2022 called 1983 and told them that no one wants 93hp trucks with paper thin seats that don’t recline.
Sure, you could ride an Allis Chalmers from here to Kansas, but you wouldn’t like it. Same thing with trucks.
I don’t disagree with you on the need for simple basic vehicles but even so, all the required electrical Nannie’s and features basically preclude simple, anymore.
And PS, we never chose the kid who had the squarebody S10 or the Nissan pickup for road trips. Why? Comfort. That’s where my 70 Impala stepped up. Lotsa ponies and comfortable. Something that got lost in the 70s and 80s. Well the horsepower part anyway…
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Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
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MFL wrote:Grit dog wrote:Although in all seriousness, a little OBS S-10 or S-15 with the 4.3 and a 5speed would be sweet. Would be a good commuter for the boy.
I traded my Chevy Cheyenne sport for this gem, in the early 80s. Gas shortage took my 454 away, replaced by this 4-banger 4-speed commuter/workhorse. Notice the snowmobile in the bed, on way to trailhead, with new GF. I am 6' but truck makes me look BIGGER!
At my apartment building, loaded for a 400 mile trip. Big load, no problem. With the pedal flat to floor, could reach 70 mph! Backed off a bit though, not wantin to kill all those horses.
Jerry
Enticer or Exciter? Can’t tell from the pic.
Had a red 76 or 77 Exciter back in the day. That sled was so much lighter than most of the tanks on the market. First sled I had that made “powder riding” a possibility. Although I was in middle school and high school in the mid/late 80s so out west road-trips didn’t exist for me yet. It was an Illinois ditch banger!
Yes the old compact Jap trucks were waaaay better than the earliest S10s and Rangers.
We had a little Nissan at work that got driven everywhere and frankly spent a few years out kicking its coverage, pretending to be a bigger truck quite often.
Know what I learned about working on those? Not much other than brake components rusted up quicker than the big American trucks. Couldn’t tell you much else because that little truck always ran well with virtually no repairs except for brake problems that were at least partly road salt related.
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MFL
Midwest
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rjstractor wrote:The 70s and 80s Japanese trucks like the Ford Courier (actually a Mazda B series) were IMO tougher and more reliable than the first Ranger and S10. IIRC those Couriers had pretty stout spring packs. The photo shows a decent size street bike and lots of camping gear in the bed and the truck is sitting level. They just didn't have any power.
Two fair sized tents, extra fuel, and a lot of camping and motorcycling gear, for a 9 day camp, did not squat truck, or the hard extra ply tires. Bike in back was a KZ750 sport 4 cyl. Took bigger street bike along too! Wouldn't fit, took turns driving truck, riding bike, 400 mi each way. When empty, it was a blast on mountain curves, never leaned at all, even when starting to slide, tires squealing. Ya, just dumb kids then, maybe a little smarter now? Mine had the optional big engine 2300, rather than the Mazda 2000.
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MFL
Midwest
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Grit dog said: "Enticer or Exciter? Can’t tell from the pic.
Had a red 76 or 77 Exciter back in the day. That sled was so much lighter than most of the tanks on the market. First sled I had that made “powder riding” a possibility. Although I was in middle school and high school in the mid/late 80s so out west road-trips didn’t exist for me yet. It was an Illinois ditch banger!
Good eye Grit! It was a new 340 Enticer, LW, fast for class, wide stance, and great in the 5' deep powder at 6,800 ft. Other sledders would watch, then ask, "how can you get going, once stopped, in that deep snow". I've been sledding the mountains of SD, Wyo, Montana, and Idaho for many years. My newer MT sleds a far cry though, from that very dependable Enticer!
Jerry
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