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The Hamer of pickup trucks?


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Posted

If you only had $8000, what truck would you buy?

Well, the guy on the "CarPro" AM radio show says the Toyota Tundra is the one to get. They go forever, have good hauling/towing capacity and aren't too huge. Problem is, since they are so popular on the used market, they are very hard to find.

I'm not familiar with the market on Tundras (or any car/truck, for that matter), but for a used Toyota in your price range you would probably have to settle for a truck with a lot of mileage. That's not a bad thing with Toyotas, especially if they have been cared for properly.

Check autotrader.com and completed listings on eBay for pricing. Seriously, I don't think you can go wrong with any Toyota truck. You might, however, have to spend a bit more than one you have budgeted for nice used one.

Posted

I owned the previous gen Tundra (before they got HUGE) and I'd say, if you can find one for $8,000, jump on it! The ONLY reason I sold it was my oldest was getting too tall to sit in the back seat (extended cab bought before they started doing the quad cab). That 4.7L V8 was a masterpiece!

If you don't need full-size, the smaller Tacoma is great, as well, but really doesn't get you any better fuel economy than the full size due to them making the V6 so dang big (all of this describing the gen prior to those being sold new now).

Posted

Thanks for the replies.

Cheapest Tundra I've found in my area was 11,000.

So what's the second best lol? I see a lot of F-150's for sale. What's the gibson of PU's, in other words what overpriced junk should I not buy?

Posted

What's the gibson of PU's, in other words what overpriced junk should I not buy?

Cadillac or Lincoln.......

Posted

Used Toyotas sell high because they'll keep running long after the bodies have fallen off. F150s are everywhere because Ford sells a shitload of them.

I try to find the best 'one-owner' vehicle I can afford. It's much easier to judge it's history (and get a paper trail) than something that's changed hands a bunch of times. If Grampa has a garage-kept sweety (even if it isn't exactly my dream ride), that's the one I'd take first. It'll pay off long-term. But if there's a teenage boy and long black stripes in the street - no thanks.

Crash damage/repair is another thing. Some garages do an awesome job putting them back together. The backyard guy is doing it as cheaply as possible. Knowing what the damage was, and how it was fixed, is key. Unless it's super cheap and I know exactly what was done, I try to avoid those.

Posted

If your looking for a truck that does moderate work like haul stuff from the lumber yard, pull a trailer every once in a while, boat, ect. Then an F150, Chevy 1500 will do just fine. I personally do not like the utilitarian interiors on the Dodge Trucks and you have to look out for the Late Mid 90's to Early 2000's for Dodges out there with that crappy transmissions. You can't go wrong with the Ford, Chevy Toyota or a Nissan.

One thing is for sure the Ford and the Chevy are cheap to work on and parts are plentiful when needed.

Posted

I sold my 99 Toyota Tacoma ... 4cyl 5sp with camper shell, rims, in great shape and 167,000 miles for $4,000 .

See if you can find one of those Ran perfect 24 mpg ... only drawbacks were small cab and uncomfortable bench seat

Posted

Thanks guys some good points.

One thing I need is comfortable seats, I have a bad back. The smallest loan I can get from my bank is 7500, if they approve me, still waiting. I don't want a small truck, I am moving to the sticks soon and need to haul my stuff.

Posted

FWIW: my sister-in-law-insurance-agent told me the most expensive truck to repair is the Dodge Ram. That translates into the highest insurance rates.

Too bad, as I really like the shape of those.

Posted

One thing I need is comfortable seats, I have a bad back.

Ford. Definitely.

Posted

I like the shape of the RAM also, but it's off the list now.

Good to hear Fords have good seats, F-150 is top of my list now. Might not be the Hamer of trucks, but maybe there ain't one?

Posted

There's at least ten F150s currently owned by family members (I have 5 brothers and 6 sisters, all hicks and rednecks). They're well maintained, but get driven hard. All of them are late 90s or newer, from 6s to V8s to Ecoboosts, with no engine issues ever.

My brothers are all gearheads and have always had pickups. Of the 100s of Ford trucks they've collectively owned over the past 40 years, none were 'lemons'. Problems? Of course. But the quality has consistently been pretty damn good.

I might be a bit biased.

Posted

If your looking for a truck that does moderate work like haul stuff from the lumber yard, pull a trailer every once in a while, boat, ect. Then an F150, Chevy 1500 will do just fine. I personally do not like the utilitarian interiors on the Dodge Trucks and you have to look out for the Late Mid 90's to Early 2000's for Dodges out there with that crappy transmissions. You can't go wrong with the Ford, Chevy Toyota or a Nissan.

One thing is for sure the Ford and the Chevy are cheap to work on and parts are plentiful when needed.

I had a dodge truck and I was on my 3rd transmission when I sold it w/ around 150k. Everything else was great on it but wouldn't try one again because of the bad taste in my mouth. the 1st transmission was replaced cheaply with a car warranty thingy I bought, but I had to pay for the next one. BTW, my USA dodge Truck was made in Mexico.

Posted

dodge 318s had tranny problems. I had a 97 I bought new w/ a 360 & tow pack never had any problems in 165,000 miles ( thats 5 yrs of driving for me ) Loved it ! but gas is too high now to own something like that ! (60 mi one way to work )

Posted

I would use the same logic that prevents me from owning a Huber.

The difference in quality between $3k truck and a $8k truck won't be worth the additional cost.

Buy the best $3k truck you can find, put $1k into it (if needed), and keep the remaining $4k in the bank.

Posted

Not dead. Just waiting for the rest of you to catch up.

My race days are over when I sold my 426hp@ wheels 89' supra turbo @21 psi boost.

I Traded in my 2008 4 Runner at it's eclipse of trade in value, 22k.

and bought a proven reliable 2013 Tundra SR5 with options @1.7apr when they had the big year closeout push sale in August.

I needed something

reliable

quality

very comfy

can tow the boat and have a camper top.

and be smittenly cozy.

and it's made in usa

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