I love my old truck.

[trevor]

My 2005 Ford F-350 diesel has 372,000 miles on it and still running strong

Good old diesel...gotta love em

[Sandy]

Good old diesel...gotta love em

Yeah they're great. Here's one that pretty much started it all. 1984 F250, 6.9 non-turbo diesel, 4 speed, 4x4. Only factory options were the motor, 4x4 and heavy duty suspension. Even has the original radio delete plate. We did put a radio in it though. We were the second owner and had it for about 14 years and used it to haul stuff like rocks and dirt for landscaping as well as a wood truck when it wasn't hauling our camper anywhere from New Mexico to Alaska. Never gave a wink of trouble and sold it after we moved into town and replaced it and my work van with '19 Tacoma. It was crude but tough and functional. Lot's of great memories of the old red truck. You probably saw it when you were at my rally. It stayed pretty nice because it was actually never winter driven by us or the first owner. Strictly a recreational truck ....sort of.



20161002_121730 by soates50, on Flickr

[BigD_83]

I was going to lead with question why you are only averaging 9000km/year, but we all know that you prioritize riding over driving, but you certainly put the old truck to its proper use in picking up old motorcycles, lol!

The thing that impresses me was you are averaging $320/year in payment, not including maintenance and fuel, which translates to 3.5 CENTS/km...that is quite a deal!

[Big Block]

Sold this one a few years ago. 1970, 383 powered from factory. I bought in Phoenix and brought it up here. No rust, just the patina surface rust that is a big fad these days.

[trevor]

I was going to lead with question why you are only averaging 9000km/year, but we all know that you prioritize riding over driving, but you certainly put the old truck to its proper use in picking up old motorcycles, lol!

The thing that impresses me was you are averaging $320/year in payment, not including maintenance and fuel, which translates to 3.5 CENTS/km...that is quite a deal!

haha....thanks for doing the math Derek...makes me feel way better about the recent complete brake job, water pump, AC compressor, lol

[Cipher]

Old Home Town
Glen Campbell
Well, it'll just get you down
If you let life get to you
Cause everybody's saying something
None of it's true
Well, I just don't care
When them times get hard
Cause I got everything I need
Right out in my yard
I love my truck
She's right outside
I ain't got much love
But I sure got a ride
It don't matter who lived
It don't matter who lied
I got my truck right by my side
You got Sally and you got Sue
And I got a Chevrolet
She takes me home after work
Don't ever miss a day
She don't care what I am
She don't care what I ain't
But she ain't no cheap pickup
She just needs a couple coats of paint
I love my truck
She's right outside
I ain't got much love
But I sure got a ride
It don't matter who lived
It don't matter who lied
I got my truck right by my side
Yeah
She don't care
If I don't work a lick
She'll start every time
If the choke don't stick
I know that she will
Never doubt me
Cause she never leaves home
Without me
I love my truck
She's right outside
I ain't got much love
But I sure got a ride
It don't matter who lived
It don't matter who lied
I got my truck right by my side
I got my truck right by my side, yeah
I got my truck right by my side

[dorkburger]

Trevor, Pano, you both have real nice looking trucks.
My first and last truck was my first vehicle - A 1980 Chevy 3/4 ton 4x4 with the three speed + granny gear first. I drove it for a few years until one of the cam lobes went round.

I've come to realize that I like trucks, but not typical ones. ElCaminos, old Jeep Scramblers, heck, I even kind of dig the new Jeep Gladiators.

Big Block, thats an awesome Sweptline. The patina thing is cool if its authentic. The painted on patina and sealcoated patina trend is silly to me.

My all time favorite car / truck hauling one of Suzuki's finest.
http://Untitled by Glen Brenner, on Flickr

[trevor]

Trevor, Pano, you both have real nice looking trucks.
My first and last truck was my first vehicle - A 1980 Chevy 3/4 ton 4x4 with the three speed + granny gear first. I drove it for a few years until one of the cam lobes went round.

I've come to realize that I like trucks, but not typical ones. ElCaminos, old Jeep Scramblers, heck, I even kind of dig the new Jeep Gladiators.

Big Block, thats an awesome Sweptline. The patina thing is cool if its authentic. The painted on patina and sealcoated patina trend is silly to me.

My all time favorite car / truck hauling one of Suzuki's finest.
http://Untitled by Glen Brenner, on Flickr

Awesome...I've always had a soft spot for El Camino's

[rphillips]

Ya'll sure bring back memories, Sandy's "84" Ford F250, that thing had an International (not Ford) diesel eng, & kind'f started the "diesel pick-up" craze. dork's "80" Chevy, I never heard of a 3 speed with a granny, I thought the granny was only in the 4 speed, normally we just used 2, 3, & 4 & 1st was the granny if you needed it. Also in those days, small block GM's were known for wearing the lobes off the cams. Then BigBlocks old Sweptline Dodge, I guess I knew Dodge put the big block 383 in some of them but I never remember seeing one. Always, around here, 318's or the slant 6's. And it was normal for the bed & bodies to rust off of them within a very few yrs. I think the worst rust buckets I can remember.

[dorkburger]

Yep, as noted it was a 4 speed. The shift knob was marked L, 1, 2, 3.

[dorkburger]

Awesome...I've always had a soft spot for El Camino's

Me too. I drove that '66 around the US twice and attended Hot Rod Magazine's Power tour in '97 and `98, along with countless weekend and day trips. For those who haven't heard of it, Power Tour is a cross country road trip with nightly stops and car shows sponsored by the magazine. Great memories. That '66 was my second ElCamino. The first was a '67. It had everything I wanted , but in the wrong year. When I stumbled upon the '66, its I6 and powerglide were sawpped with the big block / 4 speed / 12 bolt posi rear from the 67.

[rphillips]

Yep, memories again. I'd forgot some of the shift knobs had 1, 2, 3, & L for granny. Also, back in the day, to swap from an in-line 6 W/ powerglide to the big block with 4 spd. wasn't a big ordeal, just from memory, the biggest part of that project was probably the clutch pedal & linkage. Much of the stuff, back then, was almost a bolt in.

[dorkburger]

The swap was simple- swap over the frame mounts to the V8 ones. If I recall the clutch pedal was a matter of simply swapping pedals. I think the manual trans brake pedal simply had a long pivot spindle that ran thru a center hanger and the clutch pedal slid onto the brake spindle and was secured with a clip. I did have to cut a hole in the floor for that lovely Hurst shifter. I used the old column shift hole to mount a tachometer. GM made things so easy then.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Great memories. At 16, I learned to drive stick in my buddies El Camino. Three-on-the-tree. Don't remember what year is was, but it was a piece of crap that left us stranded more than once. Another Buddy had a very nicely restored '72 El Camino SS, Blue with the requisite white racing stripes down the hood, big a$$ rear tires, and of course, chrome Cragar mag wheels. looked something like this:

[hank2]

I'm liking all the trucks and tales posted! I've owned 4 pickups in my life, 2 new and 2 old. My current money sop for the past 4.5 years is an '82 Dodge D150 short bed. With 225 slant six and A833 OD 4 speed. Nothing done cosmetically, but much done on everything else, mostly the first couple of years. Many parts still stashed around, some for years. Not sure when I'll ever get back on it. I'm glad I have it for those rare times that I do need it.

When I saw this thread, I realized that I have never taken a photo of it. Little rust, but there's scarcely a body panel without some level of dentage. It's a reasonably well running and driving hoopty.

I believe that Dodge offered a big block through the '79 models. A 413, 400(larger version of the low block 383) or 440 depending on year, etc.