Just saw a old Chevy 2500HD

[tuffr2]

I stopped by my local Staples and saw a little truck. As I walked toward it I notice it was a Chevy 2500HD. It was a lot smaller than the 2019 Chevy 1500.

So - those old trucks were small..

I looked at the frame and saw only surface rust but the bottom of the tail gate was rusted through. Also rust on the driver's side door. If I had to guess it was a late 1990's or early 2000's model year.

[Cooperhawk]

In 1983 I purchased a new Ford Bronco. In 1992 I installed a Western Snow Plow and I use it to this day for plowing snow. It's rusted out on the drivers side, but runs good. I think they made them better in those days.

[john1981]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

I stopped by my local Staples and saw a little truck. As I walked toward it I notice it was a Chevy 2500HD. It was a lot smaller than the 2019 Chevy 1500.

So - those old trucks were small..

I looked at the frame and saw only surface rust but the bottom of the tail gate was rusted through. Also rust on the driver's side door. If I had to guess it was a late 1990's or early 2000's model year.

must have been from up north.

[RS505]

Two days ago I sold my 1985 Ford F-350 4x4 diesel pickup. In 1996 I replaced the original engine with a 7.3 l IDI turbo diesel. This was the pre-powerstroke turbo that Ford only had for a couple of years.

There wasn't any paint left on the truck, and the interior was gone too. Being in New Mexico, only surface rust. The 22 year old guy I sold it to was delighted as he drove it off. That thing has at least 500,000 miles on it and was used for truck stuff it's entire life. If you fix and maintain the older trucks, they will last a very long time. It's all of the plastic that falls apart in the newer stuff that does them in.

[tuffr2]

I did not look in the window but my guess the seat had stuffing showing. Probably all the gauges did not work and the dash was cracked. Oh - the handles to wind down the windows was probably broken also.

The stuff that would go wrong - I remember I would keep a vehicle until enough little things broke before I bought a new(er) vehicle. The radio would always have a short in it and not all the doors on a 4 door would work. One was always broken.

Who remembers opening the driver's door and having it drop and inch ? This was on cars built in the late 1960's like a 1968 Mercury Cougar / Mustang.

[Cooperhawk]

In my Bronco the seats are fine, the electric windows still work, the Wipers work, I broke off the antennae plowing snow, the headliner came loose and is glued up the heater works but the AC is kaput.

The 351 Cleveland engine has had a timing gear replaced and a new carb, but other than that it runs great. It uses little oil and gas.

I don't take it on the highway anymore though.

I wish I could buy it new again. I looked at the new ones and for the price I couldn't see it.

[tuffr2]

I had one vehicle where the headline was loose and hanging down. I used a pole to hold it up.

My dad had vise grips he used to wind down the window in his 1960(ish) truck. This was in 1972.

[George Schweikle]

No, the new trucks are BIG! (But, they have great towing capacity)

Originally Posted by tuffr2

........So - those old trucks were small.....

[NLOVNIT]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

... If I had to guess it was a late 1990's or early 2000's model year.

I had a 2003 Chevy 2500HD/Crew Cab/6ft bed. It certainly wasn't anywhere near small. If it weren't for the step rails & pillar handle, I'd have needed a step stool to get in it.

Loved that truck. When getting gas, I always got comments like "YOU drive that big thing?!"

[RS505]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

I did not look in the window but my guess the seat had stuffing showing. Probably all the gauges did not work and the dash was cracked. Oh - the handles to wind down the windows was probably broken also.

The stuff that would go wrong - I remember I would keep a vehicle until enough little things broke before I bought a new(er) vehicle. The radio would always have a short in it and not all the doors on a 4 door would work. One was always broken.

Who remembers opening the driver's door and having it drop and inch ? This was on cars built in the late 1960's like a 1968 Mercury Cougar / Mustang.

I had the door drop thing on my 1972 nova, and my 1995 Volvo T5 wagon. The old fords replacement is a 1992 dodge, it did it too until I splurged on a hinge from the U-pull-it junkyard.

I'm not a very good customer for the auto industry. I buy cars used, fix them, and drive them for a very long time. My Mercedes 300e had almost 600k miles on it when my son blew the engine. My TDI Jetta had over 400k when crackheads destroyed it trying to steal it.

I love driving by a new shiny luxury car and thinking "I could own one of those, but the money is safer in my bank account". I do that with new motorhomes too.

[tuffr2]

I used to drive old cars too. I would be in my 15 year old car and look over in traffic and see a new car that is 10x the value and think they are going to same speed as me. No way is that car 10x better.

I had a few cars that open the door and it drops an inch or so. This was in a 6 year old car. A 1968 in the year 1974. Now you can look at a 20 year old car a the door does not drop...what did they change ?

[NLOVNIT]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

....what did they change ?

The metal. Both my 1966 Mustang GT & 1974 Ventura had doors that'd drop a bit when open. But that's back when cars were made with sturdy sheet metal. And being 2 door cars, those doors were long & HEAVY. Heck, I used to sunbathe on the hood of my Ventura on my lunch hour in the parking lot where I worked. Can't do that with any car made this century. I'd bet, if I even tried to sit on the hood of my CRV, it'd dent (not accounting for all the pounds I've put on since I was 19 ). Now you just look cross-eyed at a car & a crease will appear.

[tuffr2]

Agree the metal is a lot thinner. Agree you can not sit on the hood without a dent.

I do like MPI and easy starting. My friend had a new 1978 Dodge Aspen that only he could start. A combination of gas pedal pumps and turning the key at the exact right time.

[jleonard]

When I had my 1991 Dodge D-250/Cummins I was always allowed to go first at a 4 way intersection.

Old and big and ugly and loud had it's advantage LOL