Old PickUp for plow, shtf and hauling advice needed

[johnjacobschmidt]

It seems almost every day I see another high miles beat the hell rusty PU for sale on the corner in town. Some seem OK but others are leaking oil from every power train item.

Is there a general "best truck made" for older trucks?

Looking for 4x4 and full size. Flat bed would be icing on the cake.

Example:

Currently there are 3 trucks for sale on the corner. One is a high boy with a flat bed but the year is 1972 and it has bald tires and a cracked window and plenty of frame rust. The guy wants 3500 which is nuts if you ask me. The other truck is a 2x4 chevy 1993 92k miles and he wants 4k. The last is a beat to hell chevy leaking everywhere and he wants 1500.

What year and brand are best for older trucks or should I just examine every truck as an individual?

I also want to be able to haul a heavy load of water between 200-400 gallons. Do I need a one ton for that load?

Lastly I will need to attach a plow as I have a long driveway and live in a snow belt (up to 9 feet deep some winters).

[sdkevin]

I am so on the fence for getting a 90's Ford F-250 1/2 or 3/4 ton.

Like motorcycles, they have already been beaten a couple of times.

[tacksman]

Pre smog 70's or older. 4x4 is best. manual trans would be great. Stock up on the basic repair parts belts, hoses...ect
Have a few sets of points around because you never know.
A plow is good for road conditions and doubles for crowd control.

[Untamed1972]

200-400gal of water = 1600-3200 lbs. I'd say most definitely on the 1 ton, which will just give you a little leeway on the 200gal. of water.

In general, although being a ford guy, I'd say when it comes to older trucks it's hard to beat Chevys simply because they didn't hardly change anything, major component-wise, from the 60's clean on up to late 80's. Parts are plentiful and generally fairly cheap and they were built like tanks. And an older full size chevy with a smallblock under the hood is prolly one of the easiest things there is to work on.

If you want good long term reliability I'd go for the manual trans, so long as you know how to drive one properly so you don't kill clutches. Automatics just don't last as long. A manual gearbox will last forever even with a fair amount of abuse.

[Tradhunt]

I love the 73-79 Ford body style and I'd love to get one some day. But for shtf stuff a Chevy would be a good choice.

Also don't look over a old dodge power Wagon pickup. They are great trucks.

[DavidR310]

I would get a 1980s cucv.

[Steve_In_29]

With their mechanical injectors and fuel pump it is hard to beat a 12V Cummins for long term, reliability. They can go 250K before needing a rebuild and only use 12 volts to start the truck and run lights.

Problem is they are wrapped in a Dodge, which tend to rust out and fall apart faster then Ford or Chevy.

Since you live in snow a 4x4 is MANDATORY especially if you are going to plow with it. You also NEED a 1ton with the amount of water you are looking to carry.

[surplus-addict]

I'd go for a GMC/Chevy; they're durable and there are so dang many around that when S does HTF, you will always be able to fix em.

You might want to get a 1967-'87 C30, if you plan on moving that much water.

Personally I'd suggest the 1967-'72 generation; you can pick up a good C30 for $4,500 or so.

[Steve_In_29]

Forgot to mention, if this is going to be a vehicle you need to depend on for daily use and shtf situations, you DON'T want to buy the cheapest POS you can find. Unless you are a good mechanic and plan on rebuilding everything to be reliable. Which from your question I don't think you are.

[ElvenSoul]

Get the one for $1500

Figure any of them will need 2k in repairs. So why not get the cheapest?

[Simi762]

The majority of the pos trucks I see are the old Toyota pick ups the landscapers in my part of town drive. I asked my landscaper about his truck, years and miles. I was blown away on how well that thing held up, then he popped the hood and it had an inline 4banger. He hauls all his crap and 2 other large fellas in this thing like a champ. I'm sure you can buy one dirt cheap and parts(if needed)are widely available.

[DavidR310]

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?61660-Snow-plow-specifics

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?77056-Boss-Plow-on-M1008

What's more shtf than non-ir reflective paint lol?

[The War Wagon]

CLASSIC Gen. 1 Dodge FTW!







/thread

[sdkevin]

.. I hate this thread

But I have a strong suspicion a 70's 4x4 is where I'm headed..

[TheChief]

While I am not in need of a snow plow or hauling, I would like to have a pre-computer truck that would allow me to work on it and so its EMP-proof.

In my early 20's I had a 76 International Harvester Scout II that would work well except for the limited parts availability. I had worked on everything in that truck and loved it. Sadly I had to sell it off when I moved. To this day, I regret that.

Looks like it going to be a 70s Chevy or Ford.

I have been wondering about the M1009 CUCV based off of a Chevy K-5 Blazer. I drove one for a couple years. It was pretty rugged and I used to beat on it pretty hard in the woods and it kept chugging along.

Just not sure if I would go with a truck bed or full body like the Blazer or Bronco.