Newer truck

ill take a older vehicle in great shape to a new vehicle any day... the older the better.... it would be easy as hell to keep a pre 1980's simple as hell truck running. you could pretty easily diagnose, then replace anything on it, and parts are cheap and easy to find....

vs some computer operated nightmare with stupid expensive parts, and complicated sensors, emissons, which you would probably need a computer to even find the problem.  etc, etc.


lets not even go really old.... a late 80's / early 90's, ford ranger with a decent body will go forever..its pretty simple to fix, . and parts will be around for another 100 years they made so damn many of them.

the only real huge downside IMHO to running a older vehicle like i mentioned, is you could dump a lot of money into one, getting it into perfect shape... then some asshole run a stop sign and total it........ then they will be trying to pay you bluebook on your 30 year old truck, which would probably be about $500.00  when you have $20k in it getting it perfect.

It really makes me feel old hearing people talk a bout vehicles from the 80's and 90's being simple to work on and not full of complicated emissions or computer controlled parts.


The 80's-90's seem like the worst of both worlds.  Old metallurgy and quality with new computers and emissions. They also have terrible crashworthiness (still better than stuff built before the 80's) and terrible fuel efficiency.

Personally, I would go back to something from the 70's or older with almost no electronics (a few ballast resistors and an orange box in the truck box as spares) or new.

Without rehashing the 90's vs. now, why 90's over 70's if you are going to rebuild all the major components?

I know my 1997 vintage GMC Sierra is not that old just yet but it is still considered very safe by todays standards. My insurance company gives me a discount because they consider it to be in the top end of safe vehicles today. They say they base that off of how very few people are injured in wrecks in that truck.

For some stuff it might come down to something having a more common crew cab body or the super cab body vs stuff in the 70s not being as common with those.  This is more my opinion, I see a ton of the boxy body crew cabs vs. going into the early 70s and looking for crew cabs.  If messing with burbans you run into 3 door stuff I think and on the older blazers you certainly hit collectable.



Axles swap around easily enough and I don't really know when general motors got their 14 bolt full floater everywhere, but I prefer it in the boxy bodystyle stuff.



The king pin dana 60 axles are in the one ton stuff from 80s and 90s, don't really see them as much in older stuff from what I recall.  I can't say I ever had an issue with the older stuff, just know what I have messed with I guess.  



I never cared much about the gas tanks on the gm stuff being side saddle outboard the frame.  I do sometimes wonder about the gas tank being right behind the bench seat in some of the older pickups.  Not sure how you might get into simple fuel infection with that but I never really looked into it.  For the side saddle tanks you can swap em out to go from carbed to fuel infected or I guess it works the other way just as well.  



For the most part I find I am willing to buy a beat up but still useful 80s or 90s truck for not much money.  Find something 60s or 70s and you might get into the collector prices or it just had more time for rust to attack it.



On general motors I like the boxy bodystyle stuff, not much on the 88 and up slightly rounded stuff but that is me personally.



On fords I go up to 95 or 96, whenever they changed from the older body style to the rounded one.



When looking for my trash truck, simple older truck for local running around and what not, I found a 95 with the straight 6 and manual 5 speed in an eddie baur edition so I got ac and power windows in a regular cab short bed 2wd truck.  It needs a rear locker and for the ford 8.8 they seem to be under 300 once bought and installed with new fluid and what not.  There were some general motors stuff I was sort of looking at but 88 to 95 is a few more years for rust and where I live seems to be ford country.



Now my truck is not a great big prep or anything so don't think I am selling the 2wd short bed regular cab for preps.  But it is an example around here of what I found by just asking around vs. messing with online and what not and doing some traveling.  This truck lived in this area for most of its miles, lot of miles, and since it belong to the dad of a fella at work I was able to take a look at it and we got a battery for it and away it went.  I would have been driving at least a little bit for most anything else at that time.  Since then other odds and ends have popped up now and then, with me it just depends on what is for sale at what price.



An older one at the right price in the type of condition I want would be fine, but generally it never works out that way.

Damn good advice.
Also who is watching your back or tending your garden or guarding your front gate during repairs.
That's one reason why I have 4 shtf vehicles. Shit happens.
I will be tempted to look at the new Jeep unlimited Rubicon diesel when it comes out.

My last truck(a year ago) was a 2002 F150 extended cab 4X4 with 132K miles for $6,800.  Runs and drives like new and I expect to get 200K+ out of it. I love to drive it when I can rip my teenage away from it.

I would never put $30K to $40K in a vehicle and I could afford it.

VERY GOOD POINT!

Thank you TJ,

This is the point I was trying to get across. Everyone's SHTF is different at any age, location, ability. Adjusting as you go is the only thing and best thing you can do.

Keep an eye on the present and plan for the future as best as you can, but the future WILL change constantly! Be able to adjust and don't get bogged down in the less than likely outcomes of the future as it stands when you wake up each day unless you have unlimited resources to deal with it.

Depending on how hard it hits the fan I would take something old. I've owned many Broncos but  a 1977 Bronco built up would fit the bill. They are way tougher than Jeeps and can use very common parts from almost all preceding Fords with a little ingenuity.

I LOVE my old Land Cruiser.




That said, if someone were to offer me a new/newer 4WD crew cab Tacoma, I would be all over it like hoodrat on a 40 ounce Malt Liquor and a crack rock!

All the guys talking about how easy it is to keep old iron running make me laugh. It BETTER BE EASY to work on because you WILL HAVE TO! Most of the guys I know that drive old cars have two or three of them....one is always in the garage.

Last new truck I bought was a 2004 FX4 F150 Supercrew 4x4. I sold it last year. Had 230,000 on it. Much of those were hard miles. Other than routine maintenance the only issues I had were that the power window cables snapped in every one of the windows and had to be replaced. They run about $80 and it's a job I did myself. I ran 4 sets of tires off it and changed the battery twice. I did the brakes 4 times, maybe 5, can't recall. Flushed tranny, diffs and transfer case every 30k. Oil was changed every 5k. I got good gas mileage considering the size of the vehicle and amenities. It was easy to travel in as a family- wife, two kids, me and a dog......Air conditioning, 6 CD changer, DVD player, Cruise and 80 mph on the highway for over 450 miles a tank.

Do you REALLY think that if the shit hits the fan you're going to be able to find and afford enough gas to run a truck 200,000 miles? Doubtful. EXTREMELY DOUBTFUL. Buy a good, new, truck and keep it well maintained and you can ride in style without worry.

True, I have considered the points above.

So much so that I was thinking of when I am in my 70's (if the lord lets me live that long) of just buying a fairly well equipped Subaru all wheel drive wagon. Something not too tall, not too flashy, goos reputation for reliability. Something that would work in snow and rain, haul a decent amount of gear and supplies if I "had" to leave my house. Lets face it, I'll not likely be very inclined to go "off road" like the Rubicon trail when I can't even stand up straight, and can't guarantee regular bowel movements.

Rust considerations (where you live, mostly), parts availability, and the strengths and weaknesses of the vehicles you're looking at will probably be more important than new vs. old.

They'll certainly play a large part in what you'll end up paying.


Also, don't forget that there is a big difference between dropping money on a new or used vehicle and paying for parts and repairs.  Nobody is going to finance the latter.    Comparing costs is going to be about more than just the price tag.

We got a new vehicle recently.   It was financed, but we have the cash on hand to pay it off outright if need be.   We get the benefit of something new while still having some more options with savings.   If money in the bank fails then the odds are slim of anyone looking to collect on auto loans.

IMHO
I would go with the older trucks
with all the electronics on newer vehicles and the need for computer interface to diagnose makes it a challenge for SHTF scenario
older truck parts should be cheaper to purchase ahead of time (wear and tear stuff) and wrench the stuff on your own.

If there's a financial collapse, you probably won't be able to afford to repair the new truck when it inevitably breaks down because the parts/labor/tools required are all more costly and harder to find.




If you buy the older vehicle and learn to work on it yourself, you will be able to buy parts on the cheap, do your own labor, and basic tools are all you need.  I'd say the sweet spot is early 70's to mid 80's.




My advice would be to get a mid-80's pickup or SUV-type that's had a new drivetrain recently installed OR get one and drop in a fresh crate motor with warranty.  Get one with common beefy axles, rebuild or replace the transmission, replace any worn suspension and steering components, get the best fuel capacity possible by adding a bigger tank and/or auxiliary tank, and fix anything needed on the interior.




You could get away with all that for MUCH less than $20,000 and at the end, you have a vehicle that shouldn't have electrical issues, sensors going out, emissions bullshit giving you headaches, and "dealership-only" parts that are expensive as hell and hard to replace.




If the SHTF, you don't want to be chasing a ghost in your electrical system with limited tools.




The key is having the knowledge, tools, and physical ability to fix it yourself or being in tight with someone who does.  If none of that is possible, just buy the new truck and cross your fingers that the S doesn't actually HTF.


 

It must be different down south, because I know I don't see a ton of '70s or '80s vehicles driving around or spare parts laying everywhere.  In fact its really hard to find anything pre 1990 that's in rebuild able shape (rust wise.)  Parts would most likely have to be sourced online which I don't want to count on during a disaster situation.  This may be AO specific though.

 
You can't swing a dead cat in Texas without hitting an 80's model pick up.


A lot of them are still driving and plenty more are sitting in folks' driveway or property for spare parts.

I voted older truck too, but I'd be even older. I'd want a carb. truck with as little electronics as I could get. I had a 66 mustang in college and had to replace a float in the parking lot after class on day, but I did it and was on my way. The older cars were so much easier to work on.

We are older than most here and retired.  Our "last vehicle" is an 02 Chevy 2500 V8 four door 4x4 PU with matching topper, trailer hitch,  80k original miles, bought 2 years ago for 10k from a doctor.  Only had to put 1k in it after purchase to bring it up to 100% = 11k total.   No dents, no rust, no problems.  

We sold a basic 99 GMC PU regular cab 2500 V8 to buy the loaded 4x4 four door because we have grandkids that like to party at the beach with us so we needed a bigger cab and 4x4 for sand travel.  The 99 originally cost us $6500 and was in similar condition to the 02.  We drove the 99 for 5 years, spending less than 1k for repairs.  Sold it for 4k, still in excellent condition.  So the 99 only cost us $3500 total for 5 years use.  If we had bought a new PU instead of the 99, we would have lost $3500 the day we drove it off the car lot!  Our 02 actually cost us $7k (11k minus 4k from sale of 99 = 7k).  But the folks who bought our 99 really made out.  They got a 3/4 ton PU in great shape for only 4k.  So why buy new????

I've been going through this a bit recently.  I have a truck from 72', a motorcycle from 2006, my wife's SUV is a 2008, and recently, a little commuter car from 95'.  

We got rid of my wife's car from 2010 because it was becoming a maintenance nightmare.  The LED dash gauges started going out, with the only option being to buy a $700 full replacement.  Then the stereo was having issues with Bluetooth, and something with the amps, again the only option was to replace a whole unit.

My 72 on the other hand is completely the opposite in every way.  I recently replaced the fuel pump, that was $24.  The diverter valve between the fuel tanks I rebuilt for $1 and change.  Everything is cheap and easy to do, but it seems like you need to fiddle with it all the time.  The truck was my grandfather's, and I will keep it forever.

I feel like newer vehicles, just like everything else in our society, is moving towards being more and more disposable.  My answer, is an older truck, but just keep up with maintenance.  I wouldn't go about putting $20k into refurbishing a $5k all at once.

Call me different, but I'd probably got with a decently newer Subaru Forester or outback...  Engines have hardly changed in the last 20 years so parts are a plenty, one of, if not the best, all wheel drive system, dependable beyond all, a crap ton better gas milage (which I put almost at the top of the "need" list gas shortages will be real) and they're pretty damn basic to work on.  There is also a reason Subaru is the number 2 off-road brand (behind Jeep of course).

Voted older,  I'm a huge fan of early superduty f250's. 1999- to -2003 so that's what I would want/have. They are pretty easy to work on and tough.  it's getting harder to find a clean example sadly.

I prefer older, but wouldnt want it as my only vehicle. This one is a 1988 completely rebuilt and has a 2.5 turbo diesel motor. It weighs 7K pounds..not fast but will go anywhere... It has no computer, no electronics other than the stereo..

Ohh no!,,

I probably already own the last truck I will ever need/own!!!  It is a 2013 Tacoma 4door 4x4

Awesome truck, I am still fixing it up the way I want,  when these first set of tires wear out I am going to put on 3" lift and slightly bigger tires, and I am done!!

Only other accessory would be a 240B mounted in the back, but that won't happen for a while. I will have to stick with the semi-auto Norinco RPK with a bunch of 75 round drums.

For older stuff you can probably get an agreed value insurance if you were really into the truck deep with refurbishing and mods.

I have a 1997 F250 Heavy Duty pickup that's going to run forever.  It has a newer motor and all rebuilt suspension.  My kids are going to have to explain to my grand kids some day how a gas motor works and how to "start a car with a key" when they ask what that old green truck in the barn is.  

double tap.

Give me the older truck.

You don't need to spend 40 grand on a brand new truck.


You can find new trucks in the low 20's.

Why would you spend more than 20 grand on an older truck when you could by a brand new truck for the same price?

Not that I am going to do it this way but You can make a $20 K truck like this.



or you can buy a $20 k truck like this


I think the difference is clear.......

Or one of these for 27, 690 Or Best Offer. You could probably get that truck for under 25 OTD , and interest rates are stupid low right now.




http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ram-1500-Tradesman-2W-/331610473324?forcerrptr=true&hash=item4d3586436c&item=331610473324


Its your money, Brother. Spend it how you see fit.


As for me? I wouldn't put 20 grand into an old vehicle.  I do buy my trucks new, I drive them for a long time and keep them running.  But I wouldn't sink that much money into them.

Meh, to each their own.

I haven't decided on anything yet.

In fact I may just stick with whatever I have and save the cash.........seems like cash (PM's too) is going to be what is going to save me more than a truck anyway.

I have trucks, I have cars, just not my dream truck, which may not be such a good idea since they can be taken out by a drunk driver or stolen, and then where would I be?

I have to agree with Will that relatively newer as well as a common plentiful vehicle, is better in this context.

WOW!

That's a GREAT deal Madcap!!!

Meh...

I'm there and I can do an engine or tranny change as well as I could in my 20's.

Probably better cause of the experience. Stronger, smarter, more aware, etc, than I ever was.




And what TJ says... Time fly's now...  

Scary...