Anyone using old (50's-70's) truck?

jeffinmaine · #1 03/02/05, 04:55 PM

I'm considering a 69 chevy pickup for both a farm truck and everyday transportation in bad (snow) weather. It's 4x4, lifted, new 33x12.5R15 tires,shortbed, mid eighties 350 motor 4spd. It's not at all rusty, and just inspected. Also has an 8' plow. It was a 1/2 ton but has been upgraded to 3/4

My 94 F-150 needs a motor and clutch, (blew that plowing snow the last time) and will be expensive to fix. I can get this truck pretty cheap.

I'm curious to know if anyone is running a truck this old. I know the gas mileage will be terrible, but I'm hoping the truck might be easier for me to work on, and hopefully be tough enough for these awful roads and big snowstorms. My F-150 just isn't holding up to the abuse (frost heaves) and dirt roads.

Thanks,
Jeff

Central Maine

Haggis · #2 03/02/05, 05:00 PM

I have a '74 F-100 that I drive sometimes. It's hard on gas but it runs just fine.

fordy · #3 03/02/05, 05:22 PM

...............My current project is a 77 f250 , 4x4 with a new engine , brakes , clutch , exhaust , etc. Gets 8 to 10 mpg. with about 9.5 to 1 CPR . It's a flatbed and i'm planning on fixing the minor dents and painting it by the end of the summer hopefully . I would purchase the 69 , IF it is in good shape , But I'd try to find an All wheel drive , used car to drive back and forth to work. Especially , If it is a LONG communte . That truck will get horrible milage hauling that snowplow blade around . Unless of course you are less than 5 miles from your job . I also have a 99 PSD diesel which gets about 18 mpg. so I don't drive my old truck very much . fordy..

Rebel · #4 03/02/05, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fordy

...............My current project is a 77 f250 , 4x4 with a new engine , brakes , clutch , exhaust , etc. Gets 8 to 10 mpg. with about 9.5 to 1 CPR . It's a flatbed and i'm planning on fixing the minor dents and painting it by the end of the summer hopefully . I would purchase the 69 , IF it is in good shape , But I'd try to find an All wheel drive , used car to drive back and forth to work. Especially , If it is a LONG communte . That truck will get horrible milage hauling that snowplow blade around . Unless of course you are less than 5 miles from your job . I also have a 99 PSD diesel which gets about 18 mpg. so I don't drive my old truck very much . fordy..

I still have a 72 ford 3/4 ton camper special my father in law bought new. I'ts rusty,ragged and wrecked but cranks and runs good. Gets 12 mpg up hill or down, loaded or empty. I think older trucks were built to last. The new ones are mostly over priced toys.

Blu3duk · #5 03/02/05, 06:24 PM

I jist bought another 77 f250 last night for $225, its only 2x4 but it has a 351 in it, power steering, 5 good tires and rims [worth the $225 there alone] and a ladder rack.... been in jackpot a time or two, ha the common lectrical problems associated with those years..... but the motor dont use any 710 <-----OIL for those blondes out there, and the running gear seems like it is ok.... drawback it is an automatic, but a person cant have everything all to once.....I'll drive it this spring and summer til it needs something, then part it out for my other 77's future needs..... and still come out on top when i have the wrecking yard haul off anything i dont want no more.

My 77 f250 with one ton front end, 4x4 gets 13-15 mpg and has 400 ponies under the hood give or take.... how can one complain about something that good???..... 300 - 6 with 390 pistons and a couple other goodies in case ya wanted to know how come it dont git the original 8-9 mpg anymore.

I had a 74 - 1/2 ton chevy 2x4 with a 350 in it w/air and still got 14 running the A/C, but i got shed of it cause i had to many rigs..... traded it off on a 30-30 rifle... sold the camper it had on it for $600, had payed $1500 for both units, lived in the camper for 4 months and avoided $600/month rent, so made a nice profit from that one...... and drove the bugger for several years to boot.

The older rigs all need some TLC of one sort or other, but it beats the heck out of paying nearly as much for a pickup as the 5 acres and house im living in would be...... in the end it is worth it.

William

mightybooboo · #6 03/02/05, 06:55 PM

My VW truck is a 1959,will carry one ton on the bed,sides fold down to make a flatbed.Just cant tow,but a great economical,mechanically simple truck.Wife has an old 50's chevy truck,with 350,great truck,wish she had kept it,she does too :waa:
Old trucks are A-OK in my book.

BooBoo

fordy · #7 03/02/05, 06:56 PM

......................I love ALL these old trucks!! Every so often , when I go into town to check my mail at the PO I see a Young guy, 30 or so and he is driving a mid-60's , 3\4 ton chevy , 4x4 , with one of those mechanical winches that is powered by a PTO shaft from the tranny . He has slowly($$) been rebuilding this truck cause it's his onlyest transportation . Chevy\GMC painted their trucks a REal pretty color of Green , back in the 60,70's that I have always thought was really a Neat color . Even today I'm not sure of the Name of the color but I might just paint my 77 that same color of green if I can find the Paint .
......................Sometimes , I can visualize myself in this old truck in 4 wD, low range ideling up one of those mining roads in Colorado with a bed full of supplies and wondering IF I'm ever going to find the "Gloryhole" so I can be a Richman and marry some fallen angel

that works at the Sporting House down in Town . Oh well , Gold mining is Too much work without Dynamite :yeeha: and and a Jackhammer . I get tired just thinking about hauling all that rock to the Crusher . .fordy.. :worship:

Nik · #8 03/02/05, 09:41 PM

We've had a 1972 Chevy heavy 3/4 for 7 years. Best ---- truck I've ever owned. I'm toying with the idea of getting an older one ton for heavier hauling. If it does half as good a job as this one I'll consider myself lucky. :yeeha:

Nik

DrippingSprings · #9 03/02/05, 09:52 PM

I have a 70 F100 with a 302 three speed on the column. It is long wheel base and it will pull anything my new truck will (2004 Dodge with 360 Magnum) and will haul about twice as much in the same size bed. Unless you buy a heavy duty option on the newer models they are better for driving than for actual work. My 70 gets about 10 mpg uphill downhill full or empty. The best thing about it is if it wont run I can usually fix it for 20 bucks or less. Try that with a newer model. Id give up the 2003 Dodge dualie I bought for my horse/cattle trailersbefore Id give up my old Ford. I doubt either Dodge will be running 35 years from now and neither will most newer Chevys and Fords. Even the body is better. I can stand on the hood of the 70 model. If I brush against a newer truck I dent it it seems. I used to have a 76 Ranger full size with a towing package and a 460. It was hit by a 94 model Ford in the side of the bed running about fifty.

DW · #10 03/02/05, 09:53 PM

We had a '65 Chevy 3/4T 4WD for 20 years we just got rid of it a couple years ago...it was our work truck and my husband even drove it 55 mi. into Denver a few times. We got a great deal on a '95 Chevy 3/4T 4WD...quite an upgrade for us! The funny thing is we sold the '65 & a '91 and they paid for the '95.

Kadiddylak · #11 03/02/05, 09:53 PM

Jeff

That old chevy you will love . The gas mileage shouldnt be off to far from your Ford. Ive had many old trucks and it should work out really well for you. Im kicking the idea around of buying one from the guy down the road. The deal with the chevys are they used all the same parts on the motors or should say most of them from late 60s to early 90s with the exception of fuel injection. there a snap to work on.

Kathy NW Ohio · #12 03/02/05, 10:47 PM

Yes. Our 23 year old son, just bought a 1969 Chevy truck in great condition. It is painted a pretty light blue. He really likes it!! Plans to work on it himself, if it needs anything. He also has a 1969 Nova, but that's his show car and a beauty.

Quint · #13 03/03/05, 03:20 AM

If it has been lifted I would be careful. Unless it is done right you may be buying someone else's problems. Lifting a truck is fine but it has to be done right. If it is done wrong it rides like crap, handles like crap and can be downright dangerous. Too many times it is only done for looks and zero consideration is given to how it handles or how it rides let alone how the suspension actually works. I've seen some lifted trucks that looked great but were real mechanical horrorshows

An older truck will be easier to work on but in my experience you spend more time working on them. I actually enjoy wrenching on old trucks but that's just me.

Say what you will about newer vehicles but I never got the kind of trouble free mileage out of my older vehicles that I do from the newer ones. Back in the old days an engine was ready for a rebuild at 100,000 miles and today it still has a 100,000 or more to go.

Windy in Kansas · #14 03/03/05, 03:23 AM

"Anyone using old (50's-70's) truck?"

Nope, not me.

"I'm curious to know if anyone is running a truck this old."

Yes, I'm running a 1949 Chevrolet 3800 1 ton with grain bed. It has a 216 cu. in. inline 6 cylinder coupled to a 4 speed transmission and single speed differential.

Fuel consumption at highway speed is 10 miles per gallon, although one trip yielded 12 mpg.

I removed the bed from the chassis yesterday in order to shorten it from a 10 foot bed to an 8 foot one. I also wanted the bed off to completely rewire the chassis, to paint it, and to paint the cab. Thus far it still had the original paint on it.

Tires for it are my biggest problem. They are 18 inch and are duals in the rear.
Very costly. I expect I'll simply swap out the front and rear axles with some units from a delivery van with modern sized tires. That would also accomplish updating the braking system if I change out the master cylinder too.

The olddies are the best simply because they are so easy to work on. Keep on truckin' as the old slogan says.

GW · #15 03/03/05, 04:49 AM

I'm a diehard 73-79 Ford truck fan. Wouldn't drive anything else. I have a 77 F250 4x4 w/plow, 351M, C6 that I bought in 98 for $800 including a 76 for parts. It's been my daily driver since 00 when I sold my 97 Dodge money pit.

I have a 77 F350 dually 4x2 w/400, 4 spd. Still working on this one. Gonna put a dump body on for hauling firewood ect.

About 3 weeks ago, I bought a 78 F150 4x4 w/plow, 351M, C6 from a neighbor. This guy bought it new and he's the type that takes immaculate care of everything. The truck has 1 rust hole in the cab corner the size of a quarter. Not bad for a truck that's been in Maine all its life. Paid $2500.

Greg

Cornhusker · #16 03/03/05, 08:02 AM

I have a 76 GMC half ton with a 455 Oldsmobile motor. It has a beefed up Turbo 400 trans, and gets 6-8 mpg nut will pull a trailer full of fat hogs straight up if need be. It will also outrun about anything around. :haha:
Also have my dad's old 76 F250, but rarely drive it.
Dailey drivers are an 87 Dakota and an 89 Silverado 4X4.

Ozarks_1 · #17 03/03/05, 09:10 AM

'73 Chevy 1/2-ton 4x4 with 350 engine and auto tranny; 31x10.50R15 tires; Heavy winch bumper and push bar; Dump bed unit conversion. (68,946 original miles) 6 mpg.

Miz Mary · #18 03/03/05, 10:05 AM

I've got a "77 Ford F-150 Ranger , with a 400 M ----
It's off white with a seafoam green .........SO PURDY !!!
We are musicians so we use the rig to haul all of our equipment to gigs.........

**Cabin Fever** · #19 03/03/05, 12:05 PM

Hummm...how come there's no rice burners listed here? Makes me kinda wonder?

JeffinMaine: how do those wide tires work for snowplowing? I would figure that you wouldn't get much traction with them....unless they were really knobby.

comfortablynumb · #20 03/03/05, 12:17 PM

1965 F250
drinks like a fish, moves like an ox.
but its easy and cheap to fix.
back then, a PU truck was just a lightweight tractor with a nice tin shell.
If the frame is solid and the body is solid enough to at least weld/braze/screw/bolt on replacement panels, everything else is just simple wires and parts.
no computer chips, sensors, or other stuff to ruin your day.
You will go broke in gas BUT.... conside what the cost of the upkeep in a newer one will cost a year.
after your satisfide its all solid, get 5 gal of transmission fluid and a sprayer tank, and soak the frame and underside with oil.... get in all the little hles and cracks.
do that every few yrs and it will never rust on ya.
RUST is truck cancer... if you cvan prevent the rust, all it needs is an organ transplant now and then.

not to mention, the VALUE will go up every yr, unlike a showroom new one thats depreciated as soon as it leaves the lot.
the chevy VS ford debate...
if it runs and its solid, WHO CARES they all were built better back in the stoner age.

its a good buy go for it.