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chas
User
Sep 15, 2016, 12:55 PM
Post #1 of 14
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small 4cyl trucks
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im a little ticked that auto makers dont make a basic small 4cylinder truck, stick or automatic, no power steering, reg cab/xtended cab, reg bed/long bed, a/c, heater only and maybe a basic stereo radio.
not interested in a big truck with 16-18inch wheels, fancy options like GPS, on the steering wheel radio and cruise control, off road suspension kit, giant cab, 6/8cyl and automatic. i think you get my drift. i just want to see a basic small truck again and maybe i will buy it if i like it.
just keep improving on that platform with modern technology.
why did auto makers stop making a basic small truck from the 80s and 90s?
so whats up with this?
(This post was edited by chas on Sep 15, 2016, 1:06 PM)
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Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 15, 2016, 1:33 PM
Post #2 of 14
(2984 views)
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Re: small 4cyl trucks
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I believe this writer sums it up pretty well.
http://jalopnik.com/...n-america-1725619233
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 15, 2016, 3:33 PM
Post #3 of 14
(2981 views)
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Re: small 4cyl trucks
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I believe they are made but nobody wants to buy them so no dealers want to stock them.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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chas
User
Sep 15, 2016, 5:57 PM
Post #4 of 14
(2969 views)
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Re: small 4cyl trucks
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discreet>>>>>I believe they are made but nobody wants to buy them so no dealers want to stock them.
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Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 15, 2016, 6:11 PM
Post #5 of 14
(2967 views)
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Re: small 4cyl trucks
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That's one thing about being a mechanic. You can buy an old truck that a customer gave up on for peanuts and give it some love. No car payments and no gizmos. Just window cranks, wing windows, 5 speed, with AC. I don't care what it is, but it has to have AC...
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Sep 15, 2016, 6:12 PM)
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chas
User
Sep 15, 2016, 8:58 PM
Post #6 of 14
(2961 views)
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Re: small 4cyl trucks
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That's one thing about being a mechanic. You can buy an old truck that a customer gave up on for peanuts and give it some love. No car payments and no gizmos. Just window cranks, wing windows, 5 speed, with AC. I don't care what it is, but it has to have AC... chas>>>>>yeah, but alot of the old mini trucks are kind of beyond "give it some love". they wanted alot of money. way more i was willing to give for it. thats probably why they are kickin it. been watching around my area for something with a 4cylinder in a little nicer better condition. seen a few Chevy S-10, GMC Sonomas and Ford rangers. 1. what do you guys think of the Chevy 2.2L and the Ford 2.3L EFI 4cylinders? 2. alot of the rangers i saw had what i think is the rack and pinion steering. not the basic tie rods. were those a problem and expensive to fix or replace? 3. i think Ford discontinued the ranger in 2011. im pretty sure it had the R&P steering. were the last ones made up to 2011 any good. got a little funny story for you. i was looking around on the web and found a 96 Isuzu Hombre with the 2.2L in the area on a small car lot. when i started it up it had a bad miss. opened the hood, looked around and found the #1 spark plug wire off the plug. plugged it back on, started up ok. the miss seemed to go away. the owner changed his mind then chased me off. i said, youre welcome and left. its ok, didnt have ac.
(This post was edited by chas on Sep 15, 2016, 9:03 PM)
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kev2
Veteran
Sep 16, 2016, 6:59 AM
Post #7 of 14
(2947 views)
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Re: small 4cyl trucks
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I read the article and must say what a bunch of Sh!t !
Rhetoric - following a party line even if it does NOT relate to issue.
the link should be removed !
(This post was edited by kev2 on Sep 16, 2016, 9:06 AM)
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nickwarner
Veteran
/ Moderator
Sep 16, 2016, 2:59 PM
Post #8 of 14
(2932 views)
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Re: small 4cyl trucks
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With Kev here. As much as I wish being a union worker was like that, it isn't. Also nothing wrong with taxing vehicles made in countries that pay slave wages so they can't undercut jobs in this country. Bad enough most of the parts are sourced overseas.
For me personally, I hate small trucks. If you get the 4 cylinder it doesn't have enough power to get out of its own way. Get the six and it still can't haul much but the gas mileage isn't much different from a full size which can. Now I will say that I am biased against them on account of being 6'3". My knees are up at the dash in a Ranger or S-10 and it is a misery for me to drive them any farther than the nearest intersection. I think a lot of people go with the full-size for interior space, especially since putting a kids car seat in a little truck is really no fun.
If you are looking for a cheap no-frills truck, I know Fastenal is getting rid of them around the country. I think most are 2wd basic models. They did go full-size in my area, Rams with 6 cyl engines. But I don't know what they are getting rid of. All the parts stores around me use 2wd Rangers, which is hilarious to watch when winter comes and they are simply incapable of pulling away from a stoplight as the little truck hasn't got enough weight for traction until you throw so many sandbags in it that the back end sags and you couldn't get up to overdrive short of going on a long downhill.
Automakers sell what a majority of new vehicle buyers want. They could care less about the used market. When people choose full-sized trucks and reject small ones, would it make a lick of business sense to invest millions into the vehicles that most people do not want? People decided they wanted space, they wanted cargo capacity and they wanted good power. Something with a cramped interior, the aerodynamics of a small brick and an anemic little wheezebag motor were not favored by buyers, so they quit making them
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 16, 2016, 3:37 PM
Post #9 of 14
(2929 views)
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Re: small 4cyl trucks
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Well said Nick
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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kev2
Veteran
Sep 16, 2016, 4:25 PM
Post #10 of 14
(2925 views)
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Re: small 4cyl trucks
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my colleagues remark - "Automakers sell what a majority of new vehicle buyers want" is a cloudy truth as it as the DEALERS that are the manufactures customer And their interests are NOT the same as the end purchaser, that's us. The dealers want what we would call loaded and pressure the manufacturer to produce higher priced vehicles, volume is not desired - they want the profit on the minimum number of sales. Not satisfied with 20% of a 18K sale they only want 20% of a 36K sale. Worst is they shake their head and say they do not make that.
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 16, 2016, 4:30 PM
Post #11 of 14
(2923 views)
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Re: small 4cyl trucks
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That's simply not true Kev. They will manufacture anything that sells. People are just not creating enough demand.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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chas
User
Sep 17, 2016, 4:30 PM
Post #12 of 14
(2904 views)
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Re: small 4cyl trucks
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nickwarner>>>>If you are looking for a cheap no-frills truck, I know Fastenal is getting rid of them around the country. I think most are 2wd basic models.>>>>>>
chuck>>>>>could please give a link to where to get a small 4cyl truck.
hammer>>>>That's simply not true Kev. They will manufacture anything that sells. People are just not creating enough demand.>>>>>there is a high demand for small 4cyl trucks. the problems we have now are the "chickentax", high cost of materials, tariffs, labor, runaway inflation made it not cost effective to produce them anymore, lack of decent jobs, failed economy and the mainsteam is broke.
ive been to alot of the car lots around my area. they all say they have people coming in all the time looking for a small 4cyl truck but cant get them. when it does come in it flys out the door fast.
i see alot of the bigger versions of the Ranger, Nissan, Toyota Tacoma with a V6 and automatic around alot.
there is a demand for the small 4cyl trucks but there are too many problems. runaway inflation and cost of production is a big problem for all makers and still turn a profit to pay salaries and stay in business.
maybe if the american makers had better QC and spent a little money on R&D the "chicken tax" may not have been necessary. americans would have bought an american small truck. alot of these problems might not have happened.
the unions keep striking for more money, while most of the mainstreamers are unemployed, underemployed, constant rising costs of inflation, production, union labor and materials drove people out of the new car market. runaway inflation and lack of decent paying jobs made it difficult for most of the mainstream to afford a new vehicle. blame this on all the bad decisions and bad financial decisions through the decades.
if this keeps up there will nobody or very little left to buy anything.
(This post was edited by chas on Sep 17, 2016, 5:03 PM)
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 18, 2016, 9:26 AM
Post #14 of 14
(2874 views)
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Re: small 4cyl trucks
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OK, this thread has drifted away from automotive conversation and too deep into politics now. It has run it's course and I am closing it now.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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