Small pickups

mm1ut1

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I’m thinking of buying a small pickup. SMALL pickup, like an old Chevy Luv or Toyota 80s-90s to haul or pull a trailer for my bike. I heard the reason they don’t make them anymore is because of the EPA’s formula for calculating and classification vehicles by wheelbase, width, et cet. Small pickups today are the size of full sized trucks of the recent past. I am hoping that with the current administration they put a little common sense into the regulations so that companies can build small truck again. I wont hold my breath. Got my nephew in Southern California looking for one I can drive home this spring…..
 
I bought an '05 Chevy Colorado about 5 years ago at auction. It's a work truck, so only has power steering, brakes and air. Like you, I didn't want a big truck.
It is a great little truck with 40K miles. I'm the 2nd owner. It came with a lift-gate, bed tool box and headache rack. Sold them all and found a new tailgate.
Truck.jpg

Edit: most of the small trucks are pre 2012 as I understand.
 
I am hoping that with the current administration they put a little common sense into the regulations so that companies can build small truck again. I wont hold my breath. Got my nephew in Southern California looking for one I can drive home this spring…..
Breathe, you're turning blue.... :wink2:

The CAFE regulations have an affect on building small trucks, sure they do, but the primary reason for lack of small trucks was/is lack of sales. There's not enough demand there to make a small truck line profitable.

Blame us Americans and our need for "BIGGER and better."
 
I can never understand why pick-ups seem to get bigger and bigger. We're still a way behind America but even in Britain there's some pretty huge pick-ups on the roads these days.

Many are company cars bought by self-employed or entrepreneurial types to make the most of tax breaks. Say, a pub or café owner who buys a Ford Ranger to go to the cash and carry to buy supplies which would easily fit in the back of a car. Mrs and I sometime discuss what insecurity they are compensating for . . .
 
I drive a little Honda Ridgeline. It feels like a wind up car compared to my old F-150 crew cab. But this is my 2nd Ridgeline and it is plenty enough truck for me. The first I drive for 12 years and 120k miles. Only reason I passed it along was that it was rusting out and nobody offered repair panels for them. They only have a 5.5' bed but is big enough for trips to the big box stores when Mrs. Willis puts me on the honey-do lists or if I need to borrow my buddy's trailer. If I had storage, i'd be tempted to get one of those little mini like this for running around.
1737489298214.jpeg
 
I can never understand why pick-ups seem to get bigger and bigger. We're still a way behind America but even in Britain there's some pretty huge pick-ups on the roads these days.

Many are company cars bought by self-employed or entrepreneurial types to make the most of tax breaks. Say, a pub or café owner who buys a Ford Ranger to go to the cash and carry to buy supplies which would easily fit in the back of a car. Mrs and I sometime discuss what insecurity they are compensating for . . .
I run a VW Amarok which I bought for my business. it hauls my tools on jobs, and other crap that needs to go to the tip / recycling facility. It also saved me money as I got 20% Tax back off the purchase price. It’s a fantastic work tool that also has plenty of luxuries installed.
Oh and I’m hung like a petrol pump!
 
My "Little Pony", well wasn't little when I bought it new 25 years ago, but compared to the new offerings it's now midsize.
Actually looking for a 15 yr old Tacoma or Frontier 4 door as a daily driver. Since the hip replacement I want something more level to sit into getting in and out then my old Impala which now sits way too low for comfortable ingress/egress. But will never part with this beauty. Originally bought to pull my sailboat (long gone), now it pulls my camper
IMG_20220419_190026797_HDR.jpg
 
I’m thinking of buying a small pickup. SMALL pickup, like an old Chevy Luv or Toyota 80s-90s to haul or pull a trailer for my bike. I heard the reason they don’t make them anymore is because of the EPA’s formula for calculating and classification vehicles by wheelbase, width, et cet. Small pickups today are the size of full sized trucks of the recent past. I am hoping that with the current administration they put a little common sense into the regulations so that companies can build small truck again. I wont hold my breath. Got my nephew in Southern California looking for one I can drive home this spring…..
Don't shoot me now, but small trucks...
are not profitable
if so, are not small

EPA regs for cars vs. trucks are different. Flat cargo area describes trucks(minivans) per EPA.
EPA used to be based on HC/NoX/CO/NVOC emissions. Then gas guzzle tax.

Now based on that and CO2.(fuel economy-indirectly)
Which is why the US switched from cars to minivans to trucks in the 90's.

No profit in little minivans or trucks, so they got bigger, with more bling.

NTSA added more safety regs. and they got bigger and bigger.

cliff

backup camera
brake interlock
door open
loose fuel cap
low fuel
timer on remote start
obstruction gear lock out
 
Don't shoot me now, but small trucks...
are not profitable
if so, are not small

EPA regs for cars vs. trucks are different. Flat cargo area describes trucks(minivans) per EPA.
EPA used to be based on HC/NoX/CO/NVOC emissions. Then gas guzzle tax.

Now based on that and CO2.(fuel economy-indirectly)
Which is why the US switched from cars to minivans to trucks in the 90's.

No profit in little minivans or trucks, so they got bigger, with more bling.

NTSA added more safety regs. and they got bigger and bigger.

cliff

backup camera
brake interlock
door open
loose fuel cap
low fuel
timer on remote start
obstruction gear lock out
^^^^this^^^ is why I will not buy another new truck, most of these systems are on canbus wiring circuits also, which are hugely dependent on careful assembly whilst going down the line as a dozen features can go through one 22ga wire
 
If buying an older small pickup and considering a Tacoma, Google the years that the trucks had frame rot. Toyota had a recall on certain years to replace rusted out frames. If you find one with a replaced frame that would be great. If it hasn’t been done, be careful. Iirc, late ‘90’s and early 2000’s? Just looked - I was close.

IMG_5273.png
 
I bought this little beauty for my daughter's first car. $800 bucks and a few hundred bucks more in improvements and it was a great first car for a teenager who was on the equestrian team in HS. I still have it and use it as a farm truck and parts chaser. Sure, I get no respect from the SP trucks on the road but who cares?
Gen 1 Ford Ranger with the 2.3 FI, 5 Sp.
Smith_D-083.jpg
 
I bought a 1986 Toyota basic pickup when it was brand new. It had the tough as nails 22R 4 cylinder engine, a basic 4-speed stick , basic rubber floor covering and the only option I paid for was air conditioning. It was a great, practical truck.
It looked just like this one here,
IMG_8076.jpeg

I have often thought how much I would love to have another one, but when I look at them….WOW! You can’t believe the money they ask for them. If they are clean and have low miles on them, then they want mid $20K ,
IMG_8077.jpeg


But most of them have been used as work trucks, they have been beat to hell and have a quarter of a million miles on them!
IMG_8078.jpeg
 
I bought a 1986 Toyota basic pickup when it was brand new. It had the tough as nails 22R 4 cylinder engine, a basic 4-speed stick , basic rubber floor covering and the only option I paid for was air conditioning. It was a great, practical truck.
It looked just like this one here,
View attachment 342886

I have often thought how much I would love to have another one, but when I look at them….WOW! You can’t believe the money they ask for them. If they are clean and have low miles on them, then they want mid $20K ,
View attachment 342887

But most of them have been used as work trucks, they have been beat to hell and have a quarter of a million miles on them!
View attachment 342888
Keep your eyes open and you have to be quick, my son’s latest 1990 ranger came from a barn in Texas, has less than 50,000 miles and we got it for 10k, but like I said we where constantly looking and we acted quick driving long distance with cash in hand.
 
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