Dr Lee`s obsolete truck

[C.K. Piquup]

How does it feel to be driving an obsolete truck?Pretty good,huh?Not only obsolete,but one of a kind.I kinda went on a tangent on the members forum and thought I`d spill it over to here.First GM stopped the regular cab shortbed diesel.Now the 1/2 ton diesel.For that matter(another tangent),how many regular cabs do you see?Is that next on the endangered list?How about these SS pick-ups w/x-cabs?Nothing like adding hp,then adding 500+/-lbs to eat it up.Why not an 8`reg-cab SS?The thing with short beds is...they`re short.Think I`ll switch to decaf.

[DieselEnvy]

Here, here!! I agree, and I'm not even drinking coffee! tongue.gif Extended cab sport trucks are kinda stupid............If you wanna "sport around", leave the family at HOME.

...And bring back half-ton, regular cab diesels!!

[moondoggie]

Good Day!

Standard cab, standard (8') box is my truck, but nobody buys these, so they're hard to find used, & are becoming unavailable as an order option new. It's all extended cab, short box, & now crew cab, short box for city folks. Most of these trucks will never see a load. The ones I see, I think they're waxing the inside of the box. :confused:

OK, I'm off the soap box.

Blessings!

Brian Johnson, #5044

[NH2112]

I've always wondered about X-cab or crew cab shortboxes myself. If all you need is a 6.5' bed, why not buy a 4-door Dakota or Tundra? You'll get better mileage, pay less to begin with, and have an easier time parking or hitting the drive-thru. I'd feel pretty silly having to lower the tailgate to carry sheets of plywood! tongue.gif

[sidedump]

About twice a month this repo guy stops by my house and asks if my truck is ready to be sold. Same answer every time "sorry not for sale". He said you just don't find them in good shape especially w/ a 6.5TD like mine. Makes me feel proud.

[G. Gearloose]

Nobody buys a truck so their plywood can sit pretty.

[CleviteKid]

Yep, I am a charter member of the "Over-the-hill-Gang" for GMC and Chevy trucks - the boxy "rounded line" style with NA diesel, from 1982-1987, and up to 1991(?) for dually crew cabs, 'Burbs and Blazers.

My truck does carry plywood and drywall, and is happy to do it with the tail gate down and a few strategic bungee cords keeping the load under control.

Generous Motors only made about 1000 short bed standard cab 1/2 ton pickups per year when they were making them, so they are pretty rare. Ask R.W. Pierce, or Bill Efland if they want to sell their short bed half-ton diesels. Probably get the same answer you would get from me: NFW !!!
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(No Feasible Way)


Dr. Lee :cool:

[C.K. Piquup]

When I decided to buy a new truck in`92,I looked at alot of dealers`lots and found mostly x-cab,short bed,2wd,1/2tons.I ordered the`92GMC K3500srw,SLE,6.5TD,5spd,reg-cab,Woodland Green/lt.beige interior and it really stood out.People commented on it everywhere we went.I felt,if dealers would just put trucks like this on their lots,it would make alot of sales.It`s like it was a classic from day-1.You can still order a Dmax like this today.What I meant with this post,though,is with the popularity of diesels higher than ever,why cut back to only the heaviest of LTs and no SUVs?In the `67-`72 truck line GM made a big trans tunnel for 4wd and 4spd,then a small one for auto trans.So why can`t they fit the Dmax in anything but the HD-series?The only difference is a factoy"body-lift".

[C.K. Piquup]

Refer to the Members Forum:5.7 unwanted GM diesel.

[NH2112]

Let fuel prices stay where they are and we'll see calls for diesels in just about everything. Up here diesel costs anywhere from 25 to 30 cents less per gallon than regular unleaded. There's no technological reason why we can't make diesels for 1/2 ton trucks/SUVs that average 30mpg, and 40mpg for compact trucks/SUVs. IMO only building powerhouse diesels like the Cummins, Powerstroke, & Duramax completely overlooks the diesel's REAL advantage over gasoline engines - the potential for vastly superior fuel economy. My 6.2L has all the power I need for what I use my truck for, and I even get to pick on my 4-cyl driving friends because my big pickup truck with the aerodynamics of a barn door and an engine twice the size of theirs, built with 1960s technology, gets fuel economy that's almost as good as their 2003 or 2004 Hondas, Nissans, etc. :D Put a 3.9L 4BT in a fullsize pickup, stick an overdrive tranny behind it, run gears in the 3.42 - 3.73 range, and you should see 30mpg or very close to it. Plus it'll still have plenty of power (~110HP) and decent gearing for getting a load moving. A Tier II engine may be even better.

[C.K. Piquup]

Isn`t it a shame that Detroit still hasn`t become more responsible to needs other than demographic appeal?This is what opened the door to foreign products and sent them scrambling to come up with Vegas,Chevettes,and Pintos(all excellent platforms for 8sec.1/4mi.cars).It takes a crisis to open their eyes,I meant lost sales.I don`t expect an immediate response to the current fuel price spike,but we did know we were stirrin`the sauce with the OPEC nations(why isn`t there an"M"in there somewhere?).The diesel was dropped way before 9/11/01.GM had more diesels in more vehicles when Joe Public didn`t even like them,odd.Now,they seem to be there as competition in the(hi-dollar)HP race.That`s cool,but it leaves the rest of the market(now hooked on trucks&suvs)driving gas guzzlers.Is this deja vu?

[Marty Lau]

I just saw in town here a 1993 6.5 straight cab 8 foot box for sale.

[moondoggie]

Good Day!

C.K. Piquup (29 May post) You said, "...with the popularity of diesels higher than ever, why cut back to only the heaviest of LTs and no SUVs?" I have no hard data, but it was my impression that they are selling every DMax/Allison they can build in the trucks. If this is so, why would they bother with the significant changes that would be required to put this drivetrain in the Sub? (The mods required were covered pretty well in the Forums, but may have been lost when the Page ISP lost lots of our topics & their backups a year or two ago. Basically, it requires a 2" lift that, in the age of rollover SUV's, GM is probably not interested in doing. You & I know that this isn't an issue, but the lawyers must be served...)

In talking with folks about Subs on-the-street, mpg NEVER comes up. When I sold the one gasser 92 Sub I briefly owned, he asked me what mpg I got & I told him the truth, but it obviously had NO impact on his purchasing the Sub. It's my OPINION that most folks who drive Subs really don't care about mpg much, unless & until it starts costing a LOT more to drive than it does, even at $2/gallon gas. (Please remember, I've owned 4 Subs, 3 of them diesel. I'll never again voluntarily own a gas Sub; I'll never again voluntarily be without a Sub.)

Right after 911, there was an expected shortage of fuel that, fortunately, didn

[C.K. Piquup]

Well taken,that is always my intentiom when posting as well.1)The trucks(HD)have body lifts,they also roll.I know,band-Aid politics,not true solutions.2)Forming a larger hump in floor would solve that.3)I`m sure GM is more than capable to do what it takes to produce more Dmax$.4)They will,as gas guzzlers continue to suck money from even the numbest of citizens(con$umer$).5)It`s true,as long as Americans(including corps)have money in their pockets,they can`t see,nor do they care about,the future.6)The manufacturers control capitalism until things get desperate,then need takes over,and the consumer controls.Look around the world,or down the street.Been noticing more and more foriegners around town?We`ve been the lucky ones.But,just like the twin towers,we are no longer exempt.7)It`s time for responsible capitalism.

[TonyL]

with regard to long box/short box debate heres my to cents. I have owned both and every long box I have owned I have had put a tool box in the back to keep my stuff dry which basicly turns it into a short box. Even with out the tool box there is not much more I can fit in my long box than my old short box and it cant fit I own trailers that can haul any thing else so the convience of the extended cab is well worth the sacrifice. In fact If i bought a new truck I would buy a four door short box, my brother has a '04 and it is the "ultimate" hunting truck.

Tony

[C.K. Piquup]

I saw an unusually nice looking truck in the grocery store parking lot the other day.Really caught my eye.It was a late-model K1500 regular cab/short fleetside:Black,Lift-kit,Black steel wheels,and 35-36"SuperSwampers on it.That`s it.The configuration looks good on all body-styles and is very sought after in the earlier-models.Yet,when do tou see one now.The same with 2wd.Too bad you can get a D-max in it.

[befland]

>Ask R.W. Pierce, or Bill Efland if they want to >sell their short bed half-ton diesels. Probably >get the same answer you would get from me: >NFW !!!

NFW!! Especially now that I have my rear air bags and my parts to convert it to serpentine! But I still get stopped about once a month to see if I want to sell it!

The other member of the OTHG (Over The Hill Gang)