THSCC Forums

my dad moved his home in a 2.3 4 cyl automatic ranger up some mountains... He said it was very slow going.

as far as my truck, its supposed to get about 20 mpg... but I go a little too fast on interstates to get that type of milage. funny that my 4 cyl 2.3 litter ranger got the same, and yes, I inherited it from my dad.

I DD my 1500 currently, not near as big, but I have managed to wiggle it out of some tight places. That being said, a mid sized truck would be alot easier to manage as a DD.

There's certainly no need to buy brand new. I bought my 1999 F250 diesel a year ago for $8100. Mine was a great find, but there are bound to be others out there like it. It has towed the S2000 to DC, south Georgia, and Lincoln, NE. As a tow vehicle, it is total kickass. As a daily, it can be a little clumsy in tight areas, but there's an easy solution to that. Don't take it to tight areas. In parking lots, I tend to park far away from other people anyway, so that's no change.

If the truck is going to be your daily driver, you'll have to come to grips with the fact that it's not a sports car. They're not fun to drive like a Miata or an S2000 is. To me, though, it's a different kind of fun. You ride up high and it makes cool truck noises. It has nice comfortable seats, a decent stereo, and KILLER A/C. You have to prioritize whatever is right for you. Sure, a Tacoma is a little more manageable around town. But is it really that much better than a bigger truck? That's something to think about when hooking up to a trailer. For me, I would MUCH rather deal with a tow vehicle that tows well, and happens to be a little clumsy in town, than a small truck that parks easily but tows poorly. YMMV.

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Karl S.
2014 Baby, 2014 House, 2013 Ford Focus ST, 2013 BMW 328i, 1994 Mercedes E320
(Insert passive aggressive signature line here)

"cool truck noises" i like it.

Jason, again as Karl has stated; no need to buy new. there are tons of late model tow vehicles out there. get the biggest and most loaded up that your budget will bear. you will be glad you did if you take the route that most of us here have.

as in "damn i have a lot of stuff to tote to the track" i roll at about 16k lbs for the average weekend.

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BenchWarmer Motorsports

another one of those damn LeMons heads

just another Chump

we are an Autocross Club Dammit............

Carl,

thanks for the advice. I think if I am going to stick with used, I will fix what I have. I think what you said about it being a truck so expect it to be a truck is true... but go for a ride with me in the mnts some time... you might be surprized As far as not going into tight spots, I agree, you can always find me at the back of a parking lot.. but sometimes you just dont have a choise (try carborro parking lots sometime).

Steve, Do you really tow 16k lbs of stuff? what do you cary besides your car? i just cant imagine that much weight for some reason.

16k includes the 8k+ truck. but i like to be comfortable so i bring a lot of stuff.

the truck has towed upwards of 12k worth of floor tile plus trailer many times.

keep your eyes open for a decent 7.3l Ford.

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BenchWarmer Motorsports

another one of those damn LeMons heads

just another Chump

we are an Autocross Club Dammit............

totally. my neighbor heard me say that i got 17 mpg towing (a little less weight than steve but not much) and picked up a 2002 f250 7.3 psd for his landscaping business. he specifically bought a 7.3 for the reliability and fuel mileage (less emissions crap than newer motors, which adds complexity and fuel burn) and loves it, his 2004 f250 gasser gets 7-8 mpg. i wouldn't want to drive my excursion every day but it's a kick ass tow rig.

No Fights for my Tacoma..All Peace and Love here on Durham's South Side

I have modified the suspension in the rear (helper leaf) I also use the transfer case a lot and go really really slow...

It still gets "interesting" with some of the Person County hills.

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http://greenjacketracing.blogspot.com/
1987 Mustang GT Track Car-
1999 Toyota Tacoma
1988 BMW 735i 5 speed
1989 BMW 325i running like German Junk
2004 F-350 Super Duty (NC taxpayer owned)

That includes about 100lbs of Budweiser

"iced" Budweiser. like i said, i like to be comfortable.

and if you and Butler hadn't consumed most all of that, i wouldn't have had to repo yours and nearly take out an entire parking lot of GT3s with Randy's car either. good times, good times.

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BenchWarmer Motorsports

another one of those damn LeMons heads

just another Chump

we are an Autocross Club Dammit............

So take the Miata into Carrboro.

If you want to fix what you've got, go for it. You'll be better off doing that than buying a compact pickup that you'll hate towing with. Just make sure and do the numbers before you sink thousands into what you've already got. If it needs a transmission, that'll be a few grand, right? Consider all that. It's possible that you'd be better off selling it for $2000, and putting that repair money towards something different.

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Karl S.
2014 Baby, 2014 House, 2013 Ford Focus ST, 2013 BMW 328i, 1994 Mercedes E320
(Insert passive aggressive signature line here)

Yeah, that was back when my only choice was the truck.

As far as considering that, the truck still runs "fine" for now. transmission acts up, but nothing that is keeping it off the road. I will probably end up taking it into a tranny shop sooner than later to save the cost of having it hauled in

You can get beefed up aftermarket transmissions for your truck that will likely be superior than any work a local rebuild shop will do. They probably won't be too much more expensive either.

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In need of car.

Exactly. Beefed up rebuilt 4L60E's can be had for not much over a grand (shipped even) if I recall, and that's the route I'll go if/when mine starts getting any worse than it is.

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Dustin Fredrickson
-- I'm a nobody --

This will also work in newer GM trucks.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NAL-19171225/

But that's a different story altogether.

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In need of car.