Lots of talk about the best new trucks and who doesn't like a new truck, but what about the old uns that have earned their salt already but aren't quite ready to be put out to pasture? Maybe a young fellow starting out would be in the market for an old truck, or a not so young fellow has use for a beater to use once in a while for heavy lifting so's not to bang up the daily driver? Or maybe a guy just plain likes old trucks!

So what's your pick of what to look for in say a mid 90s to mid 2000s pick up that has a track record of going the extra mile(s). What model, engine, what tranny? Extra points if you have your own story of a 20 YO truck that just won't quit. Lets say 4x4 is a must too as old Betsy will have to launch a boat over what resembles a suitcase sized rock pile more than an actual boat launch. Lets say looks don't matter and a price tag of 3-5k would be beauty as long the thing ran when it was sposed to. Askin for a friend..

I don't know. But good luck. People seem to want money for any pick-up that's worth having.

I bought a 2005 long bed F-150 a couple of years ago with only 65K,...V6 stick.

I had to pay a little bit for it,...probably too much. But it was what I wanted and they don't come along every day set up like you want with low miles,...so I bit the bullet and bought it.

Well, I just missed because my truck is only 19 years old and 2wd. I went from Southern California to Denver, CO with a travel trailer in August. Then I went from home again to Tulsa, OK in mid October, again with a trailer. I turned 200,000 miles, just west of Amarillo on the outbound trip.
2000 F250, 6.8l V10. I can pass anything but a gas station. It's a crew cab short bed. I still have the original starter, alternator, water pump, PS pump and trans. I probably haven't spent over $3000 on repairs and it would be less if I had done the radiator replacement my self but that was just after knee replacement.
I think my truck is an anomaly though and would look for a Chevy/GMC because parts go on forever and there are Chevy mechanics on every corner.

1999 to 2007 GMC or Chevy with 6.0 and 4L80 has been as bulletproof as any truck I've had. I'm a contractor and have had pretty much everything at work. Also been impressed with a 2001 F350 V10 as far as drivetrain goes, but I've spent a lot of money on front bearings. It had a 4" lift and 35s and spent a lot of time in the mud, so that probably didn't help.

Had a nice 04 4wd ranger until a 16 yr old girl totaled it out for me last year......
Still jealous seeing ones on the road.
But I couldnt replace my well maintained unicorn for the insurance settlement check on it.
Prior to that I had a 89 and 97 ranger.

Now I have a 04 colorado 4wd 3.5L I5, 5 spd man,short bed, reg cab.
1st chevy I ever have had .
I like it.
Got good power for its size and can get in some pretty tight places a full size cant.
It can haul deer and turkey.
Bed been blooded about 3 weeks ago with 2 slickheads.

My daily driver if it is raining or snowing to much to take the 2018 Harley Davidson is a 2003 F150 with 4.6 V8 and 5 speed manual 4WD. It has the work truck package. That means no power windows or sissy stuff like air conditioning.
My theory is that the less stuff you have the less stuff that will go wrong and need repairs.
So far it doesn't burn oil and has needed no major repairs. It is starting to get rusty but oh well.
It has 152,000 miles on it.

Toyota T100 I had in 1996 was a helluva truck for what I used it for. Kind of watching for a lower mileage one.

98 f150, 4.6 5 speed 2 speed transfer 3 door short bed. Mine has 175000
Be aware of fords idiotic head/ sparkplugs, my clutch slave leaks very slowly but i am capable of doing a manual rebuild if need be
I put the f250 size tires on mine, same dia, narrower
Has gone everywhere i need including some real 1st lo range roads
Brother has the chevy counterpart, door hinges are worn and engine wants to miss, but he also hauls a slide in camper so loads his harder. He did have to do an auto transmission rebuild at around 120000

I bet the steering on it has gotten a bit stiffer over the years. The steering shaft has two small universal joints on them.

Spray them down with WD40 and see how the steering lightens up.

Mine had gotten so stiff that I thought the power steering pump was getting bad. I read on a Ford forum about how the steering shaft responds to a bit of lubrication so I doused the steering shaft U-joints with WD40 and it was right back like it's supposed to be.

All good smarquez 4x4's just a small component of the truck IMO. Unless it breaks. lol
I have a cousin that had a v10 ford that had similar comments. Drinks fuel, duh! but being a bit overbuilt for a task does have benefits. Plus the ones I see seem to be priced low, many looking for a better mpg combo I guess.


What worries me about old Ford's is the 5.4 l v-8s that are so common. The top ends don't seem well loved after a certain point. Going with the little 6 negates all that, how do you find it for power, ever towed anything?



Or avoid the 5.4 this way too is an option. That 4.6 sounds like its served you well whelen'

I had an 04 halfer with the 4.8l other than about rusting in half it was a great truck. Still is actually I still see it around town. GM a strong possibility. I mean I am a GM man for years. Other than my last 2014 F 150. But that's another topic.



Ran into a couple from stateside up here at the Bass Pro parking lot. I was admiring their little pop up camper and asked if I could have a closer look. Nice folks they loved it AND their lil 5 banger Canyon. They've been all over the place in the set up nothing but praise..

1999-2000 Silverado if you can find one not rusted out underneath. My 2000 4 WD with 327 in it died of rust 2 years ago. approx 240,000 miles on it, very little beyond oil changes on it for maintenance. one alternator and a very doggone expensive fuel pump but not much else.

The big Essex V6 is the best motor made for F-150's of that era. I like 'em with the 5 speed manual. They only give up about 20 HP to the small V8 and it's not noticeable. They'll cruise the interstate much faster than the police will allow and have plenty of torque.

I've owned 2 F-150s with the big V6, stick shift set up. I've hauled loads in them that made me afraid the rear tires were gonna pop.

Ford doesn't offer them set up like that any longer. I'm trying to take care of the one I've got. There's not going to be any more.

my 97 12v cummins.

Rust is an issue, I recently replaced all the brake lines on my 1999-1/2 Chevy 4WD.

Interesting. I never paid much attention to them I know back in the day the old 300 six was a great motor for Ford. Going to look in to those a little more..

They set them up like that for a lot of fleet pick-ups,...for customers who were buying 15 or 20 pick-ups at a time.

Just basic economical pick-ups that were going to see a lot of miles.

Drove a 92 Chevy SB stepside for 15 years. Gave it to a felon who had nothing in 2010. Best Chevy truck I ever had.

Bought a 98 Tahoe to replace it. It has 340,000 on it & runs quite well. It’s my shooting range/work commuter. But, its transmission lost low/overdrive last month. It only had 158,000 on its first rebuild. So, it is now retired.

Motor has 75,000. It’s an L31 350. Fresh set of Michelins. Got 120,000 out of the last set.
$850 takes it home.

Have an 04 Sierra 5.3L with 300,000 on it. Change oil every 4K and tranny fluid every 50k. Only major repair was a rebuilt transfer case about 2 years ago. Fenders starting to rust is all that’s wrong with it.

1995 - early 1999 Suburban with the 5.7 liter Vortec.

Where in BC are you Salty? I've got the F350 for sale.

I will admit that I don't tow very heavy things, very often.
And one of the spark plugs is quite a challenge to change, but even at 100,000 miles the plugs looked like new.

Just keep looking and don't get in a rush,
We found a 1990 Ford extended cab F250 460 Manual 5 speed with a 120K on it that had been sold by the original owner at a habit for Humanity sale. Yes it is 30 years old but it is in excellent condition and everything works.
It is only used when needed but it's a dandy when you want it, and I think we can get every penny back if we decide to sell.

Have an idea what you want and keep looking, it will come, may take 6 months but it will

Mines not a beater but my 96 7.3 Powerstroke is still asked if it's for sale regularly. If you could find one in good shape they go and go. Same thing with the 12V Cummins

mines not really beater if i clean it up, but hard to do using it for work.

I appreciate that kolofardos but I won't be doing anything on this till the new year. What I've done is downsized myself into a small suv and am getting by fine with a trailer to haul lumber, the atv etc. But only a few months in on this venture I can see that a beater pick as well is probably going to be the way to go.

Not going to deny either of those in any way shape or form but now we're into 5 figures, around here anyways. 15k minimum if its got a Bully Dog sticker in the winder. lol I know I know there's the odd deal out there but I think you gotta know a secret handshake or some chit. A buddy bought a 92 2wd extenda cab 12v from grandpa the original owner for like 3 grand not long ago. I'm like WTF? He- it ain't for sale. I need a 4x4 anyways

Early/mid 2000’s Chevy’s with the 4.8/5.3 will do 250k miles pretty easily. Yes, the earlier 5.7’s are a little cheaper, and look a bit better, in my opinion, but you only rarely see those make it over 175k without screaming for a rebuild.

The 4.6 Ford’s are kind of a mixed bag, and the late 90’s/early-mid 2000’s Dodge’s (5.2/5.9 gas) rarely last past 200k..

Kind of what I'm thinking, not in a hurry just starting thinking about it and researching a little and keep an eye on craigs etc. rubber neckin the 4 sale signs along the roads. Its a fun pastime anyways.



My 04 Sierra had about 180k miles on it when I sold it but it sure didn't know it. I lived in a real rust belt during the time I owned it though and it just got too friggn bad for even this beater truck fan Like I said tho I still see it around town buddy all proud in his rust bucket chevy. yeah, GM is on the short list for sure if I could find one from the dry interior or such

My '99 7.3 6spd f-350. ordered jan '98, got it in may '98.

I wonder how to handle the tire situation when the truck has 152 ,000 miles with the 4.6 engine

A new set of tires might outlast the truck but in Minnesota with winter coming new tires are not a luxury.

Don, that one is too nice!

I have a 1999 Ford F150. It runs great but it's about to rust away.

kwg

It is still in good shape and only 106000 miles. Been beat thru the mud and snow and a herd of deer in montana. Nothing a few front end parts, and a cowcatcher bumper couldn't cure...

Here's my line of thought on that one. I'll drive a beater did so all the time in my 20s and 30s pretty much. 'Long as they've got decent skins and the brakes are good. It does suck when the tire bill's a good chunk of the worth of the damn thing but good tires happy life. Especially in the snow. Maybe check used on craigslist etc.? Lets keep this thread beater! haha

huntsman that is one sweet ride! You've kept (fixed?) it well she's a real looker.

Find an old Chevy, ran my 90 300,000 miles.

I’ve got an 99 f350 single rear wheel 7.3 diesel with 340,000. Several alternators and two trannys and a few front end parts have been it. It has pulled a gooseneck trailer about 75% of its life.

My 98 24V cummins/5 spd fits the bill too. It's definitely a beater with nearly 400K miles on the clock, still has a little paint in spots. It does farm duties nowadays and just last week moved my tractor/bush hog/disk to the other side of the state and back on my gooseneck to plant food plots at my deer camp, about a 15,000 lb load that it pulled just as well as it did when it was new.

Older the better in my book..I'm partial to the squair body Chevys...had 79 83 currently have 2 84s all but the 79 were 3/4 ton 4x4.. I traded the 83 diesel for a bran new 93 2500 which I still have...sadly the oil cooler line broke at 327k and locked up the motor...is going to get rebuilt this winter...when it was running I wouldn't have been afraid to drive it anywhere on earth ..everything still worked and drove like new...of all the trucks I have owned the 83 was my favorite that's why I restored the 84.. Just had to have another...but the 93 is a much nicer ride and they fixed a lot of quirks like the electric windows and leg room.. Much better running engine with the verry simple TBI system..
Really the holly grail old truck is 86 1/2- 87 squair body with the TBI motor...my son found one of those..built a 383 with big block TBI system..it runs really good..
Have had 2 k 5 Blazers one a 91 I drove it over 300 k and my sister in law drove it another 5.. Now have a restored 89 painted to match the 84..
Those TBI 350 s are not overly powerful but adaqite and reliable as it gets...

I’ve had good luck with gas 99-04 SuperDuty trucks. Paid $5k for an 02 with 140k on it and $7500 for an 04 with 70k. Both were regular cab long bed 4X4s with the 5.4 and the 6sp. I drove them all over and the biggest issue I ever had was the alternator going out on the 04 and a driveshaft needing a rebuild on the 02.

Overall I’ve had good luck with the Modular V8s both 4.6 and 5.4 from Ford. I’ve run them to 250k and never had to do timing chains or phasers. I know there were some issues with them but if they were a bad as you hear surely one of the half dozen I’ve owned would have been a bad one.

I had an 04 Ranger too. 4.0 and 5sp, 4x4 with limited slip diff in the rear. Great little rig with plenty of power and quite capable off-road. If I didn’t have a kid to haul and I didn’t tow I might still be driving it.

They had me in 00, ‘02, and ‘03 Chevy 1/2 ton work trucks, and they were workhorses with the 5.3L.

A ‘04 or earlier specimen, especially from down south, might be a tempting proposition.

FC

Thanks everyone. Still listening and learning a few things for sure

Drive down to the big city to a discount tire. Come to the one in my neck of the woods and I'll buy you a Diary Queen while they put on your tires. We just put a set on my wifes Honda SUV and my F-150. They'll treat you right.

I once had an old Chev C-10 ('67, IIRC) that I used as a 'field truck'... Six cyl, 4 sp, and I bet it weighed about six tons (kidding) - 'cause it seemed like the steel used for the box was about a quarter-inch thick.. I put a pair of heavy-tread tires on the back and it was pretty amazing how much stuff it would go through.. Sold it in '97...

Got a '98 4WD for you. Barely broken in at 230k. It has the cancer pretty bad though, too many Michigan salt winters. I wouldn't hesitate to drive it to Alaska tomorrow.
My '87 Toyota pickup is still going strong at 426k. I finally had to actually work on it, a head gasket at 420k.

The #1 peck on a 12v Cummins or a 7.3 Ford is that it will INCREASE in value over time.

Most trucks are consumables... The 12v, 7.3 and the Toyota 22R are commodities.

Nothing wrong with a plain Jane gasser truck, but eventually it will be worn out and you will need another.

Doesn't really matter... just offering food for thought.

Bought my '02 Chevy 2500HD crew new in May '02

6.0L gasser 4x4 & 4.10 gears.....now nearly 18 years later

it just rolled 121K miles....been a good one......a pampered garage kept life

No rust.....maybe 16 mpg with a tail wind....just changed the oil/filter for the 35th time

No plans to replace it....would prob cost twice the $31K I paid for it in '02

Not a pick up, but my 1988 4Runner is hard to fault. Put 500+ miles it this past weekend going camping. Went through sand, steep red clay hills and swamp, heavy rain. Zero issues, and 22+ MPH on the highway.

I've got a '91 Dodge 3/4 ton diesel which is a pretty rugged truck and is still working for us with over 300,000 hard miles on it. At least half of those miles have been off the highway. I also have a 1981 Dodge 1/2 ton Prospector which is holding up well. Still has the original windshield with no chips and only the shocks and battery are non-Mopar parts. Less than 50,000 on it though. I guess both of these are over twenty years though so they don't really count.GD

Try find an older Tundra with the 4.7L. A guy from Texas got over 1,000,000 mile on one. Had a minor transmission repair and a few other items. Toyota bought it back from him to tear it apart and check it out.

I’m currently rather fond of my 2000 F250 single cab longbed 4x4.

The 6.8 does pretty well. Makes good power from about 1500 on up. 4:30 rear and 5 speed ZF have been great for pulling. It’s got almost 200k on the clock. Could probably use a little love. MPG’s ain’t good, but don’t expect them to be. 9.5 calculated on a trip to the Oregon coast pulling a 23’ trailer.

Just bought my oldest son a 1988 F150 with the 300 straight six and a stick. This combo was made a long time and is bomb-proof. It’s a piece of cake to work on to boot.

My 99 Taco of course


But w the 4 cyl not my fave for rough boat launches

But it’s plowed a lot of snow

120K miles on it. Yah I baby the race truck 😂

Hmmm.....you guys are talking my daily drivers.

I've got 241,000 miles on this one. It's a 2001 with the 5.4 Triton. We've had to replace the coils a couple of times, had a rear axle seal leak, redid the front end (ball joints etc). But, still running strong. I use it as a daily driver and keep the miles off my new(er) truck. One of my sons has a 1999 F250 with the 7.3 and it has 251K on it now. It pulled our hunting Jeep to CO and back in Sept.

i have a 98 3/4ton dodge diesel 12v cummings, 4x4. i have had it in ungodly places.
i have had maybe 3 or 4k in repairs since buying it new in october 97.
only has about 180k on it, as i have other cars to drive.
every once in a while i think about getting a new truck, diesel.
but there is just something wrong about having to add cow piss to the fuel.

If looking for full size trucks, I'd be looking at a gm 5.3 or 6l in the early to mid 2000's. Pretty reliable, parts are cheap, easy enough to work on. I'd avoid the F150's of that era with v8's. Sure, some guys have had decent luck with them, but big picture they were not desirable engines.

Best thing is to talk to guys who have been working as mechanics during the time for long enough to have worked on lots of these types of vehicles. Examples of one aren't terribly useful when trying to make these types of decisions...couple guys might say their Triton v8 was great, while a mechanic will likely tell you to avoid them completely if possible.

Wish I had kept my 89 Nissan Hardbody. Slow but would go anywhere. It was like taking a SxS in the mud

"1999 to 2007 GMC or Chevy with 6.0 and 4L80"

I agree because my '99 3/4 ton with the 6.0 liter engine and 4L80 is still going strong. The '99 6 liter had iron heads but they changed to aluminum heads later. I sold mine to my SIL in 2005 when I bought a Dodge diesel. I liked the Chevy but it wasn't a very good vehicle for towing a travel trailer.

2001 Toyota TRD four door 4 wheel drive with the 6 cylinder and auto transmission. It gets 20 miles to the gallon and takes me all the places I need to go and some I don't then gets me home. Had to put ball joints in it at 230,000 and it now has 250K and still going great

My 02 Tacoma. Yes, I miss it. Couldn't pull much was the only downfall it had a 4 banger.

Nobody likes a Dodge Dakota?

They can be had with a V-8 for some good power, are mid-sized, and the prices are pretty decent. The GSA just auctioned off a bunch of 4x4 2011 and 2010's, with low miles, 20-50k, and they can be had for 15-18k.

2005/2007's, with under 100k, typically sell for well $10k.

My shop just got rid of a GSA 2011 Dakota V6. I'd never own another Dodge/Ram if they were representative of the line. As it was I had a 2011 Ram 1500 as a personal rig. Really liked it. Our Dakota was replaced with a 2019 Ram 1500 Classic V6. Slightly gutless, but good ride.

I've alway liked the size of the Dakota and would have probably bought one. But I've heard more than a few horror stories about their dependability. As mentioned,..I drive an old V6 Ford stick shift. In the past that combination had problems too. Particularly the '97-'98 4.2 liter Essex V6s. They had some bad gaskets that allowed coolant to weep down into the cylinders.

Ford spent some time working out the problems with the Essex V6 and made it a very dependable motor.

I specifically looked for F-150's with the V6 because their V8s would strip the threads out of the heads when changing spark plugs.

I bought a model with a stick shift because very few manual transmissions take a dump. They're simple gearboxes.

My opinion,...full size American made pick-ups are very decent pieces of work. They'll haul and tow big loads. But you have to be careful about what engine/transmission package you get in one.

There's been a lot of junk engines and transmission put in American made pick-ups over the years. One has to be selective when buying one.

The old early 2000's F-150's with the Essex V6 and a manual transmissions are a pretty good, dependable tool. It's what I went looking for when I wanted a basic, full size pick-up to use.

I drove 50 miles down the road and hauled home 1000 lbs of farm implements in the back of mine yesterday.

It's a handy piece of work.

The 4L80 is one of the best auto transmissions you could get in a truck. It's essentially the Turbo 400 put in big block musclecars of the 60s and early 70s with an overdrive gear added.

Have owned Suburban, Yukon, Explorer, Lariat, LandCruiser and Tundra 4x4's. The GM trucks had the most failures--Ford the least. And My 20-year old Tundra is the best of all of these.

I don't know if its a good decision or not but I know you can find some deals on those Toyotas from the mid 90's - mid 2000's with a rusted frame.

I saw a 2004 Xcab Tacoma 4wd with 117000 miles, manual transmission for $2400. Awhile back a local welder told me he'd weld the frame for $1K on an older Toyota I was considering.

So all in for $3400 on a 2004 Tacoma with 117K miles doesn't seem like a bad deal. Matter of fact I decided to email the guy before I posted this to see if its still available.

I wish I could get $1000 for welding a couple of 1/2" thick slabs of cold rolled steel along the rails of a pick-up frame.

I've welded a lot more for a lot less.

If I knew that I could find the customers, I'd go out and buy a Miller TIG welder just for that purpose.

have a 2003 tundracar. almost a 20 year old beater.

been down a logging road or two or three.

paint is needed and related.

running gear is tops.

cheap but try to find one.

I bought a 2003 GMC 5.3L 4wd new, drove it for 10 years, put 230,000 miles on it. 2 catalytic converters, rebuilt water pump, and the stepper motors for the guage cluster were its only repairs. Wish I still had it sometimes.

Prob my best ever 'Yota.......

This ole '98......4x4....V6......5 speed......rear diff loc.....22 mpg & AC

Bought it w/113K.....drove it 11 yrs..& an additional 120K miles

Pd $10K & sold for $6700......replaced with '14 Taco DC SB V6....manual

Kudos guys looking at 8 pages on a what's the best truck thread and not one fist fight

Didn't see much for Yotas mentioned till lately I don't think too many would argue they're one of the most reliable and long lasting around. Bazdards hold their value though which is fine if you own m but not so much if you're looking for a cheap beater.

So far their appears little love for Mopar gassers in the all but used up category we're discussing. I drove a 99 Dakota for a while, company truck, it was ok but it only had 60k on it when I said good-bye to it.

the 01 & o2 yotas, tundra type had to be de-bugged a bit as i recall.

the 03's were plenty ready to perform.

cheap too, if not loaded.

nissan frontiers aren't bad.

My beater is a 2007 Tacoma Double cab... off road version with the e-locker.

Who needs a quad runner when you own one of these.

Exactly what I was looking a for a few years ago. Found a long bed 05, 8 cyllinder regular cab and jumped on it. Rubber floors and 4x4. Been a good truck. Manual transmission is the way to go but had to settle for auto. 👍

I had a 2004 Nissan Frontier. It was a slug. Out on the interstate doing 75 mph it made you feel like you were in the Indy 500 from the way the engine was screaming.

Iy you held it to the floor and took a nap,..it *might* be up to 100 mph when you woke up,.....but that was all it had.

All the belts squealed on it too. I replaced all of them and they stopped squealing for 3 months, or so,..then they started up again.

Even the 5 speed manual transmission was junk. The shifting forks or something got out of whack and it would make grinding noises driving down the road.

No more Nissans for me.

Did it hurt to win that hard?

not at all..........

its still available. Tomorrow I'm going to go talk to the welder. I'll happily pay him $1K to make that thing road safe. If he still honors that price, I'll go by and look at the truck tomorrow.

The cure for alternator issues is to take it to a rebuilder that will drill out the housing and put gooder bearings in it. My truck has 300,000 & the alternator has been rebuilt once at 120k, still goin strong.

Chrysler specializes in low quality, cheap, disposable vehicles.

Yep

I just bought a new to me 2005 GMC Canyon Z-71 crew cab to replace my 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. The daughter of one of our farmers saw the Sport Trac and asked her grandfather if I'd sell it to her, so I sold it to her for $2,500 and replaced it with the Canyon This is my first GM since the S-10 Blazer that I bought new in 1987 and sold with 170K on the clock in 1994.

Lol. Me too. My “new” truck is an ‘02. It’s running like schit so I’ve been flogging the ‘00 f250.

Hard to beat an F-150 with a 4.6 in it, for longevity. I had three as company vehicles, and they all went high mileage with very little maintenance.

Toyota Tundra 4x4 with a V8. The early Tundra motors until about 2003 or so, were made by obsessive compulsive Japanese guys in Japan. They are bullet proof. I have one I will never sell and hope it's in my estate sale. A friend of mine had one with over 250 thousand miles and he sold it years ago , and it is still on the road being abused by a young boy. Just make sure that the frame isn't rusted out or has been replaced by Toyota. They had a bad supplier of steel for the frame materials and there was a recall on some Tundras and Tacomas. BTW Tacomas are good trucks with a V6 if you want a smaller one.

I still have a 98 Tacoma extended cab+canopy with rack and basket, SR-5 4x4, V-6, 5-speed, tow package, gas shocks, upgraded spring pack, I would nominate it.

If I hadn't got bored with it and sold it to a guy that was pestering me after I got a Tundrr I would nominate my old 94 Cevy 2500 extended cab, 350 ci, auto, 4x4.

I do like the 2013 Tundra that replaced the Chevy though.

KFWA,

You may also want to check on the recall for the ones with rusted frames. Have heard of a few getting them fixed for free as long as a couple years ago. Not sure if you had to be the original owner. I know some had to fight their dealer to get it done, but in the end they won out.

I still have my 2000 Z-71 with 366,000 miles plus. Guess that's my recommendation...

I've heard that numerous times over the years and recently picked up an '06 reg cab 4X4 for my daughter. Bought it cheap, I suppose because it's pretty basic and had a couple of small issues that we've already fixed. I've been driving it to put on some miles and make sure it's solid. I'm favorably impressed so far.

I thought this was about picking up some 20 year old Ho

Pre-2007 (AFM)? Check.

Not in the snow belt? Check.



Those first few years of that body style & motor really were their high point for longevity. It’s almost a crime that GM screwed-up that wonderful motor by “improving” it. I’d purchased nothing but GM’s ‘til that nightmare ‘07 Yukon XL, and they lost me for life.

FC

I have a 179,000 on my 1999 Chevy Z 4X4 with the 350.Only replaced tires,brakes and a new intake manifold gasket.It has not been babied and has hauled a hay trailer with 10 tons regularly.It does have the heavy duty radiator towing package

Contractor buddy has a 99 z71. Last I know it had 370,000 miles. Never touched motor or transmission. Did put 3 rear ends in it. Rusted all over. He hauled big job boxes to our various plants around the country in it. Bought his boss out and that truck is reserved for local shop duty only now.

My little brother put 270,000 on one of those. It was still running pretty good when he sold it.

I have a '99 Chevy 4X4 with the 5.3 and 266,000 miles on it. I've had it for almost 13 years. Replaced the fuel pump twice and a crank sensor. 4X4 selector switch has been iffy lately.

I also have a 2000 2wd ext. cab, lwb, with the 5.3 that was my Dad's work truck. He bought it around 2002 with 20,000 mi. on it. It had 294,000 mi. when I got it 2 years ago. I had a crate motor put in it last year and drive it to work now. Dad had the rear-end rebuilt at around 200,000. It had a little rust on the 3rd door which got fixed with all the other dents. Dad tried like hell to wear out that truck. Laffin...

Almost a shame that through many years GM finally about perfected the 350 (5.7 l) in the 1990s, only to dump it from the line up. Almost... cause I think the 4.8 and 5.3 are probably as good or maybe even better. Hell of a run for the small block 350 however you slice it.

took pictures of the rusted Toyota to the welder and they told me to run away from that truck

oh well, I had hopes for it.

One of the best buys for someone looking to get into a reliable, but cheap truck is a late 90's Ford Ranger (either 3.0 or preferably the 4.0 OHV). Cleaner ones are starting to dry up, but a person can pick up one needing head gaskets for 500-1000 and put new heads & gaskets on for under 500 bucks. Minimal amount of tools/experience needed to replace them. Actually a pretty easy and straight forward tear down and rebuild.

I've re-done 3-4 in the last couple years, put a few miles on them and flip them. Kinda regretting letting go of a very clean '97 earlier this year.

All the other older trucks prices are really starting to get up there.

My current daily driver is an excellent shape '02 WJ Jeep. Paid 900, had the heads machined, replaced all the gaskets from the heads up. Rebuilt the injectors, new lifters, few odds & ends and I'm into it for a little less than 1500.


If a person can turn a wrench and be able to search some you-tube video's, there's not much you can't accomplish these days.

My 2003 F150 extended cab 4wd, 4.6, 5 sp manual
was my first new truck. It has 152,000 miles and I might as well keep it until it doesn't run. I replaced the alternator and pulley and belt, battery, tires, brakes.
Manual trans says Japan on it.
I changed the fluid at 60,000 just for the heck of it.
Now I am shopping for tires.
Snow has been reported in Minneapolis.

Those 4.8/5.3 engines will routinely outlast the old 5.7. They sorted out the piston slap issues pretty quick (99-01/02). The AFM in 07 was a disaster, which they “mostly” sorted out in subsequent years. It’s 20 years later, and they’re still using this engine. Pretty good track record...

Best 20 year old pickup? Forget brand, at the 20 year mark the only determining factor is condition. If it looks like its been run hard and put away wet, keep looking. If it looks like a clean well kept cream puff, that's the one you want.

Surprised there's not more love for any Ford pickup with the 300" six, which I feel is a great engine.