Sweet Cars and Trucks
- Thread starter Campgottagopee
- Start date
x10003q
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2020
Well, maybe in our haze of nostalgia.
I bought a used 1977 Dodge Power Wagon, full time 4 x 4,club cab/8 foot bed as my first ski vehicle in the mid-1980s. It had a 318 that the previous owner added a hi rise manifold and a 4bb holley. He punched out the gas fill tube so it could take leaded gas and took off the catalytic converter. It had a 4 speed, but first was a true granny gear. I have fond memories of never getting stuck, getting to the ski area parking lots with 2 feet of snow while very few others could and carrying tons of people and stuff.
But,
It was so loud in the cab you could not hear the radio. The bench seat sucked. The jump seats were worse.
At highway speeds, it would change lanes without moving the steering wheel and you could move the steering wheel 4 inches either way before the truck would change directions. I was so wired from driving up that I could never fall asleep on Friday nights. A few of my friends took one trip with me and swore to never drive up with me again as long as I owned that truck.
It got 10 miles to the gallon but only had a 20 gal tank. Killington was a 2 fill up weekend. I had to stop for gas in Queensbury both ways.
Did mention it was loud and handled like a turd?
The rear wheel wells collected water and eventually rusted through to the outside of the truck.
What I learned from the pickup - 95% of my driving was on the highway or at highway speeds on dry or wet roads. I needed to have a good handling car with all wheel drive for skiing. I have had AWD cars until I got an SUV in 2015.
Today's pickups are like luxury cars - nothing like the old days, but for me, way better than the old days.
Brownski
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2020
So many of the things you say make me want to hear the story behind them
Campgottagopee
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2020
Truth
In those day's trucks were, well, trucks. Now they're high dollar highway machines. That said, you can still get a truck but you'll need to order it. Not many people out there left that use a truck like a truck.
Kingslug
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2021
Well of course technology has made things better..but also very complicated. So much so that its pretty hard to work on some things, like cars and trucks now. Now you open the hood and see a big plastic cover that says...please call the dealer..and shut the hood...thank you....
Try taking apart and working on a new motorcycle. My old bikes were a snap.
Try taking apart and working on a new motorcycle. My old bikes were a snap.
Peter Minde
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2020
Meh.... them as can afford that vehicle don't cry about the cost of gas.
Peter Minde
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2020
When I had to commute to an office job, I regularly saw guys driving, like a Ford F250, and wearing a jacket and tie. Vehicles that looked like they'd never been used to actually do anything.
marcski
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2020
What does the SUV have? You can select 4x4 otherwise its FWD? Most SUVs these days are AWD, aren't they?
x10003q
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2020
Full time -
VW Touareg with 4 motion all wheel drive with a Torsen limited slip differential. This system can be found on VW/Aud/Porsche with longitudinal engines. I traded in an Audi S6 wagon. I would have rather had another Audi A6 size wagon, but the only one sold at the time was Mercedes E wagon that started at about $65k, way out of my price range. Audi was only bringing in the A4 wagon and the rear seat leg room was too small for my kids (or most adults). This is why we ended up with the Touareg. We have been very happy with the Touareg.
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