The price of new trucks is beyond comprehension!

[BobsYourUncle]

It was 42 years ago today, seems so long ago, yet still a strong memory in my head, a milestone I reached in my humble beginnings into the home renovation industry building solariums and such.

Yes, it was on this day, October ten, nineteen seventy eight when I had been only 4 years into my lifetime career when I worked my way to being able to purchase my first brand new truck!

Yup, 10-10-78 I drove off the lot of Phillips Chev - Olds in Penticton BC driving my nice shiny new 78 Chev 3/4 Ton Camper Special.

As I pulled out of the lot and turned left on to Westminster Ave and headed east towards home, I though I had lost my marbles, that I am a total idiot.

Who in their right mind would pay $7714. For a new truck. All taxes, fees, dealer prep and all the rest of the junk in came to $8,109.70 out the door...... Bob, you are out of your mind! I kept saying to myself. Financed it on the never never plan I did. How will I ever pay for it? I was barely 24 years old.

It was a great truck, I had it for 26 years and about 527,000K on the odometer when I retired it, still in decent shape.

Hmmmmm......

42 years later, my 2007 truck in sig is getting worn out. 408,800K on the clock and I am eyeing the shiny new trucks on the lot.

92 grand $$$$$$$ for something similar with a few more bells and whistles.

No, just no! That's what, about a dozen times the price I paid back then?
Gosh how can they justify that?

Wow! Just wow. Amazing how expensive pickups have become. All these fancy gizzmobops they have, someone has to pay for all that I guess..

Guess I'll just keep fixing what I have. It was $1423.77 yesterday for a water pump and a U-joint. Expensive!

Oh well, that's life! 🙂

My story of the day.

[fj12ryder]

A slight hijack: the price of used trucks knocks me out even more than the price of new trucks. Just saw a 2017 Ford 3/4 ton on Craigslist, pretty loaded, and priced at $65,000!!

[BobsYourUncle]

OP here:

25 pages later of wonderful discussion, I still could use a new truck! And yeah, the price gags me. Over 100G for what I want.

My poor old beast turned 429,000K today. And I do still like it. It still has that silly grin reaction when I stuff my foot into it. I have a mechanic who is the best I have ever seen. He keeps it purring.

But after all those miles, she finally needs some front end work. 3-4K worth. And tires. About 300 a pop. 6 of the beggers. And headlights. Got some coming. And drivers upholstery. And a box. My rack and toolboxes have taken their toll on it. Could use a few touch ups on the body. A ding here, a dent there.... It got pummeled with hail on July 2nd. Hood, roof and fenders full of dents. Windshield has a million stone pits. Getting hard to see in the sun. No cracks though.

Yeah, getting old, but still going. Tranny has never been open. Just a few oil changes.

I stop by a lot here and there when I see a nice new dually sitting there..

Dream on Bob!!

[free_radical]

Ive heard that old military Humvee go for very litle money now.
And if you want to improve its mpg do this

https://youtu.be/hp1uI4D7NRQ

[Grit_dog]

ksss wrote:
Yea in hindsight, if I would have just bought it and left it alone it would be worth a lot of money right now. It was a great deal. There are precious few of the K-30 4X4 SRW's running around, especially loaded like this one was.

Yeah my hindsight is horrible!!
I passed on an original paint numbers matching 68 442 W30 convertible for cheeep about 20 years ago. Knew I messed up on that one but we were getting ready to move x country again and I was already ditching 1 classic car that didn’t make the cut.
5 years later coincidentally we moved back to that state. First night in town I went looking for it. It gone!

Now that I have some disposable income, the trick is what are the next “classics?”
Just like 10-15 years ago Testarossas we’re going for around $50 k. Now they’re 4x that!
Next recession, I swear I’m gonna fill a filed full of future money makers!

Fwiw I gave $8k last year for a truck likely very similar to the one uou mentioned except K20 and the big block is a transplant. It was a relative deal.

[cummins2014]

kendall69 wrote:
Same here, 1974 I was 17 years old and I asked my parents to sign for a new Dodge Power Wagon with a complete snow removal plow, for about $4,500. Well, they did sign and there I sat in the garage with a shiny new truck worth about the same as a new Corvette at the time. My parents bless their souls for putting that much faith in me. They both worked two jobs and drove junkers, they never had a new vehicle in their life. As it god deeper and deeper into winter in Cleveland Ohio, I could not feel any worse because of the lack of snow. I promised my parents I could earn enough snow plowing to pay for the truck.

I had all my "contracts" set up and I did some clever maneuvering to get the accounts. I promised to replow their lots for free for 24 hours after the first plowing if it snowed again.

Well, then it hit, one of the largest snowstorms in history.

I started plowing and only stopped for three days to eat use the restroom. I slept with my head on the steering wheel in parking lots in between jobs.

I came home once set the alarm for 30 minutes and fell asleep with wet boots, and a parka, woke up, and did it some more.

When it was all over I went into the house and my parents were having breakfast.

I had balls of cash in every pocket I had and I dumped it all on the table and I said, here ya, this should cover the cost of the truck.

I never felt prouder of myself for keeping that promise.

Last year the pickup truck I purchased was nearly 20 times what that truck was in 74

Great story ,thanks for sharing .

Similar story ,talked my mom into co-signing so I could buy a used 1959 Corvette , had to take out two loans one for the down payment , and one for the balance ,both loans were a total of $1100. This was in 1968, I was working, and payed off both loans, but I sure had to talk to get that car. 🙂

[ksss]

Yea in hindsight, if I would have just bought it and left it alone it would be worth a lot of money right now. It was a great deal. There are precious few of the K-30 4X4 SRW's running around, especially loaded like this one was.

[Grit_dog]

^Totally. Makes sense. But new truck convo aside, $2500 for a good shape Big block K30 4x4 square?? O M G
You’d have an easy 50% per year returning that thing now!
I mean, I love bombing around in my old CJ5. To the store or on a trail or across town maybe.
My 86 GMC, also fun to drive. Loud, lifted, big block, cooool! Don’t mind even driving that to seattle. 3000rpms at 70 mph is a bit muc though. In fairness an original truck with taller gears would be more user friendly and comfortable.
Both would make it to Colorado and back. And the truck would tow a camper
But unless out of necessity, I wouldn’t consider it with either, not in the least. I’d at a minimum have a GMT 400 if I was doing road trips in an older truck.

[ksss]

Grit dog wrote:
@burningman, your sig says it all.
Don’t see you hauling the TC on the GMC and your “newer” diesel has, wait, what?
Tuned, injectors (guaranteed, or at least it should), built trans to overcome that weak chit, gear vendors? Lol, thought 86 was the pinnacle of trucks and you added more gears to your ‘99 and exhaust brake.
So in all, you’ve added an easy 10grand givertake just in parts to get your truck closer to performing like a newer diesel does right off the car lot….and you do your own work.
Someone who doesn’t could put a 30% down payment on a new diesel just with parts and labor for your “mods.” And would still have a old floppy, ill handling truck with little brakes, drums in back, loud and with a VP pump. The CP4 of the 90s, lol!
Just sayin…..

To be fair, I understand cars, I like trucks and modding both. But I don’t get lost in the past!

I will add this little story about "getting lost in the past". I bought an 84 K30 4X4 SRW with a 6.2L used with 43K on it in 1989 when I was about a year from getting out of the Corps (Ironically from my Sgt Major). Injector pump was out, typical issue at the time. I paid one of the USMC Hummer mechanics a case of beer and he swapped it out for me. Kept that truck until 1998 or so. I sold it with 225K on it. I loved that truck. I had contemplated for years about finding another and putting a Duramax in it. About 8 years ago, the Chevy dealer called and said they had an '85 K-30 4X4 SRW with a 454 they brought in on trade. Would sell it to me for $2500. It was in exceptional shape, Silverado, power windows and locks, everything I wanted. Drove it about 30 miles and brought it back and walked away. I felt like I was driving a grain truck from my childhood days. That 30 mile test drive was all I needed to save myself tens of thousands of dollars. My memories of the truck were much better than reality. New paint is expensive, but you are getting a lot more truck as well.

[Grit_dog]

@burningman, your sig says it all.
Don’t see you hauling the TC on the GMC and your “newer” diesel has, wait, what?
Tuned, injectors (guaranteed, or at least it should), built trans to overcome that weak chit, gear vendors? Lol, thought 86 was the pinnacle of trucks and you added more gears to your ‘99 and exhaust brake.
So in all, you’ve added an easy 10grand givertake just in parts to get your truck closer to performing like a newer diesel does right off the car lot….and you do your own work.
Someone who doesn’t could put a 30% down payment on a new diesel just with parts and labor for your “mods.” And would still have a old floppy, ill handling truck with little brakes, drums in back, loud and with a VP pump. The CP4 of the 90s, lol!
Just sayin…..

To be fair, I understand cars, I like trucks and modding both. But I don’t get lost in the past!

[Grit_dog]

burningman wrote:
I’ve got no intention of ever selling my1986 GMC 4x4 crew cab dually.
I might put a Cummins diesel in it, although it’s actually lots cheaper to put gas in it than to do the diesel swap or buy a new or late-model truck.
It’s cheap and relatively easy to work on and extremely reliable. There just aren’t nearly as many things to go wrong on it.
And.... it’s so much better looking! The new ones are SO UGLY!

While I can’t fault your love for a 86 GMC (just bought one last year, currently restoring), the rest of your argument is as dumb as chit flavored chocolates….
I got a nice unmolested truck that everything worked on it and I can tell you I’ve fixed at least a couple dozen things that I haven’t touched in 30 years on newer vehicles. Is it because 80s GM iron is no good? Little of that but mostly, IT’S OLD. And just like you, cars don’t work as well and need repair when they’re OLD.
And let’s not even compare performance.
My truck has a healthy 454 in it and it’s fun. It also s ucks donkey dong for towing performance and comfort compared to newer trucks. Just how it is. Even if it’s fun to reminisce…

Bottom line, anyone making these types of statements is either defending/hiding their financial inability to have a new truck or simply being obtuse for the sake of arguing. (And resistant to change)

[Grit_dog]

RV Jim wrote:

ktosv wrote:
I have often thought the OEM’s should offer a version of their vehicles that don’t contain all of the advancements and safety features of the last 40 years.

They probably could sell them at a much reduced price for those that don’t like car prices of today. Of course the consumer would need to sign a waiver stating they won’t sue when they are injured or more likely killed when in an accident.

If you park a 35-40 year vehicle next to a new vehicle the differences are astounding.

Yes, but you could work on that 35-40 year old truck with room to spare.
I worked at a Ford dealer in 1978 and that was the first year trucks hit the $10,000 mark.

Have you even opened the hood on any newer rear wheel drive gasser vehicle? Or are you just stuck reminiscing about the “good old days?”
That question is rhetorical, as it’s a given you’re just complaining about “new” stuff.
Sure newer diesel emissions have mucked up under hood access, but you can’t compare the performance to whatever 40-50 year old pooch your referring to as having “room to spare.”

[burningman]

I’ve got no intention of ever selling my1986 GMC 4x4 crew cab dually.
I might put a Cummins diesel in it, although it’s actually lots cheaper to put gas in it than to do the diesel swap or buy a new or late-model truck.
It’s cheap and relatively easy to work on and extremely reliable. There just aren’t nearly as many things to go wrong on it.
And.... it’s so much better looking! The new ones are SO UGLY!

[RV_Jim]

ktosv wrote:
I have often thought the OEM’s should offer a version of their vehicles that don’t contain all of the advancements and safety features of the last 40 years.

They probably could sell them at a much reduced price for those that don’t like car prices of today. Of course the consumer would need to sign a waiver stating they won’t sue when they are injured or more likely killed when in an accident.

If you park a 35-40 year vehicle next to a new vehicle the differences are astounding.

Yes, but you could work on that 35-40 year old truck with room to spare.
I worked at a Ford dealer in 1978 and that was the first year trucks hit the $10,000 mark.

[Timmo_]

monkey44 wrote:
Would be interesting to see 2019 >>> 2020 >>> 2021 ... especially pickup trucks.

Yep, but I did stumble on this graph by Autopadre.com---

[monkey44]

Would be interesting to see 2019 >>> 2020 >>> 2021 ... especially pickup trucks.