Buying a $1000 beater pickup for economy

[whostean]

I've got a 97 Mazda b2300, which is basically the Ford Ranger. Even before I began driving correctly, I was still averaging around 28mpg in about 70% city driving.

4cyl 5 speed

[Cardinal Grammeter]

Well now its raining S10's:

1993 long bed, 137k, new snow tires, white Truck painted green, inspected to 3/14, $500.

1999 short bed, 206k, engine replaced 100k ago, AC works, nice interior, 4k on tires, needs muffler and exhaust work, inspected to 10/14, $800.

I'm thinking the long bed will go better in the snow. Supposedly 200# heavier but 10" longer wheelbase. Any thoughts on which would be better in the snow?

Its murder waiting for these people to return my emails (!)
Tom

EDIT: Just found weight distributions for the new 2013 and they basically kept it at 57/43 for long and short beds. I guess the long bed would give you a little extra overhang for tail ballast.

2003 Chevy S-10 - Specs

[JRMichler]

My experience is that any 2WD RWD vehicle will go in the snow if I add enough weight to get 50/50 weight distribution. And good all season tires.

[freebeard]

Buying a $1000 beater pickup for economy
I need to buy a pickup for a 2nd vehicle that will get used almost exclusively during the winter when I keep my Geo Metro in the garage out of the salt.
....
(I already have a 2000 Windstar 3.8 cargo that gets better mileage than that - its just that a Metro 5-door and a mini van overlap too much... Of course I drive the van 100% in the winter salt months.)
....
Would also be open to cheap mods that would pay for themselves.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance,
Tom

So the Metro is a red herring and the truck is to complement the Windstar? What uses would you put it to?

Why not put the USD1K in the Windstar and double its gas mileage?

[Cardinal Grammeter]

No a Station Wagon and a Cargo Van are basically the same vehicle and vary only in size.

The PU truck can do things like haul dirt, refrigerators, big TV's, furniture, palletized shipments, engines, etc. In fact, a PU can haul anything a cargo van can so the PU is actually the most versatile vehicle for hauling stuff.

The Metro gets uber gas mileage. Period. No competition.

So a Metro and Windstar is redundant.

A Metro and PU is an excellent diversification.

Double the mileage of a Windstar? Maybe if it had a diesel engine...

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Cardinal Grammeter

The PU truck can do things like haul dirt, refrigerators, big TV's, furniture, palletized shipments, engines, etc. In fact, a PU can haul anything a cargo van can so the PU is actually the most versatile vehicle for hauling stuff.

Pick-ups are often blamed by some angry watermelon-environmentalists, but are not really that bad. Having the open cargo space, they're easier to load some stuff such as furniture pieces without having to waste time disassembling them.

Double the mileage of a Windstar? Maybe if it had a diesel engine...

I've already seen a Windstar converted to Diesel and its mileage in a worst-case scenario was 22MPG stuck in heavy traffic, and about 35 in highway (not attempting to hypermile, with the A/C on and not babying the throttle pedal).

[Cardinal Grammeter]

Wow, diesel in a Windstar.

The only way to justify that effort would be... well, there is no way to justify it. The cost in time and money would never be recovered. Of course if it is a hobby, that is another matter.

I don't drive that much. a $1000 Metro makes sense because if is a 2X over the Windstar (my previous primary vehicle) and I would be able to show a profit in about 1 year.

I've had the Metro for 2 years now and I don't think I've needed the cargo capacity of the Windstar 5 times since. So the Windstar is OUT.

I've had full size pickups including a 427 C20 CST Longhorn with a variable pitch TH400 with AC too (the option label on the glove box was full - something like 22 options. And while I've used full size pickups, I already know I don't need that capacity. So a little pickup would be perfect. I'm still hoping this 93 long bed S10 is still available but I think it is gone. If they are a good deal, they are sold literally minutes after they are listed on CL.

Still, I was supposedly the first guy to see this 1999 that looked good and that was 2 days after it was listed. So why didn't someone show up right away? Was it because its a slow time of the year, or were they able to successfully interrogate the owner to determine the poor condition of the truck? I don't know.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Pick-ups are often blamed by some angry watermelon-environmentalists, but are not really that bad.

Like so much else, it depends. '80s Toyota or similar used for hauling = useful tool. Jacked-up 4WD F450 used for daily office commute = ineffective penis enhancer :-)

[Cardinal Grammeter]

Pickups? How 'bout the SUV abomination.

Well.

Actually pickups again considering what they have lately become: mile-high atrocities with dual grilles (upper and lower).

There could be a modicum of purpose if they had 24" of ground clearance but they don't even have that. Just tall for tallness sake.

ANY argument that would do away with the current crop of new pickups I would stand behind.

THEY MUST GO!

[freebeard]

Wow, diesel in a Windstar.

I didn't give you much of a budget, but that was the idea. Diesel this: