While your on the topic, is there a "reasonable" size pickup I can get that
won't make me a partner with Exxon?

I bought a 2003 Dodge 1500 Quad Cab (4 full doors) for $22K. Great
truck! LOVE it and I am towing around 4000lbs with the small V8 and no
problems. The new 4 wheel disc brakes are much better then on the
previous style and it has the safest crash test rating (along with the
Toyota full size) of any p/u. With 0% financing and a 7 year powertrain
warranty it was a no brainer.

Best of luck with whatever you buy!

Bill



Butch Ammon wrote:
Hello there...

Well, the fateful day is fast approaching. You all know I have that old
beatup
'87 Ford Ranger 4x4 (hey it's old, dinged, scratched - but it has
character!)...

My old Ranger has 139,000 miles, automatic tranny is messing up, it's
got a
hole in the muffler, the A/C unit hasn't worked in 6-7 years, and just
now it
developed a hairline stress fracture in the right side front brake
rotor. I
refuse to pay $300+ bucks to get new brake rotors - because it's a 4x4
and the
labor is a killer.

Anyway, I desperately need a new pickup truck, and one with power to tow
my
boat with. I absolutely refuse to get a new truck. I mean, I won't
even look
at a 2003 Chevy, Ford, Dodge at around $35,000 only to drive it off the
dealer
lot and have it worth $28,000 or thereabouts.

My wife and I have a 99 GMC Jimmy 4x4 which is really nice, but doesn't
have a
trailer hitch for the boat. We also bought our daughters a 98 Chevy
Cavalier
for them to share and run around town, go to work, and drive it to
school in
September, etc... We just have to get something for ME!

I test drove a base model 2000 Chevy Silverado 1500 pickup the other
day, 5
speed standard, very nice and has a class III hitch on the back.
$11,950 is
the price. I like it a lot, except that it is a 5 speed manual
transmission.

What is a very, very, reliable, pickup truck that has cajones to pull a
2100
boat? Thanks for all the help, suggestions, opinions, etc...

Butch Ammon

While your on the topic, is there a "reasonable" size pickup I can get that
won't make me a partner with Exxon?

What do you mean "reasonable" size pickup? Do you mean my new/used 2000 Chevy
1500 Silverado regular cab, shortbed? Or, do you mean my old 1987 Ford Ranger
4x4 supercab?

Both get about the same gas mileage. One was 4x4, the newer one isn't. One
had a dinky 2.9L V6, the other has a 4.8L V8. One can pull my 2100lb boat
without a problem. The other one cried trying to pull the boat.

Butch Ammon

Well, Butch, I"ve been pulling a 4500 lb. boat and trailer with a 91
Ford F150 w/5.0 L engine for the past 11 years. It has the 3.55 rear
axle and overdrive. Its the standard size cab and box, wish I had
gotten the extended cab, but the deal was so good, I couldn't pass it
up. It pulls the boat with no problem, gets it out of the hole easily.
I would avoid a manual transmission for trailering , tho. Getting it
out of the ramp is pretty hard on a stick shift & clutch. Now for the
bad news: I"ve had a lot of inordinate problems that shouldn't have
occured in the 80K miles that its been in service. I take very good
care of it and its never outside for very long.
..
Problems: A/C quit just after warranty ran out. Transmission had to
be worked over . Main fuel tank developed a leak. Oil pan developed a
leak. Ball joints had to be replaced. Other irritating things like left
hand turn signal won't cancel. Door lock has stopped working.
The four major problems came to over $3000 in repairs that I felt
shouldn't have happened. Its been a good running drive line, but if I
had it to do over, I"d opt for the GMC. I have friends with GMCs and
haven't put half the money into them and some have over 110K miles on
them.

I'm planning on getting another car soon and I think I'll go for a lease
deal. I don't put enought miles on a car to go over the 12K mile
limit, so at this stage in life, I want a car that that doesn't require
a lot of maintenance .

I'll make you a good deal on an 82 Camaro Z28 if you're interested
:-) But, seriously, folks,.... you might look into a lease deal for
your pickup. Also, we're at the end of the 2003 model year and you
might find a good deal on one of the last of the run along about Dec. or
there abouts. I bought my 91 in Feb. 1992 and it was about the last 91
left in the area. I got it for about $4000 less than I would have
paid for a comparable 92.

Good luck on the truck hunting..
======
Norm

On 22 Jul 2003 11:37:40 GMT, 123 (Butch Ammon) wrote:

While your on the topic, is there a "reasonable" size pickup I can get that
won't make me a partner with Exxon?

What do you mean "reasonable" size pickup? Do you mean my new/used 2000 Chevy
1500 Silverado regular cab, shortbed? Or, do you mean my old 1987 Ford Ranger
4x4 supercab?

Both get about the same gas mileage. One was 4x4, the newer one isn't. One
had a dinky 2.9L V6, the other has a 4.8L V8. One can pull my 2100lb boat
without a problem. The other one cried trying to pull the boat.

Butch Ammon
Butch, you did good! Pay no attention to the rest of these turkey-trots who say
otherwise!

John
On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD