Newer trucks vs. Older trucks

[1972RedNeck]

Originally Posted by JKady

but you honestly believe that stock style brakes from 40 years ago are better than 4 wheel, anti-lock disks?

If I want my brakes to lock up, I want them to lock up tight.

Originally Posted by Hubscrub

I'm not a fan of diesels just don't like them

I used to not like them either. Then I had a fuseable link on my '93 Dodge burn out. I ran a piece of wire from the battery to the shutoff solenoid and jumped the starter with a screwdriver. Made it a couple hundred miles home that way.

[yuccales]

Originally Posted by MrSchaeferPants

Oh wait, one major downside to a newer truck...



You won't look nearly as cool towing.


That has to count for something.

You got that right!

[snj8198]

I get a lot of looks and thumbs up in my '71 when I'm pulling my 31' 12,000 lb fifth wheel through mountain passes. On 8% grade I don't even need to down shift out of drive to maintain 65mph. I get 12-13 mpg empty and 7-8 mpg loaded which is fine by me considering the horse torque under the hood. You can't feed T-Rex mice!

New diesels are nice but the cost and insurance is not. Rather than paying those high costs I enjoy knowing that if I crack this truck up I can pull my running gear out and slap it into another another 67+ and keep going for a heck of a lot cheaper. Besides, I built it and it's unique. Can't say that about the new body styles.

[MrSchaeferPants]

Think for the most part we all feel the same about our old trucks, but keep in mind the opinions and questioned asked was new vs old for Towing, and not general use. I too like older vehicles more, for all the reasons stated above; cost, cool factor, simplicity, etc. I don't own a new truck, and unless I hit the lottery, I probably never will. But I often haul with one. I will tow and haul with my 68, but to make it safer, better, and more capable, of course I will upgrade the related parts, which is in essence, making the needed parts updated like a new truck. If newer trucks were not better, we'd all keep ours 100% stock, and not drop LSx blocks, and disc brakes in them. Now don't get me wrong, I love my torq monster BB V6 with 7.9mpg. But if someone gave me a free 6.7 Cummins, I wouldn't think twice about dropping it in

[Ackattack]

I would have to say a new truck will tow better. I towed my 68 C-10 from WA to KS with my '03 suburban (1/2 ton) without any issues. Quiet, warm, decent mileage (~12mpg avg iirc) while my son watched DVDs in the back. It was in the winter and I was was towing in 4wd going up a snow packed mountain pass in Oregon and started to spin a little....shifted over about a half a lane....talk about pucker factor when my kid was in there with me and my baby was on the trailer behind me.

BUT...there is the cool factor of the old trucks. To combat this, I will be getting rid of the suburban and getting a crew cab square body and putting a cummins in it (not sure if I'll use the chevy frame/axles or just swap the body onto the Dodge frame). Sounds like the best of both worlds to me.

[Cole Trickle]

This is like comparing pong with a PS3.....lol

Sure pong is awesome and really cool but does it do 1 single thing (I don't consider being cool or saving $$$ factors) better than the new video game console?

When I tow my 8000lb boat through the dessert in 115 degree heat with my wife and 3 y/o I could care less about looking cool or saving on insurance

I'm aware that we have some hard core members that think daily driving a 40 year old truck is awesome. I love my 69 but there is no way in hell I would ever drive it 100 miles round trip a day like I do in my modern car.

[406 Q-ship]

Here is my take on this is that stock for stock it would depend on the year of the older truck. The 67-70 would not be the best at towing with the poor drum brakes but after 1971 with disc brakes they make good tow vehicles. With a few modifications the older trucks will do anything a later truck can do (not necessarily as efficiently). One of the reasons that the later truck seem so much better is the construction of the vehicle to be more quiet while driving, sound deadner is what makes the later truck seem so much better. That is when you have equal vehicles, not a 45 year old worn out truck trying to match a brand new truck, but two vehicle of equal wear and tear.

Now put late model drivetrain in an early truck ....homerun.

A new truck can break towing just as easily as a old truck, in fact I trust a old truck I have maintained over a late model for dependablity, I am not saying that new trucks are junk just that it is easier to maintain the old stuff and I know it can be trusted too.

This is from the guy who drove my 67 to Florida last X-mas (my 1968 Chevelle has made the trip twice).

[bMr]

A 2012 Silverado 1500 LT MSRP's around $30k. Put $30k into a C10 and let's compare.

With the exception of ABS, stability control and integrated trailer brake management, most features of new trucks could be integrated into an older model.

[leddzepp]

here we go again...

[bollybib]

Originally Posted by 70cst

Interesting thread

indeed it is

[Vintage Windmills]

There are too many apples to oranges comparisons here. Let alone the difference to a new truck, there is night and day difference between say a 71/72 C20 leaf power disc lwb compared to a 1970 or earlier plain drum brake swb coil truck!! One would scare the crap out of you on the interstate at 70mph with 1500lbs in the bed and the other would be a comfortable cruise. Its about more than the year, its about wheelbase and equipment. Even a 1/2 ton crew cab shortbox today has a longer wheelbase than many of the 1 ton 67-72's.

I did haul 10,000lbs from Washington to Minnesota a month ago and I was grateful to have an 01 2500hd for that. It was a comfortable and safe ride but that is mainly due to the 157" wheelbase, hydroboost disc brakes, massive frame, etc. I can't imagine doing the same thing in a 2012 1/2 ton 2wd! Its about the equipment specs and not just the year.

[Tuff Gong]

I only have one truck for towing. It gets the job done for being as old as it is.... so my vote is older truck by default. LOL

[BenE]

I have a 71 C-30 that I've had for 22 years. I've towed about every thing you can imagine, loaded it until the tires were rubbing the flat bed. I recently bought a 2002 Duramax,CC, 4x4. As much as I love my ol C-30, there is no comparison on which truck is the better tow vehicle. the Duramax/Allisson wins hands down. The last three years I've make a trip to south Ga. for a horse ride. With a 16 ft gooseneck stock trailer, 4 horses, 20 bales of hay, saddles, and all other supplies for 4 people, I can set the cruise on 75 mph and not tell the trailer is even back there. I don't, but I could. I'd be screaming in 2nd gear going over Jelico Mt. in the ol C-30.

Young Frankenstein's body on a 4x4 Duramax frame- GRANDSLAM

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by Vintage Windmills

There are too many apples to oranges comparisons here. Let alone the difference to a new truck, there is night and day difference between say a 71/72 C20 leaf power disc lwb compared to a 1970 or earlier plain drum brake swb coil truck!! One would scare the crap out of you on the interstate at 70mph with 1500lbs in the bed and the other would be a comfortable cruise. Its about more than the year, its about wheelbase and equipment. Even a 1/2 ton crew cab shortbox today has a longer wheelbase than many of the 1 ton 67-72's.

I did haul 10,000lbs from Washington to Minnesota a month ago and I was grateful to have an 01 2500hd for that. It was a comfortable and safe ride but that is mainly due to the 157" wheelbase, hydroboost disc brakes, massive frame, etc. I can't imagine doing the same thing in a 2012 1/2 ton 2wd! Its about the equipment specs and not just the year.

x2

[lap15]

I personally can't see how anyone can compare old work trucks to modern trucks. Our trucks were never designed as interstate tow vehicles and should not be expected to act like one. The fact is you pay $30,000 to $50,000 for all of that "modern comfort and safety" and for that price it better tow 10,000lbs down the highway with ease! To me trucks are like tools- designed for a specific purpose and me driving my C30 dually with 5.13 rear to the West Coast on a trip would be like trying to pound nails with a crescent wrench.

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by lap15

I personally can't see how anyone can compare old work trucks to modern trucks. Our trucks were never designed as interstate tow vehicles and should not be expected to act like one.

Sorry to disagree but they were exactly that when they were new. They were nothing but utility work vehicles for the most part with very little creature comfort. We have turned them into something else after the fact. My dad put nearly 200,000 miles on our heater only manual trans 69 C20 hauling a camper on the back and a boat behind it going to every lake he could find for us to visit every summer while I was growing up and hauling firewood in it every weekend we were not traveling.

It is that we have gotten soft and expect luxury, comfort and efficiency along with our work truck is what has changed.

In good working order our older trucks are very capable towing and hauling up to their design limits. A modern version rated at the same capabilities doesn't really exist so it is hard to compare them to something new. They keep upping the capacity and making the newer trucks more and more capable. A modern half ton is far in excess of that in capabilities and so is everything up the list from that. My neighbors new Silverado 1500 has a 1908 pound payload capacity and a 10,700 pound towing capacity. That is not a half ton truck by any means and comparing it to a 67 C10 in capabilities is not even apples to oranges but more like apples to a forklift.

Yes the newer trucks are amazing but it doesn't make our older trucks any less capable of doing the job they were designed for.

[crazy longhorn]

I love my 02 Silverado, but with a set of air bags on the rear of my old chop top longhorn....I will bet she would out pull the silverado. Fuel mileage may be in the toilet tho crazyL

[Legolas894]

Originally Posted by 74 shortbed 406

50k for a new truck. Put 50k in an old truck and see.

Good point

[MrSchaeferPants]

Originally Posted by leddzepp

here we go again...

Yep, but it's staying respectfully opinionated.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by 68 TT

Sorry to disagree but they were exactly that when they were new. They were nothing but utility work vehicles for the most part with very little creature comfort.

Yep - we traveled the country with trailer in tow; pulling it with a '75 regular cab 2wd short box pickup - black, no air, 4 of us in the cab (and that's not counting the dog, too).

K

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by MrSchaeferPants

Yep, but it's staying respectfully opinionated.

Yes it is.....but it's still beating a dead horse

[richards72chevy]

I dont think some of these newer trucks will hold up like the old ones!

[bignbad]

now i bet in 30 to 40 yrs these new trucks wont be around like our 67-72 truck or even the older 1s because they will be all rusted out sheet metal and the frames they are made out of junk metal and over seas.witch is our fault because americans got greedy and lazy but thats another story..our older trucks our made out of 100% real american steel with 100% american pride.... I'll take my good old chevy over a newer chevy any day.
The older trucks i guess in general trucks are trucks there are designed for work and play the arent designed for luxary if you want luxary quit ride nice smoothed ride and so on go buy a car.. my opion is my old truck will out last/perfporm any newer truck and we proved it to yea it was my old chevy going against a ford but a newer 1 it was off road by the time we were done he had to replace all his coil packs a few sensers here and there he needed to get pulled home by my old truck........

[doubleb's69]

Some of us don't have the money or just don't want to buy new trucks so we have to rely upon what we have. I believe my 95 Silverado was the only 4 wheel drive Chevy to leave the factory without a tow package. I usually borrow my dads truck to pull but we are talking about buying my parents old camper when they get a new one next year and I will need a truck to pull it. My wife and i discussed a 71/72 3/4 ton to do the job and I think it would be just fine and we wouldn't have the big truck payment. The camper is only 20-25 feet long. We are almost debt free and don't want to go and get a new payment, plus we like the old trucks.

[Legolas894]

It's a sad state of affairs really. My '98 Suburban is basically not worth fixing right now. Intake manifold is leaking due to shoddy gasket. Transmission is slipping in and out of O/D. Electrical gremlins create no-start condition every once and awhile. Rear end had a broken part that rendered it almost unfixable (mechanic beat-it-to-fix so I wouldn't have to pay $600 for new parts). I've replaced the interior door handles that just snapped off one day. Numerous broken plastic pieces. A/C non functional due to leaks everywhere. I have to say it's because of all the add-on stuff that this '98 is almost going to be scrapped.

Then, my '67 is on the road and just wants a little attention now and then to keep it going. Original starter (made at Mackinnon Industries in St. Catharines, ON) just replaced last year. Same with alternator. I think the water pump is also original. Most of the interior parts are still fine (radio is still kicking too). What can you say?