Why We Can't Have Small Trucks Anymore - Blame the EPA
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- Опубліковано 2 лип 2023
- Ever wonder why we don't have any small, rugged trucks in the US anymore? Remember fondly those 80s Toyota trucks, the Ranger, the S-10, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, or Nissan Hardbodies?
It's not just consumer demand or companies driving for higher profits. Our EPA sets fuel economy standards that prohibit small trucks from meeting mileage requirements, as well as incentivizing larger trucks and SUVs with lower MPG requirements.
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EPA: Your small truck doesn't get good enough fuel economy.
Auto Manufacturer: Okay we'll make it bigger and get even worse fuel economy.
EPA: That's better.
EPA, NHTSA, CAFE, and every other infringing bureaucracy---and 'law' on the books---, needs to be abolished. No more government restrictions on what vehicles the public WANTS to buy. This change is long overdue.....
@@alansloan7784
there are politicians that say this every term and they get outshined by the "lesser of two evils" rhetoric
@@alansloan7784 Clean air and water are things we all need. The problem isn't that we have regulations, the problem is that the guys who wrote them answer to the guy with the deepest pockets. The CAFE formula was a little too clever and the car companies are gaming the system. Tax vehicles based directly on how much pollution they put out, and how much wear&tear they put on the road.
fkn FED rtards. My dad had to deal with those a-holes. Half the time their solution was actually worse for the environment. Maybe they need to pay their employees more to attract smarter people.
And then let's mandate 10% ethanol for even worse fuel mileage...brilliant.
This is actually a story about how car makers and their lobbiests hobbled the CAFE standards so they could pull small trucks with small margins and sell you huge trucks with huge margins. See also: the Chicken Tax.
Thank you! I've been explaining this to people all over the comment section. When something doesn't make sense, look for who is profiting and you're likely to find your culprit.
@@comochinganconesto I saw you fighting the good fight, and decided to add another voice of reason haha
This comment deserves more attention. It seems all too easy for most to simply follow the "gubmint bad" line of thought without considering the topic any further.
makes sense! The govnt didn't think of that itself
So essentially small trucks don't make as much money as big trucks?
I'm just trying to fully understand because I really miss the small trucks.
Also explain the Chicken Tax
Cash for Clunklers took so many classic, cool trucks away forever 😢
Obama ruined so many things.
There should be a special place in hell for those that made that happen,they wanted me to trade in my 79 Bonneville, I said you wish!
It's not just small trucks, but try to get a work truck. If you want a single cab with crack windows, rubber floor mats for work, that a special order! Epa has nothing to do with that. It's profits!
Prophet margins are huge (pardon the pun) on pickup trucks.
The bigger the truck, the wider the margin.
If you can't lay 20 4' X 8' sheets of 3/4 plywood FLAT with the TAILGATE CLOSED, it is NOT A TRUCK.
Gimme a 68 GMC 3/4 ton with cupholders and bluetooth and i have all the high tech i need.
Looks like granddad was right again, there's no situation that can't be made worse by a government agency "fixing" it. I really miss the 2nd generation Ford Ranger.
I agree. I don't get why govt. has to get involved in how everything is built. They say it's for our safety and yadda, yadda. But what do they know? They're not the ones building the cars.
I'm still driving a ranger !
Best small truck ever !
100% CORRECT!!
My stepfather had a 1978 Toyota Hilux Pickup truck.
Government is often the reason why we can't have nice things.
This is absolutely mind boggling that they want more fuel efficient trucks but they wont let small trucks come out 😂
With my understanding it's more surprising to hear that the smaller trucks would have a hard time meeting the standards without being proportioned ridiculously. I feel like if they looked into it, they could find a areo dynamic enough design that it meets the standards while still being that relatively longer car shaped truck.
Govt plan backfired a bit. Almost seems like the truck manufacturers are taking the easy way out too. Americans want big trucks. The want the biggest nicest they can afford. Sad but true.
@@cconnon1912 Some americans maybe, but everyone I've talked to with the giant trucks are not too happy (their payments are quadruple. they're hard to park - take up too much space in most garages, cost more to run).
Well no govt decision that harms the people is done without a corporate entity behind it. If the EPA had actually persued good environmental policy then we would all have as many mini pickups as we wanted. Unfortunately this decision was probably made to serve American car manufacturers by allowing them to remove competition for their larger and more expensive trucks. There is no doubt that they greased those wheels.
@@GoingtoHecqit’s about the same with some “right to repair” legislation that’s been on the table for a bit. The manufactures aren’t going to support non-OEM competition, let alone build vehicles that the owners (or a mom and pop auto shop) could repair themselves.
This is why I held on to my Dakota. Still runs like a champ. Anything breaks, i fix it right away.
And there is the rub..
I too, will hang on to my 94 Dakota that I bought new. It is only 30 years old!
Same with my 93 Nissan D21 Hardbody
Except every Dakota I have owned got less than 20mpg.
@@mcyclonegtsame here.
I always though that if someone could figure out how to build a small, reliable, cheap, basic pickup, they could capture a huge market share. Pretty much every company that needed basic fleet or work trucks would buy them, and so would thousands of people that just wanted a basic work truck with crank windows, stick shift, and a bench seat.
Yep or bare bones off road vehicles (see Suzuki Jimny) shame we can't have something like that. Mexico does but it's probably impossible to import... But I have no idea how, I know people drive right across the border so idk.
Too much money in "barbie jeeps"
I also think there would be a market for a simple/designed for repairs etc vehicle for fleets / working people.
People are not looking for cheap and basic. We had cars and pickups like those for decades. But when given a choice people went for more expensive and bigger.
@@SweBeach2023 no they didn’t, maybe try watching the video. They went with small and basic until we regulated them out of existince and went with big because they were there. Since they were there and they had to buy at a premium they wanted a premium truck.
Take a sawsall to a hatchback, then add roll-bars. YOU aren't an OEM, you don't have to meet the standard.
@@Mawyman2316they weren't regulated out of existence, there's nothing stopping anyone from making a small efficient truck.
The manufacturers found a loophole and decided it was easier to make them bigger so they fit in a looser requirement class instead of making them more efficient.
My brother in law spent 3000 totally restoring his 88 Ranger. 5 years ago i would have called him crazy. Today he's a genius
$3000? That's CHEAP. Good on him though. 👏🏾
We got lucky buying (for $800) a 97 Explorer (you know, the Ranger and Bronco II's cousin,) and then restoring it (completely. full suspension rebuild, engine work, body work, frame rust removal and repair, etc etc etc) and holding onto it. Turns out it's the best of all worlds and you'd be amazed how well it fits down skinny trails versus a modern """""truck""""". Yeah it has emissions equipment but there was a scandal in the late 90s to make these "light trucks, meant for working" possible with their "against the rules fuel margins" and I wouldn't trade it for the world. You may see me pick up a $500 shitbox car to take the load off of my truck but I won't be getting rid of it any time soon.
That is cheap..I cant remember what the gas mileage Mazda got back then which were rebranded Fords but they had a sharp body style and look great lowered tricked out and all. 😊
3000 is pretty damn cheap for a restoration.
I rebuild the engine on my 88 ford ranger on the year 2000 im still driving it today in 2023,oil change every 3000 miles and regular maintenance. I don't think I can afford a new car 😂
I'm from Europe so I'm looking at this maybe a bit differently, but it seems obvious that these rules are really a protectionist trade policy in disguise. They're made to protect the domestic automakers and their workers against international competition. If you let the automakers write the rules, this is exactly what they would look like.
Bingo!
Well, a few days ago I heard mini cars like vw up, skoda citigo and others are finishing production because not meeting emission standards. I don't know the details but it probably has a similar background.
Union carmakers and democrat party. A match made in our worst nightmares
Yeah if US car makers wanted this law gone then they wouldn’t have supported it for decades now. We still have that tariff because US companies benefit from a low competition from foreign competitors.
Does Europe even make any trucks that would sell in the US? I just don't know. We in the rural US tend to buy trucks or SUVs because the roads are crap and we need a utilitarian vehicle. Which European vehicle fills that niche? Maybe a Japanese truck does, or a US overseas model (hello Ford Ranger) but I can't think of many European 1 ton flatbeds. Please let me know if I'm missing out.
Just gonna point out, 48-49 mpg (or 4.8-4.9 liter per 100 km) is absolutely insane. Most compact and subcompact full ICU cars made in the past 10 years have a trouble hitting that, nevermind a full sized car of any type. I don't know what politicians were huffing when they drew up this chart, but it's very obvious they had no idea if what they were doing.
Works for cars in Europe
@@insu_na I'm from Europe, I drive a small engine hatchback made in Europe, and used in Europe. It's not anywhere NEAR 4.8-4.8 liters.
For reference:
1.6 liter engine, 74 hp, 1050 kg weight overall. Lowest consumption I ever got out of it was 6.1 liters per 100 km, driving near constant speed on a daily basis during covid, at 90 km/h on the dot. City travel included that consumption blows up to 7.4 liters and more, per 100 km.
Remind you, this is a 20 year old Opel Astra F, insanely efficient, low power, low weight. Practically a perfect compact all around car.
You won't get 4.8 liters out of a car without some trickery. If you get 50 mpg out of a plug in hybrid, that's not REALLY 50 mpg, becahse the manufacturer charged it ahead of time, and the engine doesn't cover the engine power output of the car.
I Iiterally just checked, and the highest mpg for non-hybrid cars available in 2023/2024 is 32 mpg, or 7.35 l/100 km combined consumption, for, get this, a 1.5 liter, 3 cylinder mini cooper.
Exact stats:
1.5 liter engine, 3 cylinder, turbo charges, 156 hp, 1260 kg curb weight. Ignoring the impressive 156 hp, this car is not only nowhere bear the 4.8 l consumption, it's also about 300-400 kg short of a truck. Again. How do you expect a truck to have a consumption of 4.8 liters per 100 km, when a subcompact car, with a turbocharged powerhouse of an engine, probably above 40% thermodynamic efficiency, absolutely finetuned to be the perfect city car, can't even get CLOSE to that consumption?
You'd need something like a 1 liter, inline 3, 50 hp car, with a curb weight of 600 kg, to hit those stats. Problem is, then there's no A pillar, no airbags, no LED, no stereo.
Wanna see a car that can do 5 liters in 100 km? Polski Fiat 126. Literally 600 curb weight, 24 hp. You like it? Will you like it when it gets flattened in a car accident?
And again, still not anywhere near a truck.
@@horvathbenedek3596 what are you even talking about.. even an audi a3 is getting more than 50mpg
@@insu_na You're so cute... "Even an Audi A3 is getting more" is it? Sure... the Audi A3 1.0 liter TSFI version... officially.
In reality driver experience shows that you can't get an MPG higher than 45 out of it (so that's 5.2 liters per 100 km). It's also 110 hp at 5500-6000 rpm with a turbo charger, and an Audi (meaning your engine will have a VERY short lifespan... talk about pollution), the 5500-6000 rpm means in everyday driving you're getting... about 50 hp out of it, and mpg will plummet. It's also 1170 kg (again, as light as you can get w/ airbags and whatnot, not a truck at all), and did I mention it costs 37000-45000 dollars?
Personal testimonials put real MPG at 40 on highway. You can find forums.
So for 40000-45000 dollars you can get a torbucharged weed whacker with the lifespan of a coked out cicada, which is STILL not anywhere near 48-49 mpg.
And AGAIN. Audi is a premium car brand. They are out of the budget of 95% of Americans and Europeans.
EDIT: One more thing. Manufacturers often fake a higher MPG by using higher quality fuel. Obviously it's absurd to claim the car has higher consumption if you use a higher octane, higher, higher energy, lower ethanol fuel.
@@horvathbenedek3596 Audi A3 is a lot but it's not premium, lol. I specifically chose it because it's such a common, average car.
Fascinating, usually the explanation you see is “changing consumer tastes.” I miss my 2001 single cab S-10 and would totally buy a small truck if they ever started making them again.
4.3 was a gas guzzler
@@jahearme4259 S-10's didn't have a 4.3 or even a 3.8.
@@eugenedebs9547 v6 4.3 vortex is the most common Chevy s10 motor engine bay is big enough to accommodate small block 350. Reason alot of people make drag truck's.
There’s always a regulatory capture reason. But saying “we paid the politicians” looks bad; so does “we used social engineering to convince you that you NEED the bigger truck”.
People buying SUV and pickup trucks more then ever is changing consumer tastes.
This formula also acts as a hidden tariff barrier on small, imported foreign trucks and establishes a bias towards larger domestic production
Which is not only better for consumers, it's also a lot better for the environment. Plus, you definitely need a 5.7L V8 to tow your 12 foot sailboat around. Definitely. Otherwise we're questioning your manhood.
Same goes with safety features. It was never about safety it was always about forcing you to make a part in the US.
@@the_kombinatorthe saddest thing is that the Ford f series trucks have been the best vehicles in the USA all the terrible fuel economy and Vehicules been driven daily.
@@greyfox79007 That I can get behind - keep SOME of the jobs local.
@@carholic-sz3qv I see it all the time where I live - large 4 door pickups (with a bed wider than it is long) being driven to the grocery store, two kids and a soccer mom in it. Or jacked up on a suspension and tire combo that reduce its functionality (and make it a danger) and some 25 year old pasty skinny kid driving it who's never lifted a tool in their life, past stocking it at the local hardware store.
What's the point? Get a small economy car.
What's crazy is that the big automakers lobbied for these draconian CAFE regulations, because it eliminates competition. There is so much red tape involved in manufacturing a car in this
country, and having it be street legal. It's only possible if you're already one of the big dogs. It ensures than no mom and pop automaker could ever gain a foothold.
Your right. The you become " too big to fail" and get all that gubment money!
I'm glad at least some people put the blame in the right place. It's ridiculous how many people are just blindly using this information to blurt out 'wull govermint bad! Govermint regulations bureaucracy and laws and EPA, bad!'
Somehow it didn't stop Tesla from happening!
@@AndyWeasel-pu1jk
Subsidy Tracker Parent Company Summary
Parent Company Name: Tesla Inc.
Ownership Structure: publicly traded (ticker symbol Nasdaq: TSLA)
Headquartered in: California
Major Industry: motor vehicles
Specific Industry: motor vehicles and energy
SUBSIDY SUMMARY SUBSIDY VALUE NUMBER OF AWARDS
State/Local $2,496,769,455 29
Federal (grants and allocated tax credits) $339,597,164 82
TOTAL $2,836,366,619 111
LOAN / BAILOUT SUMMARY TOTAL FACE VALUE NUMBER OF AWARDS
State/Local loans, bond financing and venture capital $0 0
Federal loans, loan guarantees and bailout assistance (not including repayments) $466,500,000 2
TOTAL $466,500,000 2
That's why I can't wholly blame the EPA, when it's clear that lobby money from car manufacturers helped ensure these stupid regulations got codified the way they did.
I wanted to get a small truck a few years ago. That is when I learned that manufacturers stopped making them over a decade ago.
Instead of a small truck, I now drive an F250 that gets about 14 mpg. Geniuses at the EPA.
My first truck was a 93 Toyota 4x4 standard cab, 5 speed 22RE 4cyl , the only OPTION was air conditioning (which I consider essential) it was a pretty great truck! It would go anywhere and do ANYTHING my 18 yr old self was dumb enough to ask it to do! Now on the highway it didn’t have enough power to get out of its own way but it was able to do real work! Which is exactly what many need BADLY these days! A cheap affordable to own and maintain reliable truck capable of doing work!
A similar story exists when it comes to smaller, more affordable houses: virtually nobody builds them anymore because regulations make it uneconomical. Sad, and it shows just how detached the system is from serving the needs of many citizens.
That's called bribery. Sorry, "corporate lobbying". It should be a capital offense.
Well said. The county Im in wants all newer houses to be at least 1200 sq ft. They can't tax smaller homes as much.
@@mj_b23 lol 1200 sq feet is not a large home. Pretty damn average here in the US, outside of a city hellhole.
Thats a cheap two bedroom apt even.
@@jhoughjr1 Never said 1200 sq ft was large. However, if I want to build an 800 sq ft house, I should be able to. My land, my choice.
@@jhoughjr1 yes, but if you were a college student or young adult would you rather live alone or with one roommate in a 600-800 sq ft house that was super cheap or would you rather live in a full sized house with 6 roommates whilst still struggling to make rent? Different people have different housing needs, the government should not regulate that so that Karen's property value remains high.
The irony is that if you are simply hauling stuff, the older small trucks are so much more practical than the newer big trucks because the bed is lower. A man of normal stature can pick up something bulky like a hay bale and lift it over the side of a small truck. For a big truck, however, it's easier to lower the tailgate and then proceed to climb up into the bed to move the hay bale into position. This requires a lot more effort and carries the risk of falling off the bed or slipping and hurting your leg while climbing up there.
Not just more practical because of height either. I have a 2006 Tacoma 4 cylinder with the access cab, and it's rated to 1300lbs. That's a lot of most stuff the average guy is likely to haul. I've gotten up to capacity with compost, stone, hay, demo, moving house, and whatnot, and while it ain't exactly peppy going uphill it always gets there, and still has some spring travel left. Plus Toyota redid the frame for free about 5 years ago, and we do maintenance like clockwork. I figure with only 170K on it, it's probably good for another 8-10 years with a little under coating.
This is exactly what I love about my 2001 Tacoma. I can easily load/unload anything from the sides of the truck.
This was also true even for older full sized trucks but nowadays the bed on modern trucks is so tall you really can't anymore
We just need to bring back the El Camino :P
Because that is what trucks were originally for. You can't actually use them as trucks anymore unless you are some beefy-boi of a giant.
We just need UTEs in America. I'd love a Holden Commodore UTE or a Ford Falcon UTE.
@@FtanmoOfEtheirys Given my druthers I'd take a South African Hi-Lux manual transmission. If I cold get one with 4 wheel drive I'd swoon.
I miss my 1991 s-10. Such a good little truck.
I have a '91 S-10. 2 8 engine. I love it
I smile every time I see my Grandpas 97 Ford Ranger in my garage 😊
Two words, profit margin. The number of quad cab , big tire, no scratches in the bed, pretty trucks out there is amazing. Over computerized,over priced and unreliable, but I have to look cool for the neighbors that I don't like enough to talk to.
This is the correct answer
What do you drive?
Exactly.
we buy things that we don't need with money we don't have to please people we don't like.
@deego237 not necessarily. Not growing up with anything nice, it's having a nice vehicle. I don't care what anybody thinks.
I’ve been telling people and complaining about this for years lol. I’m so tired of full size trucks being so big that the tailgate needs to turn into a staircase
True! We had to install a step to get in the F-350. I still have my Ranger.
People's egos have far outgrown their legs 🦵 They're willing to get altitude sickness to show us all up.
😂
Lol! The hoods and grills are so absolutely massive for no apparent reason. No reason a pickup truck front end needs to be the size of an eighteen wheeler’ hood
For some guys I think it makes them feel "Manly."
This horse hockey makes ZERO SENSE! Imagine our government complaining about emissions, greenhouse gasses, climate change, oil shortages and bell curves, fuel dependencies, etc etc etc, and at the same time forcing the manufacturers to build only humongous, gas guzzling pickups. 🤔
The auto industry could change these laws and build small trucks, corporations run the government, but the want the profits from the gas guzzlers they are forcing on us now.
Thanks for pointing out the extreme stupidity of the EPA. I have wanted a small truck for awhile now I know why I can't get one.
Is it really just stupidity or EPA or unintended consequence? With published data like this it's not hard to change. Question is, are they charging it?
My dad was a farmer, so he had multiple vehicles depending on his needs. The one he drove the most a little red 1990 Nissan 5 speed manual with an extended cab. Its body was rusting and falling apart badly toward the end, but the engine was a trooper that reached 300,000 miles while never burning a drop of oil. It was also the most fuel efficient pickup in his fleet. They truly don’t make em like they used to.
Why make quality products that last? That's like a doctor healing their patient rather than treating the symptoms with drugs that cause more symptoms that need more drugs that cause more symptoms. Job security is most important!
@@dakoderii4221 The funny thing is from a practicality standpoint, there is a certain threshold where ongoing treatments costs the doctor more because the patients might die before they can pay
@@dakoderii4221 Are you saying a new Nissan pickup truck made today with increased safety features cant go 300K with proper maintenance?
To be fair, these modern trucks haven't really existed long enough to actually verify whether or not they can last that long.
I had one exactly like it.
So reliable yet parts price was crazy compared to other brands.
It kept rusting off expensive parts and after just buying it and $ and time invested. Yes very efficient and fast. 8 spark plugs 4 cyl. Toyota's weren't quite as peppy or efficient but not as rust prone.
The current crop uses far too many flimsy dollar store quality interior control parts and the dealers will only offer entire $$$ control assembly when all you need is 2 x ¢¢ plastic knobs.
The Armada is the closest to what the old Nissan used to be back then.
Everything else is dollar store quality
Those very small trucks in the 80s were very useful - especially for teenagers who did odd jobs such as mow yards, cleanup gutters, etc. etc. We used the heck out of these little trucks, which you could buy for a couple thousand or even like 1000 and we were pretty productive with them.
Ah, back when teens were still expected to do manual labor...I remember those days...
boomer logic aside, the reason why car makers stopped making these is just like they stopped making the ford focus- because they can make boat loads more on massive $80K f150s. This has nothing to do with the "eViL EpA !!!! REEEEE" and more to do with capitalism LOL you dont see this kind of insane crap going on in Europe or China
My lawn care guys and some cleaners bring the little trucks to work. It's all they need to carry the essentials ~ a lawnmower, hedger clippers, weedwhacker, toolbox, and a gas can. There's no reason to have seating for 8 and 100ft² of space. If that's the case, buy a van.
@@Rick-the-Swift Ha ha yes those were good days. However, I do want to acknowledge that even today there are a lot of teens that are out working hard -- I hire my friends 3 teenage boys to work my 2-acre property and these boys can work! I have seen others in our neighborhood out mowing, digging, trimming, etc; It gives me hope for the future.
@@Rick-the-Swift Nothing has changed from those days except your memories. There were just as many slackers 1000 years ago, 100 years ago, 50 years ago. It's just a cognitive bias making you remember the "good" parts and not the "bad." And, there's a lot less incentive for teens to work now than there was 70-60 years ago (the time most people mean when they say "those days). Back then a summer job could enable a teenager to save enough money to pay for their entire college tuition, books, and meals for the coming year. Now, a summer job probably doesn't even pay enough to single semester's tuition at an instate university or community college.
I'd also argue that forcing teens to do manual labor instead of focusing on education (high school, college, vocational training, or whatever) isn't a great use of their time. And, they're going to be stuck working for at least the next five decades of their life. Let them be kids and have fun for a couple years before the need to support themselves forces them into a lifetime of what is likely to be servitude to their corporate masters.
Thanks for explaining this. I miss those cute trucks, and I'm sick of those (often useless) big ones
After inheriting my '97 T100 from my grandpa I will never buy a "new" truck. It has an 8 foot bed that will fit everything and anything I would practically need, and is perfectly sized for most every road. I don't have to worry about the width of the road because it is about as wide as any other modern sedan, but the only problem I have with it is finding replacement parts. It just seems the whole point of a truck has been lost in the last few decades, it's just supposed to be a car you can throw more shit, instead of people, into. (unless you have your buddies ridding in the back.)
Ford missed the boat by having never put an 8 foot bed on a Ranger.
As an Australian, where smaller utes are still very much the go-to for pretty much any practical purpose, I had always wondered why the US just has such unreasonably large machines. This is a really interesting answer!
Now we're seeing all the big crewmans and trucks on our roads and all these freaking suvs. In Melbourne and even in QLD I see them more often!
I was just visiting Australia (Melbourne, Sydney, Cairns) and it seems like the modern "small" Ford Ranger sized pickups are the most popular there. of course all considerably larger than their predecessors. I definitely didn't see as many big trucks as in America and I didn't see as many smaller utes as I would've liked. On a different note, it did make me jealous to see quite a few Suzuki Jimnys. Glad to see that little guy still getting some love in 2023.
@@vibrantlightwc We do still get treated to the quite laughable spectacle of people in high density housing buying outsize RAMs and Jeeps that physically won't fit in their parking garages. It's actually a topic of public debate here. Proposed solution? Of course! Make the parking spaces bigger! This is in a city where every inner city street is already permanently choked with the extra vehicles of three car families. I think we must have borrowed some lobbyists from the US.
But yeah, go the Jimnys!
In the US big ole' trucks is an ego thing. Truck buyers here have no idea what what a useful truck is they just want it big so they feel manly.
@@britishrocklovingyank3491 And then put spacers to make their tires stick out even more. I've been on some narrow 4X4 roads I wouldn't want my truck to be any wider LOL. There's a huge cliff on one side. I'm not about to make my truck any wider.
I was digging around a few days ago and came with something interesting. A Maverick is only about 2.5 inches narrower (without the mirrors) than an '86 C10. And a 4x8 sheet of plywood would fit between the wheel wells on the C10. The mid-sized can't even do that. The whole "foot print" thing is government stupidity at its finest.
Don't think I ever saw a full size Chevy p. u. that you could lay a 4 foot wide anything between the wheel wells. Nor one with a bed long enough to close the tailgate with 8 foot long lumber inside.
@@donaldshimkus539 You can close the tailgate on a long bed Chevy with a 4x8 sheet of plywood in it, but you're right about the wheel wells.
I have a Maverick. You can lay a sheet of plywood on top of the wheel wells and there is a way to hang the tailgate higher so they sit level. Works great.
@@donaldshimkus539 Fits in a Chrysler minivan.
@@anvilsvs Also fit in between the wheel wells on my 1995 Dakota.
I bought a new 2015 Tacoma access cab two door with 4 cylinders and a 5 speed manual 4w drive. It has never failed to start or had problems. It is a keeper.
I miss my little S10, small enough to use every day but can still be used for work. I have seen a lot of large research parks and campuses now getting mini trucks from overseas and not registering them to replace what they used small pickups for in the past --- so is that really better for the environment.
As someone who’s been wondering why trucks keep getting more massive this video was incredibly helpful
Glad to hear it. It's one piece of the puzzle that includes the Chicken Tax protectionism driving up prices, consumer demand, cheap gas, and lease deals that keep payments lower regardless of how they raise the prices.
helpful? One sided? Opinionated? yes, helpful is in that list, but probably not at the top of it.
@@occamraiser Did it help him find information he was seeking:
Yes
Does that mean he gets to list it as helpful:
Yes
Does that mean you get to change the reality of that situation:
No
Should you feel correct in your assessment:
Fuck no
I've been a bit curious on that myself. Even my regular cab Tacoma (2012 regular cab 4cyl 4X4) is fairly big. Even worse they kept the same 4 cylinder engine they always used, so I am trying to push more weight with that small engine. It's a reliable engine though, I expect it to last me another 10 years for sure. The other question I have, is why they don't make regular cab pickups anymore. I was lucky to get my regular cab Tacoma. I don't want to give it up now because I don't think I'll be able to get another one. I want a pickup bed long enough to sleep in. And mine being 6'1" is just long enough for me.
@@KenzertYT Nah. They are correct. Anyone with real knowledge on this issue would have immediately noted that this guy didn't mention 250/2500 and up models that are marketed toward consumers.
Those old small pickups were very useful and were good commuter vehicles. We actually used the small trucks for what they were built for. Most of these modern monstrosity trucks are like luxury vehicles and are only used for things like grocery shopping and never leave the paved roads.
Litterally. People only buy them cus its the only shit they have.
Pavement Princess is what I call them
2023 trd Tacoma.. :) 4months old and just broken in at over 3k miles and I finally took it trailing with only 1 plus size tires installed and it does AMAZING. Definitely take it off road.. not bashing or “rock crawling” but off road on muddy gravel trails
We had a small chain of parts stores and had a fleet of Nissan hardbodies, Ford Rangers, and Toyota pickups. They were extremely useful and much easier to get around town to deliver parts with than a full size truck. They easily hauled many items that would have ruined the inside of a small hatchback or other car. To those that say they are useless, you must have a small experience to pull from for your opinion.
Those things cost 50,000-100,000 you wouldn't want to beat up a vehicle that costs that much money
The old Ford Ranger/Mazda pickups were great for light duty use and daily drivers. I have a 1993 Mazda B4000 with 260,000 miles. I've fixed lots of things, but not the V6 engine. It still burns no oil and passes emissions inspection.
Mine also. 94 B4000 4x4 extended cab bought it new on Ford lot in Idaho. Best investment next to my children.😊
Huh? It makes no sense that a 1985 S-10 style truck with a modern engine would not get better fuel economy than anything three times bigger than it. It's absurd they give gigantic trucks a pass. I kinda thought it was the salesmen not pushing small trucks because they didn't get that fat commission check, so the manufacturers stopped making them. Thanks for explaining!
I can tell you here in the Northern Wastes, if someone offered a 2-door, bench-seat, long bed mini-pickup that's as durable as they used to be, the dealers wouldn't be able to keep it in stock.
The little Toyota single cab stick shift diesel pickups we're absolutely awesome. Got great mileage. Super reliable. Very simple. I wish they would bring them back
I saw one of these with a Kubota agricultural diesel engine swap in it. That truck will still be going fifty years from now.
And I absolutely could this videos of more than a little bit of BS. A Cummins could have easily gotten him at 48 mph. On top of that you could just increase the wheelbase it's not hard. Triple on top of all of this, you could just put smaller engines an already existing. This guy is loosing the forest though the trees
If you think the regulations here are bad, start looking into why we don't have smaller trucks with diesels anymore.
I had that exact truck and put 450,000 miles on it.
I've owned 3 Chevy S-10s. First 1 I had 13 years 2nd one for 9 and the 3rd one 10 years. Loved em all. Great gas mileage. Very dependable. Got a Santa Cruz now.
I do miss my old 83 Mazda B-2000, it got 35 MPG fairly consistently as a drive to work truck.And shared many parts with a Ford courier of the same size.
And most likely, the reason the auto manufacturers lobbyists aren't raising a stink about this is because larger vehicles equal larger profits. If they lobby too hard for smaller trucks, it might backfire with politicians rewriting everything to make the larger (and more expensive) trucks carry all the penalties.
This, exactly.
You can be sure that any regulation that passes in an industry was lobbied by the large actors in it. Regulations are the best way to avoid fair competition when you are on top.
I'm not against making money, that's why I work. But this is wrong. You'd think auto manufacturers would *"raise a stink"* over what govt. is doing.
Like a wise man once said, 'if automakers cared about the environment, they wouldn't be selling nothing but trucks and SUVs."
The last thing business wants is a free market.
Imagine how fun a small pickup would be with the new engine tech combined with an actual small truck chassis
You dont have to imagine, get you an s10 with a ls or inline 6. You would have a typhon, or maybe drop a 4.6 kia engine on a mazda
Like a 79 or 80 short bed regular cab Toyota pickup with a K-series with a 5-speed... That would basically be the perfect minitruck.... Nearly 200 horsepower and under 3000lbs with a USEABLE bed... A truck like that would sell like hotcakes.
You mean an "Interference Engine" that commits "Hari Kari" when timing jumps/breaks ????????????
@@tngtacticalmiata1219 My son and I have this discussion often. In my opinion a truck like that selling like hotcakes, while pleasing the customer, would cut into the more profitable large truck market. Lessening profits for the manufacturers and dealers.
You’d shoot your eye out kid.
I could only imagine a BASIC compact pickup with a 1.5L 3 cylinder EcoBoost with minimal extras....would be great for utility
I restored an 81 vw diesel pickup. Love it. 45 mpg and I can haul 700 lbs in the bed and forget there's a load in there. Best part there's not a single chip in it. Even mechanical injection pump. Five speed so although it's not fast it is fun to drive. 700 mile range on one 14.5 gallon tank of fuel. I normally use it as a farm truck and it's great for running up to the nearest town for feed or other items that are too difficult to carry in my jeep.
Down here in Brazil, those new “pick up” trucks such as F150s and Rams are considered trucks, because they got so big and heavy. And you even have to get a new type of license to drive it.
looking at some of the idiots i see driving them up in Canada i have to agree with this. i cant count how many times i had some one not aware of the size of their truck go over their lane in to me. i rather drive next to tractor trailer then a 16yo in mommys f150
@jp-ui6qg Same here in the US. These vehicles are way too big for backroads. I live in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes it's impossible to pass a modern f-150, Silverado, and god forbid Rams. I owned a regular cab, standard bed GMC sierra, and it was too big and got horrid gas mileage. I would WAY rather have a Civic or Camry. I wish Ford would bring back the Fusion.
Where I work the company president and vice president have these huge "Super Duty" Ford F250 trucks. If you open up the hood you need a ladder to get up to an angle to see anything inside the engine compartment!
@@WaverlyJava Ford dropped the Fusion? I don't keep track much, but last I remember that was a super highly regarded car.
@@WaverlyJava The GMC Hummer EV makes me think exactly that, there's something wrong with that.
Happily, I'm not born yesterday, and I trust that the automakers dropped a ton of money on lobbyists to negotiate this CAFE to edge out small pickup trucks, primarily the Japanese vehicles. Revenge, coldly served, to the Japanese truck market that captivated Americans several decades ago.
Good point.
ironically corporations are why we cant have nice things
Well, they killed the Ford Ranger and Chevy S10 while they were at it. I liked both of those, too.
Exactly!!
I think that is a fairly good approach at one part of the explanation ...
Yeah, I've got one of those Ford Ranger, four cylinder, five speed, two wheel drive, pick up truck. I get 33 miles per gallon. And I love it! It is a true sport utility vehicle.
Old Ford Ranger... great vehicle.
I loved the mini truck scene in the 80s. I had a Dodge D50. Mini truck and it got better gas mileage than 90% of cars today.
I love the old small trucks. Simple mechanical trucks. Take me back!
I had a 84 S-10 Blazer 4X4 with a 5 speed, rubber floor, no A/C, it had power brakes and stearing and it was a GREAT TRUCK. The biggest drawback was the POS 2,8 V-6 that died when I got it hot and spun a barring at about 160K. I then bought a 87 Dakota 4X4 long box with the 3.9. The biggest drawback on that was the 3.9 was a dog and no O/D transmission, but it ran to almost 200K before the frame started to rust in two(IOWA). Two good trucks that I would love to have now.
But they pollute like crazy by modern standards. And weren't crash-worthy. And many models broke a lot.
@@xerxespamplemousse6622
not true for all.
my early 80's Toyota pick-ups with 4 cylinders were clean as a whistle, and the most reliable vehicles I ever had.
To be fair, it wasn't an accident. Automakers lobbied for this to happen to they could get around the restrictions. That doesn't excuse the fact that the EPA went through with that, but it does mean that this can also be blamed on the manufacturers.
Oh yeah let’s blame the corporations for the regulations..
Not the corrupt government regulators.
@@JoeWayne84 government regulators rarely do things without lobbyists whispering in their ears and lining their pockets. Who do you think spends millions on those lobbyists.
@@chronovore7234 oh so it’s not the fault of the corrupt regulators for being corrupt…
It’s the people who bribe them are the real problem.
Morons
@@JoeWayne84oh you sweet summer child. The Corpos just write the regulations and hand them to the EPA to be enacted.
@@Jebbis so why do we have regulators at all?
I love that you answered the question at 5 minutes. Subscribed.
US: we need more fuel efficient cars, so you can't have that little truck that is 8/10 fuel efficient it needs to be 10/10. US again: what is that gas guzzler 2/10 efficient truck, oh it's big, you can have it. Fck logic
I would totally buy a basic little truck! I want crank down windows and a 5 speed manual. Had a base model hardbody and it was one of the best trucks that I’ve owned. Simple = less problems
I like them too I have my father's 91 Nissan hardbody 4 cyl with 131,000 miles and it's the perfect daily driver and errand runner , they'd probably sell them fast if they made those simple economical trucks again.
@@drjohnsonhungwell5115where do you live because those all rusted away years ago in the northeast, reliable or not the rust killed them.
@@xscorpx Southwest Georgia and the truck has been in Georgia it's whole life has zero rust a laser straight body and completely stock and unmolested .
@@xscorpx My D21 hardbody has the KA24E automatic column shift swb AC, PS, PB burgundy interior velour seats and carpet but radio and tachometer delete I'm going to give it a restoration it would take very little just a repaint other than that it's in great shape .
Another reason they don't want you to fix them yourselfs.
"This is why can't have nice things!"
Or more specifically:
This is why we can't have nice things
on a smaller scale!
The most terrifying words spoken on the planet. "I'm from the government and I'm here to help."
I miss my 99 Chevy S-10 2wd 4cl with the 5 speed. It had over 300,000 miles with original engine and transmission when i sold it. I purchased it from the original owner who used it to drive to work. It was so slow and not great in the winter here in Michigan. I put 400-600 pounds of bags of sand in the rear and never had an issue. Drove it 70+ miles 6 days a week to work. Even in a snow storm with over a foot of snow.
Good analysis. Same family owned 1988 ranger 4x4 v6 5speed. 425k miles and still gets it done. Easy to fix and only 27 mpg.
The flip side to CAFE is that vehicles are getting bigger, thus heavier. This means more wear and tear on roads requiring more maintenance which costs cities, counties, and states more money (really taxpayer).
More repair of roads generates even more pollution by unregulated polluting road machinery.
And they suck to drive
Exactly!
Going green(back)... as in it is just a means to make your greenbacks start going to the government
Not to let facts get in the way of a good story, but non-commercial trucks don't impact roadways more then cars when compared to tractor-trailers (passenger vehicles including pickup trucks are in the same category for road and bridge wear). Companies were always going to game the systems and the CAFE standard has consistently delivered better fuel economy. It was the NOx and other environmental controls that made little 4-cylinder engines in small trucks uneconomical.
So basically the EPA is incentivizing less fuel efficiency. Amazing and somehow not shocking after everything we’ve seen recently.
Of course they are... he does a good job of explaining it away as something to difficult to understand just like the EPA intends most people to do... at the end of the day its opposite bizarro world if it comes to a truth.
Heck, my 1999 Chevrolet Suburban 6.5 TD was capable of 20 MPG easily. Stick it on the Highway long enough, I'm sure it would get 28 MPG at a consistent 60 MPH. It was slow and was a 6,500 pound vehicle, but it was strangely fuel efficient... And that was an 8 cylinder engine.
Heavier vehicles = more fatalities too.
To be fair I'm getting the same fuel economy out of a 2009 Z71 4wd with a 5.3 as I get out of my 98 Ranger 4wd 3.0.
I don't like the big trucks myself. I find myself in tight spaces often.
It makes sense. There's no reason that my 1994 Chevy pickup gets 13 mpg, but a brand new 2023 Silverado (with a 5.3) gets 16. You can't tell me in almost 30 years, a bump of a few mpg is all they achieved.
The graph says it all ... small trucks will be required to have very high fuel efficiency and big trucks will be allowed to have low fuel efficiency ... now, I want to hear the EPA's explanation for this crp
The dealers make more money on a 70000 dollar truck. The EPA works for the government and the government works for tips.
i really miss my 1977 Datsun 620 truck. it would cost $13.00 to fill it up to the gas cap , and i could go from just north of Dallas Texas all the way down to Houston Texas and once i got there i still had an 8th of a tank to run around on. i really miss that truck
I remember in the mid 1980’s those small trucks were advertised on TV for around $5,500.00. It’s crazy to look back at how affordable those trucks were.
The Wuling Zhengtu is under $10k. If GM sold those here at that price, they'd be the #1 truck on the road.
Bought my ranger for 10,000 around 98
@tranger4579 if they sold a truck even double that price now it would be a steal.
$5500 in 1989 is equal to $13533 in 2023 by inflation alone
@tranger4579 98 Ranger msrp was $11,995-20k adjusted to 2023 that's $22,452-37,436. New Rangers start at $27,400 which is admitted about $2,600 more 1998 dollars than they used to start.
I think if you park a pristine 1998 ranger next to a 2023 ranger and tell me I can have either the 98 for free or the 23 for $5k I'll buy the 23 all day. It's easily twice the truck. Has features that didn't exist in 98, makes more power than the f150 of the day, uses less fuel than many of the cars of the day, safer than just about anything from a quarter century ago, and while you head and the sand guys will doubt it to yer graves modern vehicles are in general leagues more trouble free and reliable than that junk y'all got rose tinted glasses for. The reason you could "fix it easy with a simple screwdriver" is cause you had too, constantly, nearly from day 3.
In Mexico they use and sell those very small trucks with 4 cylinder diesel engines. They're very economical and very strong trucks.
Toyota hilux with its diesel engine is one I want to have but can’t here in the U.S, it’s as expensive as the Toyota Tacoma I think even with the chicken tax so it may be worth getting it
@@sumblwnup8695are you allowed to buy one in Mexico and bring it into the US?
@@codyofathens3397 i think so, i know there’s a hilux in the U.S somewhere that’s being driven legally, i think they don’t sell it because it would take away from the tacoma, even tho the tacoma is also sold in mexico
EPA is trying to kill diesels here as well
There’s plenty of hilux’s here in the USA. I don’t know what or how you get them, haven’t tried or looked very hard, but whistling diesel has a few of them and others have videos of theirs. Something worth looking into. Heck even if it costs less than a Maverick let’s say then it would be worth the price. Toyota and a diesel, you can’t beat that for a SMALL truck.🙏🏻🇺🇸💯🤙🏻
I appreciate you giving a good explanation on why trucks seem to just keep getting bigger. I've been seeing a lot of moralizing and finger wagging about Americans buying big. It's not just buyers but also producers trying to conform to complicated government regulation.
Even if someone just wanted a small light truck there are no options.
Good to finally hear this angle. Thanks!
The S10 my mom had in the 90’s was amazing. It had the tow package and we used to beat the heck out of it with winter wood hauls (typically 3X trips with the leaf springs flattened out). Never batted an eye engine or transmission wise. Plus, we used it to take trips on spring break to visit family in other states and it would easily get 38-40 mpg. Miss that little truck.
There's no way that truck would get 38-40mpg. They were advertised as getting up to 30mpg by 1999, which means you probably maxed out at around 25mpg on the highway.
38-40 mpg if you drive it off a cliff.
The 90s and 80s model was ok but the early 2000's with the vortec 4.3 and stick shift were really reliable trucks. I guess a older s10 with the 2.8 and stick shift could get good gas mileage but DANG that's alot of mpg.
@@BromanP47my big 2022 4 cyl Tacoma gets 28mpg on the highway.
@@TheRainHarvester Yeah, that's believable. But in 1990 and before, those trucks were not built to the standard we have today, hence the argument that Obama's policies have actually been a success for increasing fuel efficiency
I had the opportunity to rent a fairly new diesel Toyota Hilux while on African Safari. Over 6 weeks I put 8000 km on it, mostly off road. After that experience I realized why Toyota captured the market in Africa. It is by far the most popular vehicle in Africa, by a huge margin. The truck is robust, reasonably powerful, easy to fix, and everywhere. What a disappointment I couldn't find one in North America.
Hilux weapons platform of choice for the entire African continent.
Mexico is in North American continent and Toyota sells the Hilux also the ford and chevrolet sell cheaper versions of the ranger and colorado, yes in Mexico a Diesel ranger is cheaper than a Maverick.
Hilux is not available in the USA, the closest equivalent is the Tacoma; they are very close in specs.
The better models of American Pickup Trucks are still better work trucks than Toyota's trucks for several reasons: Toyota Frame Rust, Toyota's use of smaller & softer hardware, and support after eight years. Ford has taken the marker in Africa with their Ranger, which is not the same as the Ranger that Ford sold in the US...
@@HIDHIFDB I saw mini pickup made by Nissan in Mexico. It was a diesel and it was shiny and brand new, looked great. Never seen one like that before. Shame we can't get those pickups. Wish we could get Mahindra in here.
Seven years ago I was looking for a small truck with 4 cylinder and a manual 5 speed. There were not as many out there as I thought. I finally found a 98 Tacoma, it has been a good little truck. About all you find anymore are old Tacomas and Rangers.
A small truck with an 8' bed was very handy 👌
Been a mechanic for 40 years now and have worked on just about every car available through out those years. Had this same conversation with my wife over the weekend. Told her that if (say gm) built a truck a little bit larger than the Toyota Pick up with a fuel injected 4cyl and a 5 speed would sell the crap out of them. What brought this up was that I was working on a 2012 GM 2500 ex-cab 4x4 HD the other day. That truck weighs close to 9000 lbs. Had to stand on a 24'' high platform and still had to lay on the core support and stretch out as far as I could to reach the rear spark plus. My truck (1968 GMC) with a big block, (4350 lbs) I can stand flat on my feet and change all of them without exerting myself. Funny thing is....your example...('84 toyota pickup) 2.4 carbureted ..mine is the same, only an x-tra cab, and is my daily get around town vehicle. 22-24 mpg without even trying. I get asked all the time if I want to sell it.
They make that truck friend and sell them for less than 25k usd is called S10 max but is only for mexican market
Still driving my 88 Toyota truck, keep it in excellent condition. People asking me to sell all the time...
Love my 01 Tacoma. Even though it's small there is so much working room and everything is easy to access. Such simple trucks
And the sad thing is, that truck will likely run forever as long as you take care of it, where as if you bought a new truck it would probably need something fixed at least once a year
I’m Napoleon sized and worked in auto glass. Shop got alot of entertainment out of watching me do a running leap into the engine complete with superman plank on the block just to get the cowl off in a timely manner
I'm Australian and I have always been baffled at the prevalence of these massive trucks in America. Smaller trucks and utilities are just more affordable and versatile.
I think so too. I would love to have a small truck. I have no need for a large truck but a small one would be perfect for my use cases. Unfortunately, the EPA disagrees.
I'm also Australian. All of our utes are getting replaced by pick ups. I hate going to the car park now.
This video is a huge lie. This guy wants to act like we don’t know Ford and GM bribed republicans like Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan to pass standards that would ban Japanese competitors without violating WTO agreements
Not always.
Let's be real. Most American men see the size of their truck as a part of their identity. Utility isn't that important to them, which is why you see so many shiny ball hitches and unscratched beds and receiver hitches. Also, most of the utility is lost by the dual cab and the chest high tailgates.
Utility trailer does everything a truck does, anyway
I just sold my '94 4wd Chevy S10 with an 8ft bed, extended cab with the flip down seats, 4.3L Vortec 6 cylinder engine in 2018. Had it for 16 years. It'd fit ATVs and dirt bikes in them just fine. Didn't have to angle the dirt bikes. When I'd put the bed cap on it, it was perfect for a man and his dog to sleep in when up north in the woods. Got me everywhere as a teenager/young man. Pretty impressed with the 4wd with good tires, though i never went looking for trouble, but only looked to get out of trouble when it was found. I was sad to get rid of it, but it was time. Now I've got a '17 5.0L V8 Crewcab F150 with 6.5' bed. Yes I've absolutely loved it, and have done lots of things with it with no trouble including pulling trailers through the Appalachians just passing through, but two things bugs me. One is the 6.5' bed. Bugs me you have to lean plywood and other lumber on the tailgate, or put the tailgate down and strap the lumber. Don't know about dirt bikes, but i have to slam the gate shut on my banshee rear tires to get the gat to close. On my utility ATV, the gate has to be down. The other thing that bugs me is the size of the truck makes it cumbersome to drive down some 2-tracks and trails in northern Michigan. That was one of my favorite things to do in the S10 when up north - just exploring. It's still a favorite pastime up north, but now i have to watch my mirrors, and lengthen my turns in tight spots.
With that said, i thought the new ranger was going to be a small truck like the 90s. Like you said, it was the size of an older V8 truck. Not impressed.
I own a 1989 Mazda B2200 pickup. I bought new in 89. I love that truck and I still drive it. I have wondered for years why they don’t make small trucks anymore. I believe there is a big market for small trucks.
Way back when I had an 86 Mazda B2000, 4cyl manual 5speed with the long box, loved that truck.
Sometimes I really hate when people don’t understand the consequences of their actions. The road to hell really is paved with good intentions.
"They" know exactly what they are doing
Good intentions, like those people actually have any
This is known as "The Law of Unintended Consequences"
Politician's & lawyer's ignore & don't care.
"There are no such thing as solutions, only trade-offs." -Thomas Sowell
Its the monkey helping the fish by putting the fish safely in a tree where it will be safe. As humans, its all about the help. But most people are giving harmful help.
I'll never give up my 1988 Toyota pickup. Great on gas, fun to drive, and easy to work on
they will bury me with my 1985 toyota pu----i will never sell it. runs like new only 220,000 miles and 0 oil use
Same with my 89 toyota long bed! Body shot but very reliable!! @@melvonnar1
@@melvonnar1I sold mine back in 2003, biggest mistake ever.
My cousin has an early 80s Toyota pickup as well. 3 engines and a few marriages later, it’s still going strong
I have a 1991 Toyota, 4 Cylinder, 2RE, over 360,000 miles on it. Yep, and I'm keeping it till I just can't drive anymore. I also have a 2000 Pre-Runner 4 Cylinder and a 2010 Forunner V-6, 4x4. I will never have to buy another vehicle again.
I've been wondering about this for a while. Thanks!
Loved my Mazda B2200 and B2000 extended cab trucks back in 97 ❤
My dad has a '95 Chevy S10 with the extended cab, and he's been noticing that when that truck dies, there's likely to be nothing comparable to buy. Either they've got a tiny bed, or they're just absolutely massive trucks. Even the ones that appear to have the similar length and width are extremely tall.
For how often he uses it to haul things, he'd probably be better off just renting a truck for the day, but owning one is likely to not be an option in the future if nothing changes.
Kei truck hehe. Slow as christmas but dang they're cheap. Under $5000 depending on shipping
Undercoat it, keep throwing motors and transmissions at it.
He probaly having trouble because of the ethenol in the gasoline. It eats away at older vehicles.
yea the only thing comparable is a car with a truck bed like the Hyundai santa cruz and god knows how long that thing will last lol and cant tow or pull worth a crap = (
Restomod it. Plenty of parts still available, both original, and updated, so you don't have to ever let it die. You can make it better than a new truck. Search youtube, there's oodles of how-tos on the subject.
I was given an 86 Toyota pickup the summer before I started driving. The 22R engine was in the bed, disassembled, with a blown head gasket. I was told that If I could rebuild it/"get it running" that I could have it. My dad and i got to spend so many hours together that year, and I had a "cool" trick to drive to school as soon as I had my license. Damn the government for taking that experience away from other kids.
Huh? What is the thing about "government taking away the experience" supposed to mean? People can still 'receive' or purchase used small trucks, and I'm sure there's some with engines in the bed, disassembled. I don't think you're describing anything that's changed because of "the government" and it's weird to use this story as some admonition against "the government" like it's just out to get people and ruin good times. You really think "the government" really cared about the size of personal trucks, and not the auto manufacturers who had been traditionally building large trucks and saw their sales dwindle due to smaller imports that worked better? Come on, use your brains here.
I loved my Chevy S-10 -- not too big, decently fuel efficient, and it was still a truck capable of hauling stuff.
There were inexpensive small pickups with the Datsun(Nissan)brand back in the 60's and 70's. I bought a used 60's Datsun 520(I think) in the 70's. It was in a supermarket parking lot with a For Sale sign and didn't have a windshield.
The owner came by and we discussed it. I started it up and drove it a little, everything seemed fine. So I bought it for two hundred dollars and drove it home not far away. Then I went to a junk yard and bought a windshield which I installed myself(that was easy back then). I drove it for years with only one problem, a driveshaft coupling later had to be replaced--no problem. It ran great.
I wanted a small truck. Couldn't find one. Eventually, I found a kit that converted my 2010 VW Beetle into a pickup. People love it wherever I drive.
There is a guy around the corner from my buddy’s house that converted a PT Cruiser. Someone finally found a practical use for that stupid car, I guess.
@@apersonontheinternet8006 Nice! Since they won't give us what we want, we make it ourselves, lol
No offense meant by this but that seems like it would be weird to see. I'd probably be scratching my head asking wtf I just saw
Post a link to pics!
@@ljevers I did but it's gone. Just Google Beetle Truck
I bought a 1986 S-10 in 1986. It had the 2.8L six cylinder engine, one of GM's best. I drove that thing for 270,000 miles. I still miss that truck.
Had the same 2.8 in an '86 Cavalier a while ago. Thing would easily break traction if I gassed it too hard! Torque-y motor for sure.
In 1970 I was a lot boy for a Honda motorcycle dealer in the south bay area of Los Angeles. Our company truck was a Datsun 1200cc with a four speed as I remember. I could haul two crated Honda 750 bikes strapped into the back of that little truck. If wasn't fast or quick but it was loud and bumpy. We totally abused that little truck picking up and delivering bikes for the dealership. The manager was a great guy and on Sunday and Monday we were allowed to haul our own bikes to the desert with it. Great adventure for teenagers and we didn't mind the ride or the accoustics. I think new they were about $1,200.
Thank you Jon. Well done Sir! Carry On!
Loved my old 5-speed Toyota pickup but when they played the "no small trucks anymore" game I played the "fine, I'll just use an old mini-van as a work vehicle" game. Took out the back seats and had all kinds of carrying room for tools, material, debris. Came to appreciate the mini-van more than small trucks for work.
We had an econoline with the back cut off to make it into a truck when I was a kid. Minivan and a cutting torch=90s pickup
@nancypelosi480 How much did it cost and how did you do it?
Also to your question, several minivans like the Honda odyssey can fold down completely flat in the back with the seats removed giving you the space of a long bed with a shell. It's not perfect, but you would he shocked to find out how much space you actually have.
@nancypelosi480
Some minivans you can pull out the seats and lay 4x8 sheets flat on the floor. I did it with my my friends old van. I think it was an older sienna. Congrats on the Hilux!
@@grogdocr The old Toyota Previa could do that. Pull out the back seats and lay down a stack of full size 4x8 between the wheel wells.
I work for a major hardware retailer. The amount of minivans I see has been steadily rising over the last few years. They are darn near perfect work vehicles with the seats outs.
That explains why we're getting these huge trucks with tiny engines and no towing capacity.
The towing capacities are actually rated so high I would be afraid to attempt the max . 14k lbs in a half ton truck . No thanks
@@justinpennington7682even 7k feels too much in a half ton to me even though it's "rated" for twice that Maybe rated to do it once or twice before you need to buy a new truck lol. I sure wouldn't recommend maxing it out.
The towing is easy. The stopping is hard.
@@misterbulger yes sir!
@@blackhawk7r221that’s why trailers have brakes
Even with full size trucks the weight has increased a significant amount. I have a short bed 89 Dodge D-150 with a 318 V8 in it and it weighs around 3500-3800 pounds.
A brand new base model regular cab Ram is a minimum of 1500 pounds heavier.
From WC, I had a 1996 Ford Ranger with about 110,000 miles that I sold in 2014, after I bought a 2003 Ford Ranger from a neighbor, in that same year, with 40,000 miles! I paid $7000. For the 03, I got $2000 for the 96. Both 4 cylinder 5 speeds. I hauled 4 loads of dirt from my son-in-laws house with the mud flaps dragging, it never missed a beat, 15 miles and over 1 mountain from his house to mine! Only thing I hated was it had 8 spark plugs and they were really hard to change! On the 03, other than oil changes and some front end parts, that the rubber wore out (one months payment on a new truck) she is good to go! My little dog loves to go with me, I just have to put an old sheet over the seat! If it’s hot I just use A/C! my neighbor bought a 2013 Chevy for $40,000, including what he owed on his 05, both 1500’s! I don’t know why but he seems to be doing something to it every few days! Me, I check the oil level, tire pressure, and other things every so often! Good to go, and a little over 20 mpg and the insurance is less than $500. Per year! So I’ll just keep my little Ranger, Thank You!
In 1983 I bought a new Isuzu. I drove it for 15 years. It was a great truck. It came at a time in my life when money was extremely tight. It was 100% reliable and helped me in so many ways. It got really good mileage....
Its the best.
I'm pretty sure these "standards" are also there to completely crush the foreign market for small trucks (aka literally all trucks from Japan). I live in a rural area and almost everyone has one of those small Japanese "mini trucks" now that they are legal to import.
*_"...now that they are legal to import."_*
And rescinding in 3,2,1,...
@@lunarvvolf9606 What gets me is the prices for vehicles that used to be cheaper cars for the working person, that are now selling in the same ranges as luxury brands but they are still just normal cars.
@@guildrichloads of them have fallen outside the 25 year rule for safety requirements, they've become very common. For 10k or less in most of the US, you can obtain one with the necessary paperwork to title in the states that allow them to be titled as regular vehicles. In my state they can be registered really easy as farm vehicles but have limitations to speed and travel range. They also allow them to be registered as regular vehicles here as well.
Cute little things. Wouldn't mind trying one.
@@xzqzq if you can get used to being on the wrong side of the truck, they're handy to have! Especially if you're in a state that's willing to give them a conventional registration. Less expensive than a side by side, but they do have their hindrances, if you're not willing or capable of working on it yourself, maintenance and repairs can be difficult to go about, even finding parts can be iffy. But they can be had, and they can be pheasible for some folks. I personally have been keeping an eye out for one in my area for the right one. My boss bought a terrible one and ended up getting rid of it because he didn't quite fit, he's like 6'2"
This was well explained. Thank you.
I had a 1992 Nissan Pickup truck which was PERFECT for me. I loved that truck. It finally died in 2021 and I was horrified to discover that small trucks were no longer available. I got a 2015 Frontier, the smallest thing I could find, but still too big for me (I'm a short, fat woman who could barely climb up into the driver's seat, never mind reaching into the truck bed). A few months ago, I traded it in for a new Ford Maverick which is great. Wish they'd had a hybrid available when I was shopping, and if they come out with an EV, I may trade this one in for that. I wish it had manual transmission (instead it has a stupid dial which I have to LOOK at to figure out what gear I'm in). If I'd realized how truly irreplaceable that little pickup truck was, I'd have continued to nurse it along for another 30 years. Thanks for the explanation of how the EPA has sabotaged its own mission. Going to watch part 2 of this Small Truck series now.
My dad had a S15 in the 90s. He bought it new in 89, I think. He loved that truck. He had a yahoo smash into him on our street doing burnouts, and he rebuilt the entire front end. He built a cap for it BY HAND out of sheetmetal. He LOVED THAT TRUCK.
I remember trucks like the Chevy S10 and GMC S15 and SUV versions. I was way too young at the time they were intro'd. But I thought they were awesome vehicles.
What kind of cap?
I have a 93 S-10 that is my back and forth to work/take off the garbage truck right now.
I had a series of S 10 and S 15 pickups in the 80's, 90's and 00's. Maybe the strangest was a former fleet S-15 with a 1.9L Isuzu diesel engine and five speed. It accelerated like a loaded gravel train and seldom could exceed 70 mph, but every tank of fuel went about 52 mile per gallon over the 100,000 miles I drove that old worn out truck. it would not be for everyone. It almost got me killed on the freeways of Detroit trying to drive in rush hour traffic. It really needed a turbo charger to give it about 20 more horsepower (it only had 58 when new). A small pick up is possible if designed well, but if more than one manufacturer tried to enter the market, I don't thin there would be enough buyers to support two different makers.
I worked in several body shops back when those S-10s were everywhere. Pretty amazing just how fast I could strip the entire front ends of them down to the frame with just a 1/4" air ratchet.. Somewhere around 5 per week including all the new panels and parts and reassembly..and paint.. Out the door..whoosh! 😅
One shop built an extra building just to stock S10 body parts and nothing else..
My dad has had nothing *but small trucks for decades.* And until I saw this video, I hadn't even noticed they weren't around anymore !
Wild.
Me too. I just realized that I haven't seen them on the road like I used to. I should of bought one when I had the chance. Don't have much around the house but you can't haul anything in a car.
I think that if car manufacturers came out with a sub $25k pickup (OTD), something like the old s10 or Ranger from the late 90s, they would be massive hits. Perfect for the city. Perfect for first vehicles for college students and working late-high school students. Great secondary vehicles for modest homeowners who don’t need $70-$80k trucks. Yes the immediate cost would be substantial because there are no real platforms for them in the US, but after that the manufacturing would be cheap.
I wonder if a standard bed that can be extended to a long bed, but the extension can be easily removed by the owner, is a possible cheat code here…like those fold down style extensions..?
This is a great video, thanks for the information!
This is a perfect example of why a measure that becomes a target no longer measures the thing it intended to measure.
Brilliant! Did you just make that up or is that a quote?
@@TucsonDude It’s Goodhart’s law :p
I think this was a lobbyist boondoggle. Big auto in America has bought Congress, and caused this issue.
@@jeffsaxton716 Yeah, corruption is a common method to follow Goodharts law :p
@beaconofwierd1883
It's also why letting the government regulate something is often a bad idea. Make the government specify the GOAL -- _only_ -- not how it is to be approached or maintained. Then encourage industry organizations to turn those goals into reality.
Wow that's a classic example of law makers getting the exact opposite of what they wanted to achieve. In Europe these huge American trucks are definitely memed on, but nobody knows why this actually comes to pass. Thank you for this information!
I'd like to see those memes. What do I search under? I hate the giant trucks too.
No those lawmakers got exactly what they wanted, a shitload of money from lobbyists.
*and for decades the Nissan Patrols seen all over the EU and Germany in particular are not American-sized behemoths? Right.*
the EPA passes regulations. if their regulations are not working, it's either because of regulatory capture by the automotive lobby or the net positives win out.
@@antton9623 not sure how much the EPA gets out of lobbying lol
I have a giant diesel pick that I use daily to tow my dump trailer, skid loader, car trailer, mini excavator, etc. I also have a 1988 Toyota Pickup with a standard cab, bench seat, and 5 speed manual. Anything smaller than the big truck is not going to tow or haul anything. Not safely. I love small trucks and tried for years to find another B2000 Mazda extra cab 2 wheel drive long bed pick up with 5 speed. Loved that truck. The frame rusted and I had to junk it but it was so nice to drive and load with its knee height tail gate!
My first car was a rusted out 98 s10. I miss that thing so much