Practically Used Homestead Wheels

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Trucks

High-powered 1-ton "Duallys," Crew Cabs, 3/4-ton pickups, Chevy Suburbans, and IH Travelalls are great for heavy hauling. But for gentlest ride, greatest selection of parts and accessories and lowest repair and operating costs, get a full-size 1/4-ton pickup or Blazer/Bronco/Trallduster-style utility—little but a short-bodied truck with a covered bed. Chevy/GMCs are most popular, Ford next, Dodge third.

A pickup truck is the most elemental vehicle made and is easiest to restore. Everything unbolts from the frame in minutes. Look in the JC Whitney catalog to test price and availability of body panels, engine, tranny, and running-gear kits, inside trim. and accessories for makes/ models/years you are considering. One thousand dollars will buy a drivable truck needing restoration, $2,500 a good original or older restoration, $3,500 to $5,000 a nice late '70s Chevy C-10 or Ford F-100. Four-wheeldrive, big engines, and power options cost more and a whole lot more later to maintain or restore.

Don't try to restore a farm truck ...or before you do read John Jerome's '77 book Truck. Municipal and utility company vehicles are often well-maintained, lowmileage bargains. Tradesmen's, retail delivery, other business trucks vary, but many are run out under a new-looking paint job. Look to buy a suburbanite's pet truck that's been pampered; many are commuters and their 100,000 miles are more like 50,000.

Sports trucks are big sellers today. The original, Chevy's '50s Apache CameoCarrier is a classic. The next version, the Chevy El Camino/GM Caballero is an automobile with a pickup bed in back. Ford's Ranchero is similar but has a bad reputation.

Some '73-'87 GMs have twin tanks located outboard of the frame rails. Rarely, but often enough, they rupture in a collision. Publicity has reduced resale value, and as of this writing, GM is offering some owners of such models a chit for $1,000 toward a new truck. I suspect that public pressure will force them to rebate cash lest Ralph Nader decides to take the case. Keep tuned; if you're quick, you may be able to buy a good truck cheap, cash in the rebate, and use it to buy a safer fuel tank, four new tires, and a stereo.

Today's small trucks from design-leader Toyota, Dodge's Dakota, the Chevy S- series, and Ford Rangers are fine if you don't need to haul wallboard or plywood. But early minitrucks from all makers are underpowered, rust prone, and usually beat by now. They aren't much protection in a collision either.

Vans are hazardous to your health. Oldstyle front-engine, rear-drive vans are top-heavy, light-tailed, and prone to spin and roll—especially when driven unloaded on wet pavement, ice, or snow. If you must have a van, your best bet—despite its smog controls—is a stripped cargo version of the Chevy Astro van. You can get them with 4WD, a real advantage for the van format. Sold widely for commercial use, it has a strong ladder frame, automatic transmission, a simple and economical four- or six-cylinder engine with an even simpler rear-wheel drive. Every inch of undercarriage is accessible, so there aren't any crannies to rust. You can get a dent-and-rust-free '85 to '89 with a 150,000-mile engine for $1,000 and rebuild the whole thing for $2,000. Add a pair of comfortable bucket seats and a radio, have steel "L"-beam bumpers cut, drilled, and bolted on front and back, put 100 lb of bagged gravel or concrete blocks over each wheel, and it will be better than any other van, new or old.

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