hey every body, i am trying to find out what kind of a pick up truck i can buy that i can fix myself. something without electronic brains and computer stuff all over it. i used to be able to fix them myself, but not any more. i am 59. thanks
If you want computer free then you’re going to have to go back further than 1981 and if you want emissions control garbage free (mostly) then you’re going to have to find something from around 1972 and earlier.
My recommendation would be a late 60s/early 70s Chevy or GMC. They’re reliable, simple to work on, and parts are cheap. The one downside is that they’re fairly popular models and the prices are elevated due to demand.
Another option if you want a bed for hauling things but more of a car feel is an El Camino or Ranchero but like the older trucks they’ve also gone up in value.
I understand your problem. I did my own work on my 1950 Chevrolet pick-up truck, and I work on my 1978 Oldsmobile, but I don’t do any work on our newer vehicles–a 2003 Toyota 4Runner and a 2006 Chevrolet Uplander. On the plus side, nothing much goes wrong with the newer vehicles. I find that today’s electronic fuel injection systems are much more reliable than carburetors.
My brother in his plumbing businss thought that a Ford van with the 300 cubic inch 6 was easy to work on for a van and very reliable. He ran this van 300,000 miles, although I think it ran on 5 cylinders for the last 25,000. The Ford pick-up truck with this engine should be even easier to service and repair than the van. If you go back far enough, you can find a carbureted version,although I think I would opt for a later truck with fuel injection.
I have a '79 Dodge slant six . . . pretty easy to work on . . . got lucky, body and frame still not bad, the slant seems to run like new. I got mine for almost nothing, ugly as crap but gets to Home Depot and back. I LOVE parking next to you folks with
$45,000.00 pickups with tonneau covers. I fixed the parking brake two years ago but I still bring a block of wood along to put behind the rear wheel whenever I park next to a Range Rover. Rocketman
1989 or earlier Toyota pickup with the 22R engine…NOT the 22RE.
I had an ‘89 carburated (22R). While not entirely without emissions controls, it’s devoid of most of the complications you’re worried about. It’s got a good ol’ fashioned distributor, a good ol’ fashioned carburator, and good space in the engine compartment. And the engine is bulletproof.
Oh, yeah, and it’s got a good old-fashioned longitudinally mounted engine with rear wheel drive, leaf spring rear / double A-frames front, and a good old fashioned basic differential with a crown gear, planetary gears, a carrier case and a pinion. A really easy to fix old-style setup.
When you move into the group of vehicles that fit your requirements you are in a group that has their own problems (the first that comes to mind is age/mileage created problems).
You say you want to stay out of vehicles that have “electronics and computer stuff” because you cannot fix them yourself.
I think what is best is a vehicle that does have some electronics and some computer controls, don’t go back to the 50-60’s but don’t buy a vehicle loaded up with electronics,find a middle ground. Failures of Electronic Control Units do happen but are rare,electronic ignition is very reliable. I have a 65 GMC pickup but I put a modern V-8 with HEI ignition and a auto trans. This vehicle is a hobby. Daily friver is a 2004 F150,all I do is maintiance,nothing has every failed,never made a warranty claim.
The lack of comfort items on the GMC make it a “fair weather only” venicle.
Perhaps if you got to know electronic systems better your fears would be relieved