For Those Lamenting "Rising Truck Prices"

[Davexxxx]

You could still have one.

https://classics.autotrader.com/classic-cars-for-sale/1970-ford-f100-for-sale

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[Buyer2021]

Playing with the CPI Inflation calculator I find that the price I paid in 2005 for my XLT 2WD would be $46,200 when I bought my 2002 Lariat 4WD for $51,900.

$5700 effective difference for the significant upgrade to a Lariat, 4WD, and the too-many-to-list modern conveniences looks pretty good to me.

Oh, and I still own that 2005 XLT, too, it's my rarely driven back-up vehicle.

 

[DT444T]

When my grandpa bought what was to be my first car, a 1994 Chevy S10 it was $19,9xx. In 1994.

Base model (LS), super cab, 4x4, auto, 4.3 V6, AC. Manual locks, windows, transfer case. White paint, blue interior.

20k in 1994 is $44,432. That is roughly the cost of a LARIAT Ranger (which I previously owned). The difference between the two trucks could not be bigger. The S10 was hot garbage in comparison.

Things aren't too expensive, you are being CRIMINALLY underpaid.

 

[Kodiak]

ahhh, the good old days.

If you smoked, you could not beat a cigarette window. Noisey as hell but functionally they were perfect.

 

[JCsTruck]

Paid $24,600 for my 2001 Toyota Tundra SR5 V8 access cab in late 2000 which would be worth $45,999 today. I paid $39,990 for my F150 XL 4wd V8 SuperCab (MSRP of ~ $46k) with 5,200 miles on it. Very close in price when you consider the trim differences (mid grade SR5 vs lower grade XL).

 

[Old Hat]

I enjoyed daily driving clean 60's and 70's vehicles into the mid 2000's. Sure, I put some time and money into them but they also didn't depreciate like new vehicles do; I often sold them for more than I paid for them. Mostly I liked the retro looks and the comments they garnered.

I don't need most of the fancy comforts and gimmicks modern vehicles offer but I do appreciate the safety and fuel economy improvements. Heck, I even like that they no longer have the choking toxic exhaust fumes that the classics did. The oldies look nice and drive well enough for me, but I won't be going back to daily driving them.

 

[Davexxxx]

I found the dealer brochure for my 1990 XLT. 507A, the highest trim level at the time, along with some notes.
RCLB, 4WD, 5 liter, 5 speed manual, manual hubs (the electric hubs weren't reliable yet), twin tanks, 2 tone paint.

Engine HP was 185, with 270 lb'. It got 16 MPG all around, BTW.

GVWR = 6250 and with the payload package (that mine didn't have) a potential max payload of 2240.

It was a good truck. I recall new hubs once, a clutch, a pair of fuel pumps and rear axle bearings. Got rid of it at something over 300K miles, when I bought the 2001.

MSRP was $17,893.

In today's dollars = $44,465

Current MSRP of a 25 XLT, starts at $45,695, tossing in a Super Cab, because the XLT doesn't come in RC, all the other goodies and a 50% increase in MPGs.

New trucks, are a relative bargain.

 

[My 2ND Ford]

It's the allure of when times were simpler. Yes, up until the early 70's before the advent of electronic ignition you could diagnose and fix your car easily. I started driving in 72 and wrenched on cars early on. Yes they were simple, would I want to go back to that level of tech, absolutely not. Everything I owned had a block heater so that it had a chance to start in winter before the battery quit. I had a 73 Chevy K-5 Blazer and while you couldn't kill the drivetrain, although in winter the drivetrain was actively trying to kill me, talk about crappy and over boosted brakes, the body was trying its damnedest to part company with the chassis. On a cold, still winter night you could hear the rusted chunks of the body falling off.
Would I like to have one of my old cars back, yes I would take my 69 Jaguar XKE or my parents 69 Plymouth Fury 3, but as others have stated, would I want them as a daily driver , Nope!

 

[Dakar09]

@My 2ND Ford that Blazer description might be the greatest review for a vehicle I've ever read

And a real man would daily a '69 Jaaaaag, just sayin

 

[Micho523]

Sure, but inflation has grossly outpaced wages for quite some time now.

 

[Old Hat]

Sure, but inflation has grossly outpaced wages for quite some time now.

For almost 2 years at the beginning of the pandemic inflation did outpace wages. But wages have outpaced inflation by about the same amount for almost 3 years now. (since Feb 2023)

https://www.statista.com/statistics...sOt663fQCVTtsz4QS-qBRvSSN-EShotBvLLm_ESbC55sq

 

[Lead Foot PowerBoost]

New trucks, are a relative bargain.

Exactly my point!

 

[Dakar09]

For almost 2 years at the beginning of the pandemic inflation did outpace wages. But wages have outpaced inflation by about the same amount for almost 3 years now. (since Feb 2023)

https://www.statista.com/statistics...sOt663fQCVTtsz4QS-qBRvSSN-EShotBvLLm_ESbC55sq

It's all relative, though. Inflation outpacing wages during "covid" were way more severe than the wages trying to catch up to the inflation. We are still not being paid enough to compensate for the intense inflation now. We are all behind the curve here. And the price gouging that happened from "supply chain issues" has never fully recovered, it just stopped being discussed. There was never a correction for consumers, and we continue to pay prices that are too high.

 

[Davexxxx]

Was looking for a decent pic of the 90 and ran across these.

Pretty vs. Good.

The prettiest truck I ever owned was this 80-81 model, bought used. As a RCSB, with posi track, if you kept good tennies on it, it got around well. Not as good as 4WD but better than anything short of that. It didn't want to stop though and would skid forever but it at least stayed straight and didn't get squirrelly. Drum brakes may be easy to work on but they suck, compared to ABS discs.

But it was not reliable. Constant emissions problems on the 351 and eventually, a blown engine. One of the last full sized Rangers.

 

[22skidoo]

Bought my first F150 (custom trim with 3 speed trans, vinyl seats, no air and manual windows) in 1981, it was a used 1978 for $1,200. Bought it with 100,000 miles. Yep, 3 year old truck for $1,200. Sold it years later with 180,000 miles for $1,200. Yep, didn't lose a dime in value. Those were the days.

Googled 1978 F150's and the top of the line Lariat was $10,000

Cpi says $10,000 today is almost $52,000. So, top of the line truck today should be $52,000?

Just an observation. I still like my truck.

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