There’s an old saying: “Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.” That makes some sense, but taken to its extreme, it leads to hoarding. And in terms of trucks, it leads to everyone driving the three-quarter-ton, four-door behemoths we see everywhere today. Is it better to just buy what you need for most of the time, or go ahead and get the big one just in case? That’s what we’re investigating today.
Yesterday we looked at a couple of ugly characters, and I am not the least bit surprised that the Jeep Cherokee took a huge win. There were too many questions about that Mercedes, and it’s likely to be the more frail and expensive to repair of the two even if it were in perfect shape. And as many of you pointed out: driving a scruffy Jeep is kind of respectable; driving a scruffy Mercedes isn’t.
I’d definitely prefer the Jeep here. I’ve always liked the old square Cherokees, and I like the idea of a basic Sport model with a stickshift. But if I’m honest, I’d much rather have an old Isuzu Trooper. (Sorry, David.)
Some people, when the idea of keeping a cheap truck around for doing truck things when you need to comes up, are all for it. Others figure there’s no point when you can just go rent a truck when you need to. Myself, I am in favor of keeping a truck around; I don’t want to go to the hassle of renting a truck or van just to go grab some mulch or potting soil, or haul home that antique desk we found on Marketplace. But my truck isn’t a particularly heavy hauler; it’s a basic half-ton truck, though it is full-size. The way I figure it is that anything that can’t be done with my truck, I don’t want to do anyway, and I’ll gladly pay someone else to do it.
Today, we’re going to look at a truck ther size of mine, only capable of hauling a lot more weight, and a smaller truck that can do ninety percent of what mine can do, and use half the gas doing it. Which is a better way to go? That will be up to you.
1988 Ford F-250 Custom – $2,500
Engine/drivetrain: 460 cubic inch OHV V8, five-speed manual, RWD
Location: Goldendale, WA
Odometer reading: 193,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives fine, but burns oil
If you walk into a Ford dealership today and inquire about trucks, you’ll be asked if you want to look at an F-150, or a Super Duty. They’re now completely different truck lines. not sharing much at all except some interior parts. But it wasn’t always that way. Back when this F-250 was built, all Ford light- and medium-duty trucks used the same cab, and until you got up to the really big boys, the same fenders and bed as well. Underneath, this F-250 is very different from an F-150 of the same age, but it looks just like it.
Stepping up to the F-250 got you some much beefier engine choices, including the 460 V8 that this truck has. It gets terrible mileage, but it pulls like a train engine. It’s backed by a five-speed manual transmission built by ZF, in place of the Mazda-derived five-speed used in the F-150. This transmission has a “granny” first gear, and an overdrive fifth gear, so it’s ready to pull stumps and then haul them away at freeway speeds. It’s been used as a farm truck for years, and the seller says it runs well, but it has burned some oil for decades. They just keep it topped up. The front fuel tank also leaks, so they only use the rear one. Some stuff is just too much hassle to fix on an old workhorse like this.
As far as I can tell, it’s a plain-Jane “Custom” model, with vinyl upholstery, no trim, and no options. Someone put an aftermarket stereo in it, and I assume it’s been tuned to the same country station since it was installed. The interior is decent for a truck like this, with just a couple of rips in the seat and some splits in the rubber floor mats.
The outside is faded, but rust-free, and not beat up, which is nice. Brown suits it well, too. It’s always a little shocking to see base-model trucks like this, with none of the chrome trim or two-tone paint that came on fancier models; it hardly looks like the same truck. Personally, I prefer it, though.
1992 Mitsubishi Mighty Max – $1,950
Engine/drivetrain: 2.4-liter OHC inline 4, five-speed manual, RWD
Location: Riverside, CA
Odometer reading: 189,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Mitsubishi didn’t start selling its own cars in the US until 1982. Before that, several Mistubishi models were available as captive imports through Chrysler dealerships, and those captive imports remained available even after the Japanese firm set up its own dealer network. You could, for example, buy a Dodge Colt, a Plymouth Colt, an Eagle Summit, or a Mitsubishi Mirage, and they were all exactly the same car except for the badges. It was weird. This little truck, known by various names around the world, could be purchased in the US as either a Dodge Ram 50, or what might be the greatest truck name ever: the Mitsubishi Mighty Max.
Various Mitsubishi four-cylinder engines were used in the Mighty Max over the years. By 1992, the standard engine was a 2.4-liter fuel-injected unit making 116 horsepower, a respectable output for a small truck like this. It drives the rear axle through a five-speed manual transmission. This one is said to be “very dependable,” but its registration ran out last April. It will need a smog test if it’s staying in California, and it could probably use a bit of an Italian tuneup before you take it in for the test.
This truck is nice and basic inside as well, but the seller says it does have air conditioning, which is a nice little bonus. It’ll help keep you from sticking to that blue vinyl bench seat on hot days. I always got a kick out of the little cutout that trucks like this have in the bench seat to clear the shifter. And believe it or not, that’s a seat – this is considered a three-across bench. Pity the poor soul who has to ride in the middle position.
The best truck designs are the ones that still look good with a little wear and tear, and the Mighty Max definitely passes that test. This one isn’t in bad shape at all, but it does have a few dings and wrinkles here and there, including a tweaked rear bumper, which, as far as I know, is a requirement for trucks of a certain age. It still proudly wears its stock plain steel wheels, a look that simply can’t be improved upon.
Either one of these will do for picking up some stuff from the lumber yard or hauling some stuff to the dump. You don’t need three-quarter-ton capacity or a monster V8 engine to do typical truck stuff. But the thing is, for some non-typical truck stuff, a standard truck won’t do. So I leave it up to you: do you go with the behemoth, in case you need it, or the lightweight, assuming you won’t?
I voted for air conditioning. Truck stuff usually means hard work. Might as well be comfortable while in transit.
Both of these trucks are winners for the low, low bucks. I grew up on the farm, and it’s great to have an old workhorse like the F250 around in the back of the shed. A quart of oil here or there is a small price to pay – that beast has earned it, and will keep on earning it doing the hard jobs.
But today, I’m voting for the 90% solution. The Mitsu does almost everything I need and will be more practical for parking and fuel economy daily. On the rare occasions I need a mastodon, I’ll call my buddy who bought the F250.
(As a Maverick owner, I already made the same choice.)
F-250 for me! I’m not going to be dailying either of these, so I might as well go for more truck. It looks sweet in the brown, and you’ve got to own a V8 full-size truck at some point in your life, right?
The Mitsubishi looks slightly less efficient and mildly more capable than my Geo Tracker, while the Ford will be way less efficient and way more capable, which is the proper formula to differentiate it from what I already have
Also I’d expect parts availability to be a lot better for the Ford.
I went Mighty Max because it hits that really sweet spot of purpose without pretension. My heart loves the F-250 because I’m a softy when it comes to old Ford workhorses…but I am firmly planted in reality (hellish though it may be) and I don’t need a truck that is the size of a small house and can pull stumps. I’d never fully utilize it and that is a sad way for this thing to continue living.
The Mighty Max feels like the automotive equivalent of “enough”. Lightweight, functional, you can drive it anywhere, and you don’t have to justify it. You just own it and people glance it and it makes sense. It’s going to do the kind of truck-stuff that most people need done and the rest of the time it’ll behave like a slightly compromised hatchback.
The Ford would be a pain in the ass to load your friend’s couch in and an even bigger pain in the ass to load your out of shape body into when you headed over to urgent care because you threw your back out. When not doing truck stuff you’d be stuck cosplaying as a member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour at every gas station you pass between home and your desk job. Not exactly a Baja Blast in my book.
Buy the F250, rent a trailer, tow the Mighty Max home, win-win
I went with the Mitsubishi, because I could actually use a truck that size. The Ford is a pretty good deal, too.
Wow, there’s no wrong answer today.
I have a special place in my heart for the Mighty Max, because a girl I had a crush on in high school drove one. Alas, I cannot resist the allure of a big block with a granny gear, so I chose to empty my wallet to the tune of 8 mpg.
Oh man, this is activating the latent minitrucker who lives deep in my soul. Lowering kit!
Just a heads up – the Starion/Conquest motor and drive train can swap into a Mighty Max. You know what I selected.
I have an old Toyota in a spec similar to the Mitsu and it does pretty much anything you need, other than tow stuff. I’m good with either one of these really, guess it depends on where you live. I’m in the city so I’ll take the Mitsu. Those pictures of the Ford really make it look right at home in the country.
Tough call, but I went with the Ford because of familiarity of working on several of them for decades. The Mighty Max would be fun too, and I can’t knock anyone for picking it.
Both? Yes. BOTH
Range anxiety in the 80’s; just add another fuel tank. I’m going with the Mighty Max as it’s all I need.
Ford, the Bull nose is getting pretty popular and a manual trans with a big block is still desirable to me. I would likely flip it though, I have no use for 2wd trucks for the most part and it is really too old to be a minimally used tow pig. On those days I want a reliable dragger.
The Max is just not interesting and not really much of a flip opportunity. I would leave that for someone that needs a decent little truck to do light duty truck stuff close to home. It actually seems very fitting for the Ontario Mills area inland empire with the slow commutes and remaining grape fields out and around there.
I’m a bit nostalgic for the 80’s F-series but that’s only because I got to use one up in the mountains for a summer. More the place than the truck, really.
A friend had an F250 of this gen. The gear shift was like rowing a boat, the clutch was stiff enough to put muscle mass on your left leg and make you lopsided. It would stink up half the block when running “properly”. It’s not enjoyable to drive. If this one burns oil, that’s the nail in the coffin. I don’t need to pull stumps.
Mighty Maximum Mitsu time!
I wouldn’t need anything as heavy as the F250 for occasional Home Depot runs and my tax bracket isn’t high enough to feed the single digit fuel economy of an old 460 for daily use, so Mighty Max it is. It would cover almost any ‘truck stuff’ I need doing and is also be far better for around town use.
Realistically, I’d probably be fine with the Mighty Max. However, I’ve sat in them before and found it very confined, so I voted Ford. I don’t need an F250, but I want to stretch my legs!