How Much Truck Do You Need? 1988 Ford F-250 vs 1992 Mitsubishi Mighty Max

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?