Pickup Trucks

,

#142, Pickup truck rarity: 1958 Chevy an homage to SF Giants

Amir Daneshvar is accustomed to selling unique, high-end, modern-day cars — Audi to Porsche, BMW to Mercedes-Benz. But how about a 1958 Chevrolet Apache Fleetside? It’s more unusual considering its appearance. It’s an homage on wheels to the San Francisco Giants. The pickup truck was made for one of the team’s “super fans.” The year of the truck is the year the Giants relocated from New York to San Francisco. It has a 350 crate motor and a 700R4 transmission. Daneshvar is our guest on Episode #142 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia visit with Daneshvar in his office at Zen Auto Sales in East Sacramento. The 1958 Chevrolet Apache Fleetside is parked outside, a

Read more
, ,

5K deposit for ghost truck: Gamblers’ delight or dilemma?

Here’s an investment adventure for hybrid truck enthusiasts: You can make a deposit of $250 to $5,000 on a hydrogen/electric pickup truck with an estimated range of 600 miles. The caveat: The Nikola Badger doesn’t exist — at least not yet. Nikola, named after Nikola Tesla, the Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer and futurist, was announced in late June. According to the company based in Phoenix, Ariz., the powertrain has 906 horsepower and 980 lb-ft of torque and can accelerate from 0-to-60 miles per hour in 2.9 seconds. The truck’s full cost ranges between $60,000 and $90,000. It’s touted to have a towing capacity of 8,000 pounds. Nikola pickup truck ready to battle Tesla Deposits start at $250 for

Read more
,

Quick shifts to automatic transmissions continues

Thirty-eight car nameplates offer manual transmissions for their 2020 models, Aston Martin to Volkswagen. Truck enthusiasts who like to shift gears have far fewer choices. In fact, only two manufacturers, Toyota and Jeep, offer a manual transmission in their fleets. Here’s the full list of cars with manual transmissions, either as standard or optional equipment, for the 2020 model year: Aston Martin Vantage, BMW M2, BMW M4 (all body styles), Chevrolet Camaro (all body styles), Chevrolet Spark, Dodge Challenger, Fiat 124 Spider, Ford Mustang (all body styles), Shelby GT350, Genesis G70, Honda Accord, Honda Civic (all body styles), Civic Si (all body styles), Civic Type R; Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Hyundai Elantra (GT hatchback only), Hyundai Veloster, Veloster N, Hyundai

Read more
,

Have 20K or 25K for a truck? Toyota tops watchdog’s list

Toyota tops the list for most reliable and best buy in a new survey for consumers in the market for a used truck with a budget of less than $20,000 and less than $25,000, according to iseecars.com. The car search engine, based in Woburn, Mass., helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources. iSeeCars analyzed more than 6.1 million used cars sold from October 2019 through March 2020 from model years 2011 onward. Toyota used pickup get top marks Cars previously determined to be among the Longest-Lasting Cars and had an overall crash test rating of 4.0 or higher from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) were eligible for further analysis. The average

Read more
, ,

Lady Gaga goes gaga over cult 1993 Ford pickup truck

Lady Gaga missed out on the joys of teenage driving — at least officially. But she’s made up for lost time. After first getting her driver’s license at age 30, Gaga, 34, has made it a habit of buying cars. She owns about 20, including what appears to her favorite, a daily driver 1993 Ford SVT Lightning pickup truck. Gaga also owns a Chevrolet El Camino, Ford Bronco and Mercedes-Benz W123 sedan. The Ford truck she owns is among her least expensive cars the performer owns. The mint condition vehicle’s estimated value is $40,000. Lady Gaga like her vintage cars and trucks The SVT Lightning is among the original factory performance pickup. It’s equipped with a 240-horsepower, 5.8-liter V8 and

Read more
,

Ford F-150 has dubious honor — most stolen pickup truck

Pickup trucks are stolen so often, it’s an automotive epidemic. At least that’s the one-word description of the data compiled by the National Crime Insurance Bureau (NCIB) in Des Plaines, Illinois. The Ford F-150 pickup was the third most stolen vehicle in the United States in the past five years. Via statistics through 2018, the Chevrolet Silverado was the fourth most stolen vehicle during the past five years. Pickup truck dilemma: lots stolen According to the NCIB, the reason older Ford F-Series and GM trucks are stolen at such a high rate is because in 2007 most vehicles began having anti-theft systems installed. Older pickup trucks are also more targeted because they can easily be dismantled and have parts sometimes

Read more
,

Ford F-150 pickup trucks face brake recall

Ford trucks have dominated the industry for so long, many current buyers weren’t born when the F-150, its siblings and distant automotive relatives didn’t reign. But even the country’s perennially best-selling vehicle sometimes has problems. In this instance, it’s used Ford F-150 pickup trucks. About 350,000 trucks in North America, including 292,3111 vehicles from the United States and model years 2014-2017 are being recalled for a faulty brake master cylinder, Ford announced. Ford F-150 has braking issues The brake master cylinder can leak brake fluid into the brake booster, and ultimately reduce braking power to the front wheels. Drivers may feel more pedal travel that requires more force to press the brake. The loss of power could also trigger an

Read more
,

Chevrolet Colorado gets cheapest truck honor

There’s a new leader among cheap trucks. Goodbye, Nissan Frontier. Hello, Chevrolet Colorado. After years of holding the honor of being the least expensive pickup, the Frontier has been rebooted with more standard equipment. The result: The Colorado extended-cab for 2020 costs $22,495 (including its destination fee) as assumed the cheapest truck honors The Frontier for 2020 costs about $7,500 this year than it did in 2019. The new Chevrolet Colorado has a lot to offer for its rock-bottom price. Its base trim features a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine with 200 horsepower and six-speed automatic transmission. Chevrolet Colorado gets mixed reviews Pickups rely on versatility. And while many pickups have higher maximums, the Colorado isn’t bad. Its payload capacity is 1,455

Read more
,

Need a new truck? Here are 10 for less than 35K

With the average price of a new passenger vehicle at the beginning of 2020 approaching $38,000, it’s no wonder why the base price of the most expensive truck in the United States is nearly $90,000. With the coronavirus continuing, the end-of-the-year sales for cars and trucks will be skewed compared to recent years. Regardless, prices will remain high. But truck exceptions are aplenty. Regardless, prices will remain high. But truck exceptions are aplenty. And if you have a good credit score, financing a new truck might be more reasonable than you might think. Here, in alphabetical order, are 10 trucks, all 2020 models, available for less than $35,000. RV towing capacities vary greatly as do the prices, from an estimated

Read more
, , ,

Rare Dodge Dakota ragtop at auction

Mini pickup trucks were the rage during the 1970s, 1980s and into the early 1990s. But as sport utility vehicles became increasingly popular, interest in popular mini-trucks from Chevrolet, Datsun, Ford, Mazda and Toyota waned. To be different, Chrysler introduced the Dodge Dakota Convertible pickup truck in 1989. It featured a fixed roll bar and a simple manual top. About 2,500 units of the odd trucks sold in the debut year, only 909 were made in 1990 and eight in 1991. Dodge Dakota convertible at Mecum With all options available included, the Dodge Dakota convertible in 1990 costs about $18,000 new. The current equivalent is about $35,625. Only a few of the convertibles remain in good shape. One example will

Read more
,

2020 Nissan Titan: new, improved, still struggling

Nearly 20 years ago, someone decided on the not-so-keen idea of naming a full-sized pickup truck after a mythological Greek god. It’s been a curse for the Nissan Titan. Perennially low-selling in the country’s best-selling vehicle segment, the Titan has had only two generations since 2003 and none since 2016. The Titan had the poorest sales of any mainstream full-sized truck last year, losing nearly 38 percent of its share from a year earlier. Refreshing the truck for 2020 was the least Nissan could after only 31,000 Titans were purchased last year. The brand finished an unlucky 13th and at the bottom on the sales list. Nissan Titan tries to rebound The Nissan Titan was never bad; its rivals are

Read more
,

Ford rules best used trucks for $10,000

With its dominance in new truck sales, it only seems logical the Ford has the same good reputation used truck sales. It does, and it’s good news for truck buyers with a budget of $10,000 whether in the market for a work truck or a vehicle to tow an RV or boat. Chris Ford, a writer for HotCars.com, has compiled an interesting list featuring used trucks from 1999 to 2018 — all in the affordable $10,000 price range. As the best-selling vehicles in the United States for more than 40 years, Ford has five trucks on the list, dating from 1999 to 2014. Chevrolet has three vehicles on the list, dating from 2004 to 2014. Toyota is represented by two

Read more
,

Toyota Land Cruiser, Honda Ridgeline top 200K list

The Honda Ridgeline is arguably the most unusually designed truck on the road. It has a large fan base and detractors. But one area in which there’s no disagreement, the Ridgeline has the best longevity of any of its competitors. Although the Toyota Land Cruiser has the top ranking, the Ridgeline is among the three trucks in the top-15 vehicles reaching 20,000 miles, according to iseecars.com. The result of the survey makes a good case for consumers considering buying a used vehicle instead of purchasing a new car or truck. The iSeeCars.com site is a comprehensive platform for all car buyers. It calculated data from more than one million vehicles to determine the models and manufacturers with the highest percentage

Read more
, ,

GM adds to new corps of pending electric trucks

General Motors has joined several other manufacturers and will debut a Chevrolet electric pickup by 2025. It’s another boost to the truck industry as buyers continue to abandon sedans for trucks and sport utility vehicles. The manufacturer, which revealed concept sketches of the pending vehicles to Car and Driver, reports the electric truck won’t be identical to the recent announcement of the electric GMC Hummer. The Ford F-150 electric, Tesla Cybertruck, Rivian R1T, Bollinger B2, the Lordstown Motors Endurance are all predicted to debut within the next few years. The Hummer EV SUT will debut in the fall of 2021. While the Hummer is being billed as a lifestyle vehicle, the new Chevy truck is expected to more resemble a

Read more
, ,

Is Ford soon announcing a new pickup truck for 20K?

It may be called the Courier or the Ranchero. It currently has the codename 758. For now, it’s wait and see as Ford is likely to officially announce a new, small pickup truck with a base cost of less than $20,000. The unnamed vehicle, according to various industry publications, will debut in late 2021 with perhaps a return to the new of two former iconic vehicles. Ford has used the Courier nameplate on several cars and trucks, dating to the early 1950s and ending less than a decade ago in Brazil. Ranchero was the name of the coupe utility vehicle made by Ford from 1957 to 1979. The new truck, which has been discussed for several years, will continue Ford’s

Read more
Previous Next