Why does "size matter" in N.America???

[SSF556]

To the OP,

I'll give you my perspective on this.

Some time ago, I sold one of those "dinosaurs" you are talking about. It was titled as a '87 Chevy SRW 1 ton with a transplanted 12 valve 5.9L Cummins. I built this vehicle from the ground up and have yet to see it's equal come from any factory. I built this truck for the simple fact that there is no company that builds what I want. This is the advantage of living here.

Now if I could get a diesel Toyota HiLux here in the States, I would be all over it. That would save me the money of putting a Cummins 3.3L ISB into a Chevy S-10. Considering the strangle hold the oil companies have here, a 40+ MPG mini-truck would be a real kick in the nuts.

Just remember, there are alot of us who would like to have the vehicles that many overseas have have, but can't due to "safety (read money)" regulations.

Great post and welcome to the forum...but Big Oil is not holding back diesel engines...the lack of diesel engines in NA is squarely on the shoulders of Big Gov't/EPA. Diesel engines are complex because of EPA mandates. And to be honest Americans do not buy Diesel engines.....not Toyota's or Big Oil's fault.

 

[Kursac]

I have several vechicals that's do different things. I have a 2003 Z71 pickup with a V8 I have had since new and it has about 55,000 miles on it. I have a 1986 Ford conversion van that is purely for recreation that has about 75,000 original miles on it. I drive a 2006 VW Beetle convertible as my daily driver because it great on gas and I love the car. From April to November I commute to work on a bicycle 23 miles each direction. I am very much into my health and the health of this planet. I have a small farm and need to be able to move equipment & supplies when needed. I find you can not paint with a broad brush in this world. I am very proud to be American but I am hardly a fat greedy wasteful human on this earth. I may have more than I need to make my chores more manageable but I have also worked hard in my life. Just because I own a large truck doesn't mean it doesn't spend most of its life parked because I have other options. Just because you seem me on the road with it once a month doesn't mean I'm in it every day. Don't be angry with me because I have 1 and you do not, I have workd very hard for what I have

 

[scrubber3]

So who is going to watch the superbowl?

 

[expedition_curious]

SO my dad and I were talkign the other day as we were driving around one weekend. We had just nearly been squashed by some Jack-A** in a giant Ford F350 who's wallet and credit card limit FAR exceeded both is intelect and taste... Of course he was a "contractor" who was undoutably writing off the giant waste of energy and fuel as a business expence To clarify, I grew up working as a "helper/grunt" for my uncles contracting company and personaly the guys who ACTUALLY work and use their truck for work DO NOT have 12" of lift and giant tires cause you can't load things into them...)

Cheers

Dave

Why do you have a vehicle when billions of people on Earth walk? And starve? It probably feels good pointing your finger at people you consider wasteful...just remember it's relative. A starving guy in a mud hut probably wonders why you have a radio, climate control, and comfortable seats when he has to walk everywhere. And his baby died of typhus. In other words, you're just as big of a consumer as the guy with the ridiculous giant truck.

 

[scrubber3]

So who do you guys think is going to win it this year?

 

[RMP&O]

Why do you have a vehicle when billions of people on Earth walk? And starve? It probably feels good pointing your finger at people you consider wasteful...just remember it's relative. A starving guy in a mud hut probably wonders why you have a radio, climate control, and comfortable seats when he has to walk everywhere. And his baby died of typhus. In other words, you're just as big of a consumer as the guy with the ridiculous giant truck.

Another one!!

Welcome to the forum and very well made points. I would have to say I agree with what you post. It is posts like this that remind me of how good I have it, not to mention make me feel at least a little guilty for what I have. Even if it is much less then a lot of my fellow citizens of the USA! I have met so many poor people while traveling that are happy with what they have and don't push their opinions on anybody. In fact I think the most open minded, most willing to accept other people and most generous people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting were extremely poor living on what I consider next to nothing. They have sat me down in their homes and shared their food with me. Even though I drive something that costs more then their whole family makes in many years of work. If poor people with not a lot of opportunities can be so nice, genuine and accepting....well, we up here in the good ole' US of A really have a lot to learn from them.

 

[Flagster]

While I am no fan of full-size vehicles, the fuel mileage argument is a pretty poor one. At best my FZJ80 got 12mpg on a good day and I averaged about 10mpg. When I am getting the same mileage as a full-size truck pulling a trailer I have no right to criticize them for their choice.

That said, I still laugh at ridiculousness of all kind and I think there is a very clear destiction between say something like 1leglance's Suburban

and say something which is all show and no go.
View attachment 80540

Good point...every time I drive my 95 LC I laugh at the mileage (avg 11-12) since I can drive my GMC 3500 5.7l all day long at 14-15 unloaded...

 

[Alaskan1Ton]

I really want a 80 series LC but yeah the mileage is dismall for a vehicle that doesnt even really have gobs of power. I can see 10-12 MPG's IF you had a truck that had TONS of power but an 80 series just doesnt have that. ATLEAST my 460 powered F350 has 400 ft lbs of torque and will pull stumps and haul trailers and gets 10 MPG's.

 

[Revco]

After reading this thread, I'm going to go get in my 3/4-ton, 4x4 Big Block Suburban that I paid for with cash and drive around and waste some gas that I bought with the money I made working for myself in this FREE COUNTRY. While I'm out for my leisurely drive, I'll probably smoke half a pack of cigarettes, grab a fast food chain burger with xtra large soda, and pick up a bottle of bourbon on my way home. Last time I checked...this is America.

 

[Alaskan1Ton]

After reading this thread, I'm going to go get in my 3/4-ton, 4x4 Big Block Suburban that I paid for with cash and drive around and waste some gas that I bought with the money I made working for myself in this FREE COUNTRY. While I'm out for my leisurely drive, I'll probably smoke half a pack of cigarettes, grab a fast food chain burger with xtra large soda, and pick up a bottle of bourbon on my way home. Last time I checked...this is America.

AMEN!!!!!

 

[hillbillyjake]

After reading this thread, I'm going to go get in my 3/4-ton, 4x4 Big Block Suburban that I paid for with cash and drive around and waste some gas that I bought with the money I made working for myself in this FREE COUNTRY. While I'm out for my leisurely drive, I'll probably smoke half a pack of cigarettes, grab a fast food chain burger with xtra large soda, and pick up a bottle of bourbon on my way home. Last time I checked...this is America.

i like this guy!

 

[82fb]

I love America, but more than just the geography, ecology, and whatever other ology's make up America, I love liberty and freedom and the opportunities that these create. Unfortunately for people against big trucks, the liberty we enjoy, combined with the individualism that is inherent in all people, means that some of those people will drive the biggest baddest truck they can find.

My biggest tires now are only 35's. Used to have 44's, but preferences and needs change.

 

[RoyJ]

After reading this thread, I'm going to go get in my 3/4-ton, 4x4 Big Block Suburban that I paid for with cash and drive around and waste some gas that I bought with the money I made working for myself in this FREE COUNTRY. While I'm out for my leisurely drive, I'll probably smoke half a pack of cigarettes, grab a fast food chain burger with xtra large soda, and pick up a bottle of bourbon on my way home. Last time I checked...this is America.

You need to be in high management at EPA!

Last time I checked, that WAS America. Nowadays CAFE killed big blocks, EPA killed fuel efficient diesels, and pretty soon, my Detroit 6V71 (the most beautiful sound this side of a Lambo V12) won't be allowed in California, thanks to CARB.

Yeah I'm Canadian, but guess who we have to listen to when it comes to emissions and mpg?

 

[Flagster]

After reading this thread, I'm going to go get in my 3/4-ton, 4x4 Big Block Suburban that I paid for with cash and drive around and waste some gas that I bought with the money I made working for myself in this FREE COUNTRY. While I'm out for my leisurely drive, I'll probably smoke half a pack of cigarettes, grab a fast food chain burger with xtra large soda, and pick up a bottle of bourbon on my way home. Last time I checked...this is America.

ok dennis leary

 

[iMTB]

Ok people heres my turn to make a point. We've already reached peak oil. The days of everyday Americans with huge trucks are not going to last forever. If all of you really cared about...while this should be being stewards to the environment, for sake of making a point......being able to own that big truck and driving it for a longer time into the future, you would NOT use it as a daily driver unless it was necessary. We use way too much fossil fuel here in America. The guy that works at a factory 50 miles from his house and has only driven a big truck that gets 9mpg everyday with no real use for it is WASTING oil. I don't know about you all, but I'd like to be able to drive my 4x4 when I want to get out 25 years from now. Anyone that can afford it needs to start using more fuel efficient vehicles to commute, those who cant need to carpool or use public transit.

Think about it this way. We are in the desert with a limited supply of water and no way to refill it. We can either just chug it everytime we're kinda thirsty because we've got water so why the hell not chug it? Or we can ration our water so those days when we're really thirsty in the future, we can chug some and feel better, or have none left in the future and die.

I could go on about this for days and days.
Signed,
Environmental Science and Policy major