Good morning! Today is a celebration of cast-iron excess as we look at two good ol’ V8s installed in very different vehicles: one incrediby useful, and one utterly frivolous. But before we do, let’s just take a quick peek at Friday’s results:
Two clear front-runners, and the winner is a surprise to me. I didn’t realize there was still so much love for the X1/9 out there. It’s definitely a cool little car, and I’m glad you all think so, too.
By the way, what do we think of the Friday runoff? Do we want to stick with that, or go back to weirder/more expensive Friday choices? And if we stick with the roundup/recap, do you want a poll? Or just an open discussion about the four? Please let me know what you think in the comments.
“I don’t know what the world may need,” sings David Lowery of Cracker in the song Teen Angst (What The World Needs Now), “but a V8 engine’s a good start for me.” I agree; there really is nothing like the heady throb of a good V8. We may not have invented the V8 engine (that was the French), or been the first to stick one between the frame rails of a car (that was Rolls-Royce), but once we started mass-producing the things (starting with Cadillac, in 1914), we were hooked. And the rest, as they say, is history. So for today’s Shitbox Showdown, to celebrate Independence Day tomorrow, both our contenders are V8-powered. Let’s check them out.
1993 Ford F-250 XLT – $4,800
Engine/drivetrain: 7.5 liter overhead valve V8, four-speed automatic, part-time 4WD
Location: Oakley, CA
Odometer reading: 113,000 miles
Runs/drives? Just fine
Based on sheer numbers alone, one could argue that the Ford F-series trucks are the most American vehicles there are. Ford sells hundreds of thousands of these things every year, in all its various configurations, and shows no signs of slowing down. Add to that the fact that they’re built like tanks, and it’s no wonder there is a Ford truck on damn near every street corner in America (even Winslow, Arizona).
Back in the early 1990s, this was one of the biggest, burliest Ford trucks you could get: the heavy-duty F250, in extended-cab long-bed format. It’s the XLT trim, with four-wheel-drive, and a gigantic seven-and-a-half liter V8 under the hood. That’s 460 cubic inches to you and me. Or three and three-quarter Ford Mavericks, if you prefer. It’s a big engine. It doesn’t put out a ton of horsepower – only 230 – but it produces almost 400 pound-feet of torque. Need to pull a gigantic boat out of the water? Have a big-ass trailer? Gotta pick up and deliver the entire contents of a Home Depot to a job site? This is your truck.
The seller says this big Ford runs and drives well. It has a bunch of new parts, good tires, working air conditioning, and it just passed smog. It’s ready to go. The interior looks pretty nice, and the outside isn’t too bad either, except for a little peeling clear coat. You wouldn’t want to commute in it – it probably gets ten miles per gallon on a good day, and parallel-parking is a pipe dream – but it can handle anything else you can throw at it.
Trucks with more capability than any sane person will ever use are common these days, and they do get used for such mundane purposes as commuting. Back when this truck was built, you didn’t buy the heavy duty big block unless you needed the heavy duty big block. But when it comes to thirty-year-old used trucks, you can only choose from what’s available, and it makes sense to shop on condition rather than spec, and this truck is in nice condition.
1985 Chevrolet Corvette – $4,500
Engine/drivetrain: 5.7 liter overhead valve V8, four-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Seattle, WA
Odometer reading: 118,000 miles
Runs/drives? “Strong,” says the seller
The Chevy Corvette is, use-wise, just about as far away from a pickup truck as you can get. It’s not practical, it’s not efficient, it has zero cargo space, and it can’t really do anything except look cool and go fast. And this one isn’t even all that fast, and the degree to which it looks cool is highly subjective.
Personally, I like this look on a C4. The spoiler and the ground effects are a little silly, but at least they have some provenance – they’re genuine Greenwood pieces, a company that knows a thing or two about Corvette tuning. The black BBS wheels look pretty sharp on there too, though the stock wheels are included as well if you’d prefer.
C4 Corvette engines came in one displacement and one displacement only – 350 cubic inches. This one features tuned-port fuel injection instead of the previous year’s “Cross Fire” dual throttle body injection. It’s good for a reasonably healthy (for 1985) 230 horsepower, and spins the fat rear tires through a 700R4 overdrive automatic. Corvettes of this era did offer a manual, a four-speed with overdrive on the top three gears commonly known as the “4+3,” but personally, having driven early C4s with both transmissions, I prefer the automatic. It just suits the car better, and the 4+3 is kind of a pain in the ass to deal with.
The seller says this car runs and drives “strong,” but needs “a little TLC.” They’re including new power window switches and a new stereo in the sale, so I guess those are included in the needed repairs. But overall, this is about the nicest C4 I’ve seen for this price. You can find them cheaper – if you don’t mind trashed interiors, blown transmissions, or faded paint. This one actually seems useable from the get-go.
So there they are, two good old fashioned V8s, in very different vehicles, with very different purposes. Both of them are ready to drive off, both are low mileage, and neither one looks abused. Which one fits better in your life?
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
Low mile OBS Ford with 4WD and residing in the no rust belt of sunny California, No brainer. tow pig for the win.
4800 is a steal for that rig. The two tone paint is the icing on the cake.
I like them both. That cool two-tone (probably the last body style that looked good with a 2-tone paint job) is nice, but I’d probably go with the ‘Vette just because I prefer smaller cars over big trucks. But if I needed a work truck I’d be all over it.
As for what to do on Fridays, I like to see the more expensive options as a fun change of pace. It shows off a different segment of the market, and variety is fun.
I like pitting the weekday winners against each other on Fridays occasionally, but to be honest, it’s a little dull if it’s done every week. Seeing those showdown Friday articles remind me of the “clip show” episodes of a sitcom. Yeah, I like all those highlights, but I prefer the regular episodes. Maybe do the showdown articles on the Fridays of holiday weekends as a way of easing into it while sticking to the standard format (but with fancier options) on normal weeks?
The truck accomplishes it’s intended tasks better than the Vette does, therefor it gets my vote.
This is kind of a self-voting piece for me. I can barely look at that C4, but that V-8 Ford is calling me:
I got a hot-rod Ford and a two-dollar bill / And I know a spot right over the hill
There’s soda pop and the dancing’s free /
So if you wanna have fun, come along with me
Happy Birthday America!
I can get in and out of the Ford, at 54 I’m not sure I can say that about the Vette.
Cast my vote for the F-250.
I’ll take the F250. It has a lot of potential as a collector truck/future classic. The interior looks to be original and in exceptional condition, which is rare since these were typically used as work trucks and not treated well. I would like some better pictures of the exterior, but the pictures we have look good (it has no rust, no visible damage, no missing trim, and the paint isn’t faded). I don’t like the 460 since MPG is horrendous, but a lot of buyers want the 460 so that is a plus.
This truck is a great buy at $4800. It will be worth a lot more in 10 years (values of ’90s trucks are already rapidly increasing). I say this every few weeks, but I would strongly consider buying this vehicle if it were for sale locally.
The aero headlight F series is my favorite version of that platform so yes. Big blocks get lousy mileage but they get the same lousy mileage towing as running light. My small block truck goes from 15 mpg highway to 9 mpg with a 6000lb trailer.
FWIW parallel parking is perfectly doable with a long enough parking space. I have the same length truck and while parking sometimes takes an extra bite it’s doable with practice. Granted I cheat slightly since a two wheel drive truck’s front wheels can turn more sharply.
The Corvette doesn’t resonate with me. While the 85 fixed most of the problems of the 84, I don’t like the color and the C4 never really took for me.
“We may not have invented the V8 engine (that was the French)”
We didn’t invent the Statue of Liberty either (that was also the French) but she’s as recognizably ‘Murican as it gets.
There’s a guy a few towns over from me who has 4 or 5 of that generation F-Series [ keep in mind, we’re in Oklahoma].
So by “a few towns over” you mean 300 miles away? 🙂
No, actually. Only a 19-minute drive. I saw him today, and can confirm he has 4. Here’s a reference:
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.2272382,-94.4857241,3a,27.5y,117.14h,83.76t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1suBZ2eyfYHyEkZjqEOVM07Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
[ I do notice he went down to 3, I assume he was out driving one. ]
Had a ’94 F250 with the 460 – great truck, pulled my toy hauler loaded with motorcycles, fuel, firewood and water through the mountains with ease, unloaded would pass anything but a gas station.
Currently have a 95 K2500 with 454 – basically this truck but Chevy. It’s great in that the 2-3 times a month I need to do big truck stuff it’s there, but it’s so cheap I can leave it parked and use my car to do car things. I’ve thought about upgrading, but it’s almost impossible to find an 8′ bed in a modern truck and even if I did the bed sides are so high access would be a nightmare. Plus why pay newer prices when even my 2-3x/month use case is probably higher than most new truck buyers?
Big, old, cheap trucks FTW.
Great if you can find a “cheap” one that isn’t within an inch of falling apart due to rust. The good ones are usually in “I know what I got” territory and premium priced.
California luck – paid $800 at auction for the Chevy, less than my 94 Ranger that does the daily small truck stuff actually. I’m maybe $3k deep after a new radiator, tires, brakes, and a few other things and I’ve had it about 5 years now…
I think both are decent choices, but that is one honest looking work truck. I can find other fun cars I’d rather have more than the ‘Vette but the truck is always useful and resellable.
The truck is a pretty good deal, but it’s hard not to vote for that Corvette. Sketchier have sold for more, so I’ll take my chances with the ‘Vette.
As a Vette guy, even if it’s a crappy year, I gotta go Vette, but his is yet another example of both being the answer. Get the Vette, strip it to a track day car. Engine swap (yes LS…duh), coilovers, interior delete and put decent seats in it and use the truck to tow it to track days.
I like both the recap and the weird/pricey, but keep the poll. Having something to click on still gives that nice feeling of interactivity when there’s no time to comment.
The truck looks like a solid deal, but I already have an old F-250. The Vette looks about perfect for my daughter, should she settle on a C4 for her first car. Right now it’s Miata, C4, and a classic Beetle battling it out. It would be great fun to fix this up next summer with the goal of taking it to Road America for a parade lap or two. Plus, it has the same engine and transmission that’s in my ’82 XJ6, so there’s one less type of oil filter I’ll need to stock in the cabinet.
Yeah, I also like both, and really like the poll…actually wish they had more articles w/ polls
My Dad had the same model and year truck. I think it got 14MPG if you were lucky. Still, that’s a great price
Don’t want either choice, but chose the Ford truck because I know I can turn around and sell it within hours.
I like the run Friday run-off and, face it, we’re going to discuss the merits of all of the week’s choices in the comments, anyway.
BTW, Midwest-Bayless Italian Auto in Ohio offered a great restomod X1/9 with Honda VTEC motors sporting 200 HP or more. Now that’s a sled! A few years ago they were charging $32k for a turnkey car or about 4k for a conversion kit for do-it-yourselfers. If they still produce these, no doubt they’re more expensive now, but worth it.
“BTW, Midwest-Bayless Italian Auto in Ohio offered a great restomod X1/9 with Honda VTEC motors sporting 200 HP or more. Now that’s a sled!”
Here’s someone who shoved a Busso V6 into an X-1/9:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6gehk5doneto4rg/AACVSKHQWlPxQ-Kx9VIz03uta?dl=0
Seeing new trucks get stupidly large and aggressive styling is making me appreciate the workhorse trucks of the 80s and 90s, but I ultimately don’t need a big ole truck like that, so I’m voting for the Vette.
Keep up the good work, but I think Fridays are better served with more expensive vehicles than the 4way. Going further, there’s too many $2000 beaters, and not enough $5K or $10k. You could have a theme. i.e. Friday could be $20k vehicles that are like crazy stuff (maybe super-car era stuff that’s seen a better day). Monday 2K, Tuesday 5K, Wacky Wed is anything goes, and Thursday $10K. Mondays are 2K and Tuesdays can be your anything goes day. I don’t really like today’s especially — putting cars in way different segments like today’s doesn’t seem that compelling of an argument. The votes are swayed by the practicality of the choices. This isn’t a practicality test, though, it’s a what-if 🙂
I drive trucks all the time at work. Driving a truck ain’t special.
Driving a Corvette, no matter the vintage or condition, is special. Although both of these are a great deal, a decent Corvette at this price is too good to pass up.
I gave this comment a star: I don’t like the Corvette, but I appreciate the thought.
No more stars…SMILEY FACES!
The Ford appears to be well cared for. The Vette, not so much. Keep on truckin’.
I’m not a C4 guy at all, and those add-ons make it look even cheaper, so give me the surprisingly clean and refreshingly non-diesel Ford.
ECLB is in my opinion the best-proportioned truck body style. The only downsides are finding someone to take that awful topper off your hands, and the fact that the tires are mismatched (not a good thing on a 4×4).
The truck appears to be unmolested like the corvette. That interior is nice and no crew cab. Plus, the camper shell. No brainer.
I think both of them are solid choices and pretty reasonably priced. So, what do want to do with your vehicle? They’re polar opposites despite having somewhat similar drivetrains. I was leaning towards the thirsty but capable Ford until I saw the Vette’s interior. You don’t see inexpensive C4s with such a clean interior all that often. I have an irrational liking for these cars that bridged the gap between the archaic C3 and the more capable C5, and I see myself getting far more use out of it than a truck. I’ll take the Vette.
I guess I could complete the assignment and weigh in on Fridays. The roundup track/daily/burn is my favorite way to end the week. Having the fancy pants 5 digit showdown is fun too, if only to see what those high rollers can get for their $15k.
Corvette, please.
I don’t have any use for a large pickup truck, but the C4 should be good for a few grins despite the warts.
The top of the CL ad shows a price of $4500 but the ad itself says “Asking $6000”. Included is a “New targa top with issues” – yay? The seller also says “Muffler delete sounds great!” – the picture of the current state of the exhaust isn’t super helpful, though.
It does need a detail and some attention to the paint, but it’s not bad for being nearly 40 years old.
As much as I like a C4 Vette, and I do like a C4, I can’t pass up a nice purdy 2-tone big block pickemup truck like that. Gimme dat Ferd!