What happened to small import & domestic trucks

[vmax]

I had a 1986 Mazda B2000 that was awesome. I would buy the modern equivalent if it existed. That little truck earned it keep and then some. It was not fancy, but efficient and reliable it had in spades.

Ford Ranger and Mazda shared a lot of parts back then due to a partnership between the two.
I had an 87 Ranger with a 5 spd manual Mazda designed transmission in it
My Ranger was also an awesome truck

 

[vmax]

The little rocket seats in the back were really cool. The Brat was FWD, and the rear wheels engaged when you put it in 4WD. The parking/emergency brake was on the front wheels too.

The reason for those seats was to get around an import tarriff
It was cheaper to import a vehicle with 4 seats for some reason so they fixed that by adding those rear seats

 

[baboon]

I owned 2 Subaru’s when I was in high school back in the 80’s. Long before they became the official vehicle for lesbians or hippies.

Don't get me wrong I had a pair of Birkenstock shoes that served me well through the renfest & as camp shoes in Africa. I'd buy them again, but they quit making thems many years ago. I also wore Birkenstock Professional clogs for a while. They were hell on my heels drying them out & causing deep cracks.

 

[dsgrey]

Ford Ranger and Mazda shared a lot of parts back then due to a partnership between the two.
I had an 87 Ranger with a 5 spd manual Mazda designed transmission in it
My Ranger was also an awesome truck

The did a lot of joint ventures. My 2002 Ford Escape had the faulty Mazda transmission that was developed back in the 90s. My 2012 Mazda 2 commuter car had FoMoCo stamped on many parts since it was also the basis for the Ford Fiesta.

Small trucks? 1977 Datsun, 1984 Nissan (totaled), 1985 Toyota and 1994 Nissan...then I moved up to an F150. Pickups today are way too tall to be useful.

 

[Brains]

Yep lots of sharing between Mazda and Ford back in those days. The B2300 was a rebadged Ranger. They rebadged the Explorer Sport too. Then again they all do it, the Chevy Colorado got rebadged as an Isuzu , the Acura SLX which was really an Isuzu Trooper. Volkswagen rebadged Chrysler SUVs and minivans as their own. The GM Aveo was a Daewoo somethingorother.

 

[mdf9183]

In 1973 I had a Toyota hi lux,then a Ford ranger, a Mazda B2000, another Toyota small PU then a Toyota Tacoma and another Tacoma which I have now. Rumor has it that Toyota is coming out with a small PU called the Scout in 2024.

 

[baboon]

In 1973 I had a Toyota hi lux,then a Ford ranger, a Mazda B2000, another Toyota small PU then a Toyota Tacoma and another Tacoma which I have now. Rumor has it that Toyota is coming out with a small PU called the Scout in 2024.

I seen more Toyota HiLux trucks while hunting in Africa then anything.

 

[rr2241tx]

The CAFE Standards for light trucks have forced automakers to increase the footprint of their trucks to have any hope of avoiding fines. Even for the bloated current models that are already too large to work out of the standards require thousands of dollars of compliance measures that have driven the costs sky high and essentially disposable since they are uneconomically repairable.

 

[NEPrepper]

i've sat in small trucks and they feel real cramped. had to get an f150 even though i typically don't need that much truck

 

[Lonesome Dove]

I've had an early Datsun, Hilux, Luv, and 7- 8 with the Hilux Toyotas. All served as needed but only one lasts forever!

 

[General Zod]

My wife had a '92 ranger when we first got married. I could barely ride in it, and forget about driving it. The seat didn't go back far enough for my legs to fit under the steering wheel and on the pedals. If it hadn't had a sunroof I'd have had to hunch over just to ride in the passenger seat.

 

[TheDan]

I used to have an 88 Toyota. Wish I still did... Took it for granted. I shed a tear when I see 3-4 of them chained together being drug south.

 

[CavCop]

The Toyotas and Land Rovers overseas are neat. When I was in the Czech Republic, their military had some new Land Rovers. When I got back, I wanted to buy one. No dice for America. Same for the Ford Everest suv I wanted.

Small durable narrow SUV’s our Government seems to hate…

 

[Grumps21]

Yep lots of sharing between Mazda and Ford back in those days. The B2300 was a rebadged Ranger. They rebadged the Explorer Sport too. Then again they all do it, the Chevy Colorado got rebadged as an Isuzu , the Acura SLX which was really an Isuzu Trooper. Volkswagen rebadged Chrysler SUVs and minivans as their own. The GM Aveo was a Daewoo somethingorother.

Pontiac Lamans of the early 90s was a Daihatsu charade I think, the 90s Geo cars were rebadged Isuzu impulse and Toyota Corolla, and the little Tracker was a Suzuki Sidekick. Mid 80s Nova a rebadged Corolla. Never realized until typing this how much rebadging GM did that was outside their corporate umbrella.

 

[General Zod]

Pontiac Lamans of the early 90s was a Daihatsu charade I think, the 90s Geo cars were rebadged Isuzu impulse and Toyota Corolla, and the little Tracker was a Suzuki Sidekick. Mid 80s Nova a rebadged Corolla. Never realized until typing this how much rebadging GM did that was outside their corporate umbrella.

It wasn't just GM - Dodge put their badges on a lot of Mitsubishis in the 90s. I remember the Dodge Stealth was a Mitsubishi 3000 with slightly different body panels.

 

[Axxe55]

Pontiac Lamans of the early 90s was a Daihatsu charade I think, the 90s Geo cars were rebadged Isuzu impulse and Toyota Corolla, and the little Tracker was a Suzuki Sidekick. Mid 80s Nova a rebadged Corolla. Never realized until typing this how much rebadging GM did that was outside their corporate umbrella.

THERE WERE ALSO LOTS OF VEHICLES THAT WERE REBADGED THAT WERE OFFERED GLOBALLY BUT NOT IN THE USA

 

[majormadmax]

They have them in Australia...

They're called 'Utes' and they kick ass!!

 

[majormadmax]

I seen more Toyota HiLux trucks while hunting in Africa then anything.

Terrorists' truck of choice!!

 

[Wudidiz]

What s the law now regarding riding in the bed of a pickup? With the nanny state what it is, could you be cited for someone (child or adult) riding in the bed seats of a brat?

The law allows you to sit in the bed of a Brat, but you must be wearing Crocs.

 

[vmax]

With Toyota discontinuing the I Force engine...I will say that a good reliable half ton gasoline truck is not offered anywhere in America by any manufacturer.

And I've never owned a Toyota but admire how long them damn I Forces last

Ford, RAM and GM have all succumbed to the CAFE regulations and have killed any reliability in their engines and transmissions.

My next truck will be a 3/4 ton something ..