Remember your first mini truck from back in the day?

[RyanR]

My 1991 Gmc Sonoma

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[Greenwood]

First new vehicle purchase 1994

 

[BobR]

Attached you will find a couple of pics of some mini trucks I built.
Back in the early 1980's I was buying wrecked Dodge Rampages (only made for 3 years) and also wrecked Shelby Chargers from the insurance salvage yards.
The Rampage was just a Charger with the back replaced with a truck bed just like the El Caminos and Rancheros were made from regular production cars.
I would strip everything out of the Shelby Charger and install it into the Rampage. Wiring, custom Shelby interior and ground effects, wheels, and the fuel injected turbo charged and intercooled engines which output 225hp along with a close ratio Getrag designed 5 speed transmission. The Shelbys had bigger brakes, lower and stiffer struts and springs and even a quicker ratio rack and pinion. What you ended up with was a front wheel drive vehicle that weighed less than a ton and was extremely fast and handled extremely well. I even removed the door handles and installed "poppers" on the black one pictured.
After I built the first on that you see in black, all my friends asked me to build them one so I eventually ended up building six, a number of them are pictured here.
I am building one last one that has been in the paint shop for a year now (I call it paint prison because it's stuck there till it's done and I get to go visit it occasionally). There was little to no mini trucks around in the early 1980's and it always drew a crowd.

 

[brielee3]

These memories are banned on MTC because they inconveniently point out to the more rabid fanboys that the Maverick is a fat bloated pig of a truck compared to what was sold last century. It ruins the narrative that the Maverick is a svelte small truck.

Four things are guaranteed to set off the more rabid fanboys. (1) Complimenting the Santa Cruz. (2) Pointing out that the Maverick is 3" longer than a Telluride. (3) Inconveniently reminding them that they're choosing the truck built in Mexico over the truck built in Alabama USA. (4) Saying the word "electric" in any context.

agree the Mav isn't as mini as it appears, same foot print as an Explorer. Mitsubishi mighty max now that's a mini truck!

 

[RonKujawa]

Not mine but I had a 74' Courier same Pea Green color. I jazzed it up with white wagon wheels and a short chrome side pipe behind cab to the bed. Sounded cool. Made 3 trips from NW Ohio out to Montana and up to Jasper Alberta. Traded up to a F-150.

 

[First Sergeant]

First new vehicle purchase 1994

Nice ride! Sharp wheels. Would those wheels fit a Mav? Might look killer.

 

[Greenwood]

Nice ride! Sharp wheels. Would those wheels fit a Mav? Might look killer.

Those were the factory 15 inch chromes, came on the Splash Rangers

 

[First Sergeant]

Those were the factory 15 inch chromes, came on the Splash Rangers

I do love the chrome/retro type wheels. I am still floundering around, looking at different things to get some retro stye wheels that will fit. So far, no luck, other than one possibility.

 

[Greenwood]

I do love the chrome/retro type wheels. I am still floundering around, looking at different things to get some retro stye wheels that will fit. So far, no luck, other than one possibility.

I have always liked chrome, but have changed in my later years to black, my first ones are on my Mav BAP Cactus Gray

 

[Equator Guy]

OK been watching this tread for days, and it finally prompted me to dig out my old photo album to show my first 2 trucks: First is a 78 Toyota Hilux 5 speed. Bought used in 85. Had a lot of interior customization (sadly no photos). Had a small chrome steering wheel with a tack mounted on the steering column. I also installed cruise control in it (a kit bought from Pep Boys).

The second is an 85 Toyota SR5 LB with a 5 speed and the 22RE 120 HP fuel injected engine. Amazing power for 1985 4 cylinder. Fun little trucks, but both rust buckets, especially where the side of the bed and the rear wheel opening meet. So happy when they came out with the Maverick. Would have been perfect with a manual transmission but oh well.

 

[allertep]

1982 VW diesel p-up . lacked power is an understatement . great mpg . was first pickup .

Same here, including year and diesel. Manual transmission (I think a 5-speed?). My 1st 'new' vehicle. Bought it for the mileage and cheaper fuel prices. Diesel was less than gasoline at that time ($0.89/gal. -here in PA). Diesel started rising past gas within a couple years after buying it. Probably one of my most favorite vehicles. It did get 40+ mpg pretty consistently. Heads warped at about 188,000 miles due to recurring overheating issue, which turned out to be a factory defect - too late to do anything about. I know I have a couple pics somewhere I'm going to dig up. Can't say my Maverick is anywhere close to being my favorite - yet! Enroute, and probably about a week-ish away from arriving at the dealer!

 

[Steelie Van]

1991 Comanche, shorted, 2WD, auto. Cosmetic rust only. Local California truck. Sold her last month with 227k. New owner drove her back to Nevada with no incidents cruising 70 mph at times. So concludes our Jeep MJ and XJ ownership. Cherokee sold as well.

 

[Dman]

1973 Chevy LUV. I abused the crap out of that thing!

 

[24forsure]

Yep! 1988 Ford Ranger XLT Supercab. Loved it

 

[Joester]

My last "Truck"....
This isn't the one I had, but mine was about identical.

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