My 82 F150 is a well scarred war horse from the old school of pickups, no fancy gew-gaws, just a solid drive train, tight front end and good suspension. Ought to be, I’ve dropped several hundred bucks into all the above. But it doesn’t look so good, has it’s share of dings and dents, the paint is pretty gone. I overhear a lot of comments about it, most of the time I just ignore them, I like my truck, don’t really give a hoot if anyone else does. But every now and then someone just has to get in my face a little.
This kid was barely old enough to buy beer, but not smart enough to know when to quit drinking it. What follows is a cleaner version of our passing conversation.

“Old man, that your POS?"

“Yeah.” I waited for my change from filling up and soda.

“You mean it actually runs?”

“Runs fine, excuse me I am in a hurry.”

“%&&*^^ I bet that thing can’t pull its way out of a paper sack!”

I bit off a profane reply, looked the kid right in the eye. “Tell you what son, let’s go down to the fairgrounds, hook em up bumper to bumper, and see who pulls who. I’ll even do it for pinks, if you have the nerve.”

“Old man, yer by-god on!”

About that time his bud, who’s not said a word, looks at my truck, then me. “Mister, what motor you got?”

“300 six, C6 auto, heavy duty.”

He grabs his bud, pulls him off a little ways and talks to him real fast.

They argue for a minute, then the kid shakes his head. Looks at me and says. “I got to go to work right now, we’ll get it on later.” Out the door they went, getting into the nice shiny little C**** with the 19's, stupid plastic crap all over it and taking off.

You have to understand, the smart-mouth’s bud knew what the end results would be. I could hear him telling his bud he’d get his truck dragged halfway to Ft Smith.

The kid had a V6, Manual.

I chuckled, knew I’d never see him again.

Sometimes its nice to be a cranky old ****

 

V6 manual? What was he thinking? There's a vehicle that won't pull a wet string out of..., nevermind. His buddy shouldn't have needed to ask. Yer '82 only came available with truck engines. (Of which you have the better)

 

ROFLMAO! That's great! Ignorant people crack me up. It's a shame his buddy was there. You would've whopped him good. Then you would of had you a Chebby to sell for parts money for your Ford! Maybe he won't be so quick to run his mouth next time. But people like that usually don't learn.

 

i just tell those people that the vehicle is paid for, and it does what i want it to do. then i tell them, assuming they persist, that i also have a 64 falcon and a 66 mustang that have first priority over my DD.

 

I simply tell people, hey, it runs it moves, and gets me from A to B safely, and I owe NOTHING on it, all it costs me is insurance, and gas. if it goes from A to B and doesnt cause me trouble, who gives a crap.

I woulda laughed like ---- if that guy had actually gone through with pullin against your 300/6 with a little v6 and 5spd. he'd probably lose his clutch.

 

Along with his pride, and his girly man truck.

 

As for taking his truck, nah, wouldn't want to have put the poor kid out. And what would I do with it anyway? It's to big to use as an anchor, I can't think of much else I'd want it for. I'd be ashamed to be seen driving it, and I'd feel even more ashamed of selling it to someone............

But, if he'd have taken me up on it ...... I can smell the fried clutch right now. Been a shame to leave him way out there at the fairgrounds with a DOA vehicle. Not that it would have bothered me very much, maybe he'd learn a lesson, an expensive one.

I thought you guys would get a kick out of that. I sure did.

The guys at the convenience store were rolling. They know me pretty good. They've seen me come rolling in with a 25 ft boat hooked up, no trouble at all for my truck to tow.

 

People won't believe me when I tell them that a 300 straight six with a granny gear will pull a house off its foundation. Not that great on gas, but an awesome truck motor.

Was his truck 2wd? Some people and their pretty pretty trucks.

 

Granted I drive a newer truck as my daily driver (99 silverado) but I have had and still have a few of the old tried and true trucks. Nothing wrong with them. The fact that they are still on the road is a testament to there durability and quality of build.

I will also state for the record, when it comes to pure low end power your old in-line will drag that 4.3 anywhere you want to go.

I am not one to really slam others trucks unless they do something to them to make them look god awfully bad (I remember seeing a lime green tracker on eBay a while back that just about made me puke when I saw the fuzzy pink carpeted dash among other strange things) or they make outrageous claims about there performance. This kid sounds like the type I would slam along with the guys who claim there stock strait 6 would outrun my custom tuned 5.3 v8 in a drag. In either scenario most level headed people that have any knowledge will know just what the outcome will be. Don't think for a minute that I think that any of the three motors I have mentioned are bad engines. I have owned all three and liked them all. I know what they are capable of and when used for there intended design all perform admirably.

For the most part I just try to take little punks like that in stride, although I do occasionally take some of them to school.