Truck Prices Then vs. Now…

[Ark]

Government mandated emissions and safety BS plus currency devaluation is how you get to vehicles being unaffordable to regular people.

 

[femurphy77]

Minimum wage is a factor of the govt (not saying lobbying has no effect though), and honestly increasing minimum wage is a bit of a fool's errand from an economic standpoint.

agreed, just making a point about greed, inflation, etc.

 

[shibumiseeker]

I've driven enough old cars to remember when seat belts and the passenger side mirror were options. My first car had an AM radio with a single speaker, and that was an option. Compared to the truck I have now, it was barely a step up from a covered wagon.

I think one of the reasons I like to travel to historical sites, from Graceland to Crusades era castles, is because it reminds me "this is as good as you could do then." It didn't matter how much money or influence you had or how connected you were, *that* was the tops in that day...and a modern lower middle class family has it better in pretty much every way materially.

Of course we've lost some things, too. You probably don't have serfs to work your garden and you can't beg, borrow, or steal a new car with t-tops. But all in all, technology has enriched our lives a lot, even if people don't like to admit it. We may lie to ourselves and others we'd still like to have "the good ol' days" trucks, but if we really wanted to have one as a daily driver we could. They still exist, you can still buy one, still keep one running, and daily it if you want. I loved my Scout, but I've gotten used to having AC now .

My first Jeep was a ‘78 CJ5 that I bought in ‘88. It had less than 80k miles on it and took tuning every 3-5k and got 8mpg with street tires and 6 with my off road tires. I loved it. But my modern trucks and Jeeps get much better fuel economy (current Jeep gets 24-25) and need very little servicing and can go 200k easily.

For a few hours of my time I can command more resources than someone of equivalent means could a hundred years ago and I am royalty compared to the upper class of a thousand years ago.

I agree that truck prices have gotten stupid. But I place more blame on the folks who drive the demand for more luxury and comfort whose idea of using a pickup is to haul a couch or something once in a while and if the bed gets scratched will lose their ****.

 

[rob63]

I think one of the reasons I like to travel to historical sites, from Graceland to Crusades era castles, is because it reminds me "this is as good as you could do then." It didn't matter how much money or influence you had or how connected you were, *that* was the tops in that day...and a modern lower middle class family has it better in pretty much every way materially.

Well said!

History is great at teaching perspective. Henry VIII lived as lavish a life as possible, but his home was drafty in the winter and doctors couldn't treat his gout.

 

[KLB]

agreed, just making a point about greed, inflation, etc.

It has nothing to do with "greed". It is basic economics. Vehicles are priced at the point that people are willing to pay and suppliers are willing to supply them. Manufacturers aren't in the charity business. They sell vehicles to make money.

 

[bigretic]

It should last at 1700 mile per year, lol.

lol yeah, easy to keep them forever when you don't drive them.

 

[paintman]

I was able to get my 2022 duramax from Hubler last May. $72,000 was sticker. Hubler wasn’t doing any mark up over msrp and still accepted A buyers. So I received $8000 off for that.

I had just finished bringing a 2006 duramax back from the grave. All new rockers, fenders, hood, bumpers, and interior. I had about $8000 in it and sold to a friend for $14,000. I put the extra $6000 on the new truck bringing me to $58,000 for a brand new loaded 4 door 2500 duramax. I felt I did ok on the final price. Absolutely love the truck!

 

[BehindBlueI's]

It has nothing to do with "greed". It is basic economics. Vehicles are priced at the point that people are willing to pay and suppliers are willing to supply them. Manufacturers aren't in the charity business. They sell vehicles to make money.

...and customers keep expecting more and more features. There needs to be some reason to trade in your perfectly fine existing vehicle and new tech or improvements on old tech do that. Look at the HP/TQ numbers on the *big block* 1972 truck vs a V6 today...

 

[HoughMade]

It's tough getting an accurate idea of anything by comparing trucks just looking at price then vs. price now and using an inflation calculator.

I sold used trucks from 1992-1995, most GM.

Being that we sold used trucks, I had a lot of experience with mid to late '80s trucks. The /late 70s trucks would be even more primitive with less equipment. The highest end 1/2 ton mid-'80s Chevy was a K-10 Silverado trim. The equivalent GMC was a High Sierra (or Sierra Classic, depending upon year).

-No fuel injection until '87, and then it was throttle body
-No power seats available
-No automatic climate control
-No true shift on the fly (there were auto hubs, but they were fragile)
-No leather seats available
-No extended cabs
-No 1/2 ton crew cabs
-Best audio- AM/FM with cassette, 4 speakers

-Most powerful engine ('85)- 350 4 barrel with 175 hp, 275 ft/lbs tq, in '87, that was up to 210 hp and 300 ft lbs.

I don't know what the towing capacity was then, but it's a lot less than now and the mileage back then was abysmal expect with the 6.2L NA diesel which had a grand 135 hp.

I haven't even gotten to the government mandated stuff yet...and yes, that adds weight and cost...and saves lives and adds some amount of value.

I'm just not smart enough to correct for all the differences and improvements over the years.

I am sure that truck prices, even correcting for content additions, have outpaced inflation, but it's not by as much as it first seems.
Just in interior comforts, I'll bet the lowest end fleet "stripper" is more luxurious than anything from '85, rides better, has more power, is more comfortable over all and gets better mileage.

...But as simplistic as it sounds, they charge what they charge because people buy them.

 

[armalitesheepdog]

My first home that I bought was $56k for reference.

Yea. 59.900 here. Just for that reason truck prices freak me out. I bought used and still paid 38k

 

[El Conquistador]

I am looking for a truck for my grandson, I stopped the other day to look at a used 2003 chevy truck. It had 203,000 miles, extended cab, 2 wheel drive and lots of bondo in the lower part of the body. The price, 7500.00. No thanks.

 

[Frosty]

I am looking for a truck for my grandson, I stopped the other day to look at a used 2003 chevy truck. It had 203,000 miles, extended cab, 2 wheel drive and lots of bondo in the lower part of the body. The price, 7500.00. No thanks.

That would have been a $1000 truck a couple years ago.

 

[HoughMade]

It's tough getting an accurate idea of anything by comparing trucks just looking at price then vs. price now and using an inflation calculator.

I sold used trucks from 1992-1995, most GM.

Being that we sold used trucks, I had a lot of experience with mid to late '80s trucks. The /late 70s trucks would be even more primitive with less equipment. The highest end 1/2 ton mid-'80s Chevy was a K-10 Silverado trim. The equivalent GMC was a High Sierra (or Sierra Classic, depending upon year).

-No fuel injection until '87, and then it was throttle body
-No power seats available
-No automatic climate control
-No true shift on the fly (there were auto hubs, but they were fragile)
-No leather seats available
-No extended cabs
-No 1/2 ton crew cabs
-Best audio- AM/FM with cassette, 4 speakers

-Most powerful engine ('85)- 350 4 barrel with 175 hp, 275 ft/lbs tq, in '87, that was up to 210 hp and 300 ft lbs.

I don't know what the towing capacity was then, but it's a lot less than now and the mileage back then was abysmal expect with the 6.2L NA diesel which had a grand 135 hp.

I haven't even gotten to the government mandated stuff yet...and yes, that adds weight and cost...and saves lives and adds some amount of value.

I'm just not smart enough to correct for all the differences and improvements over the years.

I am sure that truck prices, even correcting for content additions, have outpaced inflation, but it's not by as much as it first seems.
Just in interior comforts, I'll bet the lowest end fleet "stripper" is more luxurious than anything from '85, rides better, has more power, is more comfortable over all and gets better mileage.

...But as simplistic as it sounds, they charge what they charge because people buy them.

Oh, I forgot a pretty important point.

A late '70s to mid '80s truck will certainly do 100k miles, probably 150k if it got great maintenance and 200k+ only with at least 1 engine rebuild/replacement and probably 2 transmissions. Then it will be swiss cheese.

A full-sized truck built since about 2006 or 7 will do at least 200k miles with less than stellar maintenance and with good maintenance, 350k or more. The ability to drive the truck twice as long has a great deal of value that's not reflected in an inflation calculator.

As an example, my old boss at the car dealership had an '84 GMC High Sierra 1500 with the 6.2L diesel. It had 225k miles when he died. It got spectacular maintenance, had been rust repaired and repainted once and the interior was ratty. My '07 Silverado has had no paint work, no major engine work, the interior is good and currently has about 240k miles...and I would not hesitate to take it and it's 5.3L gas engine on a cross-country trip.

 

[Bosshoss]

It's tough getting an accurate idea of anything by comparing trucks just looking at price then vs. price now and using an inflation calculator.

I sold used trucks from 1992-1995, most GM.

Being that we sold used trucks, I had a lot of experience with mid to late '80s trucks. The /late 70s trucks would be even more primitive with less equipment. The highest end 1/2 ton mid-'80s Chevy was a K-10 Silverado trim. The equivalent GMC was a High Sierra (or Sierra Classic, depending upon year).

-No fuel injection until '87, and then it was throttle body
-No power seats available
-No automatic climate control
-No true shift on the fly (there were auto hubs, but they were fragile)
-No leather seats available
-No extended cabs
-No 1/2 ton crew cabs
-Best audio- AM/FM with cassette, 4 speakers

-Most powerful engine ('85)- 350 4 barrel with 175 hp, 275 ft/lbs tq, in '87, that was up to 210 hp and 300 ft lbs.

I don't know what the towing capacity was then, but it's a lot less than now and the mileage back then was abysmal expect with the 6.2L NA diesel which had a grand 135 hp.

I haven't even gotten to the government mandated stuff yet...and yes, that adds weight and cost...and saves lives and adds some amount of value.

I'm just not smart enough to correct for all the differences and improvements over the years.

I am sure that truck prices, even correcting for content additions, have outpaced inflation, but it's not by as much as it first seems.
Just in interior comforts, I'll bet the lowest end fleet "stripper" is more luxurious than anything from '85, rides better, has more power, is more comfortable over all and gets better mileage.

...But as simplistic as it sounds, they charge what they charge because people buy them.

This^^^

It's funny when people complain about the price of new trucks compared to trucks 40 and 50 years old. Yeah trucks and houses and everything else was cheaper back then but the income was also a lot lower back then.

Those old trucks that everyone wishes they still made got half the gas mileage and had half the power that the new ones have.
No overdrive transmissions so the engines didn't last as long or get decent gas mileage.
I remember when vapor lock or frozen fuel lines were common.
They didn't have much of any luxuries and most didn't have AC in the late 60's and 70's and many didn't have power steering or brakes.
Don't forget the log wagon ride of that era trucks. I had a 69 Chevy 3/4 ton 4x4 that I don't know how I didn't have dents in the roof from my head hitting the roof so hard(no head liner either just the inner roof steel) when hitting small imperfections in the road. No power steering or brakes on that truck and it had a snow plow on it which was fun without power steering.

A lot of people complain about trucks costing $70-100K well no they don't, you can get a new Chevy truck under $34K it is a regular cab 2 wd WT but has auto trans and AC. That is what a lot of people say they want but then they go look and they look at the crew cabs and 4 wd, leather, ect. trucks and complain about the prices.
Looking at the top of the line trucks is on the person buying it.
There are lots of lower trim level trucks that can shave thousands and even $10 -20K OR more if you just decide what the options you really need are.
I don't like the prices where they are right now but it is what it is and I can't change it.
While I love the looks of some of the old classics(you want sticker shock look at the prices of 60's to 80's trucks now) I don't think I'm the least bit interested in going back to those days and problems.

 

[Ingomike]

It's funny when people complain about the price of new trucks compared to trucks 40 and 50 years old. Yeah trucks and houses and everything else was cheaper back then but the income was also a lot lower back then.

Do you know what adjusted for inflation is? Todays trucks are 233% more than adjusted for inflation. Not just just higher, exponentially higher…

 

[Bosshoss]

Do you know what adjusted for inflation is? Todays trucks are 233% more than adjusted for inflation. Not just just higher, exponentially higher…

How are you adjusting for inflation when the things you are comparing are so different?
If you are using a average priced truck from the 70's-80's and comparing to a new truck with considerably more safety and standard options then it isn't accurately adjusted for inflation. IMO

 

[Ingomike]

How are you adjusting for inflation when the things you are comparing are so different?
If you are using a average priced truck from the 70's-80's and comparing to a new truck with considerably more safety and standard options then it isn't accurately adjusted for inflation. IMO

Did you read the link in the original post? They did inflation adjustments for all the options.

If my math is right a loaded 1978 K20 Silverado could be had for under $7500, and adjusted for inflation that truck is under $30,000.

This is an interesting site with a lot of articles on various vehicles and how to as well.

https://www.cjponyparts.com/resources/1978-chevy-truck-specs

 

[Bosshoss]

Did you read the link in the original post? They did inflation adjustments for all the options.

All I know is that in 1978 I was making about $5.00 a hour in a factory and if I was still working today I would be making around $40 a hour with bonuses at the place I retired from.
That's 8 times the pay. If the $7500 figure is correct for a 1978 truck that would be $60k today.
Just saw a New crew cab Trail Boss at the local dealer for $54K window sticker, it was a cloth lower level trim truck but was a crew cab and would have had much more equipment than a loaded 1978 truck.
That's my adjusted for inflation formula and you can use whatever formula you need to to make your point.

 

[Ingomike]

That's my adjusted for inflation formula and you can use whatever formula you need to to make your point.

Nice you have your own system.

 

[Bosshoss]

Nice you have your own system.

Yeah and it been working great for me for many years.