Aron9000

Just curious if anybody owns a really "basic" vehicle with no options. Its kind of a rarity these days. Anyways, I inherited one about a month ago from my father, a 2004 Tacoma. Regular cab, short box, 2WD, 2.4 liter 2RZ-FE 4 cylinder engine, 5 speed manual, no options. He bought a new 2016 Tacoma, told me I could buy his old one for what I sold my 1993 Toyota truck. I think he paid around $12,000 for this truck in 2004, which when you calculate for inflation is about $15,000, which is still $8,000 cheaper than a "basic" 2016 Tacoma. I looked up the value, its worth about $6,000, which is just insane IMO

Anyways, its a second vehicle for me, a truck is handy to have. Its just kind of hilarious how basic, yet not work oriented the truck is. Crank windows, AM/FM Cassette(originally, I have my own aftermarket radio in it), yet it has 5" door speakers with tweeters stock, manual locks, no sliding rear window, no intermittent wipers, no cruise control, no tilt steering wheel, no remote fob, bench seat despite the truck not being wide enough to seat 3 people(yes it does have 3 seat belts), no reclining seats, full medium grey carpet with floor mats ready to get stained up, bench seat is cloth instead of vinyl, absolutely no sound insulation its noisier than my 1993 truck, about the only luxuries it has is cupholders, 3 "cigarette lighters" where you can plug stuff in, an honest to god 100% metal key that feels like its forged in the fires of Mt Doom, and cold a/c and hot heat. Did I mention its assembled tighter than a swiss watch and runs like a brand new truck.

Perhaps the biggest luxury is that it doesn't break down, it costs next to nothing to service, and I can drive it to California and back knowing it will make it, despite 172k on the odometer. I suspect it still has another trouble free 100,000 miles left in it, knock on some wood.

Anyways, post up if you own/have owned a "stripper" type vehicle, and tell us if its a total dog or something to be treasured . . .

mmarshall

I don't currently own an El Cheapo stripper right now, but have in the past a couple of times. Even owned a Chrysler LeBaron without A/C once. Once thing I like about manually-operated windows/door-locks/mirrors is that is that, while inconvenient if you want to, say lock all of the doors or raise/lower the windows in a hurry, at least they are dependable. Unless the simple mechanical linkage-mechanisms themselves break (which is rare), one does not usually have to worry about power-motors, switches, regulators, relays, etc...... failing when a window is down and will not go back up. Or with a power sunroof failing just as a big storm comes up.

I have seen comments here in Car Chat before about the chances of power-window failure being very small, and some posters saying it has never happened to them with anything they owned. i disagree. I've had window-regulator trouble on two of the vehicles I've owned...one at relatively low time/mileage.

CEOEngr

In high school I had bought a 1969 VW Beatle with 130,000 miles. I used it for 4 years put another 65,000 miles driving between home in Okla to the university in Austin. It ran like a swiss watch, I did all the maintenance myself including oil changes and tune-ups; quite simple really. I bought it for $850 and sold it after graduation for $1200. That dang car had everything manual, real chrome hubcaps, no AC, no sunroof, no leather, no clock. The only item that I consider auto were the wipers as they only worked when they felt like. It did have one OEM luxury equipment, an AM radio with two 4-inch speakers located adjacent to the speedometer.

jwong77

I've been driving in a stripper 2016 Tacoma. It has the extra cab, but no back seats and black bumpers. No remote lock and unlock, no cruise control, and not even intermittent wipers, but it does strangely have a touchscreen radio with backup camera, traction control, and cup holders galore! Honestly, I love the simplicity of driving a truck like this around, plus the raised ride height is awesome, you can see miles ahead and over most cars.

My0gr81

Here in Canada, they are called Quebec specials. That province sell the most in volume of the base models for any of the manufacturers. They also have the most strip joints in NA, go figure.

Fizzboy7

I think at this point in the game, one would have to buy a truck in order to get something stripped. Power windows and A/C are standard on just about every new vehicle. With modern technology today and streamlined manufacturing, I really don't think it cost much to add the most basic items to any vehicle. Maybe a Nissan Versa could be optioned out low.
One of my biggest pet peeves in the industry is Toyota's continued use of black bumpers and teeny tiny wheels on their base Tacoma. It can't cost them that much to paint those things and add some simple truck wheels!

mmarshall

Yep......you've got a point. I thought the El-Cheapo base-level 13K Mitsubishi Mirage might be an exception (I reviewed one a number of months ago, but didn't remember all the specs first-hand). But, according to latest Mitsubishi specs, even it comes with power windows/door-locks (but not power mirrors) as standard. The even more El-Cheapo 12K base-level Nissan Versa does have manual hand-crank windows/door-locks/mirrors....but that model is rarely kept in stock because almost nobody will buy it. Most Americans want to have power-everything.



I understand your feelings, but, for a classic base-level work-truck, especially in and around construction areas and other hostile environments to a vehicle's paint/finish, it would not only cost more but also be impractical to paint the bumpers. They would probably be chock full of scratches/gouges within a week, and look like crap.

Nextourer

Up here, the Mirage only has power front windows and manual rear on the base model. It's 4 power windows in the U.S.?

mmarshall

The U.S. web site lists power windows standard on all models, but doesn't differentiate between front and rear. Photos of the interior, though, seem to show four window switches, not two.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

it may be a reliable stripped 12 yr old truck, but *i* wouldn't make the trip to cali and back in something that noisy, uncomfortable, and featureless. but for getting supplies from the hardware store or garden center locally though, it would be great.

geko29

This is just bizarre to me. Either give the car power windows, or don't.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

have seen it before. hey, it saved $2 on production. and screw those rear seat passengers.

ryanSC300lover

iTrader: (1)

1991 Honda civic hatchback HF
67 HP
4 forward manual gears
No tachometer
No right side passenger mirror
No rear wiper
No floor mats
No power windows
No A/C
No center console
Nothing around the shifter
13inch tires
Bumpers, door handles, and side moldings not body colored.

(I know how stripper the above is, as I have a 1991 Si in mint condition as well to compare it to)

It makes my Lotus Elise feel luxurious by comparison.

SonicMotor

iTrader: (19)

I've had quite a few.

My miata was a stripper, it did have AC though. No power windows, etc.
Both my old VW bugs, nothing special
All of my old S13's were no power window etc cars. They had AC but that was it. No powerlocks etc.

Sulu

Not that long ago, all compact (Toyota Corolla- or Honda Civic-sized) and smaller cars were "strippers", hand-crank windows, manual door locks, no power-assisted steering, manual transmission, no standard air-conditioning, no tachometer, no glovebox or trunk lamps, no vanity mirrors, ...

My first car, a Toyota Corolla, was like that. In comparison, my 2010 Corolla was a luxury car, with air-conditioning, power windows and locks, glovebox and trunk lamps, vanity mirrors,...