Where did all the 4x4s go?

[TotalyHucked]

I'd agree, there weren't as many to start with and then alot of them got run into the ground over the years. I'd bet alot of them went off with the Cash for Clunkers program. I go to alot of shows and events, I do see a good many 4x4s. But they are 20-1 compared to 2wds.

I also think alot of it has to do with costs. It's twice the cost to rebuild/regear 2 axles, alot of guys don't know how or don't want to work on front axles (cuz lets be honest, they are a bitch), if you wanna LS swap your rig, a 2wd is much easier/cheaper, not to mention cost of big tires and the fact that the 4x4s get worse mileage for guys like me that like to roadtrip them.

 

[1lejohn]

I have a K-10 long bed far from show quality. It would be fun to go to a few meets. I'm out of the loop how do you find out about the local get togethers.

 

[nvrenuf]

I have a K-10 long bed far from show quality. It would be fun to go to a few meets. I'm out of the loop how do you find out about the local get togethers.

Most areas have local facebook pages/groups with info about shows, etc.

You could even create your own square body event and post it to see what happens. Just make it a casual cruise in and people will probably show up.

 

[Bextreme04]

I've said it before and I'll say it again... you can't throw a rock in any direction in the PNW without hitting 2 or 3 K20 pickup trucks in a field. They are everywhere. I usually see one or two just driving around town every day and 2wd is mayyyyybe 50% of them if you are being generous. The 1 ton stuff is pretty rare, but you can find a ton of K20 pickups for under $5k every day of the week on marketplace.

 

[Grit dog]

It’s culture, geography and climate, if you think about it. I can see it having lived and / or visited many parts of the country. And being old enough to be around Squares when they were just newer pickups.
70s and 80s, waaaay more 2wd trucks than 4wd (unlike today where new 4wd are 100x the 2wd trucks produced).
Even “up north” there were far more % of 2wd trucks than now. People drove 2wd everywhere in the Midwest winters unlike now where half the 4wd owners can’t keeper rubber side down with an inch of snow…lol.
But regardless, 98% of the rust belt squares are gone. (I’m making up stats but order of magnitude is right).
“Out west” way more 4wd trucks 40-50 years ago because they were a necessity vs a luxury where there wasn’t mountains.
Bible belt and coastal areas, 50/50 for rust buckets vs non rust. And still predominantly 2wd.
Desert, more of a mix of 2wd and 4wd but most are cooked and only good for body and chassis parts.
Intermountain, more 4wd but more rust than desert or PNW and less rust than rust belt.
Which brings us to the PNW. Can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a rust free square. And many in good original condition. And a high % of 4wd due to the geography.
I’d expect Texas to be a bunch of 2wd trucks that were cooked within an inch of their lives in a previous life.
I love all these car pickers going to the desert for rust free old cars…lol.
Keep going there. We will keep our nice old cars and trucks up here to ourselves! lol.

 

[Grit dog]

I've said it before and I'll say it again... you can't throw a rock in any direction in the PNW without hitting 2 or 3 K20 pickup trucks in a field. They are everywhere. I usually see one or two just driving around town every day and 2wd is mayyyyybe 50% of them if you are being generous. The 1 ton stuff is pretty rare, but you can find a ton of K20 pickups for under $5k every day of the week on marketplace.

Since it’s “just you guys” who are friends, don’t let out the national secret up here!
But anyone with a few bucks to their name wanting a square would be very well served to buy one here.
Of course ymmv and prices will vary and way too many folks think they’re the next numbers matching chevelle, but I bought both squares not long ago when prices were higher than now and $8k per truck got straight clean original (not original motors) trucks that you could have driven all the way back to Arkantucky for no more than a plane ticket, a lot of gas and maybe an oil change first just for good measure.
In the summer with working AC and power windows and one with cruise control.
Neither of which I’ve touched or fixed one piece of original wiring in in a combined almost 10 years and everything but the clock works.

 

[74Blaze]

No Andrew, the owner treats it like it was made to used!

I 100% agree. They are trucks, not museum pieces.

 

[Gander]

It’s culture, geography and climate, if you think about it. I can see it having lived and / or visited many parts of the country. And being old enough to be around Squares when they were just newer pickups.
70s and 80s, waaaay more 2wd trucks than 4wd (unlike today where new 4wd are 100x the 2wd trucks produced).
Even “up north” there were far more % of 2wd trucks than now. People drove 2wd everywhere in the Midwest winters unlike now where half the 4wd owners can’t keeper rubber side down with an inch of snow…lol.
But regardless, 98% of the rust belt squares are gone. (I’m making up stats but order of magnitude is right).
“Out west” way more 4wd trucks 40-50 years ago because they were a necessity vs a luxury where there wasn’t mountains.
Bible belt and coastal areas, 50/50 for rust buckets vs non rust. And still predominantly 2wd.
Desert, more of a mix of 2wd and 4wd but most are cooked and only good for body and chassis parts.
Intermountain, more 4wd but more rust than desert or PNW and less rust than rust belt.
Which brings us to the PNW. Can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a rust free square. And many in good original condition. And a high % of 4wd due to the geography.
I’d expect Texas to be a bunch of 2wd trucks that were cooked within an inch of their lives in a previous life.
I love all these car pickers going to the desert for rust free old cars…lol.
Keep going there. We will keep our nice old cars and trucks up here to ourselves! lol.

Texas is huge, and we’ve got just about every climate you can have here. Everything from blizzards to deserts to swamps to ocean. In the part of Texas I’m from, for sure 2WD squares have always outnumbered 4x4s, but the 4x4s were around back then and really popular. It’s also very humid here and we’re close to the coast so everything rusts out bad and 4x4s got punished extra hard driving through all the gumbo mud/clay we’ve got out here. However, I was able to find my truck 6 hours west of here very well preserved and rust-free. The dry climate of the High Plains and especially West Texas tends to preserve things better but it’s not as harsh as New Mexico where I’ve really seen some cooked cars. That’s how far west from Houston you have to travel to find an original rust-free square these days, about 6 hours west.

 

[1STLS1]

They are still out there but due to what some of the short bed 4x4 go for today, they don't go out much.
At a recent company car show, the one conversation was about how for years, they were not worth much then prices exploded. Arguably the most valuable GM vehicle from '73-87 given the same mileage and condition, excluding Calloway Corvettes, certain Trans Ams and Buick GNXs.

 

[Ricko1966]

I have looked at a chit ton of square bodies on fb marketplace ranging from 100 miles from atl to 60 miles from SW VA (so into NC and E TN) and listings for 2wd square era trucks are much more common. However, almost all fords you see are 7.3 dually 4wd era. Few are gas but still 4wd.

My truck was used to haul stuff just not offroad hauling i guess.

Id like to convert it to 4wd someday but thats quite the bitch to do so haha. It's wayyy down the list.

I do have a 4runner so if i need 4wd ive got that covered.

My c20 i just want it back to being able to tow 10k pounds no issue. Or more. It has a freaking 5th wheel in it so i can only imagine what it was towing around in yesteryears.

IDK if you know this but your average 4wd Chevy is really 2wd in the slick stuff. I front tire spins and 1 rear tire spins. If traction is problem, my first move would be a posi rear so both rear wheels are drive and a set of good tires for traction. Lots less money and effort and good enough for most people. Just don't drive a posi car like it's a Mustang.

 

[Gander]

IDK if you know this but your average 4wd Chevy is really 2wd in the slick stuff. I front tire spins and 1 rear tire spins. If traction is problem, my first move would be a posi rear so both rear wheels are drive and a set of good tires for traction. Lots less money and effort and good enough for most people. Just drive a posi car like it's a Mustang.

Yeah, right now I’m saving for/planning on an upgrade to Eaton Detroit trutracs front and back, probably give those parts to myself for Christmas! I’ve already got 3.73s which is perfect for me but looking forward to rebuilding both front and rear with limited-slip.

 

[Gander]

They are still out there but due to what some of the short bed 4x4 go for today, they don't go out much.
At a recent company car show, the one conversation was about how for years, they were not worth much then prices exploded. Arguably the most valuable GM vehicle from '73-87 given the same mileage and condition, excluding Calloway Corvettes, certain Trans Ams and Buick GNXs.

Well, I’ll make sure to show this to my wife the next time she dares complain about the money I’ve spent fixing up the truck!

 

[Dejure]

and a lot of them are still at the gas station waiting for their loans [for a fill up] to process.

 

[Grit dog]

^ Sure, but blizzards happen about as often as the US presidency changes seats (although I got to experience TX during that huge blizzard and cold snap a few years ago….what a shiiit show). And swamp land is very small % of the overall state.
Growing up in the upper Midwest, a large majority of trucks in the 70s and 80s were 2wd. You threw some weight in the back of the truck, aired down the tires and sent ‘er all winter.

IDK if you know this but your average 4wd Chevy is really 2wd in the slick stuff. I front tire spins and 1 rear tire spins. If traction is problem, my first move would be a posi rear so both rear wheels are drive and a set of good tires for traction. Lots less money and effort and good enough for most people. Just don't drive a posi car like it's a Mustang.

Sounds like something my dad would say back in the day to justify why he didn’t need (translate, afford) a 4wd.
What you say is technically correct but an open diff 4x4 is about 10x better than a 1 wheeler peeler 2wd and several times better than a posi 2wd.

 

[goldpack]

^ Sure, but blizzards happen about as often as the US presidency changes seats (although I got to experience TX during that huge blizzard and cold snap a few years ago….what a shiiit show). And swamp land is very small % of the overall state.
Growing up in the upper Midwest, a large majority of trucks in the 70s and 80s were 2wd. You threw some weight in the back of the truck, aired down the tires and sent ‘er all winter.


Sounds like something my dad would say back in the day to justify why he didn’t need (translate, afford) a 4wd.
What you say is technically correct but an open diff 4x4 is about 10x better than a 1 wheeler peeler 2wd and several times better than a posi 2wd.

they also use to put real aggressive tires on those 2wd,...snows/ all terrains, all be it typically on only the drive wheels,...
(...I gave up putting only 2 snows on anything back around the year 2000 though,...
"all go and
no stop or steer ...is zero fun,...and really confuses the ABS system on anything made with it).