What was the first car to NOT have a manual transmission as an option?

[Sandy G]

Well, that'd be about right... In the old days, the beds rusted out in a couple years, then they started painting/treating them w/stuff that bought you another couple of years. Now, they're going to aluminumnumnumnumnum, which you can poke a whole thru w/no trouble at all.... My Dad got his pickup bed coated w/this stuff that was rubbery, you couldn't damage it hardly at all, it would outlast the vehicle, made it quieter, & was difficult to cut even w/a sharp knife. The 2nd year they had it out, you could get it in any color you wanter-it was nominally black. As expensive as vehicles are now, looks like this stuff could at least be offered as an option...

[Jon A.]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

I stopped at a friend's place where he was prepping the ground for concrete.
He borrowed a large ground tamping machine that the owner brought in a brand new Ford F150, that he had in his possession for four hours.
On the way there The machine slid around in the bed and poked two holes in the aircraft- quality aluminum truck box. The stuff must be as thick as an aluminum pie plate.

Actually I was referring to 4X4s of any vintage, but yeah, those aluminum boxes are just a bad idea. Government mandates have already wiped out cars, soon enough pickup trucks will be gone. Perhaps they should just force all automakers to go with Flintstone power and be done with it.

Originally Posted by Sandy G

My Dad got his pickup bed coated w/this stuff that was rubbery, you couldn't damage it hardly at all, it would outlast the vehicle, made it quieter, & was difficult to cut even w/a sharp knife. The 2nd year they had it out, you could get it in any color you wanter-it was nominally black. As expensive as vehicles are now, looks like this stuff could at least be offered as an option...

Spray-on bed liner, I've seen the stuff on the Canadian Tire site. I think it's also offered as a brush-on application.

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by Jon A.

Actually I was referring to 4X4s of any vintage, but yeah, those aluminum boxes are just a bad idea. Government mandates have already wiped out cars, soon enough pickup trucks will be gone. Perhaps they should just force all automakers to go with Flintstone power and be done with it.

Spray-on bed liner, I've seen the stuff on the Canadian Tire site. I think it's also offered as a brush-on application.

Here in the states Ford vs Chevy is mostly a generic pickup truck debate... with Dodge being the little guy the others can agree to laugh off.... I guess canajins are more concerned with 4WD... understandable.

[Jon A.]

Originally Posted by Sandy G

Yeah...You saw a lot of "Weekend Warrior" types who had those cheap 'n' Shoddy plastic bedliners in their pickem ups. We were FARMERS, weUSED up trucks to HAUL stuff in, Henry never had less than a 3/4 to truck, he had a 5th wheel gizmo mounted in the bed, so he could pull a farm wagon, or a horse trailer. He was a BIG believer-as am I-thatif you thought a 1/2 ton would work, you prolly oughta get the Big Dawg, 'cause you'd likely end up wishing you would have not long after you got it.

For sure, I'd look for the same things in a pickup or van. I never know what I may run across that I would want to stuff into one. This brings to mind a show in which one character has a rather oddly-optioned Ford F100; not very useful I thought. If I ever say "eight is enough", I would likely be referring to wheel lugs.

Originally Posted by Electronic M

Here in the states Ford vs Chevy is mostly a generic pickup truck debate... with Dodge being the little guy the others can agree to laugh off.... I guess canajins are more concerned with 4WD... understandable.

Not unless you consider busted up pavement as a reason for needing 4 wheel drive; that's how it is in the place I'm itching to get out of anyway. You're buying into a common yankee stereotype which is especially untrue of where I am.

Pinterest memes are my only source of information on the 4X4 debate; I doubt the bulk of contributors are Canadian.

[Sandy G]

I went w/4WD because down here in Hooterville, they DON'T know what to do when this cold, white stuff falls from the sky. We typically get one or snows a winter, plus several more dustings. But what happens is it'll snow, melt a bit, & then the bottom drops out of the temperature, & everything turns into ice. Fun, fun, fun ! I got caught out in a pretty decent-for US-snow-4-6"& got passed by a Corvette going 60-65 or so. I was creeping along at MAYBE 25-30, it wasn't glare Ice yet, but it was still slicker than snot on a doorknob. I finally got home, put the Valdez up, shut the door, & didn't get out again for a couple days. Let Ronnie Redneck & Co. spin right round like a record, baby, I'll just stay home & laugh at his ass when he makes the 11 PM news...

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by Jon A.

For sure, I'd look for the same things in a pickup or van. I never know what I may run across that I would want to stuff into one. This brings to mind a show in which one character has a rather oddly-optioned Ford F100; not very useful I thought. If I ever say "eight is enough", I would likely be referring to wheel lugs.

On most trucks 6 lug are half ton and 8 lug are three quarter or bigger...

[Jon A.]

Originally Posted by Sandy G

I went w/4WD because down here in Hooterville, they DON'T know what to do when this cold, white stuff falls from the sky. We typically get one or snows a winter, plus several more dustings. But what happens is it'll snow, melt a bit, & then the bottom drops out of the temperature, & everything turns into ice. Fun, fun, fun ! I got caught out in a pretty decent-for US-snow-4-6"& got passed by a Corvette going 60-65 or so. I was creeping along at MAYBE 25-30, it wasn't glare Ice yet, but it was still slicker than snot on a doorknob. I finally got home, put the Valdez up, shut the door, & didn't get out again for a couple days. Let Ronnie Redneck & Co. spin right round like a record, baby, I'll just stay home & laugh at his ass when he makes the 11 PM news...

Sounds like the climate in this armpit of a province. I got a "I <3 snow" button for my coat mostly to keep the winter whiners at bay. They are a VERY vocal majority; it's as if they're trying to push their preference on those who disagree. Consider our building maintenance guy; I don't know what the hell his problem is, he brings up his hatred of snow/love of heat almost every time mom and I see him even though we've told him our opinion. I doubt he does it to irritate us as I borrow tools from him regularly, so he's a major ignoramus at the very least.

As for Ronnie Redneck, chances are he would end up in some of those crash compilation videos as well. I don't know of any other car that would shatter on impact. It's more fun to see them turned into twisted metal provided the occupants come out okay. I get a kick out of watching tempered glass windows explode as well.

Originally Posted by Electronic M

On most trucks 6 lug are half ton and 8 lug are three quarter or bigger...

My point exactly.