So uh, when I finish my 617-into-a-ranger swap there might be a market for it :D?

because Americans have a lot more crap to haul around.....

On another forum I frequent on Ford diesel pickups, there is a guy who carries so many spare parts, tool and other stuff behind the seat of his pick up that I have speculated that it must be like snoopy's doghouse. If any of you remember, snoopy's doghouse sits on top of a cavernous residence that hauses far more than would be apparent form just looking at the dog house.

NYC Metro
 

Since 2000 the NYC Metro includes the City, Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and some of the Catskills due to commuting families that have to move out to find housing but still make their $$ and pay taxes to NYC (at a lower rate but they still pay) add Sales tax, Gas tax, Tolls, etc and its more like 12 million. Not to mention the folks who have a home in NYC but also have a home in PA (family lives in PA and Dad/Mom lives in NYC 4 days a week).

I travel the state weekly, our clients are the State Univ Construction fund, NYS DOT, the cities of Albany, Rochester, Syracuse, Ithica, Buffalo, Plattsburgh, Rome, etc...I see the state of employment all the time and if they pay their share and the jobs pay their share of State taxes and all is good then how come folks travel down to NYC for work. Not 90 miles but 250 to 400 miles?

The salary/benefits/rewards are 5 fold over upstate income and it is year round. Many of the workers I deal with have Summer and Winter jobs to break even. The State jobs are lucky to pay $28 to 35K for a degreed Professional. Medical jobs are the same, an RN makes 1/2 in Syracuse as they would in NYC, same for a Professional Engineer, IT Specialist, etc.

There is little or no manufacturing and Tech jobs are no better. Most towns exist on either the State University system, Private School or a Major Medical center or the Military. That is it.

Like upstate is great if you like the open country and subsistance to moderate income.

But still, the taxes and fees generated by NYC are the majority of NY State income.

or perhaps a first gen t100 with some body damage that I could handle easily-- a 125 hp turbodiesel MIGHT be enough to drive around without being a nusiance to other drivers. If I got a small tacoma I would go with a non turbo 617 .

Since I'm not working construction, or pulling an Airstream, I've found that a roomy wagon or small pickup suits me just fine. For many years I drove an '87 Isuzu P'up. Unlike todays bulky, jacked-up pickups, it sat fairly low, rode and handled decently, and with a 2.3 four and 5-speed, could get 30 mpg or better on the highway. Seat-comfort wasn't great, but I was able to tow a 16-foot boat & trailer, and a small car on a dolly, without serious problems.
Today, I use a Euro '84 300TD for my hauling. Though not currently setup for towing, I've added a customised Thule roof-rack modified to carry 4x8' plywood, galvanised roofing and lumber up to 14-feet long. With a factory 5-speed, it's also managed around 30 mpg on the road.

For those not sold on the macho, cowboy image, I think there's a need for reasonable, economical cargo-vehicles, that handle well, and get acceptable fuel mileage. Unfortuately, despite all the talk of fuel & resource conservation, the US market is saddled mostly with thirsty, overweight, crossovers & SUVs, often overstyled at the expense of cargo-room and visibility, and big, high-riding, top-heavy trucks.
So I'll stick with the older stuff. Maybe even look for a diesel Isuzu P'up someday.

Happy Motoring, Mark

They are hard to find in good condition. Most of them got pretty well used up.

Well, I still have the P'up and it's still very solid, but has some carburetor issues now.
I don't really need to tow boats and cars anymore, so maybe it would be a candidate for a diesel-swap.

OTOH, if I DID need to tow something, I could put the Euro hitch back on my TD. Would mean gong back to the pretty, but fragile Euro bumper though.

Happy Motoring, Mark