Why a late-'90s OBS Ford beats older classics for family trips
Old trucks are a passion project for a lot of gun owners and gearheads alike, but a creator known as Mike G. says he had to rethink what actually makes a good daily hauler for his family. In a video from Mike G., he walks through his personal fleet of classic trucks and lands on an unexpected favorite.
Snapshot
Mike G. owns a stack of analog trucks, including an '86 Bullnose Ford with a tired 6.9 IDI diesel and an '85 Toyota 4Runner, but admits neither is comfortable or reliable enough for long family trips. He says the better balance of safety, comfort, and old-school utility turned out to be his wife's 1997 OBS Ford F250 with the 7.3 Power Stroke diesel.
Key points
- Safety concerns: Mike G. says vehicles like the leaf-sprung Bullnose lack airbags and can feel unsafe on long trips with kids aboard.
- Reliability doubts: He notes the Bullnose's 6.9 IDI has heavy blow-by and is, in his words, "on its way out."
- The sweet spot: Mike G. highlights his wife's '97 OBS F250, bought for $10,000 from its original owner, as a clean, comfortable diesel he trusts for family road trips.
- Budget beater backup: He also picked up a rough 1996 F250 OBS for about $2,000 in trade, planning to use it for hay hauling and dump runs while sourcing cheap parts.
- Utility rigs matter too: A Dodge W250 bought for $1,500 with a snowplow attached rounds out his lineup for winter work.
Quick take
Mike G.'s video is less a buying guide and more a personal reassessment, admitting that the romance of fully analog old trucks has limits when kids and long drives are involved. For readers chasing a classic diesel, his take suggests the late-'90s OBS Ford Power Strokes offer a practical middle ground between vintage character and modern usability.
Watch the full video: Mike G.