My very first new vehicle ever. A 1990 Nissan Pickup that I bought when I returned to the States after being stationed in Italy (Navy). It was about as plain and basic as you could buy, which in 1990 was VERY basic indeed. Silver/Gray 2WD, 4-cyl 5-speed. The only optional equipment on the truck was, AC, a rear bumper and the passenger-side mirror...yes, that was optional back in 1990. I paid $8,500 cash for it. The Nissan Dealer in Bowling Green KY kept trying to get me into an extended-cab 4x4, and I was very tempted, but I think they wanted around $10,500 for one of those, and the appeal of having a new car with no monthly payment won out in the end.
It was, quite possibly the toughest, most reliable and most tolerant of (severe) abuse vehicle I have ever owned. In just over 6 years I put over 200K miles on that little truck, and for every single one of those miles, I drove it like I stole it. Hauled loads way over twice the rated weight, towed things much bigger and heavier than it was ever intended to tow, bouncing off the rev-limiter, getting second-gear rubber whenever the mood struck me (which was almost all the time) and it never let me down, never left me stranded. THe harder I beat on it, the more it wanted. Only mechanical repairs ever needed, apart from normal wear items, were a clutch replacement (under warranty) after towing a huge, heavily loaded 6x12 cargo trailer through the West Virginia mountains at 80+ MPH, and a clutch slave cylinder that went out on me the very day I left the Navy and set out to drive from CT to KY with all my worldly possessions in the bed. Even with the slave cylinder blown out, it still got me to where I needed to go, and only cost about $30 to replace.
God I loved that little truck!!! It was uncomfortable, not very quiet inside, apart from the AC and a self-installed J.C. Whitney cruise control, and a huge aftermarket stereo (that had almost as much hordepower as the truck itself) it had zero creature-comforts, but despite that, or perhaps because of it, it was a joy to own and drive. Drove it through FEET of snow dumped by the Nor'easters that would come through when I lived in CT (real men don't need 4-wheel drive to get where they are going in snow ) Never worried about how much weight I was putting in it, that's what bump-stops are for. A long road trip in that truck would probably cripple me now, that bench seat could be used as an "enhanced interrogation" device, but back then, I didn't care, that little truck always made me smile.
I sold it right after I left the Navy in 1996. I was moving to Sunnyvale CA for a job that came with a company car, and I just couldn't see driving it all the way cross-country just to sit there undriven most of the time. I still miss it, and I would buy another one in a heartbeat if I could find one in decent condition at a fair price. Not fancy, not particularly fast, comfortable, pretty, cool or interesting, just a great, reliable, tough-as-nails small truck. Something notably missing from the American automotive landscape of today with it's massive "man jewlrey" trucks that cost more than my first house. If any manufacturer would come to market with a basic, low-cost, workhorse truck that size today, I'd be in line on day-1. Sadly, even the "small" pickup trucks today are enormous by comparison, not to mention overpriced even if you can find a basic stripped-down model, to say nothing of one with a manual transmission......