Who's got a new truck ?

[ckaberna]

Here is what was my dream truck, built it myself. '72 F250 started life as a 360, 4spd 2WD I purchased in Great Falls, MT fall of '78. Drove it to Midwest City, OK in Dec after my join spouse assignment request was approved. Sitting next to the off base TACAN near Tinker AFB.



It was our primary means of transportation until we received orders to Yokota AB, Japan in Nov '79 so drove it to Tacoma, WA and left my truck with my parents until we returned spring of 1983. My next assignment was to McGuire AFB, NJ. A fresh rebuild, clutch, brakes, etc. My wife was 7mos pregnant so my sister accompanied me on the cross country trip.

Year afterward I bought a rusted out F250 4WD, 390, 4spd, at the garden shop we used, ran and drove great, brought it home for $1500. Big bonus was the Dana 44-9F front axle with dual piston calipers! Stripped to the frame, repaired rusted cab mounts, then stripped body off mine and set on the frame. Finished that just months before having to report to Las Vegas for my 4yr stint in Tonopah.

Don't have many good pics anymore, here are my Fords in Vegas, truck was still 360/4spd.



Late '89 after an engine swap, 429/C6, which it still has today.

Thanks for your service!! And the post!

 

[Tesoro]

So, who has bought a chevy or GM half ton 3 liter diesel? Impressions and experience to date? Tks

Just a fellow camper who stayed by me last week. Said engine in backwards so have to drop engine rearwards to work on it and it burned a QT every 1000 mi. He had like 20-30k on it if i recall. He was in the auto biz so bought it like new certified. Got great milage tho pulling his trailer. All I know

 

[3Sigma]

Just a fellow camper who stayed by me last week. Said engine in backwards so have to drop engine rearwards to work on it and it burned a QT every 1000 mi. He had like 20-30k on it if i recall. He was in the auto biz so bought it like new certified. Got great milage tho pulling his trailer. All I know

2023+ is a redesign from the LM2 to LZ0. Older ones are a maintenance nightmare (100k oil pump belt service requires removing frame rail and trans as it is on the rear). It is an old COE Isuzu engine, hence the rear engine maintenance. New one has a 200k interval (still belt), more power, and revised cooling system.

Old one also consumed copious amounts of SCR, especially when towing, and it has a very small scr tank. I cannot comment on the LZ0.

 

[806guns]

Was looking at getting the wife a new 2024 F150 xlt or lariat. If they can keep it under 48k I'm in. these truck cost too much. I would love a new diesel but my 2012 f250 6.7 is running great at 201k.

 

[Tesoro]

2023+ is a redesign from the LM2 to LZ0. Older ones are a maintenance nightmare (100k oil pump belt service requires removing frame rail and trans as it is on the rear). It is an old COE Isuzu engine, hence the rear engine maintenance. New one has a 200k interval (still belt), more power, and revised cooling system.

Old one also consumed copious amounts of SCR, especially when towing, and it has a very small scr tank. I cannot comment on the LZ0.

Oh that makes sense. WHY would GM even think about putting that backwards oil guzzler engine in a pickup in the first place?!! gotta make you wonder who is running the show!

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Was looking at getting the wife a new 2024 F150 xlt or lariat. If they can keep it under 48k I'm in. these truck cost too much. I would love a new diesel but my 2012 f250 6.7 is running great at 201k.

Can you even get a nice 2 door f-150 for that $? I’m really clueless as what these cost now.

 

[D Coots]

So, who has bought a chevy or GM half ton 3 liter diesel? Impressions and experience to date? Tks

I traded my 2023 Yukon Denali with the diesel in on a 2024 with the 6.2 gas. The SUVS previous to the diesel were all 6.2. I realized the diesel had less hp than the gas when looking at the specs, but supposedly had the torque if I recall correctly. Well, it didn't. Shifted down in the hills way more when pulling my race car in my 24' trailer and pulling my 18' loading trailer. When pulling I carried Def and a funnel in the trailer. 2.5 gallon of Def every 500 miles. Used funnel cuz those Def spouts plainly suck. Leak on your shoes and on the side of the truck. Ran forever on Def fill when not pulling. I did get 3 more MPG with the diesel than the 6.2 when pulling. I got the same mileage pulling my Impala trailer as the light shooting trailer....it's the wind Suction I believe. One reason I got rid of it was when pulling into a station for fuel looking for a diesel pump with a 24' trailer behind you is a recipe for disaster. But otherwise, that little diesel pulling small trailers with light loads or no trailer at all would be fine.

The main reason I traded that diesel off at 43K miles was the ELECTRONIC GREMLINS .

YEP, GM SUCKS

 

[806guns]

Can you even get a nice 2 door f-150 for that $? I’m really clueless as what these cost now.

Before the new year they had a few xlts listed at 48k. These were loaded cloth seats rigs, 4 door, 4x4.

 

[NorCalMikie]

I could go for something like this.

 

[kojaone]

Several YT wrecker videos on newer GM trucks, "The most towed truck" ,transmission issues.
The push button types,they drag em up on trailer or roll back only,drivetrain locked,lots of dish soap.

 

[3Sigma]

Oh that makes sense. WHY would GM even think about putting that backwards oil guzzler engine in a pickup in the first place?!! gotta make you wonder who is running the show!

The accountants and stock holders run the show. Why spend approx. $1bn to develop a new diesel platform when we have one that is 80% already in our portfolio?

Except that 80% is mostly the capital expenditure, not development costs. This leads to compromises due to existing parts ( combustion chamber, fuel system, air system, exhaust aftertreatment, cooling, maintenance, etc.) that all has a negative impact on the customer/end user and reliability. All just to make a budget target and schedule... to make the stock holders happy.

As an engineer, it is maddening, but GM has been doing it this way for 30+ years. Awesome engineering held back by poor product planning and execution.

I shopped the little duramax when looking to replace my 2009 1500 Sierra. I love the idea of a small displacement I6 diesel in a half ton. I found too many design compromises for me to be comfortable.

I bought an F250 with the 7.3L gasser instead.

 

[brokeasajoke]

View attachment 1619537
I could go for something like this.

An early 50s COE would be awesome

 

[NorCalMikie]

An early 50s COE would be awesome

Most wouldn't be running it for 100K miles so MPG isn't a real issue.
I could go for a diesel engine if it wasn't for the smoke.
As long as it would get up and go when needed, (with style) I would consider it.
I have seen a few that would really go when modified but the excess smoke turns me off.
Mid to big block gas engine of any brand would get the job done. Doesn't have to be a tire burning racer, just be cool, a little on the quiet side till romped on and dependable. And built with a wheel/tire combo to get you a smooth ride. Need rubber for cushion, not fork lift (tow motor) tires. Too many pot holes to deal with. One pot hole and you're down $1000.00 to $1500.00 + in nothing flat for tire and wheel replacement.
Air ride would be nice if you had a guaranteed system that wouldn't leave you stranded by being too low if it gave up on you.
I know, way to practical then most but I think long term.

 

[ISS]

I am starting to look hard at the 2025 RHO gas engine in the RAM. 540 horse power.

 

[D Coots]

An early 50s COE would be awesome

Not a frame dragger though...Put a 409 in it or a Screaming DE-TROIT.....COE's are awesome....

 

[brokeasajoke]

Is kinda like a 50 something f100 with original flathead for a daily. Nutin' fancy. 56 preferred but but anything 50 up. Honestly not a 57 f100 fan.

 

[Dave M.]

15 years ago the last DODGE truck was marketed. They are RAM trucks. Incredible to me how backward so many are on that issue. Where you been from 2010 to present?

Stellantis, the current ownership of what used to be Chrysler corporation, is now marketing the TRUCK OF THE YEAR. That is according to Motor Trend. It is the RAM 1500 with the in-line 6 cylinder Hurricane turbo engine. One thing I do know of it is fuel mileage is no better than the V8 Hemi engine they used to use. More torque and HP than the Hemi is a 3.0L straight-six engine. To me it will be a couple years before that develops a proper reputation.

As for selling a deleted truck, I already have had inquiries by others seeing my Cummins diesel 2500. Used a small muffler for the delete and it is not in any loud and has never shown black smoke on acceleration. It is much like my old (here we go again) Dodge diesel from 2004, the Duramax from 2001 and the GMC 6.5 diesel I had in 1994.

Alex Wheeler may have seen my truck but then he probably would not have seen or heard nothing to tell him it was a delete. In another year, hopefully I will still be around after these heart issues, some lucky person may get a chance to own it. It's the way to go if you live in states that ignore such things.

The 3.0L hurricane engine gets better mileage than the 5.7L Hemi. Pretty sure I should know considering I’ve spent 25 years working there and the last 10 years in the fuels group.
Dave

 

[Dave M.]

I'm a Ford truck guy but even if I wasn't, I'd still look hard at the Ford trucks. The new aluminum/alloy bodies are the only way to go. Ford trucks are probably the least of the 3 companies to have body rust issues with their trucks. Dodge and Chevy always had specific places that they rusted out as did Ford but Ford wasn't as bad. Now, Ford has zero chance of that happening. I have a 2014 Ford F250 that's ugly with some rust cancer. Started after only 7 years. When you pay 50k plus for a truck, you expect it to look the same after 7 years if well taken care of. Steel bodies will rust eventually. My new truck body will look the same till I sell it. I've seen 2015 used Ford trucks on the lot that look as good as they did new. I'm surprised Dodge or Chevy hasn't taken a page from Fords truck play book.

lol, your aluminum bodied and bed Ford truck with look great until you drop a cinder block in the point and it hits on the pointed corner, then your Ford aluminum bed truck will look like someone took a can opener to it.

 

[Dave M.]

Go to You tube and enter Case truck 2025 they are going to give the big 4 a run for the best truck.
And i have been a Ford guy for a long time.

Case is part of the Fiat Group Companies (ie Fiat Chrysler). You may trace the ownership back to CNH Industrial (stands for Case New Holland Industrial), but at the end of the day the engineering knowledge, part design and functional tech on the Case trucks comes directly from Ram.

 

[Dave M.]

I am starting to look hard at the 2025 RHO gas engine in the RAM. 540 horse power.

Couldn’t hold a candle to the outgoing Ram TRX and that’s why we dropped the TRX name. Performance just isn’t there with the 3.0L High Output engine (the RHO means Ram High Output).