Explorerinil
Observer
Yeah I know, it’s bad on fuel, it’s loaded down with police gear and has some stubby antennas but I doubt that would effect mpg by much.
Indecision, the (Ford) Used Diesel Market and the Year 2021 - Need a sanity check
- Thread starter slepe67
- Start date
Todd780
OverCamper
Yeah, I can't imagine that would affect it either. Bizarre. Wonder why? Are the police versions tuned differently maybe?
Pnwfullsize
Active member
Glad you found something that would work for you! I have a 6.2l work truck and it has been a great truck.
DirtWhiskey
Western Dirt Rat
Great thread here. But I'm not sure I can sit around and listen to all of this 7.3 Power stroke slander ?. I've done close to 700k miles in the 7.3s. All those broke ass 7.3's going for 20k means something. That's the best engine Ford ever put into a truck. Sure they have their quirks (6.7 Powerstroke is proving to be an excellent, although complicated engine, but love to eat their ceramic bearing turbos pre-2015 etc etc), they are loud, have the crappy 4r100 (although they can be made strong) if you want auto, they have four sensors that go bad and are dead SIMPLE to work on. They make more power than you really need if done right. Hydra chip it, keep it to 50hp bump in power, open up the intake and the exhaust, push gas pedal and GO.
Made a massive mistake and traded my 95 OBS for a 2011 3500hd Chev a few years back. While I've come to appreciate the 6l90 tranny, which is amazing, that 6.0 is a TURD. Got to drop in a long block because of a crappy oil pump and will be dumping it soon. I've driven a 6.2 work truck from Ford that did a little better, and if you can find and older Chev 8.1 even better, but enjoy your 7mpg loaded. Listen, these aren't diesels. Do you like passing on a steep interstate incline without pushing in the gas pedal? Well I really really do. So I went and bought this for Covid Xmas from an Expo member:
2001 F450 Super Duty 7.3 Powerstroke with 38k original miles. Was a brush truck in Troy Montana for its life. FD replaced engine, turbo, tranny, injectors in the last 5k miles. Oasis report says turbo oil line blew, engine ran dry and seized tending a brush fire, hence replacement. Not much data on why the tranny was replaced but what the hay. Over $27k in service records.
And turned it into this, with some help from my local 4x4 shop Oakley Offroad in Sandy Utah:
Bought not one but TWO donor F450's (wife not happy), swapped over the coil sprung axles, rebuilt everything, re-geared to 5.38, put on a front air locker (LSD in the rear). 2" level front and back, track bar drop bracket, dual stabilizer, not too many other mods except swapped in the 6.0 tranny cooler (a weak spot on the 4r100). MPT81's with Buckstop super singles from another Expo member (I LOVE THIS FORUM). Flat bed and camper are next. Some day I'll do a build thread. First donor I bought at auction thinking I'd strip it, pulled codes, replaced batteries and two injectors, fired right up and sold it to help fund the above. I'm in it about $22k net, $32k gross.
I have my dream setup now. 7.3 Powerstroke (don't even start you suns of guns!), 2006 coil sprung front Super 60 wide-track, matching re-geared rear Dana S110. THIS THING TURNS BETTER THAN MY GRAND CHEROKEE. Well I had read about these swaps and I had to do it because it's the length of a small bus.
So, depending on your threshold for pain, you r ability to travel to find the truck, your access and/or ability to mod, I think building a $100k truck for $30k is an okay way to go. Sure it's a 20 year old truck and not as luxurious as the newer ones, I absolutely destroy my trucks, alas this one will be work and play, and can't justify spending that kind of cabbage to do so.
Made a massive mistake and traded my 95 OBS for a 2011 3500hd Chev a few years back. While I've come to appreciate the 6l90 tranny, which is amazing, that 6.0 is a TURD. Got to drop in a long block because of a crappy oil pump and will be dumping it soon. I've driven a 6.2 work truck from Ford that did a little better, and if you can find and older Chev 8.1 even better, but enjoy your 7mpg loaded. Listen, these aren't diesels. Do you like passing on a steep interstate incline without pushing in the gas pedal? Well I really really do. So I went and bought this for Covid Xmas from an Expo member:
2001 F450 Super Duty 7.3 Powerstroke with 38k original miles. Was a brush truck in Troy Montana for its life. FD replaced engine, turbo, tranny, injectors in the last 5k miles. Oasis report says turbo oil line blew, engine ran dry and seized tending a brush fire, hence replacement. Not much data on why the tranny was replaced but what the hay. Over $27k in service records.
And turned it into this, with some help from my local 4x4 shop Oakley Offroad in Sandy Utah:
Bought not one but TWO donor F450's (wife not happy), swapped over the coil sprung axles, rebuilt everything, re-geared to 5.38, put on a front air locker (LSD in the rear). 2" level front and back, track bar drop bracket, dual stabilizer, not too many other mods except swapped in the 6.0 tranny cooler (a weak spot on the 4r100). MPT81's with Buckstop super singles from another Expo member (I LOVE THIS FORUM). Flat bed and camper are next. Some day I'll do a build thread. First donor I bought at auction thinking I'd strip it, pulled codes, replaced batteries and two injectors, fired right up and sold it to help fund the above. I'm in it about $22k net, $32k gross.
I have my dream setup now. 7.3 Powerstroke (don't even start you suns of guns!), 2006 coil sprung front Super 60 wide-track, matching re-geared rear Dana S110. THIS THING TURNS BETTER THAN MY GRAND CHEROKEE. Well I had read about these swaps and I had to do it because it's the length of a small bus.
So, depending on your threshold for pain, you r ability to travel to find the truck, your access and/or ability to mod, I think building a $100k truck for $30k is an okay way to go. Sure it's a 20 year old truck and not as luxurious as the newer ones, I absolutely destroy my trucks, alas this one will be work and play, and can't justify spending that kind of cabbage to do so.
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Watt maker
Active member
That’s badazz! What are your plans for the back half?
DirtWhiskey
Western Dirt Rat
I'm sort of building pods for different "modes". 12 foot Aluminum flatbed with a front cross body box is next. In "work or toy haul mode" the truck flatbed will wear this canopy I currently have on my custom flatbed raft trailer. It was a custom job that ARE built for a welder who never paid for it or picked it up. Sat on a camper shell dealer lot for ever. I kept driving by it (there were two, yes I should have bought them both) and I grabbed it a few years back and now have a use for it. Here is the pod in "trailer mode":
It's 10 feet long, 7.5 feet wide and 55 inches tall not including the rack. In camper mode the canopy will go back on the flatbed trailer to haul toys and a TBD custom flatbed camper will live on the truck (his name is Troy). Really digging the Total Composite shells just waiting for the flatbed models to come about. Thinking about having it built out locally and emulating a few of the amazing TC builds currently on this site.
Problem is flatbed builders are out 4 to 6 months and custom camper builders are out 14 to 24 months ACK! So we will probably be camping out of the flatbed shell this year while we figure everything else out. Or maybe buy a side entry camper and mount it on the bed while we wait. Really kicking myself for not jumping on a Lance 830 model that sold here in SLC recently.
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DirtWhiskey
Western Dirt Rat
Sorry for the thread hijack. I will say that the Ram with the new 8 speed tranny with the 6.4 hemi and the Ford 7.3 gas with the 10 speed from Ford, if I went new, I would go gas. Gas has never been better.
Stormhammer
Member
Get an ARB bumper on that 16!