1998 Dodge 3/4 ton should I or shouldnt I

[DiamondSCattleCo]

Cummins designed the entire frame and drivetrain around their engines for Dodge because at first, Dodge did just drop Cummins engines in a regular 3/4 ton truck. They blew out differentials, driveshafts, everything during testing.

Gulch, the frame on a 3/4 ton gas and a 3/4 diesel is identical. Running gear is a different story (see my previous post). But Cummins didn't 'design' anything on the Dodge truck, just supplied the engine and Dodge adapted their trucks to the engine.

Rod

 

[Judith]

I'm actually a FORD girl from way back...Ducks and runs for cover! ( I'm still part girly or something, I like the fact that they drive like a car....) I like how quiet the Fords drive and find the handling is alot nicer. I dont want to hear my truck when it is on. The muffler on the new truck is retardedly loud so I will be having the stock one put back on. Too bad as the whole system is brand spankin new. Clearly the previous owner compensation issues and needed to have his truck sound super manly! BUT I do have a small section of my brain that fights me for towing. I have driven a few Dodges that you can't even feel that you have a trailer behind :shock: Bottom line for me is CHEAP not label! I am one of those weirdos from way back that doesnt want any debt. If I do have debt I want to be able to liquidate it . (I will get a loan for cows for instance)

 

[RoperAB]

Actually the problem with the 4 wheel drive was an operator error... I was doing it wrong... Truck was supposed to be a movin and I had it stopped. It was totally fine

It should engage parked.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. In 1998, the proper way to engage 4 wheel drive is as Judith described it, while rolling slightly. Doing otherwise is hard on the transfer case and the central axle disconnect.

Roper, as far as your comments about a Cummins, it wouldn't be an easy swap. PCMs would need to be switched out, even if she went with a mechanical diesel, and the front and rear diffs wouldn't be the Dana 70 and 70/80 hybrid rear, but probably a Dana 60 front and Dana 70 rear. The transfer case would likely have been the NV241LD, versus the NV241HD, which is needed for the diesel. It would also be hit or miss whether the front suspension components were up to the task. If the truck had the snowplow prep package, it would have the springs/shocks from a Cummins, otherwise other coils/shocks would need to be installed. Doing a swap isn't always easy on those trucks

And Judith, are you nuts? Trading a Dodge and buying a CHEV?

Rod

Rod
I know way more about 73 to 87 GMC than I do about Dodge but I do know that early 70s Dodge 1 tons came with a dana 60 up front. I was also looking at a new 2003 Dodge 3/4 ton 360 in town that had what had to have been about a dana 70 up front and a dana 80 in the rear. Neither houseing was marked so im not 100% sure what they were but they were massive compared to my Dana 60 front and corporate 14 bolt rear. These Dodge houseings had to have atleast 10" to 11" ring gear in them which to me is overkill but great! There is no way these axles should have to be upgraded!
Also isnt the dodge standard transmission the same one that used in Chevy, the NV 45oo?
As far as transfer cases goes I dont know what Dodge uses but I suspect that there isnt much difference between the one used with the Cummings and the one used for gas motors? Look at old Chevs you used to get a 205 in half tons right up through to one tons. My truck<that I built> has a 208. I didnt bother to upgrade tothe 205 because I got better lower gear reduction in 4 Low with the 208 than with a 205. I can shift on the fly plus 208s are a dime a dozen around here. I can rebuild a lot of 208s for the price of one 205 and I have never had any trouble with my 208.
Anyway my point is that any set of Full Float axles with over 9"ring gear should be plenty for the cummings. If it isnt its because of how its being driven. Look at all the 400 plus Horse Power muscle cars that came stock with a dana 60 or even a Ford 9" rear end 30 or 40 years ago.
I know of two pre 87 GMCs that have Cummings in them. These guysw wheel with their trucks to.
Also about front coils. Those trucks come from the factory with the front end to low on them. The dealer in town actually puts leveling coils on them before he sells them. Actually most of the trucks he sells he puts 4" to 6" suspension kits under them. But even if it was a light duty truck what does a set of HD coils cost? Cant be much plus on a truck this old its not going to hurt to have new suspension anyway. Plus you might as well get a suspension kit thats going to give you 4" of lift anyways so you can mount a decent tire under it.
As far as the radiator im not sure. But there again whats the big deal about putting a bigger rad in front? The old one wouldnt have a lot of miles left in it anyways.
PCMs? What does this stand for?

 

[RoperAB]

Also about driveshafts
On old chevs they are all the same. Example 1/2 ton front shafts are identical to one tons. The rear shafts are the same except for your yokes and ujoints. I upgraded my rear shaft by getting spicer 1350 yokes welded and balanced.
I know the V10 and cummings dodges have even bigger shafts but gosh almighty thats over kill. I used to drive super B trucks that grossed over 140,000 pounds with driveshafts that were small in comparison to the weight ratio.
I mean bigger is always better but I still dont think you need everything that beefed up to handle an early mechanical cummings.

Judith
Ford stands for
Fix
Or
Repair
Daily
:wink:

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

1) also looking at a new 2003 Dodge 3/4 ton 360 in town that had what had to have been about a dana 70 up front and a dana 80 in the rear.

2) Also isnt the dodge standard transmission the same one that used in Chevy, the NV 45oo?

3) As far as transfer cases goes I dont know what Dodge uses but I suspect that there isnt much difference between the one used with the Cummings and the one used for gas motors?

4) Anyway my point is that any set of Full Float axles with over 9"ring gear should be plenty for the cummings. If it isnt its because of how its being driven. Look at all the 400 plus Horse Power muscle cars that came stock with a dana 60 or even a Ford 9" rear end 30 or 40 years ago.

5) Also about front coils. Those trucks come from the factory with the front end to low on them. The dealer in town actually puts leveling coils on them before he sells them.

6)But even if it was a light duty truck what does a set of HD coils cost?

7) As far as the radiator im not sure. But there again whats the big deal about putting a bigger rad in front? The old one wouldnt have a lot of miles left in it anyways.

8) PCMs? What does this stand for?

1) In 2003, Dodge went a different route. Those are 10" Corporates up front, and 11's in the back. Bigger gearsets, but lighter duty than the Danas they replaced. Also, in 1999 - 2002, the LD designation was removed from the gas engined trucks, so the diffs would have been the same gas to diesel. 1994 - 1998 was a goofy bunch of years with multiple transfer cases and different axles all over the place.

2) In 1998 the NV4500 was the standard transmission, but it wasn't the same as the Chevy NV4500. Dodge gas engines (except v10 and 1/2 ton) and all Chevs got the LD trans.

3) Big difference between the NV231 (1/2 tons), NV 241LD (gas engined 3/4 tons) and NV241HD (v10, diesel) by the tune of 100 ftlb torque handling (or more).

4) Its not horsepower that kills, but torque. 400 HP muscle cars were often saddled with less than 350 lb/ft of torque. Diesels, especially Cummins, are torque monsters. From 1994, you couldn't get less than 450 lb/ft, and much of that was at low RPM. You stuff a 9" Ford rear diff on a Cummins, you'll tear in half the first time you tuck under a trailer. Even the old 6.9 and 7.3 diesels needed 10.5" Ford diffs to stay glued together.

5) Actually, he'll put levelling blocks under them. 2" blocks stuffed inside the coil towers.

6) The last set of HD coils I sold were 500 bucks.

7) Hmmmmmm, from 1995 on, they should have been the same rad. In 04, they split apart again.

8) Powertrain control module. Its the gizmo that receives engine readout information from the ECM (Engine Control Module) to run gauges, shift the automatic, etc etc etc. Without a PCM/ECM match, there would be no gauges, no power to the starter, no turn signals, etc etc.

Pre-1994 gas to diesel swaps were very simple to do. Yank the gasser, dump in a diesel, new coils, and hit the key. After 1994 it was MUCH cheaper to sell the gas truck and simply buy a diesel.

Rod

 

[Judith]

Or Found on Road Dead.

 

[RoperAB]

Rod
Well you know more about Dodge than I do thats for sure.
Im still skeptible about the need for all this drivetrain swapping.
You know with my old chev 1/2 ton with a corporate 10 bolt in front and a corporate 12 bolt in the rear I never broke a ujoint, twisted an axle shaft, tore out ring and pinions, or broke axles or really tore anything up. You know the main reason I converted to one ton was because the 1/2 ton axle houseings simple were not big enough to support the loads I was hauling. I was literally bending the whole houseings.
You know if you jump into a big truck<18 wheeler or bigger> Its easy to wreck the drivetrain if you dont drive it right. Put a good driver in that same truck and it will last forever.
I still think that has a lot to do with what we are talking about here in little trucks.
I still bet I could put in an older all mechanical Cummings into a basically stock Dodge 3/4 ton and have no troubles.
About muscle cars
Your right they didnt have the torque. However they had young fellows driveing and spinning them for all they were worth :lol: The dana 60 held up and the horsepower numbers because of insurance reasons was down played by all manufacturers years ago.
I agree a Ford 9 inch would not be very smart but those dana 60s were one heck of a tough axle assemble.

Okay here is another question. Now all the new Dodge trucks around here are one tons for the most part because everybody around here wants a solid front axle. But Ford, Chev and the 3/4 ton Dodges all have pitiful independent front ends under them now.
To me none of these front ends look as solid as the old dana 60. Yet these new independents front ends are being powered by high output diesels?

Judith
GMC
Garage
Mans
Curse :lol:

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

To me none of these front ends look as solid as the old dana 60. Yet these new independents front ends are being powered by high output diesels?

The gearsets themselves on the new trucks are often heavier duty than the Dana 60, despite being stuffed into an independent suspension. Axle diameter, bearing surface, etc etc are all bigger, hence the torque handling capacity. Unfortunately, the independents of ANY breed, whether it be Ford, Chev or Dodge will wear tires faster when under a load and handling gets a little snakier. None of the big 3 have figured out how to stop camber/caster from changing when the back of the truck squats. Hence the reason I'll never take an independent front truck seriously as a work truck.

Rod

 

[RoperAB]

Hey Rod according to Petersons 4 wheel and off road magazine the NV 4500 was the same in GM and Dodge except for the first gear ratio in early models.
Advance adapters sell kits to mount those NV4500s onto just about any motor you can think of. Also Petersons dont recomend independent front axle assembles for running anything bigger than 36" tires.
Hey you know if you look at the built trucks in their magazine just about all the serious trucks have a solid dana 60 up front. If the truck comes with something else they cut it out and go with a dana 60 setup.
Dynatrac builds new dana 60s just for this porpose. Military surplus and junkyard dana 60s are just about impossible and very expensive to get and thats when you can get them. They are that popular with wheelers.
I know with rock crawlers its also about axle articulation but that doesnt mean much to race trucks<tough truck compatition,Baja>. But the best example would be mud boggers. Camber Caster and axle articulation means nothing to a mud runner but yet all these guys run a dana 60 or bigger <think 2.5 ton rockwells>up front depending on how big of a truck that they build.
But there are tons of 500plus horsepower race /performance trucks out there running a dana 60 up front.
Something else might be that apparently because of the hub center disconnect system on those new dodge front axles apparently you cant run a detroit locker in them?? So I guess this would be the main reason for going with a dana 60?
BTW Here is another reason for keeping an old truck with a dana 60. If I remember right the outer bearings, seals for my axle was about $100. Apparently on the new truks if you want to replace your outer bearings they come complete and sealed with new hubs. On these everything is pre lubed, torqed, etc but they apparently cost $750!!???
I know one thing. The old pre 87 GMC or pre 79 Fords were a lot simpler,less to break and repair and a whole lot easier to work at.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

1) Hey Rod according to Petersons 4 wheel and off road magazine the NV 4500 was the same in GM and Dodge except for the first gear ratio in early models.

2) Hey you know if you look at the built trucks in their magazine just about all the serious trucks have a solid dana 60 up front. If the truck comes with something else they cut it out and go with a dana 60 setup.

3) But there are tons of 500plus horsepower race /performance trucks out there running a dana 60 up front.

4) Something else might be that apparently because of the hub center disconnect system on those new dodge front axles apparently you cant run a detroit locker in them?? So I guess this would be the main reason for going with a dana 60?

5) BTW Here is another reason for keeping an old truck with a dana 60. If I remember right the outer bearings, seals for my axle was about $100. Apparently on the new truks if you want to replace your outer bearings they come complete and sealed with new hubs. On these everything is pre lubed, torqed, etc but they apparently cost $750!!???

1) Peterson's is off. Several bearings are different between the two. I'm not sure if the 1999 Chevy used an NV4500, but it even had a different shift pattern. Petersons may only be talking about interchanging between vehicles in so far as bolt patterns are concerned, but I assure you the guts are different.

2) I never had much to do with rock crawler build ups at all, so I really don't know why they'd be using 60s except they aren't putting torque to the ground like a tow rig or a sled puller. Don't get me wrong, there is certainly nothing wrong with a 60. They were good diffs, but I'll take a Corporate 10 or 11 inch or Dana 70 or 80 anytime, especially mated to a Cummins.

3) Once again though, its not horsepower that matters, but torque. A 500 HP Chevy, a 500 HP Ford, and a 500 HP Dodge will all have different torque ratings with the Dodge easilly putting another 200 - 400 lbft to the ground. Its also going to matter what they're doing with the truck. I'd never run 500 HP through a Dana 60 that was sled pulling, drag racing, or doing serious towing. I wouldn't even run a 250HP/450lbft Cummins through a 60 and feel real comfortable. As you say, proper foot control is everything, but you slip it on ice once, or get mad once and put your foot through the floor.....

On the other hand, with my Dodge drag trucks, I never had a problem dumping the clutch at 3500 RPM while putting close to 1900 lb ft of torque to the ground. I can't even count the number of passes I made with my 2001, and those diffs were like new when I sold the truck. Tore up alot of u-joints, never touched the diffs.

4) Since 2002 Dodge has used full time hubs. Between 1994 and 2001, they used a central axle disconnect system, but I can't see why that would interfere with lockers. I've never done much with Detroits though so who knows.

5) Thats year dependent, not diff dependent. The hubs on my Dana 60 equipped 1993 Ford F250 are rebuildable for $135 (just did it a week ago) each side. The 2000 Ford Dana 60 that my neighbor runs uses sealed, non-rebuildable hubs that run him $1200 a pop (just did his a month ago). Dodge used rebuildable hubs on everything up to and including 1993. In 1994, they went with a sealed one piece unit that you must purchase for $600 (I think this is the price, been awhile since I replaced one) on everything including Dana 44s. I may be off on the year, since something isn't ringing quite right, but all new Dodge 4WDs come with unserviceable hubs, and I believe Chevy and Ford made that move about the same time. Bear in mind that only thing that Dana (or most other gearset supplier) ever supplies is the gearset and axles. Diff housings, hubs, locking hubs, etc etc will either be manufactured by the company or outsourced elsewhere.

Rod

 

[RoperAB]

Tell me more about your drag race trucks!
About axle choice
You know there is another aspect to this for 4X4s
Ground Clearence
On 73 to 87 GMCs some came stock with a dana 70 in the rear but most came with the corporate 14 bolt.
When I built my truck I had a choice in rear ends. There are lots of pros and cons about each axle but strength wise they are both the same. Example 14 bolts are cheaper to buy, more plentiful, cheaper parts<a detroit locker costs almost half as much for it as a dana 70> it can handle lower gears than the dana 70.
The advantage though of the dana 70 over the 14 bolt is the size and shape of the pumpkin. The dana 70 gives you more ground clearence and isnt shaped like a big snow plow to catch rocks and drag mud!
Maybe this has a lot to do with the popularity of the dana 60 front axle on built 4X4s?
Example look at the new dually, diesel Dodge trucks. A friend of mine has a 4 door. I dont know what the axles are but they are huge. Looks like a dana 80 in front and a dana 90 size in the back. The truck has no ground clearence.

non-rebuildable hubs
Man that just pi$$e$ me off when they do stuff like that. You know these trucks cost enough money without them thinking up ways to make them even more unaffordable.
Price a new dually diesel and Kenworths start to look like a good deal! Atleast then you have a real truck thats user friendly to work at. Haha Parts almost cost the same!
Look at this trend to 17" or bigger rims. Everything about that is stupid and expensive. Why do they do stuff like that?

<<On the other hand, with my Dodge drag trucks, I never had a problem dumping the clutch at 3500 RPM while putting close to 1900 lb ft of torque to the ground. I can't even count the number of passes I made with my 2001, and those diffs were like new when I sold the truck. Tore up alot of u-joints, never touched the diffs.>>

Ever watch Pinks?
What are the automatic transmission guys doing at the start? Reving up in neutral and dumping it into gear??? Revving up and holding the brakes?? They cant be, they must have some type of special set up for drag raceing?
Some of the faster cars even have a different looking manul setup. Short throw gear levers by the driver for each gear. Do you know what they are useing

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

1) Tell me more about your drag race trucks!
About axle choice

2) Example look at the new dually, diesel Dodge trucks. A friend of mine has a 4 door. I dont know what the axles are but they are huge. Looks like a dana 80 in front and a dana 90 size in the back. The truck has no ground clearence.

3) Look at this trend to 17" or bigger rims. Everything about that is stupid and expensive. Why do they do stuff like that?

4) What are the automatic transmission guys doing at the start? Reving up in neutral and dumping it into gear??? Revving up and holding the brakes?? They cant be, they must have some type of special set up for drag raceing?

5) Short throw gear levers by the driver for each gear. Do you know what they are useing

1) Not really a whole big bunch to tell. Our trucks were all street open class units. Drive in off the road, staged and run. We had several in the 12's, a few more 13's, and whole host of 14 second trucks. Most were Dodges, using the factory gearsets (almost always 3.55s, 2003 and up used 3.73s). The standards all used South Bend clutches and that was all the upgrade required to the NV4500/NV5600. The automatics were mostly Kondolay built 48REs, although we did have a couple guys who preferred the ATS stuff.

Before I shut down the business, I'd just started on plans for a 10 second 66 Dodge D100 conversion, but was running into snags with the transmission section. There simply weren't any drag racing transmissions that could handle the kind of torque we were going to be putting down to the ground. Oddly enough, we were going to be stuck using something like an Aisin, which I think would have cost us an easy second.

2) Those are 10" Corporates up front, 11" in back. Or maybe 11" up front and 12 in back (I can never keep it straight). Weaker than the Dana 70 front and 70/80 hybrid they replaced. Not bad gearsets, but I wish they'd went back to Dana. They could shrink the housing sizes back down again.

3) 17" rims are rediculous. I understand the idea, as bigger rims generally equals less tire wear. But why not go with something already in use? 19" rims for example. On a dually, you still can't buy a good mud tire in 17" diameter. You need to buy new rims.

4) Usually cramming on the brakes and bringing boost to 10 lbs or so (depending on the turbocharger setup in use), then releasing the brakes and hitting the go pedal. The brakes are usually strong enough to hold the diesels back. After take off and through the first gear change, some shift out of 4WD, at least the guys with the full time hubs. The guys with central axle disconnect are stuck in 4WD for the run.

5) Hurst used to make a shifter called Lightning Rods, which are just like you describe. Trans independent, they were available for most anything.

Rod

 

[Red Robin]

If you put 15,000 into that then you are a daft. You could have went out and bought a used semi and a nice aluminum trailer for about $18,000 and then you might have something. To each his own I guess.

The point of my post was to show how ignorant I am. I'll certainly agree with you. One thing I am certain of though is I'm smarter than you. I was showing Judith how things can get away from you a thousand dollars at a time. Fixing this requires fixing that and so on. You're dense enough you only saw an opportunity of criticism instead of seeing the meaning of my post. Real smart. As far as stupid tricks I've pulled, this one doesn't even get close to the top.

 

[Judith]

Judith under standum lessonum that RR tried to impart. (Grunt, grunt, wanders away from lessonum dragging hairy knuckles on ground) Funny how cave girl figure out lessonum when WHSH cound not figurem outem ) Grunt, scratch.....

 

[Denny]

Roper the guys with the automatic tranny's have a stall converter there are different ones some won't engage until you hit 3500 rpm or more.I had a 72 chevelle SS that had a 3500 stall in it the car was fun to drive it would'nt shift out of 1st until about 45 mph if you held the throttle steady.The trick to that car was drive it like it had a manual when you felt it should shift let off the gas it would shift normal.If you held the throttle it would hit 3rd gear at about 90 mph it would chirp the tires everytime it shifted.

We have a 72 corvette now that's a wicked ride we had it up to 150 one time scare the hell right out of you.If you get on the throttle to hard its tough to keep it under control but it's fun.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

As far as stupid tricks I've pulled, this one doesn't even get close to the top.

:lol: :lol: You know, it doesn't even really qualify as a stupid trick. There is not a single person who hasn't gotten caught by surprise by a project vehicle. You stuff a few hundred bucks in there, and something else hits, so you stuff another thousand there. Pretty soon, you got so much tied up in it, you might just as well keep going. This 93 Ford I'm driving is a good example. Got it cheap, with a new motor, trans, transfer case and a bunch of front end work done. Figured I was going to be set for awhile, but I'm sitting at $1800 right now, and I've found another thousand at least that'll need doing.

Rod

 

[RoperAB]

Denny
Thanks for explaining stall converters. I have heard of high rpm SC but I never understood them until now.
RR
Just try to ignore WHSH. I started to write a hateful reply to him and then I thought the heck with what he thinks.

Rod here is a pic of an 1987 GMC with a new Duramax diesel in it. Truck is stock dana 60, corp.14 bolt,205 transfer case. It does have a new NV4500 tranny in it though.
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/garage.php?do=big&p=8549

About project vehicles
I look at it this way. Every vehicle is a money loser. Does not matter if you buy new or run a beater.
I know with me that I love old trucks and muscle cars. Im going to have the same amount of money into my old GM that I could have gone out and bought a new one. However IMO im going to have a better than new truck when im done. Another thing that I like is that since I have worked at my truck so much that its easy for me to work at it now because I know my truck pretty good. When you rebuild a truck you can also build it exactly the way you want it.
Plus the old trucks are cool. There is a 68 Chevy 1/2 ton parked out on a field about 5 miles from here that im tempted to buy. What a nice project truck! Put a 500plus cubic inch GM performance engine,TH400 tranny and a 14 bolt FF rear end in it and there wouldnt be a diesel around that could touch it<on a straight away :wink: >
But you could buy that truck for nothing, fix it up fairly cheap <make it aq Rat Rod>or put as much money into it that you wanted. Example a nice 4 link air ride rear suspension, Gear Venders overdrive, nitrous set up, blower, oh gosh im getting turned on just thinking about it :lol: :lol: :lol:
Anyway I cant see the sense in selling one old truck say like your Ford Rod<atleast you know what you got> going out and buying a newer truck that you dont know and end up putting a bunch of money into it. You might as well have kept your old truck. I would rather spend my money on new parts than on truck payments, insurance, loan interest.
Like if you have the money then sure go out and buy a new truck. But late model trucks around here cost so much that you might as well buy bran new or keep what you have.

 

[the_jersey_lilly_2000]

When the price of new trucks went higher than the price of my house, that's when I said NOPE........that's why we've only ever owned one (1) new off the lot vehicle, and it wasn't a truck, it was a 1989 Pontiac Grand Am. I loved that car it would really scoot down the highway. But ya couldnt haul nothin in it besides the kids. There just wasn't any room in it. I've faced the fact that I won't ever own a new truck. And it don't hurt my feelins one bit. LOL If you take a walk thru the FORD dealership parkin lot and look at the new ones....double cab dually's......you'll walk away shakin yer head.....about 6 years ago, the last time I was seriously new truck shoppin.......$43,000 price tag. That's plumb crazy. And I told em so, then left. Aint been back on a new truck lot since either.
I have a 72, Chevy stepside that I got from my brother to restore. One of these days I hope we have time to actually do it. Guess we'll have the time after both kids are gone, but then we won't have the money cuz we'll be payin for college.......LOL So....guess we should buy the parts now...save em till then.....and I'll get my truck redone. Got it figured out now...woohoooooooo LOL

 

[RoperAB]

When the price of new trucks went higher than the price of my house, that's when I said NOPE........that's why we've only ever owned one (1) new off the lot vehicle, and it wasn't a truck, it was a 1989 Pontiac Grand Am. I loved that car it would really scoot down the highway. But ya couldnt haul nothin in it besides the kids. There just wasn't any room in it. I've faced the fact that I won't ever own a new truck. And it don't hurt my feelins one bit. LOL If you take a walk thru the FORD dealership parkin lot and look at the new ones....double cab dually's......you'll walk away shakin yer head.....about 6 years ago, the last time I was seriously new truck shoppin.......$43,000 price tag. That's plumb crazy. And I told em so, then left. Aint been back on a new truck lot since either.
I have a 72, Chevy stepside that I got from my brother to restore. One of these days I hope we have time to actually do it. Guess we'll have the time after both kids are gone, but then we won't have the money cuz we'll be payin for college.......LOL So....guess we should buy the parts now...save em till then.....and I'll get my truck redone. Got it figured out now...woohoooooooo LOL

Well around here new dually diesels cost about $65,000. I have about $20,000 in my old truck and the only thing left to do is the body. I can get my truck body redone professionaly with all new body panels for about $4000. Body parts are dirt cheap for those old trucks, example right from GM a new front fender is about $70, rear box panel $350, inner wheel well $40, etc.

A friend of mine went out last year and bought a 2003 Dodge dually diesel. Im guessing he paid around $35,000 for it and it had over 250,000km on it.
But here is the deal, although nothing really major went on it he has done a pile of work to that truck. Some of the stuff was expensive like the transmission but a lot of the little stuff that a guy doesnt think of as being expensive actually turned out to be expensive because there is a lot to go wrong on those new trucks and the parts for those new trucks are expensive and IT ALL ADDS UP!
72 Step sides Chevys are cool! You go girl :lol:

 

[Faster horses]

I agree with Roper AB. He said it well.

"Every vehicle is a money loser."

So drive what you want.

Us, we prefer new. Drove and fixed
all the others for years. We had a 1956 Jeep that cost us
a terrible amount every year just to keep that thing on the road.
I finally figured up we could make a new pickup payment with what
that Jeep was costing us. So we did. Bought a 1967 Ford
3/4 ton. 352 engine with 456 gear ratio. What a pickup that was.
We were so proud of it. It was a real horse, anyway compared to
the Jeep.

We only have had one outfit to drive so if we haven't been
able to afford new, we bought something with
10,000 miles or less and then drove it forever. We bought one pickup
in 1972 and drove it until 1979. Boy, I think that new used 1979 Ford F250 4x4 was the pickup I appreciated the most.
Power steering, WOOO HOOOOO, instead of armstrong steering. Little closer to the ground too. That 1979 pickup was the biggest step up of anything we have ever had.

After about 10 years, the engine went out finally, and Mr. FH had a high output something or other put in it. Really had the power, for a little while. It quit on us very soon though, and the folks from Belgrade had to come and get it. They hauled it back through
town on a trailer for all the world to see. They fixed it, and then we
sold it. Isn't that the way? Put that money in it and got rid of it anyway.