What Diesel Truck Would You Buy For $35k?

[CHenry]

sure its a waste of money but we all have things we spend money on that aren't exactly necessities. I got my first diesel back in 08 or 09 (1st gen cummins) and just enjoy driving them more than gassers.

Oh I get it. I had 3 of them at one time. a 7.3, 6.0 and 6.4 and 2 of them were modded out which means $$$. It was fun at the time but I guess I've grown outa that faze and Ive realized the thousands I wasted on it too. But it was a fun time.

 

[Okie4570]

haha come one man give me a little credit.

It was a 1990 non IC single cab dually and was bad to the bone. Love those 1st gen trucks

Still use an 89' and a 91' on the farm. They may start and go everyday, but are complete towing terds in comparison to current diesels.

 

[CHenry]

Still use an 89' and a 91' on the farm. They may start and go everyday, but are complete towing terds in comparison to current diesels.
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And I bet the doors sag 2" when you open them lol

 

[Okie4570]

And I bet the doors sag 2" when you open them lol

At least. The frames have been worked on a couple of times, they become U shaped pretty easy.

 

[Cowcatcher]

The old ones had much better fuel economy. It's kinda funny nowadays when I hear someone saying modern trucks have better fuel economy cuz of the modern advances of today. I completely disagree. Gas or diesel. The modern gassers I've been around for ranch work get no better mpg and dang sure won't pull with the old 460 and 454.
This is based on a few years with the 6.0 vortec, 5.7 hemi and 5.4 Ford

 

[Cowcatcher]

At least. The frames have been worked on a couple of times, they become U shaped pretty easy.

Same goes for the Chevys of the 80s-90s too. I don't remember any bent frames on the Fords... I think they had boxed frames before the others. I know for a fact that attaching a "ranch hand" to the front of a Chevy was pointless until a few years ago when they went to a box from all the way out the front. The early to mid 2000s at the ranch I was at before coming here ran those trucks. Daggum front bumpers were like pushin a snow shovel most of the time. Boss would stop by sometimes and say "looks like a good day to get all these trucks in the shop and tighten bumpers...weld em if need be". My reply "what the hell do we weld em to? The radiator?"

 

[zghorner]

The old ones had much better fuel economy. It's kinda funny nowadays when I hear someone saying modern trucks have better fuel economy cuz of the modern advances of today. I completely disagree. Gas or diesel. The modern gassers I've been around for ranch work get no better mpg and dang sure won't pull with the old 460 and 454.
This is based on a few years with the 6.0 vortec, 5.7 hemi and 5.4 Ford

Both of my 12v trucks got around 20 mpg...however, as stated above they have nowhere near the power a modern diesel has.

 

[Cowcatcher]

Both of my 12v trucks got around 20 mpg...however, as stated above they have nowhere near the power a modern diesel has.

I agree. When I was talking more power in the old ones I meant gas rigs. Diesels have definitely improved.

 

[Cowcatcher]

In 1997 the 460 made 245hp and 395tq. In comparison, the '09 5.4 makes 310hp and 365tq. Hmmmm.

I guess torque is a factor. I don't go by the numbers too much. I think they are mostly bs honestly. Numbers sell trucks I guess. Firsthand experience is tough to beat. Back in the day (not that long ago) Dad, brother and I stocked dude ranches with geldings in SW Colorado. We had a 250k mile 1990 460 that we drug a 32' trailer and 15 geldings over Wolf Creek Pass with several times a year. It pulled it good. Not great, not bad it just pulled it. We upgraded to a 95 cummins and thought we were unstoppable then. After running some of these modern gassers around Oklahoma I can say that'd it'd be pretty tough to get me to tackle WC pass in one compared to what I've pulled with em around here. The 5.7 hemi I currently use as a feedtruck reads 5.6mpg on the dash and pulls like crap. The other hand here runs a 6.0 vortec and it reads 5.8mpg and pulls like crap too. The modern trucks have nicer interiors but that's about it. I don't even wanna get started on the joke called "traction control" in these trucks or push button 4x4. That crap helps you get stuck.

 

[Okie4570]

If looking at numbers, RPM's has to be included. Didn't realize that so much until I went from a 6.0lpsd,(10 years) to a 6.2l ford gas for 1.5 years, then to a 6.7l psd.

6.0l psd 325hp @ 3300 and 570tq @2000

6.2l gas Ford SD 385hp @ 5750 rpm, 430tq @ 3800 rpm

6.7lpsd (2012) 400hp @2800 and 800tq @1600
6.7lpsd (2017) 440hp @2800 and 925tq @1600

Those gas numbers aren't bad, but who's going to be driving/towing at those RPM's to achieve those numbers? Nobody I would think. Going 70mph towing a huge load at 1600rpm and knowing that you're towing at peak torque make a guy feel good lol.