Don't say those words out loud!
My Ford Truck Project (And Other Projects)
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Don't say those words out loud!
Don't forget the crane to lift your cab off to change the 6.0 or 6.4 on side of the road😁. How Navistar didn't learn from the Olds Diesel debacle with 4 head bolts per cylinder plus let's add boost is mind boggling!
I still see 6.0s and 6.4s going down the road every day, it seriously makes me scratch my head wondering how they are still running.
Been thinking about this a little more, I'm still far from ready to buy anything so I'm just tossing ideas around. Basically the purpose of this truck I'm planning on buying is to have one vehicle that can perform the reliable beater duties that the Toyota did and also take some of the load off the F150.
That said, if I can allow my diesel bug to itch a little longer there are some pretty decent deals to be had. As far as search criteria, my must haves are basically 4x4, an 8 foot bed and either a V8, V10 or whatever diesel. Those are pretty much the only things I won't compromise on. Also, no body rot. I'm not buying another rust bucket.
And obviously I want air conditioning.
I'd prefer a regular cab (but it seems like no one buys those anymore), plastic floors, something with a built in trailer brake controller, and obviously as new and as low mileage as possible but I'd be willing to make some compromises with that stuff. Also it would be extremely beneficial if I could tow a skid steer without white knuckles. There probably are some half tons that could pull that amount of weight but a 3/4 ton will do it a lot more comfortably which is what I'm after.
I don't care about power windows, locks, or mirrors, backup cameras, infotainment garbage, chrome trim, wheels, etc. If there is a single cosmetic item I'd like it would be cab lights but far from a requirement.
I'm not sworn to Ford either. I'll look at Rams and GMs. I don't really like the GMT900 trucks due to some lousy body work experiences with them, but they aren't totally disqualified. I do like the GMT800s and the K2XX trucks though.
I think my primary search candidate are GMT800s, third and fourth gen Rams, and Super Duties with either 6.8s, 6.2s, or 7.3 diesels. Nothing wrong with the 6.7 diesels but I doubt I'll find one in my expected budget.
Anyways I'm just typing up thoughts they cross my mind. I'm still a way off from being ready to buy anything but I will be buying another truck and I like to have an idea of what I want to look for.
That said, if I can allow my diesel bug to itch a little longer there are some pretty decent deals to be had. As far as search criteria, my must haves are basically 4x4, an 8 foot bed and either a V8, V10 or whatever diesel. Those are pretty much the only things I won't compromise on. Also, no body rot. I'm not buying another rust bucket.
And obviously I want air conditioning.
I'd prefer a regular cab (but it seems like no one buys those anymore), plastic floors, something with a built in trailer brake controller, and obviously as new and as low mileage as possible but I'd be willing to make some compromises with that stuff. Also it would be extremely beneficial if I could tow a skid steer without white knuckles. There probably are some half tons that could pull that amount of weight but a 3/4 ton will do it a lot more comfortably which is what I'm after.
I don't care about power windows, locks, or mirrors, backup cameras, infotainment garbage, chrome trim, wheels, etc. If there is a single cosmetic item I'd like it would be cab lights but far from a requirement.
I'm not sworn to Ford either. I'll look at Rams and GMs. I don't really like the GMT900 trucks due to some lousy body work experiences with them, but they aren't totally disqualified. I do like the GMT800s and the K2XX trucks though.
I think my primary search candidate are GMT800s, third and fourth gen Rams, and Super Duties with either 6.8s, 6.2s, or 7.3 diesels. Nothing wrong with the 6.7 diesels but I doubt I'll find one in my expected budget.
Anyways I'm just typing up thoughts they cross my mind. I'm still a way off from being ready to buy anything but I will be buying another truck and I like to have an idea of what I want to look for.
Take it from a GMT900 owner: the GMT800 is a way better truck.
That has definitely been my experience with them. GM got really cheap with the materials and fit and finish is sub par. I dont know where they were sourcing the steel for the 900 trucks, but it rusts stupid fast. The drivetrains are probably fine but the bodies and frames do not hold up.
Story time- When I was still in auto body, we had a customer with a 2010 or 2011-ish Silverado half ton. It was an extended cab, 6.5 ft bed, Z71, leather interior, nice looking truck. I think he was a lawyer or a paralegal, he never actually used it as a truck. He wrecked into shitt all the time. I mean he was in the shop probably once a year for hitting something. I snapped more rusty bolts and screws on that truck than I care to think about. By the time it was probably 3 years the old undercarriage looked like it had been sitting at the bottom of the ocean, and it needed wheel arches not long after that. The cab corners were starting to bubble too and he wanted those fixed but my boss talked him out of it. And probably 3 months after we put wheel arches on it he sideswiped a pole and wound up having to put a whole bedside on it. It felt like such a waste to put a new bedside on a truck that wasn't gonna last another 5 years.
I like stripper trim! Gimme steel wheels and black bumpers, plastic floors and vinyl seats!
When I bought my '15 Silverado, I originally ordered a Standard Cab Short Bed 4wd that was optioned up from a WT. Carpet instead of vinyl and power windows and locks. Other than that it was WT trim. I liked the truck when it arrived, but with rebates and dealer incentives I ended up buying a Double Cab 4wd that was already on the lot for about the same money.
As far as the GMT 900 trucks, I had a co-worker who had an '02 GMC that had to be made with a bad batch of metal. This thing was fairly well taken care of, but he still had to put either rockers, fenders, or cab corners on it about about every year from '05 to '11 when he got rid of it. The body shop that was doing the work was reputable, but the cancer was in that truck bad.
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