Just can't get a good basic truck, like the old days!

[Renze]

Those v8 diesels were junk but no v8 diesel in the American market last to a million miles like 6 cylinder diesels do.

In Europe we used to have V8 Mercedes, MAN, Iveco, Scania, and Mercedes and MAN V10 and V12 engines in the 80s. These are now in the 3rd world, clocking 2 million miles.

I believe the US industry also put the Cat 3508 in trucks, and the Mack V8 could pretty much keep up with the inline sixes too... Its the design philosiphy behind it, not the cylinder count...

 

[sd455dan]

Being here, we've haven't had much besides Cummins (< not complaining) for I6 diesels, that I can recall.....(meaning light-vehicles).

Just the other night, @ work, I ended up having a long chat with a guy I don't normally talk with much... conversation kicked off about old I6 gas engines. His Dad had rebuilt their Ford I6 a couple of times, had close to 1MM miles on the car, before finally retiring it. Same engine, well liked in light trucks back when, at least for farm use. Once it was EPA'd out of vehicles, Ford kept building for industrial markets, for quite a while.

Can't keep an inherently good design down..... not sure about the current Supra, but Toyota often used an I6 as a higher-end engine. Mazda seems to have an I6 offering today... (checking, OK, it's a hybrid.... well, it is 2025....)...... and Ram is now using turbo-gas I6 engines in their pickups......

Olde, meet New....

Rgds, D.

It will take a Lot to convince me that the new RAM I6 Aluminum sleeveless "plasma transfer wire arc (PTWA)" coating on the cylinder bores is better longevity wise than the Iron AMC 6, that Chrysler used for decades in the Jeeps.

I just had the granddaughters Wrangler 4.0 apart due to a bad exhaust valve, and checking the bores at over 230K miles there was no cylinder ridge at all, all cylinders 155+ after recutting the seat and a new valve installed.

I would like to see rebuild cost comparison as well. If any debris ever scores a cylinder wall, they are going to make like a Chevy Vega aluminum 4 did back in the day. Some reports of overheating and of all the things you don't want on an aluminum block liner less engine are bad thermostats which apparently were installed on some engines. No arguments it is a powerhouse though.

 

[nisaacs]

That reminds me. I've always thought that Jeep must be kicking themselves in the rear for stopping production of full-sized trucks when they did. Just as the market for big trucks was exploding, they stopped. If they would have kept building the Gladiator they would have sold millions.

I'm not saying anything about the merits of the truck, I know nothing about their quality or performance abilities, but just the fact that they had the Jeep name and styling would have had people standing in line when the big truck market exploded.

I grew up in that era. The Jeep and Dodge were just super homely, Lol Even the IH lost out and it was a fair looking truck. In '69 I ordered a '70 F-100 4x2, with the 390 and 4 spd sport custom trim, $3100 It is still in the family, I gave it to my oldest son, he is the same age as it.

Then in '91 I bought my first Dodge/Cummins and never looked at Ford anymore

 

[sd455dan]

That reminds me. I've always thought that Jeep must be kicking themselves in the rear for stopping production of full-sized trucks when they did. Just as the market for big trucks was exploding, they stopped. If they would have kept building the Gladiator they would have sold millions.

I'm not saying anything about the merits of the truck, I know nothing about their quality or performance abilities, but just the fact that they had the Jeep name and styling would have had people standing in line when the big truck market exploded.

That Pic makes me want to restify the old Honcho an M715 would be cool though.

 

[Renze]

It will take a Lot to convince me that the new RAM I6 Aluminum sleeveless "plasma transfer wire arc (PTWA)" coating on the cylinder bores is better longevity wise than the Iron AMC 6, that Chrysler used for decades in the Jeeps.

VW had problems with the bore coating chipping off of the last iteration of 2.5 TDI engines in the Transporter 5.

Other than that, Volvos inline 5 had aluminium liners, and lasted a million km. The only engine that failed was the 2.5 turbo, it didnt have enough meat between the cylinders so liners heat cracked between each cylinder. Tje T5 2.3 was also a full aluminium block, just with a smaller bore for more meat in the liner.

In Iceland rock crawling competition, they either run a turbo LS, or a Volvo D5 diesel block (with steel liners cast in an aluminium block) with T5 heads and pistons. Then, this block withstands 1000hp

 

[Hay Dude]

That reminds me. I've always thought that Jeep must be kicking themselves in the rear for stopping production of full-sized trucks when they did. Just as the market for big trucks was exploding, they stopped. If they would have kept building the Gladiator they would have sold millions.

I'm not saying anything about the merits of the truck, I know nothing about their quality or performance abilities, but just the fact that they had the Jeep name and styling would have had people standing in line when the big truck market exploded.

Same with International Harvester.

 

[Hay Dude]

I grew up in that era. The Jeep and Dodge were just super homely, Lol Even the IH lost out and it was a fair looking truck. In '69 I ordered a '70 F-100 4x2, with the 390 and 4 spd sport custom trim, $3100 It is still in the family, I gave it to my oldest son, he is the same age as it.

Then in '91 I bought my first Dodge/Cummins and never looked at Ford anymore

View attachment 4133401

I am also a Ford to Ram convert.
All those years I drove Ford, I kind of admired Dodge (Ram).
Then I bought my first Ram and it was all over.

I will look at Ford again on my next truck, but probably buy another Ram. Still really like the 15+ year old Chevy Duramaxes, too.

 

[paulsharvey]

So, here is an example; we have a $54,000 Frontier with the bling, options, ect; or the build I did above; pretty much same capability, just $20,000 in extra stuff. Nothing wrong with spending the $54k if you have the money and want the stuff; but dont complain about how you Had to spend $54k for a mid sized.

 

[jjeff]

This seems fitting for this thread I stumbled on despite not being a pickup truck. https://carbuzz.com/chevrolet-express-van-refuses-to-die/

 

[Jstpssng]

So, here is an example; we have a $54,000 Frontier with the bling, options, ect; or the build I did above; pretty much same capability, just $20,000 in extra stuff. Nothing wrong with spending the $54k if you have the money and want the stuff; but dont complain about how you Had to spend $54k for a mid sized.View attachment 4133494

Around here it's hard to find one which doesn't have all of the junk I don't want. I call them pimpmobiles... can I say that here?