looking at a 09 superduty 6.4L powerstroke

[Soundguy]

Soundguy, its not that far to Texas. Autotrader.com got me a few of my recent vehicles. Pick a zip code central to where you want to look in the target state and specify a radius in miles. I picked Houston, but there are mega truck dealers in Dallas too. Saved about $7k compared to buying in MI and I got a salt free vehicle.

yep.. 14 hours from my door to houston!

went there a couple years ago ( temple actually.. a few more hours down the road ) to grab a tractor..

soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

well no wonder I could only find one dodge diesel in 2 months of looking.. but pulled up generous amounts of fords and gm flavors. pure numbers against me for that era.

makes sense.

soundguy

2 reasons for this. Of the diesel market in the 90's Ford had about 50% of it. GM was at about 33%, and Dodge was at about 17%. Its just the pure numbers.

Second reason is the 5.9L Cummins guys love those engines. I know guys around here that when a Dodge of that era rust out, about 10 years on average, they swap the motor into something else. I personally know where there are 12 valve Cummins motors running in GMC and Ford trucks and a Jeep within a 5 mile radius of me. The guy across the streets son has a 12 Valve in a late model Dodge 3/4 ton that started life with a gasser in it. This is simply because the motor is 3 time as durable as the truck they originally came in. They just scrap the truck.

Chris

 

[Soundguy]

if you look at the newer trucks where diesels have become more common, GM and Dodge diesels aren't nearly as rare.

probably very true.

I just wasn't in the market for a large car payment thus going on the used market and looking at 5-10ys old.

soundguy

 

[westcliffe01]

Cmon... all you have to do is sell a few classic restored tractors and you will be good to go....

probably very true.

I just wasn't in the market for a large car payment thus going on the used market and looking at 5-10ys old.

soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

sell.. tractor... bad word..

 

[Egon]

[ Dodge of that era rust out, about 10 years on average, /QUOTE]

See a lot of Dodges 10 years or older around here. Rust and just plain falling apart don't seem to be a problem from what I see.:thumbsup:

Must be us Canucks get a truck built in a different plant made from different material eh??

 

[Diamondpilot]

[ Dodge of that era rust out, about 10 years on average, /QUOTE]

See a lot of Dodges 10 years or older around here. Rust and just plain falling apart don't seem to be a problem from what I see.:thumbsup:

Must be us Canucks get a truck built in a different plant made from different material eh??

I am stating a fact, not opinion. I just got back from WalMart and while the little lady was in picking up a few thing I drove around the parking lot. Big difference on average brand to brand with rust. I wonder if its the stuff we put on the streets here. Another member commented the Dodges north of I70 seem to be rusted out. Door bottoms, front fenders, tailgates, and rear fender areas. Very little rust on GM and Fords. Thats real research, in the WalMart parking lot....LOL

My neighbor had a 1996 1500 Ram 4x4 that he sold in 2007. It was so rotted it was crazy. He had had the rust fixed once and just came back. We also had a 1998 Dakota at work that lived in the airplane hanger and just ran parts, ect. Got washed every Sunday along with the airplane. Doors and rear fenders were rusting badly. I had a 2500 Hemi and it had rust forming on the door bottoms before it was 3 years old. Just a fact of life here. None had the paint peeling issues like I had seen others had. Just rust.

Chris

 

[Soundguy]

must be that washing stuff.

I don't rekon i've ever washed my 98 dodge ram 1500.. and no rust .. well ok.. a lil on the xfer case.. but does that count?

then again.. we don't salt our roads.. and I don't drop boats either!

her paint is rough but intact. I think that counts for alot..

soundguy

 

[JESSE1]

Back in the late '70's, the company I worked for hired a truck driver from Pennsylvania. He was driving a '77 Dodge 4x4 that he had used to plow snow with. I could not believe how rotted out that truck was for being fairly new. Quarter panels, front and rear fenders had holes in them. Naturally it was from the salt used, no doubt a Ford or GM of the same year would have been just as bad, although I think Ford had started using a lot of zinc plated steel to combat rust. Just don't see any make of vehicle in this part of the country rotted out nowadays.

 

[westcliffe01]

I'm really disgusted in how rusted my 6 year old dodge is. I have only put about 30k miles on it since I bought it in Ohio about 3 years ago and due to its winter road manners, this winter was the first I was using it on a daily basis. Previously it was driven only on weekends or in summer. It also has a truck cap, so the bed and inside of the tailgate have been dry.

Unless I am mistaken, it is the only truck to be built in Mexico. Ford and GM build theirs in the US. I think that either the steel is exposed before it is painted or the painting process is sub par (sheet metal design may also be defective) or most likely Dodge doesn't use zinked steel. It does introduce complications welding zink plated steel, primarily maintenance of the resistance welding electrodes, but thats what you have to do if you want to build cars that go a while without rusting.

The problem is that it will take a long time to prove that dodge has solved the problem and until I see proof that something is different I am voting with my wallet and feet. Rusty cars have been solved. There is no need to support a manufacturer who will not support his customers investment with such basic technology. My Audi had a 12 year corrosion warranty and was driven every day of its life in the same conditions and when I traded it after it reached 10 years it did not have a single spot of rust and even still had the original exhaust.