Machinists: Share your trucks

Garwood · May 4, 2014

Starting to settle in after a divorce. Brought my old truck into the garage to fix her up and was curious what other machinists have done.

Goals are: 70 F-250 single cab 4x4- 5.9 Cummins HP 60 front, 80 rear, 5600 6 speed, decent paint, small lift with 35's.

SBAER · May 4, 2014

I just went through the exercise of getting a "new" truck. I have a 92 Dodge Cummins but it has an automatic and is a rattling rust bucket. After spending 4 month looking for a first generation Dodge Cummins with a manual transmission, 4X4 and a good body I gave up. Even a budget of $8000 is not enough probably would have needed $11 000.
Bought a 2001 F250 7.3l with a 6 speed for $6000, I don't like how modern and jacked up it looks or that power do-dad that shifts the transfer case but its quite the step up in terms of luxury. It has 220 000 miles, a brand new clutch and balljoints, my hope is to get another 40 000 miles over 10 years without any major repairs.

matt_isserstedt · May 4, 2014

Probably not what you wanted, its no hot rod and won't climb the side of a mountain. I've gotten it stuck on the flat driveway on a sheet of ice.

1988 Chevrolet Custom Deluxe R-30, crew-cab with camper-especial suspension.

Its battle tested in ways I probably shouldn't describe.

But has survived all challenges without complaint other than needing its own refuel-support semi-truck. The Delcotronics TBI fuel injection is very simple and easy to repair. The oil and trans cooling mods I believe were the right choices, although I can't say quantitatively how well they worked, only that the truck has never melted down on the side of the road, pulling grade after grade under full load.

When I got this 10 years ago, I had the choice of a turbo-diesel truck or something like this, which was $2500 and wouldn't idle (partially grounded wire pulling the ECM voltage down). Used turboD trucks were around $20k with upwards of 100k miles at that point in time, and I just didn't have the funds.

APD · May 4, 2014

1990 Dodge Cummins 5.9, 4x4 auto with over 300,000 miles. Still drive it daily.

athack · May 4, 2014

2008 Ram 1500 Quad Cab 4x4. Use it for everything....sales trips to plowing snow. Next one Ford Super Duty...maybe Diesel.

Avrgjoe · May 4, 2014

Just upgraded about a year ago from a 14 year old GMC 1500 w/ 4.3L V-6, now I am driving a 2013 Toyota Tundra DC 5.7L 4WD.

cranium · May 4, 2014

'89 Dodge Cummins diesel 3/4 ton automatic. 300,000-plus miles and counting.

Milacron · May 4, 2014

2007 Dodge 3500 squeaked in an order just before the Cummins engine change later that year. Not 4 WD, therefore lower center of gravity...better for hauling machines... does have positive traction rear though. Two Schaublin 135 lathes, plus hydraulic acessories...over 6,000 lbs in the bed hauled from NJ to SC one winter. Plain Jane on the outside but lap of luxury inside...heated leather seats, top end stereo, in dash GPS, even a moon roof.

And the trailer it used to pull.... (sold the trailer recently)

Milacron · May 4, 2014

athack said:
2008 Ram 1500 Quad Cab 4x4. Use it for everything....sales trips to plowing snow.

I enjoy driving my Ram 3500 every once in a while but for me it would get old fast if that was my only vehicle....rather be in the Miata with the top down.

Joec@westminster · May 4, 2014

'07 Avalanche 4x4

alonzo83 · May 4, 2014

Grandfathers 65 chevy 3/4 ton four speed. It has been retired to pulling my boat to the lake and bumming around town. . . Not much for speed as it has 4:56 rear end and an inline six dad and I built back in 2000. Very few creature comforts, though l do I think about putting power steering and power brakes on it from time to time.

IMG_20130508_191309_649.jpg Photo by jones6037 | Photobucket

bryan_machine · May 4, 2014

daily truck is 2006 dodge sprinter (same as mercedes, freightliner, etc) - efficient, huge space for stuff. ability to stand up in it makes hauling all sorts of medium sized stuff easy, ok to park except for garages that are not tall enough.

tow/snow/big crew of people vehicle is 2008 f250 4x4 crew cab turbo diesel. will likely last rest of my life and very useful for towing 10k flatbed with all manner of stuff, etc. but like Milacron would not want it as a daily driver just for the fuel bills, and it is more work to park or back around than the sprinter.

reedeprintice · May 4, 2014

The few pic's I have , The blue 64 has been the shop truck for years . Bringing it back to life this year .

beaverracing · May 4, 2014

Shop truck is an '87 Chevy G20 shorty. Bought used in '93 with only 7K miles on. Been such a good van and still going at 165K.

Daily driver for my one mile commute is a '92 Toyota 4wd pickup.

I also have an '05 E250 that stays in the garage and is only used for longer trips. It'll take the place of the Chevy IF it ever gets too tired to go any more.

Milacron · May 4, 2014

bryan_machine said:
daily truck is 2006 dodge sprinter (same as mercedes, freightliner, etc) - efficient, huge space for stuff. ability to stand up in it makes hauling all sorts of medium sized stuff easy, ok to park except for garages that are not tall enough.

For a couple of years in the early 90's my daily driver was a Mitsubishi Fuso box truck ! Not a large one, about the size of an Isuzu NPR with 12 foot box and bought it brand new...so it was nice in that sense. And that was back in the good old fuel days when diesel was cheaper than regular gas. But it did get tedious eventually.

kenh · May 4, 2014

2001 F-350, super cab, 4X4 6spd, Southbend clutch, 110 hp/100+lbs torque tuner, exhaust, EGT, boost gages, 63K miles.
I would rather drive it than any Miata, top up or down

FlatBeltBob · May 4, 2014

75 Chev C30.Camper special . Bought it when it was 10 yrs old .
Built a nice flatbed stakeside . On my 2nd cab and just put in a new 350 3 yrs ago .
Starts and runs great , and gets the same sucky mileage as when it was new . But what the hell , it never leaves the county , just up to the industrial park & back .
Hey , a good shop truck should last at least 40 years !
FBBob

quasi · May 4, 2014

Milacron, a Miata? That is a chicks car. :dopeslap:

Limy Sami · May 4, 2014

quasi said:
Milacron, a Miata? That is a chicks car.

Your Miata is the MX5 over here, we call them hair dressers cars

aerodark · May 4, 2014

Box-Stock 2001 F150 XLT with sound upgrade for the serious metalhead driver. No complaints, no hiccups. 140K and still ticking along with NO MONTHLY PAYMENT!

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