Pure Sex.

[96-1500]

I think the Kodiak / Topkick pickups are a bit impractical and beyond the normal means, but they could be useful.

I'm sure there's things that they would be good at, but 99.9999% of any truck users would probably be better suited with something else.

 

[West Mi Mudder]

They are just as practical as driving a Ferrari or Lambo in the states. You are never going to be able to use either of them to their full potential. Legally of course. The only reason to have any of those is because you have more money than you know what to do with. Me personally, would rather take a truck similar to one of the ones prosho posted, instead of a Lambo or Ferrari. Its all personal preference.

 

[96-1500]

Purely because we can. Same as what's the point in driving a pickup, or a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Viper, Vette, Camaro, Mustang, or any diesel truck. See what I'm getting at? If we drove things for their purpose...everyone would be driving a 4-door sedan. You don't like it, and your opinion on it is fine, I'm just saying that there doesn't have to be a straight point for us to drive these things. Why do you have two trucks? Because you want them. Same concept.

People can spend their money how they want. I just don't see the point sometimes. Sure, a Ferrari is extremely expensive, but at least they are fun to drive (well, I've never driven one, so I'm talking out of my ass, but you get the point), I can't see that with a Topkick/Kodiak (which I have driven... they are completely impractical for a driver. And obviously, nobody that owns one of these is ever going to DD it, but I still think they are ridiculously impractical).
But, hey, if it floats your boat, cool, have fun. Do whatever you want.

BTW, I use my truck for work, it makes me money. Otherwise I would not own it.

 

[97PROSHOZ71]

I figured you used it for work, I was making an example, but you get my point right? No point in making it a pointless argument.

 

[96-1500]

I figured you used it for work, I was making an example, but you get my point right? No point in making it a pointless argument.

No no, I get what you're saying man.

I'm also assuming that nobody here is ever going to get one of those trucks, or a Ferrari for that matter, but it's always fun to dream...

 

[great white]

$37,500 and the word "fixable" don't belong in the same discussion about a vehicle.



Diesel trucks have more of a purpose than a gasser does in a daily driven role: they get superior fuel mileage and have better low rpm drivability. Gassers are just now beginning to catch up by using adaptive cylinder technology, direct injection and other tricks like HCCI. NA is a bit of an anomaly globally with diesel; diesels are predominantly in bigger trucks. The rest of the world has them in daily driver machines because they get superior fuel mileage and drivability is identical (or better) to their gasser brothers. The previous generation diesel technology is also far more tolerant of less than ideal fuel quality, an important consideration in some countries. Now, if we could only get them to stop trading diesel fuel as a commodity in NA.....

I drive a diesel and yeah, it has a purpose: a 9000lb purpose. Only thing that's going to touch it in a gmt400 is a 454 and the price for admission with that baby pulling serious weight is single digit mpg....

Trivia bits: the "big truck/sports car little wiener" thing is a bit of a misnomer. In psychological terms the need for over sized or "obvious in a crowd" vehicles is more related to the need for attention and approval when an individual is lacking something in their life. That could be attention from mommy to just social approval. I suppose you could point to everyone with a "build thread" on the forum (yup, I have one too although I try to throw some "how to" in mine) and say the same thing.

Somewhere along the line the need for approval/attention got twisted into "big car little wiener" when someone coined the phrase "******* symbol"....probably someone classical Freudian.....

 

[97PROSHOZ71]

I get ya on the whole attention thing..I went to high school with a ton of kids who got new Camaros and Mustangs from mommy and daddy to look good. There was this one dude who drove a Dodge Intrepid, then later sold it and started driving his moms Maroon Charger, with her name on the license plate. I still like to look at these trucks because I think they are cool..I would drive it however, just to drive it and see the looks on people's faces when I'm behind them.


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[96-1500]

As always, Great White (I don't know your first name) has an excellently put point.
As for diesels, absolutely correct. My truck with a 5.7 is very similar to yours in shape and size and is kind of a "compromise". Honestly if I was towing anything heavy, it just wouldn't cut it. I haul (in the bed) every day almost, and it's good for that, but even still I could use a little more engine.

But being that it is my only vehicle (on the road) I do have to put up with it sucking back tank after tank of fuel on the highway when I'm not working it. This is one of my justifications for buying a diesel, and when I do I'll probably buy a spare one for parts. If I had a spare DD vehicle (which honestly isn't much of an option, being under 21 with an insurance bill that could quickly look like a mortgage payment) I would just get a 454 and be done with it.

As for the kids with fancy cars mommy and daddy bought them, I laugh at them when they try to show them off. A guy I know (around my age, wouldn't call him a friend exactly, lol), his parents bought him a brand new loaded Silverado. They got the dealership to put an intake and exhaust and chrome and all that crap on, it was a birthday present. He's showing it off and had no idea even how many speeds the transmission had...

My situation was a little "different" shall we say, neither of my parents drove and wouldn't have any money to own a car even if they did, let alone even pay for my driving lessons, never mind a car. Being 17 and buying your first vehicle with your hard earned dollars is something special.

 

[great white]

As always, Great White (I don't know your first name) has an excellently put point.
As for diesels, absolutely correct. My truck with a 5.7 is very similar to yours in shape and size and is kind of a "compromise". Honestly if I was towing anything heavy, it just wouldn't cut it. I haul (in the bed) every day almost, and it's good for that, but even still I could use a little more engine.

But being that it is my only vehicle (on the road) I do have to put up with it sucking back tank after tank of fuel on the highway when I'm not working it. This is one of my justifications for buying a diesel, and when I do I'll probably buy a spare one for parts. If I had a spare DD vehicle (which honestly isn't much of an option, being under 21 with an insurance bill that could quickly look like a mortgage payment) I would just get a 454 and be done with it.

As for the kids with fancy cars mommy and daddy bought them, I laugh at them when they try to show them off. A guy I know (around my age, wouldn't call him a friend exactly, lol), his parents bought him a brand new loaded Silverado. They got the dealership to put an intake and exhaust and chrome and all that crap on, it was a birthday present. He's showing it off and had no idea even how many speeds the transmission had...

My situation was a little "different" shall we say, neither of my parents drove and wouldn't have any money to own a car even if they did, let alone even pay for my driving lessons, never mind a car. Being 17 and buying your first vehicle with your hard earned dollars is something special.

It's BJ.

I'm an ex-pat from Halifax.



If you're buying a diesel and haven't got a lot of money, I wouldn't recommend a 6.5.

They can be reliable and decent work horses, but it takes a fair bit of cash to get it there. If you do manage to get it to reliably and effectively haul heavy, expect roughly 15-16 mpg TOPS. Expect to spend anywhere from 3,000-10,000 to get it there depending on if you need to replace an engine and supporting bits. If you find a decent runner, they're worth picking up in C1500 high geared (3.73,3.42) form. 20-25 mpg is achievable, but it won't be much of a heavy hauler. When it dies (and it will) don't spend anymore than about a grand to fix it. Dump it over that point because they become one heck of a black hole if a new pump driver won't fix it.....yeah, this does sound odd coming from a guy with a "hot" 6.5.

If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't have bought/fixed the truck. I got caught in a situ where I didn't have a choice but to put a new engine in it when it popped....

If you're looking for decent mileage, reliability, durability and the ability to work it hard I would recommend (and I can't believe I'm saying this) one of the cummins 12 valve trucks with the P7100 mechanical pump. Stay away from anything with a "53" block in it as they have casting flaws.

You'll pay a bit more up front, but these are easy half million mile engines before rebuild. They're also super easy to "wick up" if you lean that way.

You just have to deal with the Dodge wrapper it comes in.....

Once the truck rots away around the engine, you can either swap it into another vehicle or you can probably sell it for more than you paid for it in the first place.....

 

[96-1500]

It's BJ.

I'm an ex-pat from Halifax.



If you're buying a diesel and haven't got a lot of money, I wouldn't recommend a 6.5.

They can be reliable and decent work horses, but it takes a fair bit of cash to get it there. If you do manage to get it to reliably and effectively haul heavy, expect roughly 15-16 mpg TOPS.

If you're looking for decent mileage, reliability, durability and the ability to work it hard I would recommend (and I can't believe I'm saying this) one of the cummins 12 valve trucks with the P7100 mechanical pump. Stay away from anything with a "53" block in it.

You'll pay a bit more up front, but these are easy half million mile engines before rebuild. They're also super easy to "wick up" if you lean that way.

You just have to deal with the Dodge wrapper it comes in.....

Halifax FTW!

I hear ya about the diesels. I'm not in any danger of replacing my current truck anytime soon. I too love the older Cummins but I really don't know if it would be worth the hassle of putting up with the "wrapper" as it's so fondly called. A 5.9 swap into a '400 would be cool, but, no, not for me. If I'm going to put that kind of work into a truck, it would be a show queen, not a work truck.

I'm also an older 7.3 fan and the Fords that they came in (talking early-mid 90s here) weren't too bad, but I don't think I'll see a big mileage or reliability gain with one of those.

I have also considered a Duramax but their "wrapper" isn't much to write home about, either. I'm no great GMT-800 fan, but if the right deal came along I wouldn't be above owning one. Again, this is all just talk, I'm gonna get a lot more out of my truck (hopefully) before I jump on the diesel bandwagon.

Mainly the advantage to me of the '400 platform is that I have lots and lots of parts available to me at zero cost. I can actually get my hands on two junked 6.5 engines anytime I'd need something.