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

[paulsharvey]

For those longing for the "good old days" here's a Ford ad, bragging that their HD gas engines would make it to 100,000 miles. If you have an engine rebuilt/replace/heck, engine repair at 250k, you'd be mad.

Their 100,000 mile warranty (or 24 months/3000 hours), covers actually engine mechanics, but the fine print says the labor is covered for the first 50k, and after that, the labor is probably rated.

 

[Jstpssng]

I was looking at a clean 2009 F250 4wd last weekend that wouldn’t break the bank. It was at a dealer which used to have an outstanding reputation, although that may have changed.
270k miles on it. I decided to pass.

 

[Renze]

For those longing for the "good old days" here's a Ford ad, bragging that their HD gas engines would make it to 100,000 miles.

We never had gas engines in commercial trucks above 5 ton, here in Europe, but in America gas was cheap and V8 gas engine parts abundant. The 1960s/70s trend of making high rpm short stroke diesels to replace gas engines, therefor never caught on in Europe. Cummins Darlington (UK) first products were the VIM/VIN/VALE short stroke V6 and V8 engines, which were unsuccessful in the British market. The European branch didnt become succesful untill it started building the L10 for Europe, and later the B series.

 

[Hay Dude]

For those longing for the "good old days" here's a Ford ad, bragging that their HD gas engines would make it to 100,000 miles. If you have an engine rebuilt/replace/heck, engine repair at 250k, you'd be mad.

Their 100,000 mile warranty (or 24 months/3000 hours), covers actually engine mechanics, but the fine print says the labor is covered for the first 50k, and after that, the labor is probably rated.View attachment 4081894

To be fair, those gas engines were being used in tandem axle dump trucks, not pickups. Those trucks should have had diesels in them.

I worked for a guy who had a CDL sized Ford dump with a gas engine and it was the biggest pile of crap I have ever driven.

 

[paulsharvey]

To be fair, those gas engines were being used in tandem axle dump trucks, not pickups.

I worked for a guy who had a CDL sized Ford dump with a gas engine and it was the biggest pile of crap I have ever driven.

I know, but being heavy trucks, you would assume the engines are More reliable than a light truck of similar time frame.

Neighbor had a gas L8000 dump, I honestly dont think it would make it to 60 mph loaded, and getting upto even 45 took time

Edit; apparently the gas L8000 trucks are actually labeled as L800, to distinguish the engine option

 

[Hay Dude]

I know, but being heavy trucks, you would assume the engines are More reliable than a light truck of similar time frame.

Neighbor had a gas L8000 dump, I honestly dont think it would make it to 60 mph loaded, and getting upto even 45 took time

most 70’s-90’s diesel vocational trucks were underpowered EMPTY.
210HP was the normal power rating for a 33,000LB dump truck.
That’s absurd.

 

[QRTRHRS]

To be fair, those gas engines were being used in tandem axle dump trucks, not pickups. Those trucks should have had diesels in them.

I worked for a guy who had a CDL sized Ford dump with a gas engine and it was the biggest pile of crap I have ever driven.

Yeah, I drove a GMC tandem dump with a 427 gas engine, 5x4, shift, shift and shift some more.

Ford had their 534 gasser which if I am correct, they "dieselized". That's what was in the L8000 that I drove. Talk about smoke when you fired them up.

LOL, I also drove an L8000 with a 238 Detroit, 13spd, double overdrive to get the road speed up to 62mph. Good thing that it was easier to shift then a 5x4 because that was all I did.

Drivers that have never been there and done that don't know how good that they have it today.

 

[ultrarunner]

It was constant evolution as very dump bodies and grain haulers in the Ford line all used the same 40 hp engine nearly 100 years ago…

One engine platform for all applications.

 

[RobertN]

most 70’s-90’s diesel vocational trucks were underpowered EMPTY.
210HP was the normal power rating for a 33,000LB dump truck.
That’s absurd.

When I was volunteering at the local fire station, we had a couple of Ford 7 and 8 series cab chassis based Beck and Van Pelt buildups(one was '86, the other '89 if memory serves...). They both had CAT 3208T's. They worked well, but best you could get was 58-60mph on the freeway. One was covered by paid staff and used a lot. It just never got anywhere on the highway very quickly. Funny thing is, that Engine is now a taco truck...

 

[deserteagle71]

When I was volunteering at the local fire station, we had a couple of Ford 7 and 8 series cab chassis based Beck and Van Pelt buildups(one was '86, the other '89 if memory serves...). They both had CAT 3208T's. They worked well, but best you could get was 58-60mph on the freeway. One was covered by paid staff and used a lot. It just never got anywhere on the highway very quickly. Funny thing is, that Engine is now a taco truck...

40+ years ago when I was a fireman in a small town we had two fire trucks. One was a cabover Ford similar to what is in your picture but it was power by a Ford Industrial gas engine. The other was a GMC - and it had a huge GM V6 gas engine.