Author Topic: Which truck to pick? (Read 489 times)

SFRT - Frenchy · « **on:** February 23, 2008, 12:08:07 PM »

I have the choice between a 1985 F250 6.9 Diesel, and a 1986 F250 460.

Both new engine, new trany, new paint, single cab, short bed.

Basicaly it comes down to what engine I want. It will be a daily driver with the occasional 2 horse trailer tow to the mountain. I think the Diesel is 175HP/338lbft, the 460 220HP/380lbft.

Which one would be cheaper to operate, and would there be a big diff?

What's ur 2 cts.

myelo · « **Reply #1 on:** February 23, 2008, 12:43:12 PM »

I think that's the International Harvester diesel engine which is supposed to be a really good engine. But, I've always had Dodge and Chevy diesels so I don't have any personal experience.

In general diesels get better milage but the difference tends to lessen when your towing a load. Also right now diesel fuel is more expensive than gas and that's probably not going to change anytime soon. So I suspect the operating costs are not going to be much different. The diesel engine should last longer if you're doing a lot of towing.

Finally, diesels are noisier and smellier. And engines are like farts -- the louder and stinkier the better. Go with the diesel.

ROC · « **Reply #2 on:** February 23, 2008, 01:07:33 PM »

Just got rid of an 85 Ford with Diesel. Cheaper fuel than the gas trucks, due to mileage, but far more expensive when it came to maintenance.

I'd take the 460.

john9001 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 23, 2008, 01:41:10 PM »

what truck depends on what you want/need to haul.

are you a farmer, contractor, rancher, or a urban cowboy.

Captain Virgil Hilts · « **Reply #4 on:** February 23, 2008, 02:28:30 PM »

If you MUST have one of those two, take the diesel. There's not much you can do with the 460, it'll never make a lot of power, and it'll never get any fuel mileage. Even with diesel $0.50 a gallon higher, the diesel will most surely be cheaper to operate. They aren't too terrible on maintenance costs, not great, but not terrible.

FrodeMk3 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 23, 2008, 02:48:02 PM »

Frenchy, I had a '91 F-250 460, AOD for about 2 years. It wasn't a 4-wheel drive, either. Even with an Aero-flow tailgate, I could never get over 11 MPG. even in steady highway driving. And that was WITH the fuel-injected motor.

...I'd say go with the diesel.

DieAz · « **Reply #6 on:** February 23, 2008, 03:14:45 PM »

with the diesel you'll have a choice to burn some cheap homemade bio diesel or with some minor conversions SVO.
personally I'd go diesel.

bsdaddict · « **Reply #7 on:** February 23, 2008, 03:49:30 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by DieAz
with the diesel you'll have a choice to burn some cheap homemade bio diesel or with some minor conversions SVO.
personally I'd go diesel.

just don't forget to pay your taxes!

SFRT - Frenchy · « **Reply #8 on:** February 23, 2008, 06:47:40 PM »

I already paid for 2007. What kind of taxes am I looking at with the diesel?

Like I said above, it's just to tow a 2 horses trailer for weekend mountain riding, at worse, I'll tow a project car once in a blue moon. Mostly it'll be daily driver.

The deal is simple, I used to drive both when roofing. The owner is just done entirely professionally refurbishing both including brand new engine/trany/interrior/electrical/paint/tires/brakes.
He is selling either one to me for $1 as a present for making him $$$ when I used to work for him.

Decisions decisions ... I'm thinking the diesel should be much more economical. I don't really mind the idle CLAK CLAK CLAK.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #9 on:** February 23, 2008, 06:53:42 PM »

If you put less than 5000 miles a year on your truck, then the choice really doesn't matter. That said, my 460 ci gets around 11 mpg without a load, and about 8 mpg with the camper on it pulling a 20 ft. boat.

SFRT - Frenchy · « **Reply #10 on:** February 23, 2008, 07:05:48 PM »

Good point Rip.

I have already 3 cars, the Firebird that I retired to occasional fun drive, the 05 Taurus that I drive daily but putting up for sale to get away from the stupid 25% APR payment. The 72 Dodge Monaco that is getting worked on and will become my daily driver in 6months to a year.

The truck will fill meanwhile, and probably my daily for the 2-3 snow winter months.

Vulcan · « **Reply #11 on:** February 23, 2008, 07:32:11 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by myelo
In general diesels get better milage but the difference tends to lessen when your towing a load. Also right now diesel fuel is more expensive than gas and that's probably not going to change anytime soon. So I suspect the operating costs are not going to be much different. The diesel engine should last longer if you're doing a lot of towing.

Finally, diesels are noisier and smellier. And engines are like farts -- the louder and stinkier the better. Go with the diesel.

Thats wierd, why is diesel so expensive in the US? Here it is cheaper than petrol.

As for towing, I've always found a diesel more economical under load? My old man just switched from a Kia Tuscon petrol to diesel, found the same thing. Diesels don't seem to notice loads, whereas petrol engines do.

As for being noisier and smellier, if your diesel is noisey and smelly then you haven't been servicing it properly.

I switched to diesel because I got so sick of the electronics in modern petrol engines actiing like woman. One day they'd be fine, the next day they'd be mental and you'd never know why.

DieAz · « **Reply #12 on:** February 23, 2008, 10:32:45 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by SFRT - Frenchy
I already paid for 2007. What kind of taxes am I looking at with the diesel?

he was referring to the homemade biodiesel and SVO. according to the law in some states you owe a road tax per gallon even if it isn't gas or diesel.
after reading up on some tax forms I've found if you do use so called "green technology" and/or take tax credits. you have to fill out other forms to compute other taxes you will owe (you are going to pay taxes one way or another).
on home brewed fuel, there can also be an escrow type of thing tax withholding or bond of $2500 just to home brew road fuels. in some places for electric vehicles, they do the road tax by the mileage.
you might even owe the Feds as well for biodiesel and SVO. I haven't really looked into it on the Federal level yet, State (NC) level is too much of a hassle here. but in the case of making your own alcohol for fuel (Fed level), theres a whole lot of crap to go through to get it legal to distill your own.

for regular diesel pumped at a filling station the taxes are paid at the pump. unless it is listed for off road use only, or K-1 kerosene. if you are caught using non tax paid fuels like off road use only or K-1 kerosene, well lets just say you'd rather just paid it (taxes) in the first place.

DieAz · « **Reply #13 on:** February 23, 2008, 10:47:22 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Vulcan
Thats weird, why is diesel so expensive in the US? Here it is cheaper than petrol.

because gouging gas prices causes a larger uproar and backlash from the public than gouging diesel prices. in other words, Big Oil is going to take your money upfront through gas or by the round a bout way through the back door with shipping prices and product costs.

most of the general public uses gas burners, most of the shipping industries uses diesel burners.

in the distillery process diesel can be added to the lighter fuels or heavier fuels at will. thus causing what seems to be a real shortage of diesel. oh wait, refinery process, are the words they use now, I think. they can call it what they want, but it is still a distillery.

Excel1 · « **Reply #14 on:** February 24, 2008, 01:49:35 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by FrodeMk3
Frenchy, I had a '91 F-250 460, AOD for about 2 years. It wasn't a 4-wheel drive, either. Even with an Aero-flow tailgate, I could never get over 11 MPG. even in steady highway driving. And that was WITH the fuel-injected motor.

...I'd say go with the diesel.

i didn't know that ford used the aod with the 460.. anyway a 460 is thirsty but the aod would have had a lot to do with your poor gas mileage. the aod is good for cruising at low engine rpm's but the tranny is such a big horsepower potato that it cancels out the fuel/mileage gain of using the over drive gear. I have an aod bolted behind a carburetted 357c in a 3,200 pound car and it gets 11mpg(imperial gallons) or 9mpg u.s.gallons. the only way to improve on that figure is to radically detune the engine or swap out the aod hp sponge