[alexrex20]

I paid $7k for it almost 2 years ago and am selling it today for $7500. So I will make $500 after putting 30k miles on it since purchased. So the fuel and tax savings are in addition to that.

A gas truck would not have made a profit at resale.

I bought it to run biodiesel, thats why I bought a diesel in the first place. As I said before, if there was a 1/2 ton option, I would have gone that route. I also said I am building a 1/2 ton diesel because one does not exist in the wild. The truck I will build will fit my needs AND get better mileage AND run on alternative fuels.

I bought the 7.3 because it runs B99 without modification and they are known to go 300k+. The fact it came in a 1 ton package was a drawback, but the pros still outweigh the cons.

well then i stand corrected.

you got great use out of your 7.3, are making money off the resale, and i'm sure the next owner will get many miles out of it as well. i've seen the 7.3 over 500kmi. down here in texas, 25k/yr is average; for a work truck, 100k/yr is not uncommon.

the 12v cummins and 7.3 Intl/PSD are notorious for bulletproof longevity.

keep us updated on your 1/2 ton build. i'm intrigued!

 

[dexter]

I bought a supercharged (and headered, exhaust and intaked) 00 4runner (manual!!!) in 03 from a buddy who had it supercharged for less than 20k miles. My other buddy supercharged his auto 02 at t he same time and both hauled ass. I kept telling my dad that we needed to add the fuel mods (urd kit) to it so the engine didnt nuke. Truck pinged REAL bad when the elevation dropped below 2k and at sea level it kinda scared me. I drove the piss out of that thing though and went through 2 clutches (one was the toyota dealers fault, didnt replace the rear main seal when they did the first clutch).

Traded it in in September of 07 for my new tundra and a week later the s/c nuked and killed the engine.

If you are going to do it, get the valve body beefed up by ipf (or is it ifp) and definitely get the URD fuel kit and tuner.

 

[kazlx]

Ummm...not to point out the obvious, but rule #1 when adding more air is to add some more fuel to go with it. Personally, I wouldn't do a supercharger without at least a bigger in tank pump and some more rail pressure. Pinging is an obvious sign something ain't right.

 

[Kanye West]

At minimum, higher flow fuel pump and larger capacity fuel injectors. The ECU will adjust the mixture accordingly, but it has to have the capacity to do so.

 

[HAB]

I am working on a Toyota TDi truck project (thanks in part to stevew) that will be 2wd and get at least double the mpg of its unleaded brother. It will also run B99.

That sounds completely awesome. Got anything else to share? I'm very intrigued.

 

[jimmydean]

That sounds completely awesome. Got anything else to share? I'm very intrigued.

stevew sent me a link to acme adapters. They make an adapter to mate a VW TDi to the Toyota 5 speed trans. Many Samurai's swap the drivetrain from a Toyota, so this allows you to run the TDi as well for a sweet low gear crawler.

I am just going to use a '92 Toyota DX 2wd and swap in the TDi. The goal is a small bike hauler that gets killer mileage (40+mpg) with Toyota reliability. I might go crazy and bag it, too. I miss my air ride truck. I also have a mound of stereo gear that needs a home.

I loved my F350, but unlike GFF, I don't have a 40' toy hauler to drag around. It was perfect for my 2 quads and dirtbike, but I sold those

 

[HAB]

stevew sent me a link to acme adapters. They make an adapter to mate a VW TDi to the Toyota 5 speed trans. Many Samurai's swap the drivetrain from a Toyota, so this allows you to run the TDi as well for a sweet low gear crawler.

I am just going to use a '92 Toyota DX 2wd and swap in the TDi. The goal is a small bike hauler that gets killer mileage (40+mpg) with Toyota reliability. I might go crazy and bag it, too. I miss my air ride truck. I also have a mound of stereo gear that needs a home.

I loved my F350, but unlike GFF, I don't have a 40' toy hauler to drag around. It was perfect for my 2 quads and dirtbike, but I sold those

Sweet. Bags on that would be worthy, but maybe sort of awesome. Doing it pretty bare bones utilitarian style would be more my speed, but in any case, the TDi swap into a Yoda sounds brilliant.

 

[jimmydean]

The best thing about the bags is it actually increases the hauling capacity while smoothing out the ride. I used to have a shot of my '69 C10 with a half ton of hay in the back sitting level. That truck handled so well on bags.

I wouldn't body drop it or even lay it out. Just give it some adjustment and a better stance.

 

[DirtMcGirk]

I think its a bit down the road at this point.
Just spent $750 for alignment, a new driver's side mirror, an oil change and new front pads and rotors. Rad...

 

[HAB]

The best thing about the bags is it actually increases the hauling capacity while smoothing out the ride. I used to have a shot of my '69 C10 with a half ton of hay in the back sitting level. That truck handled so well on bags.

I wouldn't body drop it or even lay it out. Just give it some adjustment and a better stance.

That makes way more sense. I was picturing lowered, which seemed dumb.


Paging IH8Rice. I H8Rice to the white courtesy phone.

 

[Bicyclist]

I am just going to use a '92 Toyota DX 2wd and swap in the TDi. The goal is a small bike hauler that gets killer mileage (40+mpg) with Toyota reliability. I might go crazy and bag it, too. I miss my air ride truck. I also have a mound of stereo gear that needs a home.

Holy crap....the perfect truck?

 

[jimmydean]

Holy crap....the perfect truck?

For my needs, it should be.

 

[jimmydean]

That makes way more sense. I was picturing lowered, which seemed dumb.

I do like a lowered stance, but this truck will work, too.

My '69 got low, but not crazy low. This truck would be about the same (no major frame mods).

Ride hight:

dumped:

Full lift:

I could go as low as Dino's '66

<edit> That truck is sick now, holy hell what a project.

 

[HAB]

I do like a lowered stance, but this truck will work, too.

My '69 got low, but not crazy low. This truck would be about the same (no major frame mods).

Ride hight:

dumped:

Full lift:

I could go as low as Dino's '66

<edit> That truck is sick now, holy hell what a project.

That's reasonable, and that '69 looks pretty sweet. The '66 isn't really my thing, but I can at least appreciate the work that would go into making that happen.

 

[Sandwich]

I've seen diesel swapped Tacos before. I've even seen the latest body style with a very clean looking diesel engine in it, I believe it was a toyota fourbanger, possibly from a hilux. The only problem is registering it...you need to be able to pass emissions and that's not going to happen in NY/MA unless you "know a guy"....the gas to diesel swap might leave more than a few indicators.

 

[IH8Rice]

That makes way more sense. I was picturing lowered, which seemed dumb.


Paging IH8Rice. I H8Rice to the white courtesy phone.

yeah lowered trucks in the northeast pretty much suck. especially with tires with a rating of N/A in the snow. its never been a problem really since ive usually had 2 vehicles.
theres nothing like a lowered V8 truck with massive amounts of torque though.

like i mentioned earlier in the thread, my truck is prepped for a ProCharger, but i bought another bike instead of a blower.

 

[HAB]

yeah lowered trucks in the northeast pretty much suck. especially with tires with a rating of N/A in the snow. its never been a problem really since ive usually had 2 vehicles.
theres nothing like a lowered V8 truck with massive amounts of torque though.

like i mentioned earlier in the thread, my truck is prepped for a ProCharger, but i bought another bike instead of a blower.

I can imagine the combination of lots of torque, RWD, and no ground clearance at all would make the truck quite a handful in snow. Not how I'd go about putting together a toy for myself, but if you dig it, cool.

 

[jimmydean]

I've seen diesel swapped Tacos before. I've even seen the latest body style with a very clean looking diesel engine in it, I believe it was a toyota fourbanger, possibly from a hilux. The only problem is registering it...you need to be able to pass emissions and that's not going to happen in NY/MA unless you "know a guy"....the gas to diesel swap might leave more than a few indicators.

Diesels in Oregon are not subject to DEQ. If I swap a diesel into a Toyota, it will then be labeled a diesel and no longer need to be checked.

I have never had my F350 checked, but I always wanted to run it through on dino, then run a couple tanks of B99, then test again and compare.

 

[jimmydean]

That's reasonable, and that '69 looks pretty sweet. The '66 isn't really my thing, but I can at least appreciate the work that would go into making that happen.

Dino's trucks are amazing. He started with a '66 panel, then built a '69, then bought the '66 that eventually became the '63 crew cab after the frame was redone, and now he is doing the same thing to his '76 and stretching it out to a crew cab.

The thing about Dino's trucks is the suspension work involved. All of his trucks run the Porterbuilt Dropmember crossmember that moves the location of the crossmember up about 5" while maintaining the stock steering geometry. It also converts the steering to a Corvette rack and the stock a-arms are replaced by tubular adjustable arms.

Here is the Dropmember install in Dino's 66 (they list it as a '64) that was featured in Classic Trucks a while back. The engineering that Nathan Porter put into the Dropmember is incredible.

http://www.classictrucks.com/tech/0703ct_1964_chevy_c10/dropmember_kit_installed.html

Here is a shot of the kit installed with the Corvette rack:

<edit> The Dropmember is an alternative to z-ing the frame. It also has a lot more ground clearance that the stock or even a sectioned crossmember. It is all bolt in minus the notch in the frame to clear the rod ends but the kit includes a template and a brace to weld in. Unfortunately it is only available for 60-87 GM trucks.

 

[HAB]

Dino's trucks are amazing. He started with a '66 panel, then built a '69, then bought the '66 that eventually became the '63 crew cab after the frame was redone, and now he is doing the same thing to his '76 and stretching it out to a crew cab.

The thing about Dino's trucks is the suspension work involved. All of his trucks run the Porterbuilt Dropmember crossmember that moves the location of the crossmember up about 5" while maintaining the stock steering geometry. It also converts the steering to a Corvette rack and the stock a-arms are replaced by tubular adjustable arms.

Here is the Dropmember install in Dino's 66 (they list it as a '64) that was featured in Classic Trucks a while back. The engineering that Nathan Porter put into the Dropmember is incredible.

http://www.classictrucks.com/tech/0703ct_1964_chevy_c10/dropmember_kit_installed.html

Here is a shot of the kit installed with the Corvette rack:

That's f'ing cool.

 

[jimmydean]

That's f'ing cool.

Check this:

That is Dino's '69 running a Dropmember rear setup. It uses Shockwave bags and a Corvette IRS rear with cantilever action and 4 link. It lays frame on 24" wheels.

<edit> The Dropmember in the front is different that the '66 because it uses C4 Corvette a-arms, spindles, and brakes. The crossmember itself is the same, it just uses Corvette goods from the frame rail out. It's crazy, I so want that setup.

Front and rear including Corvette parts associated is an estimated $10k setup. Most of it depends on sourcing the C4 parts.

 

[IH8Rice]

I can imagine the combination of lots of torque, RWD, and no ground clearance at all would make the truck quite a handful in snow. Not how I'd go about putting together a toy for myself, but if you dig it, cool.

i never drive it in the winter since ive always had 2 vehicles. a car for everyday driving and my truck for cruisin around, short trips and the occasional usage that pickups are good for. if it even looks like its going to snow, i get stuck.
when i bought it, my two jobs were no more than 5-6 minutes from my house so it snowed, getting home wasnt a problem.

im in the midst of selling it now for a Xterra since I have 3 dogs now and need something bigger and our A4 is too small for all of that

 

[HAB]

Check this:

That is Dino's '69 running a Dropmember rear setup. It uses Shockwave bags and a Corvette IRS rear with cantilever action and 4 link. It lays frame on 24" wheels.

<edit> The Dropmember in the front is different that the '66 because it uses C4 Corvette a-arms, spindles, and brakes. The crossmember itself is the same, it just uses Corvette goods from the frame rail out. It's crazy, I so want that setup.

Front and rear including Corvette parts associated is an estimated $10k setup. Most of it depends on sourcing the C4 parts.

So much awesome. Smaller euro cars are more my style, but that's still epic. I really want an e30 3 series project car, but lack time, money, and garage space to make it happen. Some day.

 

[jimmydean]

So much awesome. Smaller euro cars are more my style, but that's still epic. I really want an e30 3 series project car, but lack time, money, and garage space to make it happen. Some day.

Nathan Porter owns Porterbuilt Streetrods out of Arizona. The stuff he builds are all epic and built to last. I remember seing the Dropmember prototype about 10 years ago and it has evolved into a work of art. He says he is working on a full end to end trellis frame that integrates either the C4 or the "traditional" Dropmember configurations. You basically provide the body and engine/trans.

My short lived e30 was a blast. The M3 off that body is still one of my all time favorites.

The thing about Dino's '69 is he swears it handles like a Vette with more hauling space. He is running an LS4 and 6 speed gear box out of the donor C4.

 

[HAB]

Nathan Porter owns Porterbuilt Streetrods out of Arizona. The stuff he builds are all epic and built to last. I remember seing the Dropmember prototype about 10 years ago and it has evolved into a work of art. He says he is working on a full end to end trellis frame that integrates either the C4 or the "traditional" Dropmember configurations. You basically provide the body and engine/trans.

My short lived e30 was a blast. The M3 off that body is still one of my all time favorites.

The thing about Dino's '69 is he swears it handles like a Vette with more hauling space. He is running an LS4 and 6 speed gear box out of the donor C4.

Rad. There's a guy near here that's got a mint e30 M3 he uses as a daily driver/ bike hauler in the summer. Such a cool little car. He was telling me about a friend of his who's doing a 4.6 DOHC swap into a Volvo 240 wagon . Never heard about/ saw the finished product, but I was intrigued. It must be retardedly heavy though.

 

[IH8Rice]

. He was telling me about a friend of his who's doing a 4.6 DOHC swap into a Volvo 240 wagon .

i knew someone who had a Mustang 5.0 put into a Volvo wagon

 

[HAB]

i knew someone who had a Mustang 5.0 put into a Volvo wagon

I'm not sure which variant of the 4.6 this guy was using, but I love the image of rolling up at a stop light along side a Camaro or something in a ratty looking old Volvo, and then having the mullet mobile's driver wondering if that's really a V8 and a supercharger he's hearing along side.

 

[jimmydean]

I towed a 240 wagon that had a monster swap in it. I was a serious sleeper in primer paint and limited interior. The guy was telling me it ran low 12's in the 1/4 mile (when it ran). I forget what he said he swapped in.

 

[TheMontashu]

I towed a 240 wagon that had a monster swap in it. I was a serious sleeper in primer paint and limited interior. The guy was telling me it ran low 12's in the 1/4 mile (when it ran). I forget what he said he swapped in.

There's a dude who runs a local volvo shop, he has a sleeper 240, it's that bland blue color with a generic tan interior. I don't know what he's all done to it, but I've seen him race on the freeway and the thing is stupid fast.

 

[HAB]

I towed a 240 wagon that had a monster swap in it. I was a serious sleeper in primer paint and limited interior. The guy was telling me it ran low 12's in the 1/4 mile (when it ran). I forget what he said he swapped in.

A couple different small block Chevy V8s and the 4.6 Ford seem to be the most popular/ best fitting options. Low 12s sounds about right for a normal setup in those, with a little gearing work and whatnot.

 

[jimmydean]

A couple different small block Chevy V8s and the 4.6 Ford seem to be the most popular/ best fitting options. Low 12s sounds about right for a normal setup in those, with a little gearing work and whatnot.

I was talking to a buddy of mine who mentioned he built a 240 in high school. He said he put a turbo setup in it and it was the funnest car to drive. Now I want to build one, dammit! I love the older round wagons.

 

[HAB]

I was talking to a buddy of mine who mentioned he built a 240 in high school. He said he put a turbo setup in it and it was the funnest car to drive. Now I want to build one, dammit! I love the older round wagons.

I had a 240 sedan (stock) a while back. They're awesome. Slower than molasses with the stock engine (there was a turbo version that had some grunt), but they handle better than they have any right to, and there's something a little harder to describe about them that kicks ass. They're fvcking tanks, and small RWD cars are just a good time in general.


One of my uncles is spending his retirement building a car from scratch. Welded tubular frame chassis, and a crude aluminum body in the Lotus 7 mold, only a bit bigger so he can get all 6'6" of him in it. Miata engine and transmission, with the rear axle and diff out of a 240. It's coming along pretty well, and seems like an awesome project.

 

[alexrex20]

The thing about Dino's '69 is he swears it handles like a Vette with more hauling space. He is running an LS4 and 6 speed gear box out of the donor C4.

he obviously has never driven a vette

 

[jimmydean]

he obviously has never driven a vette

If memory serves, he has a '62 and an '04 Vette, actually. Shockwaves not only provide air adjustment, but they are also a performance shock as well. The ride quality and handling is amazing.

You could go the easy route and just buy a Vette rolling chassis and drop a truck body on it. But you lose the height adjustment. Mike in Hillsboro i in the process of putting a '61 step on a C5.

Roller:

Body fitting:

Rendering of finsished product

<edit> The frame was stretched 7" to fit the truck wheelbase and the front suspension was relocated. He has also done extensive work on the fender wells and he even made tubs on the inside of the bed using a second set of fenders so the body lines match.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Holy crap is there a lot of retard in this thread.

 

[kazlx]

i knew someone who had a Mustang 5.0 put into a Volvo wagon

That's actually a pretty popular swap. I used to be heavily into 5.0s and you see quite a bit of them. They end up being the red headed step children, but whatever floats your boat.

Holy crap is there a lot of retard in this thread.

Agreed.

 

[alexrex20]

Holy crap is there a lot of retard in this thread.

you're a prime example

 

[IH8Rice]

you're a prime example

and you top the class

 

[SkaredShtles]

you're a prime example

Wait... some dude that lives in *TX* is giving me $hit? Falls kinda flat, man... kinda flat.

 

[alexrex20]

Wait... some dude that lives in *TX* is giving me $hit? Falls kinda flat, man... kinda flat.

wow, a Texas joke. can you be any more unoriginal?