For you Ford guys that have strayed

[jat99]

Sounds like you are sold on them and you want everyone else to be also [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

I really hope they get it right because I am aching for a new truck adn it is sad that I cannot even find a place on the current truck market to spend my $40,000 [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

Love the Cummins- dont like the truck
Like the Duramax- not crazy about the truck
Love the Ford SD- absolutely scared to death of any new Ford diesel past the 7.3 [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[MackE7]

I haven't strayed, but I'm about to. Does that count ?

Here is the way I look at it. The 6L was a flaws engine. Turbo issues, oil leaks, heads, etc. 90% of them might be great, but I'm not taking that chance. And I don't have time to fart around at dealerships.

So now they release the 6.4 engine, which I think uses the same block which we know had problems. And instead of 1 turbo it has 2 turbos. And way more crap.

I'm not one of these guys that trades trucks every 2 years. Look at my sig. And I'm going to keep it until its off warranty. Why ? because its a 50K diesel truck and I should be able to do that !

Am I going to take a chance on a 6.4 ? Nope. Not for the first couple years anyway.

[Jetjock15]

You guys are way too focused on the engine and you dont get the bigger picture.... I have a 7.3L with over 200k on it, im ready for a new truck, the 7.3L has been amazing... period..no complaints... but you know whats really amazing... I HAVE 200K OF HARD TOWING ON MY RUNNING GEAR, including tranny with almost zero abnomolies, hardly anything but expected maintence.... THAT IS WHAT FORD IS.... I have had GM before, never a dodge... those trucks dont hold up like that people... specially chev, gm... my buddie with a same year as mine HD2500 with 40k less miles has replaced a tranny, 3 rear ends, mulitple bearings, tie rods, and a entire new IFS setup, including front differantion and axle assembly, which he broke in 3 pieces... he doesnt use his truck 1/4 as hard as i run mine.... I could go on and on....he has spent at least 15k dollars in unexpected maintence over the last 7 years!

MY POINT:... i would buy a ford truck that i knew the engines had hiccups over the other brands, just for the rest of the trucks engineering, Simple works, for keeps the running gear simple, and Dependable...

[Jetjock15]

OH yes, and this is the third superduty ive owned, and same story with the other two, although they were gassers... not one problem, EVER...., unlike all the other vehicles ive owned, including many brands and makes and my wifes current 04 jeep grand cherokee... they all have problems once in awhile.... but my superduties never had single problem... ever...

[Smokewagun]

I'll agree with you Jetjock. These guys are getting to be like a bunch of old ladies in a sewing circle. Let the friggin' truck hit the market and see where the chips fall. Yes, there will be some "issues", and maybe some serious problems. The key will be HOW they are taken care of by the manufacturer. If Furd dilly dallies around and ticks off the Furd populus, then they will dig their grave. If they get 'er done, they could nail it on the head. Seeing how you really can't order a 2007 anymore with a gaurantee you'll get it the way you ordered it, and I am not quite ready for my new one this year, I'll probably be a gineau pig about February. I'll let you all know how the new 6.4L runs. If not, I'll be the pig for the new diesel in the F-150 slated for 2008.

[navistar45]

turn back the clock 20 years and i will argue the gm verses ford.personaly i thought gm was better.current times,i think ford has the best TRUCK. but at the same time i have little experience with the newest gm hd line.now for dodges,i think the trucks are ok,the drivetrain is just as good as fords,and with no doubt the cummins is better. bad thing about brand loyalty,it can blind you to the possibility of something elese that at the time could be better.i use to be that way,then i learned.

[jschira]

[ QUOTE ]
I never seen a Ford guy yea that was happy in a Dodge. In one year youll have a new Ford in your driveway.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am no one's "guy", but I currently own an '03 7.3 X that I dearly love (replaced an early '99 7.3 F250 SC). I also own an '06 F150, several Mustangs, a few Falcons and Comets and some other Ford odds and ends. So I guess that I am qualified to answer.

Just bought a '06 MegaCab SLT CTD. A very, very nice truck. Drives better than the X. With DCX's inventory problems, bought it dirt cheap too.

Looked at a few '07 F250s. Seats and console aren't any different from my '03 X. Which weren't any different from my '99. And except for the dash, the new '08 looks like the same old, same old. The CC has a big back seat, but compared to the MegaCab, it's cramped.

So yeah, I'm happy in a Dodge.

There, you heard it here first.

[MackE7]

I agree that Ford builds a good truck. Look what I drive. They just need to put good engines in the newer ones.

As far as being an old lady sitting around the sewing circle, what about the guys that spend their holidays at the Ford dealerships waiting for their trucks to be fixed ? It happens. I personally know of 2 guys that has happened to. Call me a realist. Until that 6.4 engine proves reliable, I'm not going near it.

Oh, yeah, my 2000 has been a great truck too.

[N3YMY]

We're in the final throes of straying.

I come from a VW family; my standards, I'm told, are "high".

I bought my first truck, a Toyota to tow a 4x8 trailer for my ATV after my 1985 Golf had 257000 miles on it (a gasser no less).

(ie functionality and reliability are at the head of my list)

Got married and ended up with a RV. Knew we would upgrade to a 5ver, so when the Toyota no longer was suitable for our needs (taking 4 folk to Nova Scotia in a Totoya truck would not cut it), we stepped into a 2002 F350 CC DRW LWB with the 7.3L.

Losing a oil seal on the rear diff at 11000 did not inspire confidence, but we hung in there. After 83000 miles, that 2002 was it; there was no doubt we had aquired the right truck.

However, 3 weeks ago, fate stepped in and the vehicle was totaled.

Looking around for a new truck we tried the Ford first. It was amazing how much had changed (and for the worse from our PoV).

Don't fool yourself, minutia matters.

We towed with our PSD and have a cat. Cloth seats are important and the height of conventional vs convex glass in the elephant ears are important. Lockup of the auto xmission in the 4R100 was great. Having to tap the brake to get the same behavior with tow/haul doesn't cut it. The 6.0L disaster didn't help either.

We were crushed after the test drive.

In 2002 the choice was easy; now we seemingly must compromise on everything.

We drove the Ram and the Cheby.

Ram doesn't come with Mega Cab and 8ft bed; it's an either or.

Cheby had it all, but as the wife said, "BFUT from the front!".

(Butt F***ing Ugly Truck)

For her, the subtle frontal changes on the GMC make the difference and that's what we are getting.

(Our decision process took 3 weeks!)

I work hard for my $$. Far too hard to take the level risk I perceive required for yet another new engine (that's outta there in 2010 I hear? Tell me I'm wrong!), inferior transmission behavior (no auto should free wheel at highway speeds!), and the cloth compromise (rough vs the deep pile cloth of 2002).

I took a good look around while we were shopping on the various forums. Sure the Duramax LBZ has an EGR problem, but that's minor (and known) compared to what happened with the 6.0L. Cummins appears to have the best track record by a quick perusal of the web.

If I could get the Ford with the Cheby/GMC cloth, the Allison and the Cummins, I'd buy it and pay a premium for it.

Our plans were to keep that 2002 for 12-14 years. Fate cut that short.

Perhaps by our next purchase, Nissan or Toyota will have a serious offering to handle our requirements. Perhaps Ram will have the option of a 8ft bed and the Mega Cab. Perhaps Ford will inspire more confidence.

Only time will tell...

(Cheby's will always be ugly, time doesn't seem to change that [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img])

[LCornice]

[ QUOTE ]
Theres very few 7.3s that have less then 150,000 miles. Its been over 4 years since they last made them. Yopu guys will be driving these trucks quicker then you think. Once there out an you get a good look at them youll be sold

[/ QUOTE ]

I must be in the minority. Early 99 with 115,000 miles. Even has a 6-speed!

[short_stuff]

My Y2K automajic only has 86k miles on it. Just barely broken in [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Mike Lewis]

Chevy had it right until '99. Loved those square Chevys...

[49369]

Drive those dodges an Gms 100,000 miles an check back an see how you like your trucks. When everything is brand new everything is great. When you put some where an tear on trucks over a long period off time see how there holding up. When push comes to shove an when the work gets nasty and you use your truck an abuse it. Ford is the only one out there to hold up to the abuse. End off duscusiion. Most people dont use there truck like I do so GM a Dodge should be alright for you. For me Ford is the only one that hold up to what I put it through.

[navistar45]

your in love with ford,thats fine. i have had three ford diesels,all three dam good trucks.i have had 6 gm diesel powered trucks,still got 4 of them.out of the 6,5 have been very good trucks. 1 of those gm's has been the very best truck i,or my father has ever owned.so i realize there is life out there besides ford.my living is made in the logging woods,construction sites,and farm,hauling loads that would piss many of the people on this web site off.bottom line,my trucks get a beating just about 7 days a week,if they dont go,i dont put profits in the bank.in 2002 ford had the best on the market for me,in 2005 it was dodge,2008 it may be ford again,or it could be a gmc! lastly,i seldom sell off one of my personal trucks,they are generally retired as crew trucks for my buisness.from there they are run till they drop,so 2 and 300k is not uncommon,is that long term enough?

[i6DZUL]

[ QUOTE ]
Most people dont use there truck like I do so GM a Dodge should be alright for you. For me Ford is the only one that hold up to what I put it through.

[/ QUOTE ]

Trucks, be it ford, dodge or gm, can be broken in short order with surprising little effort or time if one has the desire. Number of miles is not a factor.

Let me use your truck for a couple hours. Take a pic of it because when the rollback brings it home, you wont recognize it. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smokin.gif[/img]