CRAZYHORSES
New Member
I'm looking at and soon going to buy me another diesel truck but this is one hell of a hard decision. For starters in the past I have owned a 1995 OBS F350 7.3 Powerstroke 5 speed and 3 Dodges 1 1997 with a 12 valve and 5 speed and 2 2000 models with the 24v Cummins and autos so I'm not new to the game even though I didn't have any of them for a long period of time.
I bleed Ford blue so of course I loved the 7.3 F350 a lot. I hated the Dodge trucks for the cheap ass interiors and the 24v Cummins were a disappointment with their autos and lift pumps that failed on both of them killing the injector pump In short order.
The 97 with 12 valve and 5 speed even though it suffered from the usual Dodge short comings such as the disappearing dash, weak front end(it was a 2 wheel drive otherwise I may have kept it), leaky third brake light and failing power window and door locks and instrument cluster. The 12 valve never did disappoint and damn could it make power on the cheap. I had it tweaked by a local diesel shop and it rolled 334hp and around 830 lb ft on the dyno for not a lot of money.
With that said I'm looking at 1st gen Dodges with the Cummins and a couple of OBS Fords with the 7.3 all 4x4 and auto trans and I'm having a hard time choosing. I haven't owned or driven a 1st gen Dodge but it seems the word is that they are better then the 2nd gens that I had.
Which should I go for? Again love the Ford for the total package but I also like how easy it is to make serious power and not have to worry about being outgunned with the old Cummins. Anyone here owned and driven the 1st gen dodges?
ETA: The uses of this truck will be my daily driver to work 10 miles round trip and occasionally hauling my car to the track maybe twice a year or so
I bleed Ford blue so of course I loved the 7.3 F350 a lot. I hated the Dodge trucks for the cheap ass interiors and the 24v Cummins were a disappointment with their autos and lift pumps that failed on both of them killing the injector pump In short order.
The 97 with 12 valve and 5 speed even though it suffered from the usual Dodge short comings such as the disappearing dash, weak front end(it was a 2 wheel drive otherwise I may have kept it), leaky third brake light and failing power window and door locks and instrument cluster. The 12 valve never did disappoint and damn could it make power on the cheap. I had it tweaked by a local diesel shop and it rolled 334hp and around 830 lb ft on the dyno for not a lot of money.
With that said I'm looking at 1st gen Dodges with the Cummins and a couple of OBS Fords with the 7.3 all 4x4 and auto trans and I'm having a hard time choosing. I haven't owned or driven a 1st gen Dodge but it seems the word is that they are better then the 2nd gens that I had.
Which should I go for? Again love the Ford for the total package but I also like how easy it is to make serious power and not have to worry about being outgunned with the old Cummins. Anyone here owned and driven the 1st gen dodges?
ETA: The uses of this truck will be my daily driver to work 10 miles round trip and occasionally hauling my car to the track maybe twice a year or so
