F150 Ecomods(?)

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by cleanspeed1

It's not so much that, it's the pickup trucks that we have access to. I wish we had the same pickups that are sold everywhere else, the same half ton and small pickups that the US OEMs sell to other markets that get double the mpg.

But that's a whole 'nuther story.

I hate to say it EM, but Amuricans have been indoctrinated well on truck ownership.

We HAD access to small trucks but they didn't sell- have you noticed the pickup truck horsepower and capacity race, all so that the solo commuter can drive all over creation with 6000 lbs of ballast instead of 4000?

[cleanspeed1]

Originally Posted by Steven Wrigley

She wont have any of it. Im hoping the my Greenguzzler has a 1 star safety rating! lol That may convince her

Dude, give it a shot.

[cleanspeed1]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

We HAD access to small trucks but they didn't sell- have you noticed the pickup truck horsepower and capacity race, all so that the solo commuter can drive all over creation with 6000 lbs of ballast instead of 4000?

Oh yeah. Like, what is somebody going to do with an near 7000-8000 pounder that has 400+hp and near 800 ft/lbs of torque and not tow anything; I've been around long enough to remember when semi trucks weren't that powerful. Add to that the $50-60k to get one.

Sure you could get them to do better, and it has been done, but I would rather have the 4.5L Ford half ton they sell in SA or a Ranger with a 2.8L PSD.
If we had smaller engined vehicles that actually performed well, I think the whole perception and sales numbers would have been different.

[Steven Wrigley]

I told my dad abut the near 2000 bucks wed save with a 40mpg car. Hes going to try to convince her too. Too bad I dont have a Ranger. My buddy averaged 36mpg highway once with his. I just dont understand why people use pickups as cars. In my case its all we have for the time being. Trucks are meant to haul and tow stuff theyre not meant for people moving.

[cleanspeed1]

I feel ya. I had two large pickups at one time, one of them being an F150 with 2 wheel drive w/ a 302 and an AOD, the other a first gen Dodge dually diesel. The Ford did about 15 mpg, the Dodge did over 20+ on a regular basis. But this was before the fuel prices got completely out of control.

Hey, if worse came to worse, you could always grab the Ranger 2.3/2.5L four cylinder drivetrain and stick it in one of the full size pickups! (HAHAHA!)

[brucey]

Hey there is an idea! Throw an old diesel tractor motor in it. Glub glub glub.

[cleanspeed1]

Steven?! You got an old Massey Ferguson with a 4 banger Perkins laying around? A Cummins? Kubota? Deutz? Ford?

C'mon, it'd be a great father/son project!

Just messin' with ya.

Momma'll throw both of you out for greasin' up the house.

[Steven Wrigley]

Hahahahaha! A Ranger drive train in a fullsize That would be uh... interesting for sure! lol I do have a old Massey ferguson from the 50s but its gas. That wouldnt have been the weirdest thing Ive seen done! On a side note I found crash test footage of a much newer f150 than mine and its just scary. Mom wasnt to happy about that. Then I showed her a Civic crash test and it was like night and day. If I wasnt concerned with gas mileage Id get a Civic because theyre safer! I couldnt find a crash rating of a 94 f150 though.

[cleanspeed1]

I'm tellin' ya dude, just give momma the facts and get Dad to work his angle. You'll be outta that bigg'n in two shakes.

Now, what I had in mind is a T-Bird Turbo 4 cylinder, high torque cam, and then run that heifer on E85. 30 psi boost for those Superman moments, Pinto economy when you don't.

What?! Stop laughing!

[Fat Charlie]

Originally Posted by Steven Wrigley

Its no use convincing her either. She says if Im ever in a accident Ill be wishing I was in a 11 mpg truck. Which is probably right.

Your mother is going to get you killed if you keep listening to her. The energy in a collision has to go somewhere- do you really want your ribcage and skull to be the crumple zones? I'd rather be in a car that's designed to die by absorbing that energy for me. What you need is a car. Selling the truck might not be a good idea, but using it to lug nothing but yourself 40 miles a day is wrong.

Originally Posted by cleanspeed1

Oh yeah. Like, what is somebody going to do with an near 7000-8000 pounder that has 400+hp and near 800 ft/lbs of torque and not tow anything; I've been around long enough to remember when semi trucks weren't that powerful. Add to that the $50-60k to get one.

As Jon Stewart once said, "Hey! That can tow the boat I don't own up the mountain I don't live near!"