Ford Vs. Chevy. Gasser duallys
 

I am between two trucks.

First truck. A 1997 Chevy 3500. Crew cab, 4x4, 75k orig miles. 454 with 4L80E. Good shape.

Second truck is a 2000 F350. Crew cab, 4x4, V10, 110k miles. Also in good shape.

Kinda stuck between the two. The Ford is about 3000 more price wise.

I think the Ford wins in looks. Just not so sure about the longevity of the V10, and cost to replace should it take a dump. Only for towing a 38 Fountain around.

Why would you want to do this??? Besides the low prices of course. Gas motors don't last long pulling heavy loads.

Mainly because the trucks in the price range im in that are diesel have 150k+miles. I have a powerstroke ford now, (non dually). My buddy has a 2000 V10 dually that he been towing his 35 and 42 fountain around for years trouble free.

Every time mine or my buddies diesel trucks went in for a engine issue, whether it be a egr cooler, injectors, etc, it was a job that cost almost as much if not as much as a complete long block 454 from GM.

As for the mpg, i dont care about that much. Its not a daily driver, and considering my boat gets less than 1mpg, and the mack gets 6mpg, a truck im gonna put maybe 5k miles on for the year is no biggie.

The diesel power is nice, but not looking to win any races. As long as the truck can tow 65mph comfortably, im happy. I doubt a mid-late 90s 7.3 ford or 6.5 gm diesel is gonna blow away a 454 or v10 gasser anyhow when it comes to acceleration.

I just got off the phone with Jay/Gizmo from here on OSO. He bought a 7.3L PSD and is selling his GM Gasser Dually. Anything Jay has is in great shape.

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/members/gizmo.html

If you can't contact him via the link above to his profile, let me know and I will get you his cell number.

I have a 2006 Dodge quad cab diesel dually for sale. 69,300 miles $20,000

Hey I know that guy..and it's an 2001 90K on still rocking!!!

I've had a Ford F350 7.3PSD and presently have the V10. The V10 pulled my 33' PowerPlay well but lacked the torque on the highway for acceleration and hills (not mountains, just hills), it was ok on the flats. There definitely was a difference between the two. You might want to check Ford-Trucks.com on the vintage V10 you're looking at. The 2 valve which is what I think your 2000 would have had some issues with plug blow-out and doesn't have the power of the newer three valve. There's tons of info on that site regarding the V10 and they even have a forum dedicated to it...check it out and all of your questions will be found.

In all, I'm glad I have the V10, I'll not be pulling a boat the size of my 33 again so I'm happy to be rid of the 7.3. I'm with ya on the diesel repairs, big bucks no doubt. The V10 is great for what I need it for because the other gasser option is the 5.4 which I'm not crazy about in a truck the size of a Super Duty. Good luck.

Mild Thunder - I had a 1997 Chevy Dually 3500, and now own a 2000 F350.

BOTH were Diesels - BUT, the ford was MUCH more capable of handling the load, particularly STOPPING it. It was truely a world of difference the first time I hooked up the boat to the FORD.

I had the 8.1 in my other Chevy truck. VERY good motor.
Pulled my 29 outlaw fine.

Mild Thunder - Go diesel without a doubt!!!

how about a diesel at gasser price?! Best of both worlds!!!

'97 GMC turbo diesel with about $8500 in new parts. I'll take $7500. White, crew cab, 4x4, auto, etc. Great option for what you are looking to do.

While some knock the 6.5 in comparison to the duramax like you stated the newer diesels are pricey to repair while the 6.5 is cheap and simple. If you can work on a 454 you will be right at home

This truck has all the goodies like SS diesel heads, marine injectors, rebuilt turbo, performance filter, newer trans rebuild, etc. etc. Let me know if you want more details on it.