So, if I can ever get the old broken engine out (see other thread), I'm going to send it to the machine shop/engine builder (at least in theory). Unfortunately I was never able to start and drive the truck prior to the teardown so I have no baseline reference. I however do have a 440-600 HP 6.7L (depending on tune level) that absolutely screams, so am spoiled to an extent. While the 1993 will probably never be my 'daily driver' (unless I do the full interior conversion), I plan to drive it quite a bit, so don't want a total dog.

Will I be happy with a 'stock' 7.3L IDI? In the back of my mind, I'm saying 'no', and if I'm going to spend seemingly countless thousands on a frame-off restoration project, why not go to another level? At least that's what I'm asking myself. I'm by no means an expert on the IDI platform, but have read tons of threads, posts and watched many videos, so have a decent understanding, but always learning. When I realized I couldn't get the IDI running, my first thought was to find a donor truck and do a 7.3 PS conversion (still an option but seems like more work than I want). So help me out. If it were your truck and had a relatively robust budget, what would you do and why?

Please keep in mind, I don't want a hotrod (that's the '68s place when the 428 CJ goes in shortly), rather I want a strong running/reliable truck that has the huevos to get out of its own way and pass in traffic when needed. I may tow a 5000# boat every now and then, but towing will primarily be the 6.7's responsibility.

Let's hear it.

 

That's hard to say. It's always going to feel like an absolute turd compared to your 6.7l No matter what you do to it....Anyone claiming otherwise, I'm sure has something to sell you. My old man has an F350 w/ 6.7 and my god man. It's insane. It's stupid how much power that truck has. You would need SO much weight and a massive hill combined, to help you to ever try and use all that. He doesn't need that for anything, no more than he needed the 6.4l before it (then again, I'd be willing to bet 99% of those who have one, probably don't either. I know for sure, I never would. Not in a million years). Even a modern F150 would have been overkill for his needs now.

I think you should go and find a runner and drive it a little to see if you'll be into it, before you spend any money, that you'll likely never be able to get back. These were the first diesels offered in the pickups, as I'm sure you know. These were back when diesel trucks were sold to working men to make money with. They're not going to impress anyone. Especially someone with a modern diesel truck.

These are something much different. These are legendary, not for their performance, but they're longevity. They'll do anything your 6.7l will do, but they'll do it much slower and much more affordably. You may like it, that is, at least with a turbo. I doubt you'd be able to handle the N/A slowness, but you are in Texas, relatively flat land, so it's hard to say.

If you can appreciate the legendary 300-6 to the Ford 460 trucks back in the day; you'll have decent luck understanding these trucks.
They're not fast, but the 300 can do anything a 460 truck can, for a fraction of the cost, just much slower, and as a rule, last about twice as long between remans.

If you can appreciate the charm and simplicity of yesteryear, you'll dig it. If you're too used to 6.7l power and you're not able to slow down.....like way down haha, then nah, you'll get bored of it and move on quickly. I wouldn't trade mine for a modern truck, but it's more than likely, you'll never come to understand why.........or maybe you could if you gave one a chance for long enough to understand what it is, and what it's not. It's possible. Like I say, that's hard to say. You may never get it. I'll say after what you've been used too, it's probably more likely you'll never get it, than you will. It's kinda hard to go backwards. If you're a guy who can appreciate the simplicity and the charm of the old truck and engine, you just might. You should try and find one to drive around for a few hours first. I'd say, since you've already started, you just may come around to understand the charm, the simplicity, the low cost, the reliability.

It's kinda like my photography hobby (though I use my trucks for work), in that, new camera lenses are nice and easy to use today right, with things like anti vibration and auto focus, and I have these lenses for my main lenses, sure, but there's something about throwing on a vintage lens with none of those things. You have to manually turn a dial to set the aperture and then manually turn the focus ring, and then take your shot.
The new trucks are like those modern lenses. Just point the thing in the direction you want to go, and have the photo you're after, or tow the load you want to move and go the speed limit or faster at all times, regardless to big an upcoming hill may be.
The old IDI trucks, with no computer controls and basic interiors, are like the old camera lenses. You have to slow down, take your time, do the work, but there's a connection there that you can't get with the new stuff, you know? There's more a sense of accomplishment when you reach your goal. If you can understand this analogy and think you'll be into it, then yes, you just might come around to understand the old IDI trucks and value it just as much perhaps as your modern diesel truck.........but in a whole different way.

 

Thanks for the response. You make some good points.