Please go easey on me this is my first post!

Yesterday I test drove and signed to buy, my first ever Ford truck, a 2004 model, 4 door, F250 with 5 speed auto trans! (This is the downunder RH drive version - made in Brazil?).

It has 100,000km's (60,000 miles) and seems pretty much like new!

I'm 47 years old and been driving 30 years, trucks, cars, busses, tractors, loaders etc..

I'm buying this F Truck to haul my 25 ft Charter boat which with trailer weighs in at about 7500 pounds! It's on a Tandem trailer with all 4 wheels disc breaked, vacuum power assisted.

Anyway, so far I've just test driven the Truck about 10 or 15 miles on the Highway without the boat & trailer behind...

The auto transmission, doesn't seem to have any 'feel' or feedback to the driver - when you start out the truck seems to make a lotta noise but not actually increase speed at all in comparison to all the noise and power the engine makes.. the gear changes are barely percpetible.

It's a lovelly truck - but I've driven mostly manual vehicles most a my life.
(We can't specify a manual trans downunder, Ford don't import them here!).

So It's a lotta years since I drove a old Ford C6 3 speed auto trans...you used to be able to feel them drop into gear and the torque converter lock up, but this new 5 speed just seems all wishy washy to me...

I'd have expected a 7.3 turbo diesel to have some serious get up and go..

The truck does boogy if you bury the pedal to the floor, but if you drive it sedately which I normally would - it seems to me at least - like half your fuel is being used - making a lotta noise & not damnwell going anywhere!

Is this "normal" i.e. is this how a near new F truck powerstroke auto normally drives?

Maybe it's me - maybe I been driving manual vehicles too long!

My current drive is a 4.2 turbo diesel Landcruiser Manual 5 speed - when you put your foot down, it burys you butt crack in the seat...

The Ford just makes a lotta noise, going no where, by comparison!

I am just wondering how this thing will go, pulling the boat?

Is there something you can do to "tighten" up the transmission and make it a little more "direct" with more feel?

Is there anything that ought be done to it beffore I start towing with it?...any transmissions up grades etc? more oil coolers?

Sorry for the 101 dumb questions.. I only test drove it yesterday, and I like everything on the truck but the saggy azz, feel of the transmission.

Maybe this is a commonly known thing and theres a remedy?

Many thanks in advance!

Cheers!

 

Hmmm...My 2000 dually (bone stock 7.3) will spin the tires for a few feet off the line and goes like a bat out of hell. And you do have to bury the pedal to the floor to do that just like yours. Your 7.3 is a turbo motor - it needs boost. It doesnt get very much in light throttle conditions, so it doesn't seem like it is going anywhere very fast. Yes they are loud...it is a diesel. It sounds like if you want power you know what to do. As far as the trans goes, there are valve body kits that will hashen the shifts that the engineers spent 40 years trying to perfect and spent millions on in research to get to have soft silky shifts that will make it shift like you want it to. There are also chips and "tuners" that will really "awaken" the 7.3 and change the shift points as well. Sounds like a nice truck. Don't be afraid to open it up!

 

Also, one more point; Do remember this isn't your plush cushy landcruiser. This is a truck...a real truck. Remember the reason you bought it - to perform tasks that your landcuiser can't do. Well there are things your ford can't do too, like be quiet like your cruiser, have that nice ride like your cruiser, and it probably won't go like your cruiser because it is way heavier. However, if you still wanted to ride in your cruiser, you could put the cruiser in the back of the truck (in the bed) and still tow your boat if you wanted to. Perhaps the wife could drive the truck Good luck with the new ride.

 

Welcome to FTE flywest.

My (very limited) experience with a stock 4R100 is the same as your initial impressions.....it's soft and mushy. In fact my test drive of an auto is the reason I held out for the six speed manual.

There is an effective and fairly easy "fix" for it, but I'm unsure about the availability down under. Get a look at it HERE

 

There was a 7.3 in 2004?

 

I don't think there was here, but that is a whole new country. International Truck still makes the 7.3 - I have no idea what they are putting it in.

 

Yes, in the "right-hand drive" countries, they still put the 7.3 engine in the F- and E- series trucks. The only bad thing is that they do not have the 05+ frontend or new suspension setup. So basically you are getting a bunch of NEW 2003MY USA trucks. If the other countries have some sort of an EPA, they aren't as harsh as America is.

 

I honestly kinda like the old setup. It was pretty straighrforward and well put together.

 

Thanks heaps guys!
Yep I think theres a lotta wise words there!
Let the missus drive my truck? Yikes - you are kidding right? ;o)
(My wife couldn't drive a greasey stick up a dogs butt with a mallet, but maybe we better not go there!) ;o)

OK I've taken all that onboard so thanks - and yes I was being a little too easey on her, for any real world contribution by the turbo most likely!

Sadly we largely don't get the same models as yourselves!
Well - we didnt I should say - things are changing......but slowly!
This is what I know regarding the comments about 7.3 in a 2004 model etc.

Up to the end of this year 2006 Ford Australia are importing the Brazilian made F250's....with the 7,3 powerstroke. We don't get a manual transmission option period - some idiot in Ford Sydney decided a few years back that we didn't need them and so they could save a $ not having to stock parts if they didn't import manual models!

Bit like the model T's - you could have any color, as long as you like black!

OK...now for year 2007 Ford are not importing any F trucks to Aus at all. They apparenty just don't meet the European based emissions standards, that we have to adhere too...for year 2007 models.

We won't get any New Ford F series trucks until late 2008 apparently!
This has made any near new low mileage Ftrucks, rare as hens teeth, and worth very close to the Aus $100,000 second hand! (US $75000).

When we do get them in 2008 - they will be the 6 litre models you guys have been getting since 2004 year models?

One "enterprising" local co here ARE importing F trucks direct from the USA in your current year config models for 2007 & some of 2008, and converting them to RH drive (They have a couple in stock already!). These are as stated the 6 litre turbo diesel motors. How they will get them thru the emmisisions standards with our licensing authorities - when Ford motor co apparently claim to not be able too so, I do not know! They are only allowed to do this by Ford USA because Ford Australia has decided not to bring any in for emissions reasons!

This is their website!
http://www.ftrucks.com.au/

Probably something else your not aware of...

Cost downunder!
The described 2 year old 2nd hand F250 vehicle with 60,000 miles is being bought by me for no change from Aus $82500, plus $5000 stamp duty to change the license to my name! (Total $87500) ($US 65,625).

A new 6 litre version, in RH drive retails here for about Aus $150,000! ($US 112,500)

I know this sounds unbelieveable (our $ trades at about 75% value of a US greenback...so you could understand a 25% premium above $US prices for Aus $ prices!).

Suppoesdly we signed a free trade agreement with the USA a while back - but somehow, somewhere, the price a Ftrucks got screwed over, along the way!

If they were a comparative price to what you guys can buy them for........well you'd sell a heck of a lot more of them downunder.. (Didn't Ford USA Lose some US$8.5 Billion last year?........maybs theres a clue in there for you!) ;o) In fact they are so damn dear I think they even attract a "luxury goods" tax now! (On top of our national 10% Goods & services Tax!).

So...yeah we get "old product" designed to use up surplus inventory of old model parts...at a price 3 times what you pay for a similar new model truck to the point owning ones deemed a luxury!.

F250 the luxury limousine! he he he.

Not hard to figure why so few of them end up on our roads here!

I went looking for a used F350 Dually 4wd with 4 doors......and found 2 in the whole of Aus - both located on the East coast 3000miles away, a 2000 YM for $Aus85,000 and a 2002 YM for $Aus95,000!

Things are a lot different down under, when it comes to Ftrucks - they are a scarcity, they cost the earth, they are built like a truck - spare parts are horrendously expensive, being imported...and theres few places that will work on them if (when) they need repair!.

That said - the Japanese just don't manufacture a comparative light truck product for hauling serious loads like boats and caravans etc that are around the 3.5 tons or better capacity.

As an example - I've hauled my boat 250 miles, a distance that should take say 4.5 hours, using the Landcruiser - the trip took 7 hours! Didn't get much over 40 to 45 miles an hour top speed! This is one reason why I want a light truck to haul the boat!

Also - our "road trains" (Prime mover & 3 trailers) tend to create so much vacuum as they overtake me that they drag the boat and landcruiser 4 feet across the road.......to the point it's almost impossible to hold road position.
Thats another reason to want something that sits a little heavier on the road!

I think I can shave a couple hours off my short haul trips up the coast, and probably a day off the longer trips with the F250!

The fact we pay so much for the F250's comes as a REAL shock to your countrymen who move here to live & work!

We can't import one privately to avoid import duties unless we have lived and worked stateside for in excess of a year and owned the truck all that time.

Thanks again for your advice!

Cheers!

 

Wow, that really does suck, spending over twice of what we spend, and when there were only two trucks that were crew cab duallies in the WHOLE CONTINENT! Chances are that the color and options weren't what you "preferred" was it? Are the living conditions cheaper down there that facilitate spending more on a truck "easier to take", or is the price of life the same, you just get reamed when you go to buy a truck? I'd like to see inside of a RH drive truck, i've never seen one before. I do hear they come with cool add-ons from the factory like an exhaust stack, and 'roo bars.


I like you vocabulary, how you word what you have to say is cool, it must be an Aussie thing. Plus that comment on the greasy stick, 'effin hilarious!!!

EDIT- I'd say that it's now safe to change the "1999-2003 7.3L Powerstroke Diesel" forum title to "1999-2006 7.3L Powerstroke Diesel", we cant discriminate against the Right-Hand drive members.

 

Sorry for the long winded post, my only excuse being I was accidentally vaccinated at birth with a grammaphone needle and haven't shut up much since!

Re Lifes expensive here whichever way you look at it - real estates gone nutso... but it's only the Ford trucks we get screwed on... Japanese vehicles are waaay cheaper, than american product!

For example - when the new 2008 Landrcruiser (which is being tested in Dubia right now) is imported here it will be a wider track than the current model and sport a new 4.4 litre V8 diesel twin turbo intercooled putting out 270 Hp...600 Nm torque.

It will price at about what I'm paying now, second hand for a 2 year old F truck with 60,000 miles on it!

So you can see the Japanese must exploit some sort of zero trade tarrifs barrier or something to get their product in here cheaper by a long ways! We get the same with their OB products compared to the USA Mercury (which we prefer).

It's just that everything from the USA is so dang dear down here!

It's a pity because my generation recall that without the USA intervention in WW2, & your sacrifices in the coral sea and McCarthurs vow "to return" - I & my kids would be typing Konnichiwa about now! :Rollseyes:

We are allies and trading partners, I grew up recognising the best products in the world were manufactured in the USA...even HiFi gear etc..

Now it's all Japanese, and more recently Korean and now China product we are being flooded with! Most of its crap.......but it's all we can afford!

I would like to see our two nations get their act together a lot better in this respect! I think it evolved because we are both large grain export nations and competition over world grain markets over the years, led to trade tarrifs barriers/ import duties / import taxes etc etc...that penalised each others products in their respective export markets!

We're still allies - we ought have better trade relations IMHO..

Maybe one day it will come - who knows - for now we have what we have, and we try and get used to living with it!

I'm sure a lot of your companys wish they could export more product overseas and make more profits and keep more jobs at home in the USA, just like ours do!

I will post pics of the "Roo bar" on this new truck (Youll love it) and the RH drive version for you as well, when I take delivery! We don't get the exhaust stack standard - like yourselves we have to order it as an added extra!
I would like a exhaust stack.....but I'd want it to come down under the side steps like the old leg burner style, before it turns up at the rear of the cab into a turned out stack just above the roofline!!

The test drive fooled me - indicators stalk on the left side of the steering wheel & wiper washers on the right - column shift gear change on the right...and a hand operated park brake about 4 feet long and straight outta a model T!
Was a interesting drive - i washed windows when I wanted to turn and had the indicators (turn signals) going when i wanted to wash the windows!
Wasn't a pretty sight at all this test drive.....the cruise control on the steering wheel was all new and took a little figuring out!

This will be a fun time - I have plans for a few add ons like a long range fuel tank, as well as a LPG Tank and conversion to run both at the same time! (LPG & Diesel!).

Aso a 50 Gallon water tank..for washing the trailer down after launching the boat in the ocean!

Likely I'll start brewing my own bio diesel..for the truck.

Probably add a 12000 pound WARN electric winch to the Roo Bar up front, for haulin my sorry azz outta trouble when I goof up!

I've been told rather emphatically NOT to put a chip in the engine computer because the transmission won't handle it?

See what transpires I guess......I gotta figure how to pay for this thing first seeing I signed the contract to buy it!!

Cheers!

 

I like the stuff the Japanese make; I think it is good stuff. I think the stuff made in the USA is good stuff too. And normally, it fits my needs better and I prefer to buy product made here. I love domestic pickups - all three brands are good pickups.

 

I told my wife htat one... for some reason she didn't get quite the chuckle out of it that I did....

 

Right on Brother!!
I've sold, installed and owned some ARB stuff, you aussies can put together a good product as well!!


I'd like to see that... think I'll google it.

Cheers, and welcome mate!

 

[img]http://images.carsales.com.au/dealer/5681329.jpg[/img]

There ya go a photo of the said "roo bar"
Yes - Aussies at ARB make some neat offroad gear as well!

Take a look the steering wheels on the wrong side! ;o)

Cheers!