i love animals and i feel for you bro!

 

Comparing my truck with a v10 (closest gas comparison to power and pulling capabilities), I've saved over $6000 in fuel costs by owning a diesel over 5 years and 100K miles. Plus, my truck is still worth over $5000 more than a Superduty with a gas engine, which means if I sell my truck, I would regain almost all the money that I spent by investing in the diesel option. In case you were wondering, I averaged the costs of gas vs. diesel over the past 5 years, and diesel has averaged 9 cents higher than regular unleaded, and the savings still come out over $6000 in fuel costs. So the whole economical approach that you can't recoup the cost of diesel over time is completely bogus.

There is not a single 7.3L with a 5r110, or 5 speed auto..... period. Your dealer is full of crap. Go ahead, try searching for a 7.3L with a 5 speed auto. They don't exist.

The 5 speed auto was introduced with the 6.0L diesel in 2003.

 

If you don't buy what you want, you've wasted all the money you spend. I've pounded this into my wife's head for years. Is it better to buy a $20 shirt or a $100 shirt? If you don't really like the $20 shirt, that's $20 wasted. If you'd rather have the $100 shirt that's money spent but not wasted.

Once, when I was younger and dumber, I bought a 1989 Camaro Iroc-Z with the 305. I really wanted the 350, but I found a cherry used 305 and I was shipping out to the army soon and didn't want to shop around much. I drove it for three years, and while I enjoyed it and had a blast with it, I still wanted a 350. I always wondered just how much faster, how much more fun, etc those extra 45 cubes would have been. A few years later when I had some promotions and some cash I bought an almost new 1997 Camaro Z-28, complete with 350 and six-speed. Exactly what I wanted. It was worth the price.

I don't need a diesel, either. I bought if for longevity and the flexibility of buying or making fuel and because I WANTED IT. Buying a personal vehicle is as much about emotion as finance. What looks good on a spreadsheet may suck to drive.

Moral of the story: save your pennies if need be, but buy what you want or you'll probably always have that "what if" in the back of you head.

 

wow. i guess i have a very rare truck then. cause it has a 5 speed automatic trans in it, not a 4 speed.

 

No, you don't have a rare truck, you have a 7.3L with a 4r100 4 speed auto. That "fifth" shift that you feel is actually the torque converter locking up in 3rd gear.

 

i know the difference between a 4 speed and a 5 speed.
my crown vic has a 4 speed. my 02 F250 has a 5 speed, the same as the 5 05 F350's in work. and the 07 F450 has a 6 speed in it.

 

Wow, seriously I'm done.

 

Ok I lied. Here is some info. You can get a 5 speed auto or even a 6 speed auto. BUT........ it's only in a F-650/750, and you have to have a Cummins or Cat engine. So once again there is no such thing as a 7.3L Superduty with a 5 speed automatic.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/specs/20...ries_SD_1.html

Happy reading.

 

I just bought my truck "just because," I've wanted a diesel for years and I got this one for $5000. No, it's not perfect and it needs some work, but $5000 is really right around what these body style F-series trucks run in decent to good condition with a gas motor (The IDI also books for a fair bit less than the powerstroke)

Now, I'm not driving it right away, in fact I may not get it on the road this winter even (cold weather moving in and I can only work on it on weekends, so it's slow going), but I'm not too worried about that. I'm waiting to see if diesel goes back down a bit in spring when people stop buying home heating oil.

I looked at '99-01 Powerstrokes but hell, seems like you can't touch them for less than $13,000 with a lot of miles and nobody has any with a 5 speed.

 

I doubt you have saved $6000 over the cost of what a gasser would have cost. Because a gasser will get close to the same fuel mileage you are getting. And diesel prices are higher.

Resale value is undeniable.

 

What's the average mileage for a 7.3L PSD? ~16.5 mpg
What's the average mileage for a V10? ~11.5
Both MPG estimates are a mix of city and highway driving. Some trucks get more, some get less, but this is a close estimate of averages. I own a PSD, and my wife used to own a V10, so I know what to expect mileage wise from each engine.

After 100K miles, a diesel would have used 6060 gallons, a V10 would have used 8695 gallons.

The five year average price of diesel is $2.69 per gallon. The five year average price of regular unleaded is $2.61 per gallon.

Totals: Diesel fuel costs after 100K miles is $16,301. V10 fuel costs after 100K miles is $22,694.

The difference: $6393

 

AGREE!

Out of all the posts in this thread, this guy hit the nail right on the head!!!

Don't sacrifice getting what you want for some GOOD DEAL!! Buy what you want so you won't ever look back and think "I should have bought that diesel" Get what you like and enjoy it!! The diesel of course has more to offer than all the trucks you listed, better mpg's, more power, towing ability....go for it all and don't look back!! I bought many gas subs and gas pick ups, now I am in an 04 6.0 Excursion, and a new GMC LMM P/U, I would never go back to gas ever ever again. That's my 2 cents....

 

Buy something that fits in your budget with room to spare though!

I bought my truck and now I feel like a kid in a candy shop looking at accessories for it...sheesh!

 

Ford didn't release the 5 speed auto (aka Torqshift or 5R110) until '03 with the 6.0 Powerstroke. My '03 7.3 still has the last of the 4 speed autos (4R100).

Also, my dad has an '01 GMC 2500 8.1L and gets HORRIBLE gas mileage (around 10mpg, and that's empty!). The 6.0L gasser doesn't get much better. I went out over Thanksgiving with him to the desert and off-roaded for 5 days with him. He used almost 50% more fuel than I did! As long as you stay out of the pedal you can easily see 15-16mpg overall mileage for a diesel (at least on my 7.3).

Yes it does cost more, but it will last longer and keep it's value. Just look at the years you're looking at for the diesel (6+ years old).

I don't need a diesel right now either, but I know in 4-5 years I will. Plus I wanted to find one of the last 7.3 diesels before they were all too old. It may be down on power to the 6.0 and newer diesels, but it's a tank!

 

good advice!


seems there are almost too many things you can do to mods these trucks.