nobody does have a sense of humor.people get pi#$ed at me for bein a clown all the time.if you are too serious it makes you miserable.

 

If you can't laugh life would be the sh%^&.

 

I bought an 85 setup like the one you are looking at except it was a 4sp. I also had a 9.5 ft older cabover camper and a 22 ft Sunrunner cuddy cabin. Empty it was fine, very comfortable, excellent fuel mileage. I had the truck for about 7 months, then went on vacation. I was so pissed I was ready to get rid of the truck before we even got to the lake.

We were going to Lake Powell, 275 miles from home and a few 5, 6 and couple short close to 7 percent grades. Down to 22 mph going over Spanish Fork canyon, not really a bad pull. My old 64 Chev with 292 inline six would pull the same setup about 35 mph. Fully loaded semi's were passing me easily. I was not happy.

Came back home from vacation, ordered the ATS complete turbo kit. Installed that, then took the truck to my pump/injection guy. He took care of any turbo, pump, injector problems for my semi's. He rebuilt and calibrated the IP to the injectors and turbo.

Next trip to Lake Powell topped Spanish Fork canyon at 63 mph and got 18 mpg average on the trip. The truck had just over 90,000 miles when I bought it.

I thought I would chime in as you are dealing with basically the same truck and load that I had.

Running empty with a turbo doesn't "seem" to do a lot on the old IDI. Throw a load on and hit a hill is where it starts to shine. Dad and I have done several 6.9/7.3's over the earlier years and the best combo seemed to be 4 or 5 sp, 3:54 gears turbo, exhaust and injection pump work. Got the best mileage and good pulling power.

Just our experience! I would not have a diesel without a turbo, but thats just me.

 

I agree; TURBO DIESEL is the ONLY way to go. There are so many advantages I don't know why/how anybody could argue for a big block gasser.
Non turbo diesel (NA) that's a different thing. Then it's just a fuel mileage vs. speed thing.


NOW to the IMPORTANT

I have been let off by the police so many times I couldn't possibly complain!!!!!!

The first one was burning my tires off in the parking lot of the video store my Brother worked at.
The second was when my cousin was helping me put a built-up small block in my '75 SWB 2wd Dodge P/U at my Dad's machine shop one night. I went to take him home in my Camaro (becuase his POS Chevy P/U wasn't running) and when we went by the A&W there was a bunch of my old high school friends out front so I lit up ther tires at 25-30 (wet pavement and light rain) the TH350 shifted into second at about 60 (2.7? gears) which is when I let off of the gas and lightly hit the brakes. The windshield wipers made a pass over the glass and the approaching car coming at us looked suspiciously like it had over-heads on it.
The pretty red and blue light came on and about 1/4 mile down main street he pulled us over. He got all of my info, which I had and was up to date, "ran" me and returned with out a ticky-ticky. He said I got up to speed and back down so fast his radar didn't register a speed. I told him I was under NO illusion that he couldn't write me a ticket or that somehow I had "got away" with something. I tried to buy him a house or something like that but he refused. My cousin was in shock aboutas much I was.

Then once my parents went on a cruise and since I lived just a 1/2 mile or so up the road from them I agreed to do as much driving of my little sister (16 at the time but no license yet) around as I could. I went to pick her up after work one night in the afformentioned hoped-up truck with my girlfriend (now wife). I needed to change lanes right after leaving a stop light so I gunned it, went around and picked up sis from work. On the way back about half way through town a cop started following me so I was driving perfectly. He pulled us over and we couldn't figure out why. When I asked him he said I took of from a stop light really fast, by this time I wasn't even thinking about what had happenned 10-15 minutes ago so I said I didn't know what he was talking about. We finally got that sorted out and I asked him if I broke the speed limit and he said no. Did I bark the tires? No. So what did I do? Nothing. The he told me my license plate light was out, which it was, and we were on our way again. Must have been a boring night.
Then I had a State Trooper pull me over in my Camaro for doing 59 in a 55. I gave him my Concealed Handgun License like I always do and he asked if I was carrying. I told him yes and where it was. He asked me why I was carrying a gun. I said, "I don't want to sound like a smart @$$ but for the same reason you do." That ended that part of the conversation. The he asked if a certain person with my last name was related to me. I was reluctant to say yes as this cousin and I get along well but A LOT of people can't stand him. Turns out they were buddies so it worked out in my favor, I really played up how GOOD of cousins we were. I think this was another case of "25 year old in a muscle car" boredom stop.

Then my Dad called me at work one morning and asked me how many city cops I knew, I told him a couple but mostly in the towns I worked in selling and working on guns but not many in the town I lived in. He said one of them called his shop and told HIM to tell ME that I left town too loudly (in the again afformentioned P/U). He said to tone it down but before he hung up he said "it sounds GOOD though!"

About 3 a.m. one night coming home from work late in my '91.5 Dodge-Cummins I about half way ran a red light (legally ran) right in front of a cop and he let me go. I said A LOT of thank-yous while he walked back to his cruiser.

While taking my Daughter to her horse riding lessons about 6-8 months ago I was pulled over for 77 in a 55. I think the thing that saved me there was that I had all 4 of my kids and wife with me. He told me if I was ever caught speeding by him again I would definitely be getting a ticket. I told him he should write me two if that happens. Believe me I drive about 57 on that stretch of road EVERYTIME!

The FOUR tickets I DID get were all B.S. it's wierd how that happens! They really were B.S., it's not that I just THINK they were B.S.

The first was when I was going over to register for college. A city cop said I swung my rearend out while making a 90* turn from a stop. This was in an "82 Ford EXP, basically a 2 door Escort. The thing NEVER ran right so I wasn't even getting a majority of the whopping 80 HP it supposedly put out. I told him that was IMPOSSIBLE in a front wheel drive gutless turd. He wrote me a Careless Driving ticket and told me he was doing me a FAVOR for mot writing it for Wreckless Driving. I said wreckless to who? There's nobody on the road!
We went to court, my Dad testified that he had been a mechanic for like 25 years at that time and driven my car and there is NO WAY ANYBODY could make my car do that on dry September 80+* roads. He had his notes all messed up and the Judge threw it out.
I got a "Handi-cap Parking" ticket at work for parking down an alley so far away from any buisness entrance to do any handi-cap person any good. I really didn't even think there could possibly BE a handi-cap spot down there. When I went to court the Judge reduced it to the bare minimun because I was in-fact IN a handi-cap spot.
Then I had a Bronco II t-bone me when I puuled out in front of them but they had just left their house, didn't have there head lights on yet and it was raining and dark. the cops didn't see it that way and wrote me a "Dangerous Left Turn" ticket. It stuck.
Then I got a seat belt ticket which REALLY PI$$ES me off as the law was put in for/by Insurance Companies and has nothing to do with "reducing accidents" just like helmet laws. I've already made my longest post ever I believe so I won't delve into that subject any further.

 

For some reason your post reminds me of the old dodge brothers commercial with the white hats.
I have had my share of bs tickets even one for 56 in a 55 but I deserved most I have had. I'm with you on the seatbelt tickets 3 of them that I just think is a violation of our rights.

 

i got a ticket for waiting to long at a stop sine my insucence shot up to like 150 just for a little slip of paper

 

Yea but Joe you live in a state where a parking violation is a moving violation this is only true in two states cali and florida.

 

ok i guess ill get into the tickets i have it started when i was 18 i got 2 speeding tickets 78 in a 55 and 45 in a 25 then i got pulled over for a license plate light out i was 19 at the time and in wisconsin if you are under 21 you cant have a drop of alcohol i just left a party and blew a .02 and my licens was suspended 2 tickets and a night at the PD got pulled over 2 more times with a suspended license from the previouse tickets i got another speeding ticket 70 in a 55 3 non registered auto and the most recent i got pulled over in my 94 f150 that cop was a a$$ hole he was nice till he saw i had a cdl then he looked at me and said your gonna get a bunch of tickets and when he radioed in he said i just hit the motherload i got a ticket for my truck being overweight because of the tounge weight and one cuz the trailer didnt have electric breaks another one cuz the trailer was over 3000lbs and wasnt registered one for not notifying the dmv of an address change i was moving that day and it was saturday the dmv was closed non registration on the truck that was on the trailer and a disorderly conduct now let me explane this one i had to un hook the trailer on the scale then the cop told me to hook it back up and he wasnt guiding me back so i backed up a little far and the tounge hit my hitch so he was like now your gonna get a disorderly conduct ticket and started wrighting it up so i figured if i was gonna get one i may as well make it worth while i was very nice and respectfull till this point when i got out to hook up the trailer i told the cop that in my opinion he was being a compleat ******* and just because he was having a bad day he didnt have to take it out on me and i was glad i could help him fill his quota for the month he didnt like that very much but let me go on my way i went to the PD later that day and talked to the chief about it and he was on my side and he said he would take care of it all but the 2 overweight tickets got dropped bu ti have gotten away with way more than i have gotten tickets for i think it has to do with being respectfull and honest i got away with 113mph in a 65 and a bunch of other tickets the best was when i was 17 the first time i ever got pulled over i was racing my friend in his mustang with my nissan i was smoking him till i saw the cop i just pulled over he pulled behind me and told me how fast i was going 82 in a 35 and then asked why i pulled over i said i knew i was speeding and i knew he was gonna pull me over so i just figured i would make it easy for him he went back to his car and gave me a verbal warning because i didnt make him chase me ever since then i have been honest and respectfull

 

I think respect gets you a LONG way when you get pulled over. I'm sure it's saved my butt a few times.

 

This sure got off topic. But at least we are finding out who the outlaws really are.
I think Joe should have gotten some jail time for staying instead of stopping.
Don't forget joe in cali 3 strikes your in for life.

 

Dodge/Cummins

On the seat belt ticket, I happen to be diabetic and also hate seat belts. I have a medical seatbelt exemption. I don't gotta wear one, I have it signed off by a Dr. Robert Hattner, a neurologist in California. I get it up dated every year and it costs me 25.00 per year.

 

I'd like to see a documented case of someone's wearing of a seat belt saving somebody ELSE's life.
In fact I might need more than one case to change my mind, if ONE even exists.

I don't ride motorcyles on the street, if I did I'd always wear a helmet. However MAKING someone wear one to save them from themselves is against the FREEDOM we are SUPPOSED to have.

I don't have a problem with an "under 18" law because some parents/gaurdians are stupid, but at some point we should be able to make adult decisions for ourselves with out the gov't steeping in to "save" us.

 

But you have to understand it is your right to feel your rights have been violated. See you still have your rights.

 

Yeah, great!

 

Outlaws ... How about this for stupidity!

4 separate tickets on the same date!

1. 75+ in a 55 and Logbook
2. DWI at .32
3. 75+ in a 55
4. DWI at .36

Of course between #2&3 I spent ~9 hours in jail.

That is 5&6 of 7 DWI's. The priors were old.
Lost my license for 2 years, 180 days in jail and over 8,000 in fines, penalties, schooling, etc... etc... Lost both my trucks, And a sweet contract.

3 months after getting out of jail I was riding my dirt bike in town and a car left turned into me taking my left leg off 3/4" below the knee. I tested .34! No license, Riding an off road dirt bike, and drunk again! This one hurt the worst, almost 20,000 in fines, penalties, schooling, etc... etc..., I spent ~3 years in hospitals, plus a year (got 2, one suspended) in jail and lost my CA Lic. for 10 years, not to mention over 200,000 dollars in Doctors/Hospital bills.

There are two good things that came from above:

1. I quit drinking, It's been over 25 years and I still DON'T DRINK!
2. And all that money has me walking like nothing happened to my leg, unless you see it.

I have a very long list of tickets starting at 15 years old, mostly Speeding, Exposition of speed (Burn outs), Street Racing and last and worst 7 DWI's all at or over .32.

The best one was a speeding ticket in Button Willow California on i5 heading north ... I just gassed up at the truck stop, got up onto i5 and opened her up! 136+ in a 65, The best part was it was in a 69 VW Bug... We have that one framed on the wall! The cop started to write me up for 75+ because he didn't believe what the Plane was saying (Yea right a VW doing 136+), Then he walked around to the back of the bug to get the lic number! (I had pulled over behind him), He ripped it up and asked me to step out... Fortunately I didn't goto jail, I did see the judge, My record was pretty clean, NO DWI's, I was in the Navy and was heading home for the weekend, Cost me some bux but I made it home that night! I got hecka lucky. I could (should) have done time and then been AWAL!

In case you're wondering, It didn't have a VW motor, It had a Crower Engineered (Built by me) Pinto motor, ~215HP.

-Enjoy
fh : )_~