HAY!!! Dodge Ram people,, I know you read this form...

[sodbust]

Hello,



I know you Dodge company people check in here and look around to see where and what we are doing to your poor old Ram PUs.



Now hear this!!!!!!!!!!!!



My 98. 5 Ram is a darn good PU. . But I have cash in hand when you come out with a lite duty 3/4 ton or a heavy duty 1/2 ton with the Cummins 4BT in mild tune. With tall gearing for sliding down the hwy.



There are allot of guys that could use a lot less PU and have it set up for maximum fuel mileage. . Little lower to the ground, point the hood a little more, slant the windshield back, or split it like the trucks back in the 30s and 40s... COOL!! Put a big chrome stack behind the cab with a red neck rain cap flopping in the wind. . Heck, put in solid motor mounts. We can call it the HARD TAIL!!!



Now I know that the Dart Lite you made in the 70s was not a big seller. . I had one and loved it. . Lite hood and allot of aluminium castings, tall gears. and a slant 6. . I got 32 to 38 mpg with that dream all the time. . At 272,000 miles I let my X wife take it. . ( it was either the car or the kids)



Well that's all I'm going to say about this, Think about it, and put my name on the first one,!!



Daniel Mc Amoil of NW Kansas. .

 

[NIsaacs]

Hi Daniel of NW Kansas, I hear ya and for those of us who think anything Diesel is the cats meow, the excellent 4bt in a light duty pickup would be great. However, when Mr. or Mrs. Joe public test drove one of those vibrating little boogers it would probably scare them to death, hence no sale





"NICK"

 

[Dkuhlman]

There were some earlier attempts at small diesel pickups like the Chevy Luv/Isuzu and others but they were not hot sellers at the time. Europe and the Far East have a ton of cars and small commercial vehicles with diesels. I'm not going into all the theories why diesels haven't taken off in the USA as has been well documented here and other places. I think this will change soon with the adoption of low sulfur fuel and particulate filters that will clean up the tail pipe emissions. And with greater sales will come further advancements and a decrease in some of the price premiums on diesels.



In the mean time, you'll either need to build your own and find an old Chevy Luv.



My $. 02



Don

 

[Alphacowboy]

well supposidly Dodge is looking at a smaller MB diesel for the half ton pickups in the 07 model line, well see if it really happens. I think they are talking about the MB engine they put in the sprinter vans.

 

[Tinman]

I would love it if they would put a 4bt in smaller pickup. I won't even consider buying a MB powered truck (as long as there is a Cummins availble). It would also need a solid axle from end for the 4x4.

 

[Doubleclutch]

I'm betting my Coke & Nuts on AlphaCowboy. Can't see DC use an "out-of-house" engine on a new product.

Greg

 

[DKayser]

What ?

[QUOTE



( it was either the car or the kids)





. . [/QUOTE] Who got to pick first?

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

I settle for a 4bt in a Jeep.

 

[Cattletrkr]

I know it's a little heavy, but why not just a de-tuned 5. 9?? Crank it down to a sissy little 220hp and watch that 3500lb 1/2ton reg cab short box FLY!!!!!!!!!!! Throw in some 3. 07's and a 6spd and away you go. Can you imagine the burnouts with all that weight up front and none in rear...

 

[sodbust]

Of corse,, the X picked first!



Daniel

 

[sodbust]

Mr. or Mrs. Joe public test drove one of those vibrating little boogers it would probably scare them to death, hence no sale





"NICK"



You are right to a point, Think how many of them have a shaken Harley in the shead. Make it a cult thing,, Thats why I would call it the HARD TAIL!



Daniel

 

[sodbust]

well supposidly Dodge is looking at a smaller MB diesel for the half ton pickups in the 07 model line, well see if it really happens.



Alphacowboy



I could live with that,, but the little MB are allot weak in the tork area. Heck we are Tork freeks!@!!#!



I have a son who has a mid 80s Benz,, nice little car, and easy on fuel. .



Daniel

 

[Elite1]

Sodbust, Good idea, I would definitely be interested in a 1/2 ton with a smaller diesel, not for myself but great for employees in my contracting business.

Hey, I notice you are from NW Kansas... my father is originally from SW Nebraska, Benkleman... probably not too far from you?

 

[JFaughn]

VW diesel pick up , lowered with the rabbit interier, mod the eng. up to 80MPGs.

 

[SRadke]

I can't in sound mind suggest the 4bt. It is as stated above a "vibrating little bugger". Now if you wanted the cat's meow design an inline 5 cylinder. Lighten up the castings a bit, bump up the rpm range. Common rail... . VGT..... this is a money maker in a 1/2 ton pickup

 

[Mokerz]

80mpg!!! out of a vw pickup? what mods? Hopefully they are cheap! I just picked up a 90 Jetta 5spd to drive to work in. I am driving the Jetta so I can rip the motor, transmission, clutch, and rears apart in the ol 97 2500, you know... to beef um up a bit. Anyway, the less I spend on fuel the more I can spend on turbos, a cam, pistons, air lockers and the like... . :-laf