Historical Question

[tugboatphil]

Corvette was the brainchild of Zora Arkus Duntov. Lee Iaccoca was the father of the Mustang. Is there one person that we owe thanks to, for deciding to put the Cummins into a Dodge pickup? If this is common knowledge, please forgive me.

 

[Paychk]

Harley Earl was the Father of the corvette... Zora Arkus Duntov made performance improvements to it.

 

[Paychk]

The "B" was pitched equally to the big 3. GM said no thanks we're building our own. Ford wanted a 5 cyl. model cause the 6 wouldn't fit in their truck. Dodge finally agreed after close to 5 years, only if Cummins would do all the engineering.

 

[Greenleaf]

Guys, I can't recall the issue #, but the TRD magazine, not so long ago printed an article that was oh so very interesting.



The "others were very upset that Dodge, in all their wisdom, would install an industrial rated diesel engine into a pick up. The *others* were using throw a way engines. Inexpensive to manufacture you understand. Where as this *Cummins Engine* was like, well, not. The other guys thought Dodge was off the rocker and would go down in flames because they wouldn't be able to sell a pick up truck with this expensive, highly rated, commercial application power plant.



Nuff said.

 

[SGibson]

troy simonson

 

[jrjuday]

Don't know, but I think he deserves to be invited to the next 1st gen cookout.

 

[1stgen4evr]

Historical perspective

No one had more to do with the introduction of industrial quality diesels in pickups than the hundreds of individual tinkerers who pulled the engine off their combine, tractor, sawmill or whatever and cobbled up a connection to the rear wheels of their Ford, Chevy, Studebaker, Jeep or International pickup. International had broken the new ground with their use of 6-354 Perkins in mobile home toters. In the mid and late seventys, I saw Perkins, John Deere, Allis Chalmers, Detroit, Case, and a few import engines that were running in 3/4 and one ton trucks. Their success motivated me to do a couple of Perkins/Fords in the late seventys. I had a Cummins in a Chevy in 87. Those guys proved the concept and Dodge was the only manufacturer that listened. This was an inovation that came to be "of the people, by the people and for the people". I tend to think that First Genners are the ones that still carry the torch as I read about different ones still doing individual R&R on all sorts of projects.



And just maybe, Jimmy Carter for letting the price of gasoline go into the stratosphere back when he was in office. Initially, farmers, ranchers and loggers were using non taxed fuel in these trucks. Quite a savings over the gasoline at the time. Of course, no one would consider doing that now.



James



My two cents.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

John Keele of Cummins and Troy Simonsen of Dodge will be highlighted in Issue 48 of TDR.

 

[smokejunkie]

jrjuday

No wonder I always stink like #2!!





WHAT!! I LOVE THE SMELL OF #2 IN THE MORNING :-laf

 

[jrjuday]

Smokejunkie; sure hope we're talkin' about the same kinda #2 here. My downpipe is cracked at the flange so I'm really gettin' a dose now. Wonder if anybody else has a "self-induced " smoke story to relate? Gotta get a new one quick, but I sure can hear that turbo now!!

 

[Bluebird]

I would sure like to see the History channel do a comprehensive program on "Modern Marvels" revealing all the above history. Anyone have connections with the channel? Got any ideas on how to sell the concept? You guys with the historical knowledge maybe you can swamp them with emails and convince them to produce a program...

Just a thought, (I try to learn as much history regarding our trucks as I can. Of course, I'll save this forum... ), Patrick.

 

[bgilbert]

A guy at the Cummins plant in Columbus, said Cummins bought a Dodge pickup, put a 5. 9 in it to show it off to Dodge. Must have worked. They have a sweet cherry '88' D250 on display at the plant, one of the first 40 produced.

 

[michigandon]

Seems like I read somewhere that Dodge and cummins initially tried out a 4BT in a pickup, and the couldn't get performance level they wanted, so they switched to the 6, and the rest is history.

The "others were very upset that Dodge, in all their wisdom, would install an industrial rated diesel engine into a pick up. The *others* were using throw a way engines. Inexpensive to manufacture you understand. Where as this *Cummins Engine* was like, well, not. The other guys thought Dodge was off the rocker and would go down in flames because they wouldn't be able to sell a pick up truck with this expensive, highly rated, commercial application power plant.

Well, we see who got the last laugh here. I think I remember reading the announcement that the '89 was going to be produced "in limited numbers". I also remember reading somewhere that every single one of them was spoken for before they even made it off the assemble line!

No one had more to do with the introduction of industrial quality diesels in pickups than the hundreds of individual tinkerers who pulled the engine off their combine, tractor, sawmill or whatever and cobbled up a connection to the rear wheels of their Ford, Chevy, Studebaker, Jeep or International pickup. International had broken the new ground with their use of 6-354 Perkins in mobile home toters. In the mid and late seventys, I saw Perkins, John Deere, Allis Chalmers, Detroit, Case, and a few import engines that were running in 3/4 and one ton trucks. Their success motivated me to do a couple of Perkins/Fords in the late seventys. I had a Cummins in a Chevy in 87. Those guys proved the concept and Dodge was the only manufacturer that listened. This was an inovation that came to be "of the people, by the people and for the people". I tend to think that First Genners are the ones that still carry the torch as I read about different ones still doing individual R&R on all sorts of projects.

I remember seeing a LOT of Perkins conversions running around in the late '70s/early '80s. Also saw a few 3-53 Detroit conversions and even a 6-71 in a mid '70s Ford F250 Camper Special once! I was quite excited when the rumors first started flying around about these trucks entering production ("Finally! You can actually get a pickup truck from the factory with a REAL diesel engine in it. "). I knew I HAD to have one from the get go. Since then I have owned both a 1st and a 2nd gen, and also a 1st gen drivetrain transplanted into something else. Go figure.



Don

 

[KSommer]

Initially, farmers, ranchers and loggers were using non taxed fuel in these trucks. Quite a savings over the gasoline at the time. Of course, no one would consider doing that now.



James



My two cents. [/QUOTE]

yaeah, ok...

kent

 

[TKingsbury]

Initially, farmers, ranchers and loggers were using non taxed fuel in these trucks. Quite a savings over the gasoline at the time. Of course, no one would consider doing that now.



James



My two cents.

yaeah, ok...

kent[/QUOTE]

I don't know about Wisconsin, but California is very serious about using red fuel on the road. If you get caught it's quite pricey.

Travis. .

 

[michigandon]

Here in Michigan, I have only ever seen ONE fuel check, and if memory serves me correctly, I think it was an IRS operation, NOT DOT or ICC. This was at a rest area several years ago when I still had my '97 3500, and these guys only seemd interested in semis/commercial vehciles. I pulled up to them with my slide-in camper on, and they just waved me on through.

 

[HoofinSoot]

Troy Simonsen was also involved with the famed Chrysler Ramchargers Racing Team. Talk about "Pay-To-Play" ... ..... Oo.

 

[ARhine]

Here in Michigan, I have only ever seen ONE fuel check, and if memory serves me correctly, I think it was an IRS operation, NOT DOT or ICC. This was at a rest area several years ago when I still had my '97 3500, and these guys only seemd interested in semis/commercial vehciles. I pulled up to them with my slide-in camper on, and they just waved me on through.

At the larger cattle/horse sales around there the DOTs will be wating to pull fuel from all the diesel pickups comming in. Fine is pretty bad, if you are a farmer. You have to pay a large fine, then pay road tax on all the farm fuel you buy for one year. For my dad that would be very bad, lots of gallons of fuel go through those tractors.



Back on subject:



I remember the first one I saw. Was at a small farm/garden show, the local dealer was showing off an 89 D250. Didn't look to much since I was only in 8th grade at the time :-laf