Picked up NEW 600 Today

[jlasich]

Congrats mapswain. I am patiently (yeah right) waiting for mine! Any chance of some pics?

 

[mapswain]

Sorry rbattelle, "Wonder Cap" was just my little derogatory term for the cheap plastic hub caps that these trucks come with. Kind of gripes me that a heavy duty 4X4 truck should come with such crummy wheel covers and hub caps. I thought about the alloy wheels, but they are much the same. My issue is with the likelihood that these items will cost about $50 apiece to replace when (not if) they get wiped off on a rock or curb. Note that they do stick out in harms way by an inch or two beyond the tire.



Guess that I've got to have somehting to gripe about, since most everything else about the truck, I am pretty happy with.



This should give me an acceptable excuse to buy some of the new Alcoa wheels when they come out later this month.



Matt

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

I have yet to find hubcaps that I really like. Steel rusts, stainless steel is high $, aluminum bends, plastic is, well, plastic I guess the best answer is whatever looks decent and costs the least, while I wait for good forged aluminum wheels to become available at a reasonable price. The new 17x8" Alcoa is 478481 and costs $225 each. Big jump from the $110 each for 16x7".

 

[racebeeper68]

I was a little aprehensive to get the alum. but checked it off anyway for $304 more than the chrome. I am glad I did though they look good with the silver . Hopefully the center cap will hold up. I will be watching the future swap meets for someone's take off's for spares.

Keith

BTW I have a few pic. 's of the truck on my web pages .



http://home.earthlink.net/~racebeeper68/

 

[mapswain]

I've got some photos on line now. Follow the link to my yahoo album at:



http://photos.yahoo.com/mapswain



The "New Dodge" album has the truck photos in it. Note that I have photos of the turbo and exhaust system.



Had about half of the truck apart today. Re-engineered the wiring harness below the oil filter so that it won't be a lifelong drip catcher. Got it all tucked away neatly so that access to the filter will be straightforward and easy.

Got to see what is under the dash, for gauge and brake controller installation. I think that I will be installing my gauges in the cubbyhole below the HVAC controls. Hate to loose the shelf, but am not really wild about the other options. The brake controller will probably take the place of the ash tray, once I can figure out how to reattach the modified ash tray front panel.



Spent some time looking into fabrication of a front hitch. I want something that is completely hidden behind the bumper and does not mess up my approach angle. Already picked up the winch last week, so I've got to build bracketry for that too.



Yep, I can see that this truck is going to be getting a lot of my attention for the next few months.



Matt

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Nice pics mapswain. Enjoyed the RR pics too. Are you involved with live steamers?



Vaughn

 

[mapswain]

Vaughan,



Yes, steam is my primary affliction. I have been involved in live steam one way or another since high school (a long time). The photos that you see there are all of equipment belonging to friends of mine. I spend most of my live steam time working on the Mesa Grande Western, a 9" gauge 3" scale (narrow gauge prototypes) railroad in the Mojave Desert. Tis line has a little more than a mile of main line track.



If I wasn't so distracted by working on other people's trains, and on diesel trucks and so-on, I might be making progress on my own locomotive, which is about 20% complete and has been on hold for about 10 years or so.



Anyway, about that new truck, just completed the first 120 mile round trip to work, and it just purrs right along. Does not seem to know what a grade is. I can't wait to get a few more miles on it so that I can put a load on behind it. The guys at work were pretty impressed.



Matt

 

[kshimizu]

What kind of MPG?

Have any of you new 600 owners been tracking your MPG? Just wondering if it changed any from the 04 I had an extended test drive on. I was getting 18-21 MPG the first 3000 miles.



Matt, I might have to look you up for a ride when I'm down in LA this weekend. My fiance's parents live in La Crescenta.



The dealers around here only have autos, no manuals when I called. I guess it's better this way, if I go in I know I'll want one like the last few times.

 

[mapswain]

I just checked my milage today. This is my first fill-up and I don't really know how full the tank was when I picked it up. 400 miles + now. I filled the tank beyond the first click-off, so that I got it reasonably full. I calculated 14. 2 mpg on the first tank. This is a 4X4 Quad cab 6Sp with 3. 73 ratio. I have been cruising at between 70 and 75 mph. About 70% freeway miles.



By the way, in spite of complaints about fuel foaming, vent problems, etc, this tank is Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay easier to fill than my '91 F-350. Hopefully I will be as happy after I have filled it a few more times.



Today I replaced my michelin factory tires (nice tires, but not appropriate for a 4X4) with BFG AT KO 315 70 R17s. Now it looks like a 4X4, not a low rider. BTW, these went right on the stock rims, no lift , no mods, no interference, look like they belong there. Of course I will need to look into re-calibration of the speedo.



As far as the auto vs manual situation, I think that dealers stock their lots with vehicles that will likely appeal to a casual, window shopper type buyer. It makes it tough on us gear grinders. I guess that if I ran a dealership, I would likely have to play it that way too. I think that those of us who are looking for a manual are generally really prepared to make a long term commitment, and thus are more likely willing to put up with the wait on a special order. I do hear from a few different sources that the dealers in more rural areas are more likely to stock vehicles with manual transmissions. You may have already picked this up, but my special order took only six weeks from order to delivery. Pretty amazing!





kshimizu,

PM me and we can try to work out a time for a look-see and test drive.



Matt

 

[BIG BOB]

Originally posted by mapswain

I've got some photos on line now. Follow the link to my yahoo album at:



http://photos.yahoo.com/mapswain



The "New Dodge" album has the truck photos in it. Note that I have photos of the turbo and exhaust system.

Where is the picture of the CAT? They look kind of funny!

 

[mapswain]

Big Bob,

I will try and get a photo of the cat added this weekend. Let me tell you for now that it is huge. It is a spun, conical ended housing, kind of like a big football. Probably about 10" o. d. X 15" long. I don't much like it, but being that I live in the People's Republic of California, I best not mess with it. From what I have read and observed, the truck performance is not hindered much by it.



Matt

 

[lil red cummins]

mapswain, you are right. no dealers around here had sticks. i had to drive 1-1/2 hours south to a dealer that had a stick in stock when i wanted a test drive. something about drivers here just dont like sticks. probably because so many are in stop & go traffic. fortunately i dont have that problem - i drive the opposite direction to the "crowd". when i ordered my truck, the dealer insisted on $1000 down because it was a stick AND a diesel. there just arent many of these around here.

jim

 

[mapswain]

Jim,

I am in the same situation. I live in the LA basin, and commute to the Mojave Desert. My commute is 60 miles each way. Fortunately I carpool, so I only drive every other day. It was never part of my master plan, but they moved the plant.



I would rather not have to deal with it, but whenever I start feeling sorry for myself, I just look at the traffic going the other way. We are generally in cruise control at about 75 mph, while the other side is jam packed, and moving at 60 on a good day, and 15 on a bad one.



A stick is no problem for me. I like being in control and not dealing with a transmission that downshifts 50' from the top of the hill. Brakes last forever. I guess I've got it pretty good.



If you think it is tough to find a new stick, try to find a decent used one. Those of us who buy them keep them until they are used up.



Matt

 

[RobertBolinger]

Originally posted by mapswain

... I like being in control and not dealing with a transmission that downshifts 50' from the top of the hill...

Man you summed it up with that statement

 

[racebeeper68]

I hear that! I got trained with my 96 Cummins 5-speed and love this 6-shooter even more. The new owner of the 96' always brings up how much he likes that stick and truck also when I see him. I guess a good used cummins IS a truck you can sell to a friend.