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Dodge,Ford,Chevy------who wins? - READ ONLY

605 messages,  Last post on Jul 31, 1999 at 2:56 PM

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Messages Page 1 of 61

#1 of 605 Rocles by Rocles

Apr 29, 1998 (4:45 am)

I've been yelled at for fighting against brands in
their own sites. Now I want a site devoted to
thoughts for or against full-size, American trucks.
I want facts and myths to support your F-150 or
Silverado. Hate 'em both? Worship Dodge? Fine by
me.
  I own 11 trucks for my roofing company. I have
products from all three but I always feel like I
lose everytime I have bought a Chevy. Ford is on my
mind this model year. Any thoughts?

#2 of 605 Rocles by Rocles

Apr 29, 1998 (4:50 am)

 I began this site out of frustration of whiners telling me to leave after I was told that I'm a big bully on the new Chevy. How can any Chevy fan feel attached to this offering of re-hased styling? It seems to me that Dodge has kick-started this race and Ford has caught up.

#3 of 605 So what you're saying is... by Motormouth

Apr 29, 1998 (8:06 am)

You want folks to give their opinions? Isn't that what they are doing in the other topics?


It just might be that they disagree with you on the issue of Chevy trucks. Not everyone will agree on any given topic.


But it will be interesting to see how people respond if, in fact, they do.

#4 of 605 marvb by marvb

Apr 29, 1998 (1:48 pm)

Rocles,


I've owned Ford and GM trucks, and will, as of 11:00 AM today, be the owner of a new RAM 3500 diesel 4WD. I beat the old Ford to death hauling trees down out of the mountains to build a cabin. It finally died on main street and I bought a 1984 GMC 4WD with the 454 engine and auto transmission. After a couple of years, the paint was 50% gone. My wife got it stuck one day and sheared off the power steering unit. It was literally hanging from the hoses! I did'nt like the automatic transmission, and I did'nt like the gas mileage (8-10 mpg). The new Dodge has a 5-speed in it, and appears to be well built. I will let you all know how it performs.


How about your Dodge trucks? Any complaints? How did they compare with the Fords and Chevys?

#5 of 605 danz28 by danz28

Apr 29, 1998 (3:00 pm)

Rocles, Ford is third in power when compared to Chevy and Dodge.


As for style, I like the comtemporary look and I am glad GM didnt try to copy Ford or Dodge.


my 2 cents....

#6 of 605 Rocles by Rocles

Apr 29, 1998 (3:58 pm)

  marvb,
 I have only two Dodge trucks to judge against the other nine but I feel like I can pontificate a little. Actually they have both performed well without any major problems. One,(both are 95's)has about 50k miles on it and general maintenance has kept the engine running fine. I've had some other complaints.
  Both trucks,which were bought at the same time,have problems with front wheel bearings slipping up and needing pack-jobs every year. The one Ram has also had the tranny looked at for it was slipping in some gears through acceleration.
  I was hesitant at first to buy a Dodge but my partner was been a big fan of the redesign and forced my wallet open. My oldest trucks however, are the two original '87 Fords that we started with. One has close to 175k miles and is beaten but yet still runs like a champ. For a roofing truck, that is more anyone can ask for!
  My complaint about Dodge is that they didn't spend enough time designing the functional aspect of the truck. That might have changed by now but I'll wait to see some results first.

#7 of 605 kcram by kcram HOST

Apr 30, 1998 (1:50 am)

I have driven older GMs (pre-1988 design) and older Dodges (mid 80s), and have owned Fords (90 and 93), and currently have a Dodge (96).


The older GM was a damn good truck. Plenty of heavy duty parts. The older Dodge seemed like it wouldn't die. The mid-80s Dodge I drove at my dad's job occasionally was a brick - looked like a brick, rode like a brick, but was as tough as a brick. My 90 Ford was ok, but the trans dissolved at about 45K miles. Service department had no clue - fluid was full and red, but the gears were shot. Rebuilt under warranty, and ran fine until I traded it on the 93. Now here was a piece of garbage. Literally had more brake jobs than oil changes. Bent the tie rod and broke the drag link going over a set of railroad tracks. My Ram has been terrific. Only one repair - fuel gauge module went south at 25K, but that was/is a somewhat frequent occurrence on 94-96s.


Here's how I fell about what's out there/what's coming:


Ford:


Don't like the F150/250. Too round, too "carlike" for my tastes. I do like the Super Duty trucks. Strong components bring back thoughts of the late 70s trucks. One thing I truly can't stand about Fords, though: why do they feel I'm too stupid to read the auxiliary gauges? Having a gauge that says "NORMAL" all the way to redline is as useless as an idiot light. Until it hits the red zone, you're being told everything is ok, when it may not be.


GM:


Not a fan of the 88-98 model. I'm leery of the IFS on the 4x4s - torsion bars are ok for small trucks, but if I can put 4000 pounds static on the front end with a diesel engine, I want a solid axle and honest-to-God springs up under there. Unfair of me to comment on the new 99's performance until it's here, but the exterior still looks like the current truck, just more rounded - not appealing to me.


Dodge:


Love the big-rig nose. Roomy interior, well-organized dashboard, and the Cummins is unstoppable. Lack of a crew cab is a problem, and the factory shocks suck.


Dream truck:


- Ford Super Duty chassis, suspension, and transmission
- Dodge body
- Cummins engine

#8 of 605 Rocles by Rocles

Apr 30, 1998 (3:37 am)

kcram,
Does Ford make their own diesel or is it possible to get someone else? I've heard all bad words about the GM(Detroit?)diesels and great things about the Cummins. I haven't heard too much about Ford's.

#9 of 605 kcram by kcram HOST

Apr 30, 1998 (7:39 pm)

The Ford diesel is made by Navistar. Like the Cummins, it is a medium duty engine. Check any of the diesel boards in this conference for more info.

#10 of 605 Rocles by Rocles

May 02, 1998 (5:21 am)

danz28,
 Ford may be third in power but first in overall quality and value. I agree with you on GMC's grille yet the silverado looks like a bloated S-10.
 I found two cents.

Messages Page 1 of 61

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