Talk me out of trading the LS1 for a Turbo 6....

[MTMike]

After learning that the beast doesn't start well (read: AT ALL) in the cold due to having a chokeless fuel injection system, I'm left stranded in the winter with no way to work but walking 1.5 miles in the -10 degree cold. I can't safely drive the Z becuase there's 6" of snow on the ground.

We own 3 vehicles, but only have 1 form of reliable transportation 5 months out of the year. I enjoy offroading and 4x4ing much more than I enjoy drag racing or crusing w/ the tops out, so the first canditate for a vhicle to replace is the Z - Selling the beast is out of the question.

I need something with 4wd - something I can just go out in the morning, year round and turn the key, and drive to work or a clients house without worrying about it. I need to be able to have more than 2000lb payload, and I need to be able to tow at least 10,000lbs, yet still have fun driving it. Thus, I've chosen a 99-02 2500 series Dodge 4x4 Quad Cab Shortbox with the Cummins Turbo Diesel/6spd as the replacement vehicle. It'll do everything I want & need, yet still provide me an enjoyable driving experience, and the Cummins is simply the best Diesel available in pickups.

The only reason I still have the Z at this point is because it is my life-long dream car, and I don't want to be the guy 30 years down the road going "I had the coolest car when I was younger, but sold it for something more practical" But, hoofing it to work and towing 8500lbs with a small block gasser arent exactly fun either.

So, I challenge all of you to give me a good reason to not do this....

[img]graemlins/banana.gif[/img]

[95fbirdkid]

i've got a good reason...

I still have the Z at this point is because it is my life-long dream car, and I don't want to be the guy 30 years down the road going "I had the coolest car when I was younger, but sold it for something more practical"

[95Batmobile]

I heard you can get a 4x4 Chevy colorado with a Turbo inline 5 cylinder making 350 hp.
They had the turbo inline 5 cylinder in the Hummer H3T truck, that thing makes a lot of power.

or, put a lift kit on your Z and be even more redneck than you already are :D

[MTMike]

Originally posted by 95Batmobile:


or, put a lift kit on your Z and be even more redneck than you already are :D

[img]graemlins/rofl.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/rofl.gif[/img]

Originally posted by 95Batmobile:
I heard you can get a 4x4 Chevy colorado with a Turbo inline 5 cylinder making 350 hp.
They had the turbo inline 5 cylinder in the Hummer H3T truck, that thing makes a lot of power.

That still doesn't solve the 2000lb payload/10,000lb towing capacity problem

[MTMike]

Originally posted by 95fbirdkid:
i've got a good reason... </font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />I still have the Z at this point is because it is my life-long dream car, and I don't want to be the guy 30 years down the road going "I had the coolest car when I was younger, but sold it for something more practical"

</font>[/QUOTE]Thats just it though - thats the reason I didn't do this last summer. That's the reason I bought it instead of selling my V6 for a truck a year and a half ago.

But it doesn't help me for the next 4 years that I'm paying off the rest of it.

[95Batmobile]

Originally posted by MTMike:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by 95Batmobile:


or, put a lift kit on your Z and be even more redneck than you already are :D

[img]graemlins/rofl.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/rofl.gif[/img]

Originally posted by 95Batmobile:
I heard you can get a 4x4 Chevy colorado with a Turbo inline 5 cylinder making 350 hp.
They had the turbo inline 5 cylinder in the Hummer H3T truck, that thing makes a lot of power.

That still doesn't solve the 2000lb payload/10,000lb towing capacity problem </font>[/QUOTE]I think the new Daktoa has a 9,600 tow capacity... if you want somethng smaller/cheaper.
nevermind, I don't think its the dakota.
I know one of the smaller trucks has a huge tow capacity, I keep seeing the commercial for it..

[ January 14, 2005, 03:10 PM: Message edited by: 95Batmobile ]

[MTMike]

Originally posted by 95Batmobile:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by MTMike:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by 95Batmobile:


or, put a lift kit on your Z and be even more redneck than you already are :D

[img]graemlins/rofl.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/rofl.gif[/img]

Originally posted by 95Batmobile:
I heard you can get a 4x4 Chevy colorado with a Turbo inline 5 cylinder making 350 hp.
They had the turbo inline 5 cylinder in the Hummer H3T truck, that thing makes a lot of power.

That still doesn't solve the 2000lb payload/10,000lb towing capacity problem </font>[/QUOTE]I think the new Daktoa has a 9,600 tow capacity... if you want somethng smaller/cheaper.
nevermind, I don't think its the dakota.
I know one of the smaller trucks has a huge tow capacity, I keep seeing the commercial for it.. </font>[/QUOTE]The new Dakota is only 7,000.

The practical limit for towing efficiently with a small block gas engine is right about 8,000lbs. Anything more and it's just too much IMO.

Plus the small trucks are less than half-tons, meaning that when you sit yourself, your passengers and your cargo in it with a full tank of gas, you're looking at 700-1000lb payload. Hook up a 7000lb+ trailer with 10-15% tongue weight and you're at above your GVW.

[95Batmobile]

So why don't you drive your '98 Dodge 2500 4x4 Ext Cab, Magnum 360? Because it can't tow 10,000?

The Chevy duramax tows 16,700, btw
And Chevy also has a freakin hybrid Silverado! That is crazy.

[12secondv6]

Originally posted by MTMike:

1) I need something with 4wd
2) something I can just go out in the morning, year round and turn the key
3) and drive to work or a clients house without worrying about it.
4) I need to be able to have more than 2000lb payload
5) and I need to be able to tow at least 10,000lbs,
6) yet still have fun driving it.

1-6 can be answered with ONE vehicle!!!


Dodge neon! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[MTMike]

Originally posted by 95Batmobile:
So why don't you drive your '98 Dodge 2500 4x4 Ext Cab, Magnum 360? Because it can't tow 10,000?

The Chevy duramax tows 16,700, btw
And Chevy also has a freakin hybrid Silverado! That is crazy.

Thats my wife's daily driver. She's in school full time, works part time in a job that requires occasional errands. I work full time, have a part time business that requires me to make house calls and such, and 1 reliable vehicle just doesn't cut it.

The 98 is within weight specs to tow our setup, but it WORKS and works very hard to do it. Even at the slightest hill I have to hit the flashers and keep right and bury the throttle, and there's a lot of slight (and a few not so slight) hills in the Rocky Mountains. And it gets 7mpg while doing it. Diesels hardly ever have to downshift out of overdrive, let alone to lower gears to pull heavy loads up hills. And they get 14-16mpg towing, 18-22 empty.

And this is one of the few reasons I'm going Cummins over D'Max or P'Stroke.

Originally posted by 12secondv6:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by MTMike:

1) I need something with 4wd
2) something I can just go out in the morning, year round and turn the key
3) and drive to work or a clients house without worrying about it.
4) I need to be able to have more than 2000lb payload
5) and I need to be able to tow at least 10,000lbs,
6) yet still have fun driving it.

1-6 can be answered with ONE vehicle!!!


Dodge neon! [img]tongue.gif[/img] </font>[/QUOTE][img]graemlins/rofl.gif[/img] Shoulda seen that coming :D

[12secondv6]

[img]graemlins/rofl.gif[/img]

Mayyyyyyybe [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Camarorulz]

Here's a good reason: when winter passes you'll wish you had toughed it out and kept the Z! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[White95]

$500 winter beater...my '91 escort work nicely in the snow

[Everglades W68]

BUY A BEATER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BLLDOGG]

sorry for the troubles but driving a car like that comes with the territory. you should have know that cold weather driving really doesnt happen