Posted by Chris Lube Lublin on Monday, November 22, 2004 at 3:10AM :
In Reply to: I admire lubes perspective... posted by Jonas on Sunday, November 21, 2004 at 4:04PM :
Good evening Jonas: (and the rest)
I think perhaps you may have slightly understood my perpspective rant, or else I was not quite thourough enough in my explanation.
It seems as the new trucks in alot of ways are just overglorified cars, I mean the rides get softer, the sheetmetal gets thinner and thinner, and more plastic is used throughout. Another factor on the newer trucks besides high initial purchase price, is the high cost of insurance, the registration fee's, and how much it costs for parts, even used parts when you can find them to fix and keep them on the road. BUT then again, most people are not constantly wrenching on their new trucks either...so there are advantages to having a new one, over an old one. In my case, I am better off with older ones. Yes, in a way, I am saying that a new Power Wagon is no better than a '57 W-200, and my reasoning is, The '57 W-200 is a stronger truck, that is built heavier duty than a new one. BUT the New Power Wagon is a better truck in alot of ways.As for a new truck, yes I was looking for and did buy a '91 W-250 Cummins Diesel truck back last winter, and YES I love it! But by most peoples standards it is an old truck. I have no desire to own a Dodge post 93ranted, it is not 1/2 the truck that the FFPW's are, as far as brute toughness (except for the Cummins) Goes, but it is alot tougher than most any truck built today. It rides fairly ruff, and is quite quirky, but it gets the job done and fairly efficently as well.
I would LOVE to have my WDX as my daily driver and work mule, and could do it, after a couple years and several grand worth of parts, but it would be too impractical. I drive 28 miles each way to work each day, and the road that is the most direct route to work has a 55 MPH speed limit, and with the WDX averaging 45, I would get ran off the road or run over by semi trucks all the time. Also the 9MPG of the truck would make it bite the wallet hard. These trucks are not made for constant high on road speed in stock form. If I lived way out back in the woods, the WDX would be just perfect for my vehicle as an everyday driver. Also parts avaiblitiy and cost is another factor, as is the road salt we use here in MI during the winter. I do plan to use the WDX as my farm truck, firewood hauler, drive it alot down most local roads. But I have a 1992 S-10 that is my main work transportation. I rack up the miles on it and wear it out. Parts are cheap and easy, and at 25 MPG it dont break the bank, I would have bought an older Dakota but could not find one reasonable when I was looking and I needed something right now. I got the Cummins W-250 for my main work, scrap hauling etc truck. As for dragging my WDX all over. I first found it in Lapeer in '97, then a few years later, the guy wanted to sell it, I could not afford it, a freind of mine from Charlevoix bought it, then he moved and moved it to Lachine, then to Posen, Then I bought it from him, and moved to to Silverwood. So technically, I only moved the truck once! Hahahahahahahaha...... Now hopefully I can get time to get it running shortly so I can drive it around the yard instead of dragging it around!
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