rstl99, I have a 95 Tahoe that has 130K on the clock and is immaculate ( well almost). Truck spent most of its life in sunny FLA way from the salt of Buffalo/Rochester. Great little 350 sbc, BUT when teh SBC dies there are a few folks here have put Cummins in that Tahoe/Suburban frame. My plan anyway. Only 16.5 mpg loaded ( not towing), with A/C on in that big "half-track".

Hold out for a diesel. Use Howes anti-gel in the sub artic chill. You'll be running it on good ol Canadian-grown canola bio in five years.

I HIGHLY recommend doing the underside of the truck with POR-15, or any of the urethane/epoxy rust binding paints out there. I found my Tahoe rusting from the inside out ( some water in the back), and am just about to pull seats/rugs, and POR the inside floorpans too. Therefore, should last many N.E. salty winters.

Something like that might interest me, but I never seem to see one that cheap. It does sound like the dodge would work for you. I just can't bring myself to buy another "domestic" vehicle, I keep hoping my POS jeep will die so I have an excuse to get rid of it and buy something more interesting.

The G-Wagon seems cool. But it is still a 617. Those have what 120hp with Turbo. That's not bad. But this is in something to be used as a truck. If you still only get in the low 20 miles per gallon range, why wouldn't you just buy a 94-98.5 cummins powered truck with the bosch inline injection pump. Much more power. Lasts a long time. AND good MPG. I don't think the OM617 has much to say against that. But... its one of the best car engines ever made in my opinion. Can't put a cummins in a car

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-E300d '99 350k
-Suburban '93 220k
-TDI Jetta '03 350k
Sold
-F250 '96 7.3
-Dodge Ram 12V
-E320 '95 200k
-E320 Wagon 1994 155k
-300d Turbo '87 187k miles
-E320 1994 200k
-300d Turbo '84 245k (sold to Dan62)
-300d Turbo '84 180k
-300sd '80 300k
-7.3 Powerstroke Diesel 15P Van 500k+ miles
-190d '89 Non Turbo 2.5 5cyl 240k (my first MB)
Tom's Imports of Columbia MO Ruined the IP in changing leaky delivery valve O-Rings - Refused to stand behind his work. Mid-MO MB drivers-AVOID Tom's.

No it was my f-250 with the 7.3L N/A IDI.... I'm pretty sure Cummins don't use GP's anyway... it's an intake heater grid right? I was thinking about putting the grid heater in my Ford in series with the GPs.... that would of started in ANY weather

Oh yeah, I've always used PowerService (the white jug) for winter gel protection. I've been good so far!

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1985 300D Mango Green with 16" Pentas, Vogtland springs, Euros/ clear corners, 234k, lots to come soon....

Actually the g-wagon is a NA 617, closer to 100 HP.

I'm just done with domestic vehicles. Also, I'm not very interested in owning anything new enough to have a CEL.

Besides, you can't swing a dead cat around here without hitting at least two diesel pickups, not interested in driving anything that "everyone" has. I really don't need a truck anyway, so it's just a toy. My wife likes to have a 4WD around when it snows, so I put up with owning one. Maybe an old land rover would be cool?

I've never owned a cummins but why not the 24Valve model?

__________________
-E300d '99 350k
-Suburban '93 220k
-TDI Jetta '03 350k
Sold
-F250 '96 7.3
-Dodge Ram 12V
-E320 '95 200k
-E320 Wagon 1994 155k
-300d Turbo '87 187k miles
-E320 1994 200k
-300d Turbo '84 245k (sold to Dan62)
-300d Turbo '84 180k
-300sd '80 300k
-7.3 Powerstroke Diesel 15P Van 500k+ miles
-190d '89 Non Turbo 2.5 5cyl 240k (my first MB)
Tom's Imports of Columbia MO Ruined the IP in changing leaky delivery valve O-Rings - Refused to stand behind his work. Mid-MO MB drivers-AVOID Tom's.

I didn't say it only because it was so new that usually youll be paying $12,000 for the older ones. They are a fine engine... a little more complicated to work on, like the powerstroke.... but still great engines. I'm probably buying one this fall from my old boss, I loved that truck.

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1985 300D Mango Green with 16" Pentas, Vogtland springs, Euros/ clear corners, 234k, lots to come soon....

Quite right: that 300GD G-wagen had the N-A 617, so was quite a dog, further challenged by the 4 speed manual which limited comfortable top speed to something like 90kph... THere's a guy I know who's made a niche business retrofitting 617 turbos from 300D's in them, along with the auto tranny. But you're adding on mucho bucks to what is already a relatively expensive older 4x4. Nothing like a g-wagen, the aficionados say, but I'm not entirely convinced.

Been hunting for a good diesel Land Cruiser wagon (60 series). THere are still some nice specimens around, the 4 cyl 3.4L engine can't be killed. Rust is the killer on those trucks...

I owned a Land Rover 110 diesel (1987, from the UK though it was LHD) for a couple of years. 2.5L NA diesel, 5 speed. Quite challenged on acceleration and holding speed on hills, let me tell you. Rust free, low kms, spartan, quite a truck! I sold it (for profit) to help pay down the mortgage. Now that the mortgage is under control, I'm looking for a suitable diesel rig to my envisioned northern treks. If I can get a good Land cruiser wagon, I might go that route. Owned one before, so know what I'm getting into. If not, Dodge Cummins with camper on the back is likely the ticket!

I know, life is too short to own and drive what everybody else drives, but sometimes one has to be practical (when venturing out on remote northern roads...). Heck some guys have been up to Inuvik in air cooled VW buses! But I'd rather have something a little more solid under me.

Plus, with the older, more "inspiring" vehicles like Land-Rover etc. (or that Hanomag I sent a link to), one is seriously challenged driving the highways where speed has become such a commodity... Drivers generally show little tolerance to HP-challenged old classic trucks, in my experience. I was constantly getting pushed in the back by semis on 2 lane secondary roads, when driving the 110 down from Labrador...

Cheers, all.

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1983 300TD 240K - 1982 240D 215K - 1996 Dodge Cummins 70K

I agree completely, if I needed a reliable truck I would buy something generic that I could get fixed anyplace. I don't think I would want to get to far from home in a VW bus either, but they are easy to fix. One of these days I'll buy myself a new toy, it will be something unique.