And now, another random thought by Hoss 350

[Hoss 350]

Random thought of the day...

Brand wars, AKA rivalries...

Case in point:
My Chevy/Ford/Dodge is way better than your C/F/D and I would never own one of those goats/found-on-road-dead/gotta mechanic comin' pieces of garbage, they are total crap!

What is the deal here folks? Do you really think that the other guys are so totally inferior to the brand you bought? Or is it a way to justify your purchase to yourself? Is it insecurity? Or a bad experience with ONE truck 20 years ago that left you feeling this way?

MY experience:

Every manufacturer has advantages and disadvantages over the other. I can think of many for each brand. Dodge has a good engine. Chevy has a good engine and drivetrain. Ford trucks are very stout, heavy, solid, etc. However, whenever I think of all of this, it occurs to me that most of the advantages/disadvantages all boil down to personal preference.

I admit that if I were to buy a new truck tomorrow, it would absoultely without question be a GM. WHY? My Dad's 3/4 ton 2006 hauls better, more stable, with less muss than my SRW 1-ton does. The duramax is so fantastically quiet and smooth and POWERFUL (and proven) that I am almost in awe of it whenever I drive it. The double OD tranny is awesome. '\

When I bought my truck, the best option to me was the Ford. The 7.3 was tried, true, and proven. THe Duramax was a brand new idea, and I was leery of it until it proved itself. Dodges seemed to have a great engine but the available tranny was only 5-speed, and the fit and finish of the interior was not as good as the Ford. THere are Cummins guys out there that say I am dumb for buying the 7.3, that it is a POS, total garbage, blah blah. I am now at 170,000 trouble-free miles (not even ONE CPS!) with only one problem with the clutch arm. Long story short, it has been a GREAT truck, despite it being a "total POS" according to many.

So what's the deal? Any thoughts???

 

[strokepower]

this post will probably get some attention.....but i have to agree about some of you comments.....its personal experiences and preferences that drive people to choose the truck they want......can't wait to see what others think!

 

[jharvey]

It all boils down to personal preference and what works for you in your situation.

I'm like you, If I were to go out and buy a brand new truck today it'd be a GM. I'd need a truck that can work and I can be comfortable while doing it. I drive a lot of miles and comfort is more important to me than beating another brand up the hill.

The new Ford 6.4 is not proven enough for me to invest in one and Dodges have a great engine with a terrible wrapper, I like the D-Max for it's quietness but don't relish the thought of IFS up front with 4x4 but the Allison tranny beats all including the Torqueshift IMHO.

So....like I said it's all personal preference and what works for you.





Ok, my flame suit is on and zipped up ya'll fire away

 

[RoyBoy]

Yeah but Fords are still better






















BTW, good to hear from you again Hoss!

 

[fordtrucker4life!]

For me I know it is my opinion, but Ford is deffinately the route to go. I have had all 3 brands and most trouble occured with GM and Dodge. Keep in mind i have a fleet of trucks that go out everyday towing 7,000-10,000 pounds. Proven time and time again, for my use, the Fords outlast any brand out there. I agree with all other posts about advantages and disadvantages. If I were to buy a truck tomarrow it would be a Ford 350 SRW with a 6.4 power stoke. In my opinion all diesels as of 2007 with the new emmisions need to prove themselves again even though some have been around a while. I would comprimise some ride quality for a stronger truck. People can trash talk Ford all day long, but ask to see my repair records between a Ford and Chevy and see the difference.

 

[Scarlet_Nape]

You bring up a good point, again, Hoss!
I really don't have a problem with the other brands. In my mind, us oil burners are all a family.
Now, the gassers....they just don't know what they are missing!!!

 

[BamaSixGun]

No matter what "brand" you buy, you better take care of it too.

with a fleet of trucks, maintenence is a must. dont care what you have or like, the product is only as good, as how you are willing to take care of it.

there's always gonna be lemons with any given product.













































but i am partial to ford

 

[fordtrucker4life!]

No matter what "brand" you buy, you better take care of it too.

with a fleet of trucks, maintenence is a must.

That is for sure. All my trucks get serviced every quarter. I keep all my trucks on the same maintencance program. I have 3 fords over 200,000 miles and 10,000 hours. One of which still has the original motor untouched. I have 1 chevy with 140,000 miles and 6,000 hours that just got a motor and tranny. All these trucks are driven hard. For some reason my guys think they can take a mustang from the light .

 

[BIG JOE]

I'm a FORD guy. I like the looks of the Chevy/GMC, allwayz have. I like the Drive train on the Dodges, Allwayz have.

But in my "Other Life" (when I worked) I had the opertunity to work with Fleets of equipment. Every 2 or 3 years we would get new equipment. The Makes would change so no body could whine about Monopoly (US GOV).

In 45 years of that, Over All, FOMOCO F-150 thru F-450's lasted the longest. GM & Chrysler trucks suffered from pre-mature ageing (I called it). Frames, engines, tranys, clutches, rear ends. Doors, hoods, fenders... things just came undone/loose/broken. Not to say that the FORDs did'nt have some of that but Over All... there was and is some truth to the: Built Ford Tough.

But it is very much a Personal Preference thing.



Joe

I remember one Fleet of 25.. in 2 years time we used the last remaining *&^%E to drag the others to the Retro lot (just had to say it)

 

[Frankenstien]

My Ford "IS" better than yours Hoss.... .. did I say that?

see ya in a couple of weeks we'll be down by Wawai
Microsoft TerraServer Imagery