Posted by oscar on Sunday, February 24, 2002 at 0:42AM :
In Reply to: Am I ready for Diesel????? posted by Doug Higgins on Saturday, February 23, 2002 at 10:53PM :
Doug,
Now you have been bitten by the mods bug it is time to decide just what you want the truck to be when you are done........
If you want a solid work truck and you are willing to put up with all that goes with it just keep the truck the way it is.
If you want a highway truck etc etc etc then it is time to make lots of changes or buy another truck. If you do the swap/upgrade route the truck will never be the same again (and you'll miss out on a ton of fun).
If you a planning a highway truck, plan for 4 wheel disk brakes, 5 speed transmission, power steering with a "fast" ratio steering box, 4.10 axle gears, upgraded lighting, dual power boosted master cylinder, 3 point seat belts, compressable steering column/shaft, improved heater/defroster,improved mirrors, better/multiple shocks, and consider a rollover bar, ac, autotrans, cruise, sway bars, etc, etc. It never ends.
You should consider a chat with a good lawyer BEFORE you commit yourself. Once you start changing the vehicle to do more or to behave differently than Dodge intended YOU can (will) be held liable for accidents some bonehead may have later in life.
The last time I started down the mods road a friend (a lawyer) strongly suggested a crusher after I was done with the car.
Mods are fun ..... some folks (the third nut the car goes to (say a 16 year old)) have no sense of personal responsibility.
I've had great fun with my 61 W100 (down for a frame up rebuild). To run with the \6 just adds to the fun/challenge. You do need to plan and drive much better than the average driver to avoid traffic problems etc.
If what you want is a go fast truck consider one of the new V10s or a used v10s, and use the 54 when you are ready to relax and enjoy driving. Use the secondary roads rather than the interstates. Leave early (or late) and make the ride an event.
The new trucks are surprisingly good. They are FAR BETTER than I ever thought they could be.There are some bright engineers out there working on the new trucks. It will be very hard to "make" a better all around truck.
Conditions have changed a LOT since 54. Trucks are different now, but conditions are different.The 54 will never cruise at 85 (top end +100) unless you have a ton of money and time. The interstate here is posted @ 55/65/75. The 54 just is not ever going to run as fast as the current crop of cars. You can improve it some but it will never be enough.
A faster, cheaper, better change is to change what you expect from the 54.
Good luck deciding
oscar
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