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I'll start the ball rolling. Back in Sept. 95 a friend of mine was in the market for a p/u when we ran across a flame red 95 Ram Laramie SLT 1500 longbed reg cab 4x4 that was a lease trade-in.We oohed & aahed over it then when on our way.Well a coupla days later I saw it pictured in the local paper in one of those $1000/down $199/month "specials".Then I made the mistake of visiting the dealer while they were open (always shop after hrs). Next thing I know my paid for Ford Probe is gone and I'm sitting pretty in my new ride complete with $365/yr for 66months payment plan.Go figure..Anyways she had a 360 auto & no sure-grip but I never got her stuck.Had to sell it three years later in order to get a mortgage,should have kept the truck and lived in it instead.Anyways it was maybe the best vehicle I ever owned.
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Well I read the post 3 times trying to pluck out subject matter to reply to but couldn't, so this is a 100% generic reply, ummmm: Great truck!
Sorry, the best I could do on short notice. -
BTW this truck had 3.55 gears and got about 14 mpg around town and almost 19 mpg highway.Obviously not as good as the little Probe that I traded in on it,but just as good as any of the vehicles I've owned since (93 jeep cherokee 4.0,94 nissan 4cyl-auto p/u,88 crown victoria 5.0,04 6cyl astrovan)...I've been longing to get another Ram 4x4 since I got rid of this one 10 years ago,but my wanting to stay debt-free and my SEVERE addiction to the old iron has curtailed that.Comment
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I've currently got '90 W-350 Ram, TBI injection 360, A-518 auto 46RH, all stock, 4.1 gears and those numbers are real close. My former 'around town' was in a hilly area so 12mpg, but freeway is surprisingly good like you say. Now 'around town' doesn't exist so it's trudging through the Sierras, very steep mountans all the way, really gulps hard. Maybe 10-12 mpg on a good day in that?Comment
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I was fond of my 360 magnum.Did Dodge gain alot (power,mileage,reliability,etc.) by going to the 5.7 hemi in 02-03 ram other than the "image" factor? Those who tow tend to go with the cummins. But on the gasoline side of the coin most of what I've heard about the hemi is great top speed but cruddy mileage.What do you guys think,old school or new school?Comment
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The Hemi MSD system works very well for fuel economy in the newer Hemi's (sorry to break it to the masses. but that new Hemi is closer to the Poly design, than the original Hemi) They get very good relative fuel mileage and they are fun to drive. The downside is the complexity of the fuel and engine management system, if anything goes wrong they cannot be fixed by most on the side of the road and most importantly, if it's a work truck, there is NO viable reason to not buy a diesel powered truck.Originally posted by 712edf View Post
Hemi's are great for the meterosexual male who has a 1500 pickup to look cool, but has an accounting job and no real reason to buy a 2500 or 3500 work truck....= )
Next year, Dodge will introduce the new V-6 Cummins for the 1500 and 2500 pickups, there will be no reason to buy a Hemi, except for the exhaust sound and to burn rubber while trying to pick up young ladies...
The Hemi is an improvement over old school gassers, but it's not a practical engine for a truck when compared to a diesel.
A diesel will outlast, out power and under consume a gasoline powerplant in every instance. Diesel engine costs are high right now because of limited production. Dodge promises to lower the cost to about $1500 above the gas option in the new year and the reality is, huge discounts on trucks and SUV's at the moment make the cost to purchase a diesel equal with gasoline motors.Comment
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I agree. Personally I have no interest in owning a gasoline engined Dodge made after 2002. I tend to "use" a truck for what it was originally made to do (tow,haul,push,pull & drag). 1/2 tons and 2wds are for the abovementioned accountant/showboater, so big trucks and diesel power IMHO have been the only way to go for quite some time.The Hemi or "poly" has never interested me.At least not in a truck.Comment
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"Next year, Dodge will introduce the new V-6 Cummins for the 1500 and 2500 pickups, there will be no reason to buy a Hemi, except for the exhaust sound and to burn rubber while trying to pick up young ladies..."
That's a stupid waste of time for me, revving the engine and burning rubber to pick up young ladies! But hey, Norm, what would you suggest for picking up the older girls??
:~ )Comment
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Heh-Heh
Geratol!Comment
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Ha! I was thinking about the blue pill....= )Comment
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Must be something about Flame Red Laramies....
My favorite truck I've had yet was a used 97 2wd ext cab shortbox SLT Laramie.
I've had 2 Chevy's (a 93 that was my first and a 2000 bought brand new) and the 97 (and my brothers 84 but I don't count that) and by far the 97 was my favorite. It was a 318 auto, 3.55 non Sure Grip, but it went anywhere I asked it to. I put some 285/75/16 BF's on it, and never got stuck in snow, a rarity around SE Michigan.
Alas, in a moment of stupidity, I traded it in for an 06 Lincoln Zephyr, but not after giving it my all to keep it. My wife didn't want to pay for insurance on 5 vehicles (we also have a Mustang convertible) so "we" agreed to get rid of it.
We both regret that.
However, after 7 months without a truck to haul stuff around with, we caved and traded in her Saturn for an 06 Quad Cab 4X4 with a Hemi. It's nice (a Laramie with about everything, including leather and a moonroof) but it's not the old Red Truck.
Wanna hear a heartbreaker? When we were trading it in, I was cleaning it out while the wife was doing some of the paperwork (she got there after I did and had to sign some things). The kids and I were outside, and my 4 year old asked what I was doing. I told him getting ready to put the stuff into our new car. He then asked about the truck, and I said it was going to be somebody elses now. He paused for a moment then asked
"Dad, will they love it as much as we did?"
I almost cancelled the deal right there. And I still choke up thinking about it.
Someday, I might carfax it to see where it is, and show up with cash... someday.
JKComment
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