Does anybody stay stock?

[donn]

Or mostly stock?

I've spent hours looking at various forums, and diesel trucks on the road, and apart from contractor/landscaper trucks, everything seems to be tricked out one way or another.

I don't know, but I think I like the looks of my truck the way she is, pretty much dead stock.. I still haven't gotten her in to the wrench to see what she needs underneath (wife's ride died earlier in the week, and we have to get her fixed up first ), but I'm leaning toward just making the truck comfortable and reliable, and not going much further.

I have a 1/4" custom steel winch bumper on the van which may get moved to the F250, and I'm going to mount the spare in the bed instead of back under it, but I really can't see doing much else. The '86 is such a classic boxy look, and the body's in such good shape, I may just leave her be.

Am I nuts? I tricked out the van for beach fishing, but didn't touch the body with anything other than bondo and a lift to accomodate the tires. Same reason. I love the '80 Econoline looks.

 

[hoodshauler]

You have a good looking truck there. As far as leaving her stock that is up to you. If you are happy with what it is used for then by all means leave it stock. Just keep the anitfreze changed on a regular basis and drive on.

Some do mods to get more power, others do it for the trill of seeing what they can get out of these motors. Then there are the extreme who see how far they can push the limit.
Any mods I do are to help pull my horses around alittle easier.

 

[Exekiel69]

Many turbocharge their IDI bc they use it for towing and believe Me it does make a difference on this diesel engines.

 

[BROWNIEBOY525]

its your truck and if you love it the way it is thats all that counts. my truck is mostly stock but thats more of a money issue then anything else lol

 

[donn]

No, or very little towing in the prospects. I live on the water, and my boats seldom need to be towed.

I'll haul a lot of landscape materials and lumber, ranging from light to heavy, but the truck feels like she has enough poop to haul poop already. She'll probably only get 5-10K a year, and mostly on short-range flat paved terrain (filled with the worst chuck holes I've ever seen, and I used to live in the snow belt, east of Cleveland).

 

[Mr_Roboto]

I tend to stay pretty stock, at least with the IDI's. I used to have a PSD that had a flip chip and a BTM, and taller tires were in the plans (lack of work and repo changed those plans).

In my teens and early 20's I did a lot of fiddling, now my vehicles are there to get me to work and back, or to work with.

My secret to happiness - I don't drive powerful vehicles that make my IDI seem slow. If I drove a tow truck with a DT466 I'd never be happy with my old rig again.

 

[IHWillys]

Many turbocharge their IDI bc they use it for towing...

...or operating at high altitudes.

Ken

 

[Agnem]

Yes. In fact one or two have gone to extreme measures to stay stock. Doug Bensen restored his truck over the course of several years, and went out of his way to track down the factory jack, handle, and spare tire carrier. So yes, it does turn some people on.

 

[towcat]

My secret to happiness - I don't drive powerful vehicles that make my IDI seem slow. If I drove a tow truck with a DT466 I'd never be happy with my old rig again.

I beg to differ.
I'm working a '97 4700 with a DT466E with a 7speed and it is a gutless pig I got a buddy to reprogram it to EMS specs but the mileage went into the toilet and I got busted for messing with the ECM. My alternate truck is a '97 F450 conventional and it has become my primary ride due to the simple fact it's alot easier on me. any overnight runs I do get stuck back in the 4700. Btw...it's empty is 22k, gross 33k. 24ft steel bed, 102"wide. Just to give you guys an idea of what "big" is...check out the pic. No there's nothing wrong with my CC, I don't leave it at the yard since too many know I have tools in the truck.
donn-
it may appear that the modded trucks dominate, but the reality is there's more stockers out there but the writeups for mods are more due to the guys wanting to share thier sucesses and failures. I own 5 ford IDI's and only one is modded, the '92 CC. It does get more press than the other ones.

 

[yARIC008]

I don't know if you'd call mine stock or not. I have tried to make it look at stock as possible, with all new parts, all OEM parts. Nothing has been done performance wise yet. Only that isn't OEM is the rims.

 

[Mr_Roboto]

I beg to differ.
I'm working a '97 4700 with a DT466E with a 7speed and it is a gutless pig I got a buddy to reprogram it to EMS specs but the mileage went into the toilet and I got busted for messing with the ECM. My alternate truck is a '97 F450 conventional and it has become my primary ride due to the simple fact it's alot easier on me. any overnight runs I do get stuck back in the 4700. Btw...it's empty is 22k, gross 33k. 24ft steel bed, 102"wide. Just to give you guys an idea of what "big" is...check out the pic. No there's nothing wrong with my CC, I don't leave it at the yard since too many know I have tools in the truck.
donn-
it may appear that the modded trucks dominate, but the reality is there's more stockers out there but the writeups for mods are more due to the guys wanting to share thier sucesses and failures. I own 5 ford IDI's and only one is modded, the '92 CC. It does get more press than the other ones.

That's a big rollback, that CC longbed wouldn't fit on my bed. Longest I can fit is a CC shortbed or a XC longbed. Fortunately those don't come up much and I have a friendly local towing company with a 21' bed that I send those jobs over to.

 

[Russ]

Stock?

Just Kidding. My IDI's only real performance mods were a Banks Turbo, open air filter, and straight exhaust(no muffler). The turbo was on it when I got it. It ran with other factory turbo IDI's and I was happy with that. All of the mods I've done to my PSD was to get the performace back that it was lacking from previous owners lack of up keep. Sure I've added alot more powe, but if I was going to be replacing stuff like injectors, exhaust, and what nots, I upgraded them also.

So sure stock trucks are around, but most of these trucks are used for haul/towing and most red blooded Americans love more power.

It's YOUR truck, do with it waht YOU like. I think stock truck last longer anyhow.

BTW I'd love to see some photos of you boats in your sig. they sound very nice

 

[Michael Fowler]

My 86 F250 is stock, sort of... except for the power captains seat, and oh, the 8" extension to the cab.

 

[Diesel Fly]

I'm the process of restoring my truck to it's original beauty. It will at least look stock. All the vehicles that I've built tend to have a stock look even though they may not be stock under their skin. Here are a couple of pictures of a truck that I almost bought before I bought the one I have now. I hope mine looks at least this nice if not nicer.

 

[kcw12]

dude its your truck, if leavin her stock gives you a *****, then let it be. I been towing with my truck lately (how you think im getting to the IDI rally) 7-10k pounds, and i see the turbo really helpin, id like to intercool it too. I like the functionality part of it.