why do you drive a idi?

[mobilemech]

there is a lot of great reasons and answers here for why we drive IDI's. The simple fact is " they are bad ass "

 

[TronDD]

I will keep the idi because OBN is a great site, full of good knowledgeable people who are patient with newcomers. i've learned a ton, fixed a lot of bugs on my 21 year old truck.

Besides simplicity, cost, and I like to wrench on my own stuff, this is the #1 reason I went with the Ford IDI over a Chevy or anything else (and I like Chevy). Keeping older cars alive (the newest I own is a 98 Jetta TDI) has taught me that the best feature to look for in a vehicle is a following. A vehicle that isn't an appliance or just a tool or a status symbol. A vehicle that's a passion. The help and support and comradery is endless. You can't buy that with any vehicle.

Tim.

 

[IDIoit]

this is why.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Idiforlife]

Intelligence guided by experience. I second that.

You must be registered for see images attach

Afford Affordability
I paid 900.00 at Ritchie Bro Auction Came with rebuilt Tranny.

You must be registered for see images attach

turned it to this

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

And Hauled this

You must be registered for see images attach

Worked Just as good Locally as this

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[dunk]

Exactly, does the same work as a new truck but in style and it'll always be cost effective to repair and maintain. Added suckage of the new trucks is you cna only get them with a slushbox. I'd be pretty pissed if I dropped $60k and needed to spend a few more grand to put a real trans in it. A few grand for an IDI and another grand or so for a ZF isn't a big deal.

 

[Can30Diesel]

this is why.

You must be registered for see images attach

time to update your avatar pic man! That just looks cool!!!

 

[Can30Diesel]

My wife has often called my IDI my other wife. She also has said just as often than I am not allowed to sell it!!

 

[ToughOldFord]

Ouch, 60 g's for a pickup. Lessee, pay off mortgage VS buying a truck that depreciates the moment you roll of the lot and will only be worth a few grand in 15 years.

Intelligence guided by experience. I second that.

You must be registered for see images attach

Afford Affordability
I paid 900.00 at Ritchie Bro Auction Came with rebuilt Tranny.

You must be registered for see images attach

turned it to this

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

And Hauled this

You must be registered for see images attach

Worked Just as good Locally as this

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[IDIoit]

time to update your avatar pic man! That just looks cool!!!

great minds think alike!
i just updated it right before i read this..lol

 

[IDIoit]

i like to buy my powerstrokes....CHEAP AND BROKEN

 

[david85]

The 7.3L powerstrokes are ok, but I've had help a few guys now when they wouldn't start in the cold alberta weather. Had to boost them with my work service truck (2010 duramax), which I never plug in. On the flipside, the duramax did detune itself once on the way back from a service call while driving in -30C weather. No explanation - but it reset itself later in the drive and never had the problem again.

As an industrial electronics technician, I can say with confidence that one major advantage that our IDIs have over ANY newer diesel is:

MECHANICAL FUEL INJECTION!!!

A powerstroke or other electronic engine needs to sense crank or cam position before it can fire.

An IDI will squirt as soon as the crank is moving, and that means lest wasted cranking amps when you need them most.

Its also very rare to ever have a failure mode in a mechanical system where you lose all function and operation. With an IDI, like any other mechanical system, there are a always warning signs before breakdown leaves you stranded. Whether the operator can pick up on them, is another matter though.

I know electronics are supposed to be more reliable then mechanical moving parts. As the old saying goes, if it moves, it will eventually fail. In the real world, electronics can fail without warning well inside their projected service life. You can make electronic devices much more complex then mechanical, and that gives rise to more thing that can go wrong. When they do, its usually expensive.

And don't get me started on the cost of a powerstroke injection system - ANY powerstroke!!! not just the 7.3...

 

[Idiforlife]

Yeah and that was a 2012 window sticker . These trucks are so nice King Ranch, Platinum edition, Lariat, That i would want to work in it. ,

Ouch, 60 g's for a pickup. Lessee, pay off mortgage VS buying a truck that depreciates the moment you roll of the lot and will only be worth a few grand in 15 years.

 

[PwrSmoke]

Loyalty, I guess. Mine is an old friend of nearly 30 years. I bought a newer truck in 2008 to replace it but when it came time to sell the old boy... I just couldn't do it! In nearly every objective sense, the newer truck is superior but driving the old guy still brings a smile to my face. There is something to be said for life in the slow lane.

 

[KZF250]

I was a lifetime Chevy guy and owned many work trucks and vans, but when "little o" bought GM I sold my Chevys and moved on to Ford. Bought a Ford E150 and a 1969 F250 w/360 4 speed...nice stock old truck but with no PS or brakes and had drums all around it just wasn't feasible as a tow vehicle without at least putting discs up front.

I am in the Asset Disposal Business...read:Buy-Sell-Scrap and need to be a tight ass due to dealing with junk mostly. After asking the van to haul about 40 tons one week I decided it was time to sell the '69 to fund a better tow vehicle for the 18ft car hauler(2ft dovetail) so I started the search thinking that it time for my first diesel. Now tight ass and diesels don't really go well together but when my '84 popped up on Clist I started doing some research and found this forum and what can I say but you guys are pretty good salesmen.

The first month or two it was used more for leisure once or twice a week but the two weeks leading up to Christmas I got slammed with a number of heavy loads and it was time for the IDI to earn it's keep. It does ask for a hot shower in the morning(to be plugged in) but handled the loads with no problem. I still have tools I got back in grade school and I'm 50 now so I don't see this truck going anywhere, any time soon.

 

[Sir AxleRod]

First one was buy accident, I fell in love. 86 Reg cab, beat to ****, rebodied it as a brick nose.

Second one was by intention, I fell in lover even more so. OBS CCLB IDIt ZF White/Tournaline stripe.

Third? Couldn't afford a Cummins for my swap, (pulling a 460), Was too scared of the unknown to run the Brazilian 401 I found (still regret that choice, really wanna give that eng. a go round), and the one I found ran ****!
Sold it, bought it back, and am using it for a second re-power, as nothing else makes sense with the budget I want to stay in.