Small Pick up trucks, where are the diesel,4x4 and long boxs

AfricaUnite · Post by **AfricaUnite** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 6:57 pm

Hey guys I figured some of you would be into pick up trucks. I just bought a mazda b2300. I was in the market for a small pickup and theres really only two options, Ford Ranger and Mazda B2300, which are basically the same truck. It seems though in a 4cyl all you can get is gas, 2x4 with a 6 foot bed.

I live in Ontario and to get a 4cyl 5spd it had to be shipped from BC. Everything here was automatic.

In Portugal everything is diesel 4x4 with a wider 6 foot bed. I was hoping someone could shed some light as to why we're not seeing small diesel pickups. The low sulfur diesel is here to appease the environmentally conscious. They have diesel options for the larger trucks, why not for us little guys?

Rotgut · Post by **Rotgut** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 7:42 pm

It seems to me that the people that buy smaller trucks do not need the power a diesel can deliver. Also diesel engines tend to be more expensive. Although it would make alot more sense to use more diesel engines in everything, especially with the take off of Bio Diesel and WVO.
Why would you want a 5 spd over an automatic?

punkin · Post by **punkin** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 11:37 am

In Australia small diesels are very widespread, especially in country towns.
There is the Toyota Hilux, Mazda/Ford, Holden rodeo (mine), Nissan Navara ect.
Then one step up to the Toyota land Cruiser, Nissan Patrol. Then step up again to the bigger Fords (250, 350) and chevs ect.

The smaller diesels like my 2.8 litre turbo are top little performers and a 5 speed is certainly prefered for off road work and towing.

My boat weighs in around the 900 kg mark so my little truck copes very well with it. Also gets me to some out of the way places in search of lure caught fish.

Post by **Husker** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 12:02 pm

One word ........ Cheap.

Small trucks (I have a 5-spd mazda B2200, so it is about the same). These things were built like a bic lighter (i.e. disposible). Thus, they were built cheap.

(talking like the car maker) : "Why put in a diesel motor into it it when we are building it cheap, and building it to last 100,000 miles. Why waste a motor that will last 350000 miles on it"

That's it in a nutshell. Yes, I also have a diesel Mercedes 300D turbo. That car is built to last. It has 284000 miles on it, and is hardly broken in.

H.

BW Redneck · Post by **BW Redneck** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 12:25 pm

Seems that nothing is built to last anymore... c'ept a few of our stills.

There are a lot of reasons why I'd want a 5-speed over an auto. For one, I can control when the F'er shifts. Many auto transmissions are programmed to shift at about 2500 rpm, when I shift at about 1500-1700 on mine, and that saves gas, and wasting gas is one of my biggest pet peeves.

Second, there's less computers involved, and all of the auto truck's I've driven have had major computer problems. If I could, I'd drop a 12-valve Cummins into an F-250 because there ain't a single computer in the damn thing! Run it all off of two wires.

Third, I'm a bit of a control freak.

AfricaUnite · Post by **AfricaUnite** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 4:14 pm

Throw the question back at you, why would you want an auto?

5spd - Better gas milage, better winter handling, better control, easier on the brakes

Automatic - Able to eat a salad while driving

Post by **Husker** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 6:20 pm

AfricaUnite wrote:Throw the question back at you, why would you want an auto?

5spd - Better gas milage, better winter handling, better control, easier on the brakes

Automatic - Able to eat a salad while driving

It's simple, idiots who do not really know how to drive, can drive an auto trans.

Rotgut · Post by **Rotgut** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 6:48 pm

AfricaUnite wrote:Throw the question back at you, why would you want an auto?

5spd - Better gas milage, better winter handling, better control, easier on the brakes

Automatic - Able to eat a salad while driving

Don't get me wrong Im putting a 3 spd in my Model A, but to clutch in rush hour traffic in a truck im just to lazy for that.

pintoshine · Post by **pintoshine** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:37 pm

There is a problem with automaker making the Tier 2 Bin 5
http://www.dieselnet.com/standards/us/ld_t2.php
emissions certification. There are several due out for 2009 but none are being made or imported into the USA at this time. The large diesels are under a grand father for a couple more years because most are being made in the USA.
It is killing the diesel engine here and I suspect the gasoline manufacturers are behind the laws. They are throwing tons of money to the green PACs in order to sell more gasoline. This is the same way ADM threw a lot of money to the sugar quota laws to get the price of cane sugar up to allow them to market HFCS.

Someone who helps out your cause is not necessarily your friend.

Post by **HookLine** » Fri Oct 19, 2007 8:58 pm

HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup)

Big health disaster. Fructose is more-or-less equivalent to alcohol in its damage to the liver, and causes a whole bunch of problems for fat metabolism, and diabetes related problems. Xylitol is by far the (refined) sugar of choice for eating, but it is real expensive. In Australia 5 kg of Xylitol is about $75.

AfricaUnite · Post by **AfricaUnite** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 3:44 am

Rotgut wrote:
Don't get me wrong Im putting a 3 spd in my Model A, but to clutch in rush hour traffic in a truck im just to lazy for that.

Hey at least your honest.

junkyard dawg · Post by **junkyard dawg** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 7:54 am

If I could, I'd drop a 12-valve Cummins into an F-250 because there ain't a single computer in the damn thing! Run it all off of two wires.

I have 370,000 on a '93 dodge with a 12 valve.

good motors...