I read in a recent Car & Driver that neither Ford, Chevy or Dodge met the CAFE requirements for light trucks in 1998. It said they all avoided fines by having credits built up from previous years. As soon as these credits run out, and they will as CAFE is only going up, you can bet there will be major prices to pay for large displacement V8's. Look at the gas guzzler tax. Something like 10% for vehicles that do not make enough mpg.
Jeff

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1999 F150 Lariat
Reg cab Short box Styleside
5.4L 3.55ls
Deep Wedgwood Blue/Silver
Lund Interceptor hood shield, VentVisors, Class III hitch, Ford molded mud guards, soft tonneau, factory CD with changer (thanks Dusty), tinted windows

Menasha, WI

http://www.fortunecity.com/silversto...ton54home.html

 

Like D, I was fortunate enough to be able to do it again. I swapped my '98 XL SC V6 5-speed for a 2000, as some of you know, but I kept everything mechanical basically the same because I was very satisfied, had no problems, and gas in Canada is crazy expensive (though not like what our "F150online" member-friend with the 5.4 has to pay in Holland).

I went for more toys this time, but basically wanted to get the 4-wheel ABS for the Cdn winters and a CD. I also went for the running boards since my poor old mom-in-law with Alzheimer's and my 7-year-old both needed help to climb in my '98.

This one's a keeper. And I like the fact that the 2000s are Low Emission Vehicles.

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Black 2000 SC short-box XLT. 4.2 V-6, 5-speed, 3.55 Limited Slip. Side steps, CD, remote entry, factory box liner. My add-ons: Older Windstar (driver's side) wiper blade - the one with the air scoop, because I don't slow down when it rains; "f150online" sticker and snazzy Tweetie Bird floor mats.

My second of the "new" F150s. Great trucks!

 

Take a look at my signature. You'll see my "do over"

Doug.

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Currently have:'99 F-250 Super Duty, 4x4, SC, XLT, 5.4L, 4.10LS, Deep Metallic Blue/Med. Graphite, Superchip.

On order: '00 F-250 Super Duty, 4x4, SC, XLT, 6.8L, 3.73LS, Island Blue/Silver with Med. Graphite Interior, Ordered 10/11/99.

 

the rumors of an over 100 mpg carburator have been around for years. Interestingly enough, the rumor had it that the oil companies bought the patent and shelved it. Anyone ever hear this?

Ja_stang, apparently in 1998 GMC did not produce any suburbans, apparently, they sold 97 stock which allowed them to remove that gas pig from their cafe ratings.

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David
'99 F150 XLT SC, STYLESIDE
3.73, 4X4 ORP 5.4L, AUTO,
139wb, Medium Red Tor.,
Rhino, K&N, BugGuard,
RainGuards, Superchip, Soft Tonneau
f150online sticker!!! GET ONE NOW!




[This message has been edited by cloaker (edited 11-05-1999).]

 

I respectfully disagree Captain. The oil companies don't have control over ALL the auto makers and the hybrid electric/gas car is just barely out the door. The Geo Metro has been rated at 50+ MPG for years and few people buy them because its a cheap tin can of a car. From what I've seen, the hybrid car that gets 60-70 MPG is a 1500-2000 lb tin can too! As far as the 100 MPG carb goes, that rumor has been around for 40 years. With the volitility in the price of oil, I think the oil companies would have gone into the 100 MPG carburator business years ago if they truely owned the patent. My point is, if all that is done is pass a law, we will have Contour 2.5 liter V6s as base engine, and 4.6 liter V8s with 2.55 rear ends as your top engine choice in 1/2 ton trucks. Remember the 3.8 V6 F150s in the early '80s. Who wants to repeat that!

Now having said all of that, I think the Triton V8s should get a little bit better milage than they do. It seems that a 4.6 V8 should get about 21-22 MPG on the highway and a 5.4 should get 20 (unloaded). My wife's GMC Yukon consistantly gets 19 MPG on the highway with a 5.7 V8 and 3.42 rear end. Around town, its milage is about 14-15. Based on that, the Expedition we are about to get with a 5.4 and 3.31 rear end logically should get 20 MPG on the highway (smaller engine, overhead cams, higher rear axle ratio). From what I've seen you guys with 5.4s post, I seriously doubt I'll ever see 20 MPG in the Expy. The 5.4 obviously is more efficient in generating power than the 5.7 ( 260HP from 5.4 liters vs 255 from 5.7 liters) so what's up with the milage. Just my opinion.

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'93 Regular Cab XLT Shortbed, 5.0, K&N, Borla, 160,000 miles; Future Expedition owner.


[This message has been edited by Tenderpaw (edited 11-05-1999).]

 

The 5.4L is definetely worth the extra cost.
A V6 is adequate if you are on a budget and get a regcab 5speed.

 

IMHO,
I dont think a V6 belongs in a truck at all. I think only v8's because of their power, etc. I would never buy a full size with a V6.
Once again, thats my opinion.

 

I am not sure that I agree with you. 6-cylinders have always been in 1/2ton to 1-ton trucks. Even bigger trucks have 6 -cylinders. I remember by grandpa talking about his 3/4 tons 2wd 300's with 3-speeds and 4-speeds with 4.10 rear ends...


Plus: I would get a 6-cylinder with a 5-speed for MPG, not HP

[This message has been edited by Pastmaster (edited 11-05-1999).]

 

Yeah, it wasn't too long ago you could get 6 cylinders in 1 tons. I used to work for the power company and we had a lot of chassis cab 1 tons with 6 bangers. The guys hated those things because they were SO slow. When I left, things were better and every truck 3/4 ton and higher got a power stroke diesel. The guys loved those.

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'93 Regular Cab XLT Shortbed, 5.0, K&N, Borla, 160,000 miles; Future Expedition owner.

 

>>>>I am really satisfied with the performance of my 4.6 V8. The motor does all I ask of it and more. To put it in perspective it has the same or more horspower than some of the bigger V8s had just a few years ago. I too wanted a five speed for two reasons, to have better control of my shifts especially in poor traction situations and for gas mileage reasons. A properly driven/shifted manual tranny will get better mileage than an automatic under the same conditions. If ford had offered the 5.4 V8 with a stick I would have opted for that motor. But given the chance again with the options I had then I would get the 4.6 again. I would have waited however if I had known then that ford was going to up the horspower in the 2000 models before I bought my 99.

>>>>Another reason I liked the 4.6 was that after running it in the Crown Vic police vehicles and putting the motors on the cruisers through far more abuse than my truck will ever see the 4.6 motors have held up superbly under some pretty tough driving conditions. I am sure the 5.4 would have also, it just isn't offered in the police packages.


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99 F150 XLT SC 4x4 4.6 liter Deep Wedgewood Blue

Westin Nerf Bars

Lund Bug Deflector

Kenwood 10 disc CD changer

Bodyguard Bed Liner

 

I have a 1997 4x4 off road 4.6L.

They only way I would do it over again is to get the Superduty and the PSD. I love the looks of that truck!

I do love the one I have now though. I feel the 4.6 has plenty of power for me. I don't do much hauling or pulling.

My gas milage is 16-17 mpg on the HWY

I have the 5 spd tranny(only way to go in a truck)

I also use a K&N airfilter and Castrol Syntec oil.

 

Tenderpaw, It has already started. New York has just anounced that it will be adopting California emmisions standards for 2004. With CA and NY having 25% of the domestic market, this will probably affect all US vehicles. The environmentalists here are the largest and loudest lobby and the Governor is pro environment. Its only a matter of time before the CAFE standards are increased. The tree huggers are already screaming about fuel comsumption and limiting Sport-Ute sales. The only bright spot is for Diesel lovers. Detroit Diesel has built a Prototype 4.0L V6 Turbodiesel for Dodge in the 235HP area for use initially in the Durango. There have been rumors of something similar from International for the Fords. This right now would probably be the easiest and cheapest way to satisfy the tree huggers and increase mileage on the lighter trucks/Sport-utes. However, there is still available technology to decrease fuel consumtion and emmissions on the current crop of gas engines. When I ordered my 89 5.0 Mustang, it had to be done early in the model year. If Ford didn't sell enough 4cyl models to stay within CAFE, the availability later in the model year for 5.0s would have been almost non-existant.

 

Tenderpaw - I wasn't trying to imply that gas companies had control over all the car manufactures, sorry for that impression. I just meant that ever since I was younger I heard about electric cars and very high gas mileage cars, but never saw any of them ever. So where are all of them, probably in the back corner of wharehouse. I'm glad they have 60+ mpg cars, but you won't see me own any of them. With todays technology and some practice (r&d) they should be able to get most vehicles including the huge gas guzzlers over 20 mpg.

 

Well, for starters, I LOVE my 4.6L 5-sp. It is exactly what I wanted!

If I had my way, I would go with the V-10 5(6)-sp in a regular cab short bed F-150. Will it ever happen? Doubt it!

Maybe I need to get out and drive a super-duty with this combo. Sounds like fun!

Derek

 

i would go with the 5.4L but one w/out the piston slap. if i got to change the body then i would go with the supercab.

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'97 f-150 XLT V6 auto 3.55 silver reg cab flareside , 6 cd, Lariat floor mats, tonneau, ground effects, tint, glasspack w/ duals, new= ion optics fog lights, cracked windshield (thanks to a dodge caravan). the heartbeat stops here.
http://www.angelfire.com/ok3/ponysix8 http://www.angelfire.com/ok3/ponysix8/images/T004.wav