Trying to decide.. 7.3 or 5.9.
 

Hey all, new to the forum. potentially buying one of these trucks.

199* Ford F350 7.3L turbo'd IDI (Not powerstroke!) 4x4 5 spd. $3500 Comes with a plow
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1990 Dodge D350 1st gen cummins, Dually, Getrag 5 spd. $4000
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The 7.3 is currently on the road and DD'd. Has patched cab corners and the rear fenders are rotting. Its on 35's in the picture but it comes with 31's. Clutch is in good shape. I think its the turbo off of a powerstroke but the guy didnt go into detail much when i was there pickin up a truck for my brother. Cant remember the year, but i think its a '92.

The 5.9 isnt on the road, has been sitting for about 6 months but still starts up like a dream and doesnt smoke. Clutch is in great shape. shifts fine. Body is great on it, minus 3 rust spots but their all surface rust that i could touch up in a day. Needs a pinion seal, and a RR Parking break cable.

Im having a hard time deciding on which one to get, bein in Canada im gonna need 4x4 a fair bit (For that fucking shit called snow!!) and for a little bit of trails. but i love the idea of having a low old man lookin truck that could beat out a ricer any day of the week and also haul some 5th wheels at work.

The dodge i can buy as soon as i have enough saved up, but the ford is the guys DD until he can get his 98.5 24V on the road, so he could be selling it next week, or he could be selling it in 3 months. id like to get the new truck before winter but its gettin below 0* and comin fast, so im not sure whats goin to happen!

Any help deciding would be greatly apreciated!

Read all of the threads for both of those trucks and come up with a decision, it is hard for anyone to tell you what to buy.

i am a Cummins guy at heart, but i have been thinking about an obs 7.3 for another toy. so i can say that i like both of them.

Every truck is going to break, the 7.3 has glow plus compared to the 5.9 which does not. so that will help ignite the fuel easier in the colder weather.. in theory.

on the other hand the 7.3 being an idi is going to produce much less power.

Now we have a bit toss up; well i am a Cummins guy so i vote one to the Cummins:tu:

Ive worked on 7.3s for over a year now (13 letter shit spreader trucks) i love the industrial use engines but im not sure how much different the pickup ones are. id much rather a powerstroke but its a turbo idi so im happy about that. im not sure which turbo it has though whether its a Banks or a powerstroke turbo.

One thing i like about the 5.9 is it starts great in the cold without the GPs. it was 0*C the other day when i went to check it out, started in one revolution then started strong no misses, as long as it has a block heater and i have hydro it should start fairly well this winter lol

Both are 5 spd, which is a definite plus but i wish one of them didnt so i wouldnt have to fight over both lol

Im leaning towards the 7.3 because:
4x4
Straight axle with manu hubs.
comes with a plow
family friends own a shop that has tons and tons of 7.3 parts
Is road ready

The only problem is i dont know when hes going to sell it, and i want to have a new truck before winter cause wide mud tires on ice/snow/slush arent good and i dont want to buy new tires for my POS 90s chevy lol

The tires on that 7.3 are not going to be much better IMO

Beware the idi engines are not powerhouses, I said it before and will say that again!

If the cummins is not 4x4 I would go with the ford... Tough to have a 2wd in igloo country.
The cummins does have an intake grid heater to help with cold starts still. Both of them are non intercooled so any major upgrading one will need to be added if you can find a gosh darn spot to put an effective one.
It's a toss up that is ultimately on you. Like I said I like the idi, even more than I like the psd!

The tires in the pic are 35s which it doesnt come with, it comes with 31 ats.
I know its not the biggest powerhouse lol the psd's werent really either, but the turbo helps atleast.
I was talkin to him an hour ago, he said his 24v got into some problems and hes tryin to pay for his sled to get fixed too so hes goin to try and get his work truck for a DD for a while so he can sell the ford and get funds to get the dodge done sooner. So hopefully in a couple weeks ill be the owner of a 7.3!

Dodge beats Ford anytime, always, totally!

I would much rather a cummins but 4x4 is a big factor in my decision.

In Canada, 4x4 is a must!

That is true! Very true. Its also helpful for goin through the huntin trails in the summer

That it is!