Weekend Recap 11.27.17
Truck of the Week
Got Tracks??
Cummins-Square Body
So we think the old square body Chevys are pretty cool, even if the later ones did come with anemic 6.2L and 6.5L diesels. Wait, this one’s got a Cummins? And tracks? That’s it, mic drop, we’re going home. Ok, just kidding, we’re still here, but we think that Richard Brown (of Brown’s Diesel in Riverdale, California) has a pretty cool ride. Richard reports that top speed is only about 55 mph on the tracks, but it definitely makes for a fun go-anywhere sand vehicle!
Diesel News
Diesel Tax on New Cars
Britain Finds an Emissions Middle Ground
It’s not often we report on the UK, but in this case it might be something we can learn from. Instead of banning cars outright or making them meet ridiculous emissions standards immediately, it looks like folks who are in the market for a new diesel that might not be up to emissions standards in the UK will be paying a steep first year ownership tax. While this does sound harsh, at least it keeps diesels on the road rather than sitting on the factory floor waiting for powertrain retooling.
Videos
Must See Swaps
RX-8 Goes Cummins
Normally we blow right past “catch all” YouTube videos that just spam the Internet, but in this case a large balancer on an RX-8 caught our attention. Yup it was a diesel! Turns out some nut had swapped a 5.9L Cummins engine into the car, and that wasn’t the only diesel swap…check out the diesel Sklyline!
LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnMrUrGT4e4
Highlights
Check Your fluids
How to Burn Up Your Trans 101
We’ve been nagging you about getting ready for winter, but now when it’s cold and friction is at its max is also a good time to check the top two fluids–engine oil and transmission fluid. We recently checked one truck (not ours) to find that it was 3 quarts low! Argh! Anything more than a couple quarts low can cause transmission damage, so better to check than to be left stranded.
Going Heavy
Passing Your Class A Test in CA
If you’re looking at a career driving heavy-duty diesels, a class A driver’s license is pretty much mandatory. Our buddy recently got his class A, and gave us a few pointers. One, take it in a manual, otherwise your license could be restricted to Automatic trucks (your state could vary here). Also, keep a good eye on signs, and going just even a few hours to a practice school is highly recommended, as they’ll give you a cheat sheet for the test. The driving (including parallel parking)? That’ll be up to you.
Ebay Dmax buys
New LP5 on the Rise
With the release of the new LP5-powered Duramax GM’s, finding the exact truck you want for 2018 could be kind of a chore. For a little out-of-the-box thinking we checked eBay and found out that indeed there were brand new trucks for sale or that could be ordered in to various dealerships across the country. If you were out of area, some were even throwing in airfare on the deal!
