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Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
Thursday, December 24th, 2009CEO Ghosn says Nissan will stay in full-size pickup segment
Saturday, December 19th, 2009The supposed collaboration between Nissan and Chrysler to trade formats came to an end in late August after Chrysler partnered with Fiat, whose specialty is making small cars. Because of this, the Titan, Nissan’s full-size pickup, which was a huge part of the deal was left hanging.
We thought we have seen the last of the Titan especially after Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn reportedly hinted about the end of it in a Newsweek feature and said something along the lines of ‘a smart company only making products that can give them profit’, but it turns out Nissan had other plans for it all the while. Though they wouldn’t release any more details, the Inside Line reported that Nissan will not be giving up on the Titan after all.
They talked to Ghosn and asked about the fate of the iconic truck. "Titan will have a replacement, we are staying in the large pickup truck market," he said.
In the same report, Inside also mentioned that the new Titan could be redesigned in-house or in collaboration with a third party.
Sales numbers may not have been as strong as preferred, but the Titan has a strong following and I’m pretty sure the Titan enthusiasts out there are pleased with this development.
NHTSA Issues Five-Star Safety Rating to 2010 Toyota Tundra
Sunday, August 9th, 2009
In 2007, Toyota expressed a bit of shock after getting just a four-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA, while their Detroit competitors particularly Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Ford F-150, GMC Sierra 1500 and Dodge Ram 1500 all earned perfect scores. Results of their internal testing revealed they should earn five stars as well, which means that there’s a less than ten percent chance of suffering serious injuries after experiencing an accident. Unfortunately, the NHTSA decided to go against their claims and gave them a four-star rating, meaning the chances for serious injuries are between eleven and twenty percent. Both driver and front passenger safety in all cab configurations are tested.
After getting a lower safety rating than their competitors, the Detroit Three namely Chrysler, GM and Ford took advantage of this and released all-new light-duty pickups the past few years. While the 2009 Toyota Tundra earned the Insurance Institute’s “Top Safety Pick” for 2009 and awarded the highest possible safety rating for front, side and rear crash tests, the Tundra’s sales numbers still keep dropping year after year. The recession and last year’s sky-high fuel prices also have not helped one bit. Can the 2010 Toyota Tundra bounce back after finally catching a break?
Scott’s 2003 7.3L Powerstroke
Saturday, August 23rd, 2008
Today's truck gets the "most stuff" award. Definitely one of the most unique trucks that we have featured on Truck Profile. We have a 2003 7.3L Ford SuperDuty Powerstroke that makes a stock truck look like a P50 Microvehicle (can of tuna...maybe smaller). Scott purchased this truck brand new in 2003 from Uftring Motor Mall in East Peoria IL.
"I bought the truck in 03 because diesel fuel was cheaper at the time. Then i added a lift kit and wheels and started to show it at car shows and would win first place, then i was hooked. As all of you can see i did not stop adding to the truck and still today with over $60,000 in it, Im not done.
Everyone asks, "have you ever taken it off road mudden?". Yes, i have! The first year i got it, went out ditch bang en' and snow drift en' with mud and snow jam packed under the entire body, frame and motor compartment. It took 2 weeks of cleaning and detailing. This truck now does not even see rain or dirt. It is for show only and i drive it too about 30 car -truck shows a year."
As for performance... "It has a heavy duty waste gate & wicked wheel from dieselsite.com. K&N filter, 4" polished stainless cool dual exhaust MBRP, Hypertech programmer, and a few little goodies to help me get 70 psi of fuel pressure and 30lbs of boost. The egt's stay right around 600."
On the outside we have... "Roll Bars, Bull Bar, PIAA Lights, all Chrome Bumper, Ram Air Hood, Lift Kit and Nitto Mud Grapplers."
Scott does ALL of the work and would not even let the dealership touch his truck for the cam sensor recall. The custom flames under the wheel wells took Scott 200 hours, were made from .250" flat stock, cut, filed and buffed to perfection.
This Ford Diesel has about 50 1st place trophies include, Best of Show, Best Interior, Best FORD and Mayors choice.
Scott would like to thank APM Ram air hood, MBRP exhaust, Westin bull bar, Road Max auto polished grill, Boze tow hooks, Recon accessories, Vertical doors, Weld racing, K&N filter, discount tire direct, GoRhino, 101 corvette, e-gauges, Weld racing, Fabtech for their contributions to his truck.
Welcome to Truck Profile 1.5!
Wednesday, August 6th, 2008Welcome to Truck Profile version 1.5. We are trying out some new things and we are also beginning the process of moving to a newer, better Truck Profile system. Dont worry, if you are an existing member here, your account, truck profile, and content has NOT been lost. However, it will be down temporarily.
In an effort to generate more user participation, and to try something new, Truck Profile will be doing "Truck of the Day". Or at least we will try. The idea is that visitors and members will submit as much information on their trucks as possible in the submission form. Things like:
- Year/Make/Model
- Transmission Type
- Customizations
- Aftermarket Performance and Accessories Installed
- Sponsors
- Truck History
- Pictures
- "Truck Name"
- Awards Won
- HorsePower & Torque
- And on and on.
We welcome as MUCH information as you can send us. Then, we will compile that information and put it into a readable format. Every night at midnight we will post a new truck. We hope that EVERYONE that submits their truck will be featured, but we cannot guarantee it. Remember, the MORE information you send us, the better your chances are.
Also, if you have a plain jane truck, with absolutely NO customization, dont be afraid to submit your information. We will still try our best to post it. Just try to get us as much information, or at least as cool of a story as possible for your truck.
To help us with advertising, all images submitted to be posted on Truck Profile may get a "Truck Profile.com" logo added to one of the corners.
We look forward to your participation, please be sure to tell your friends!
Things to Look for when buying a 94-98 Ford Powerstroke Diesel
Sunday, May 4th, 2008Things To Look For When Buying A Used PSD
Turbo:
You might take the air tube off the back of the air filter and look inside of it. If there is dirt build up, that is a very bad sign, so are the turbo fins looking sand blasted or bent. A little oily film is normal since the valve cover breather exits inside the tube. Also, check the shaft outside of the fins for any signs of scuffing. Too much play in the fins so that it hits the shaft is NOT good.
Airbox:
Check the two bolts holding down the airbox lid. If they are plastic with a square recess, it is a recalled part. The recall is expired, but without the updated lid the risk of dirt infiltration is greater, the lid was updated with more supports and the updated bolts are metal with a straight slot.
Tranny:
If you buy a truck with an auto tranny, finding out if it''s been maintained is essential, as the E4OD is an expensive transmission. Also, (if auto) seeing if the truck has an auxiliary transmission cooler would be worthwhile. For sticks, listen for clunking when shutting off or small vibration while operating. It could be an indication of a dual mass flywheel going out. Many have replaced them with single mass units.
Rear Gear Ratio:
4:10 will pull better, get slightly lower mpg’s and run a higher RPM compared to 3:55.
Coolant:
Ask the previous owner about the coolant - have they been adding FW16 or DCA4 to keep a proper SCA level? It is very important for stopping cavitation. You can get test strips to check the SCA level from NAPA, International, or Ford. I would test the current condition while looking over the truck, the SCA level should be between 1.5 and 3.0. Also, see if it has a block heater (it was an option on 97''s).
Front end:
Check the front end for wear, or have an alignment shop check out the ball joints and steering linkage (tie rod ends). If they are shot, it is spendy (all four tie rods are around $400 just for parts, ball joint labor is also very spendy)
Oil:
The questions to ask are how often the oil was changed (at least every 5,000) and what kind of oil they used (diesel rated)? An oil analysis could tell you if there might be an engine problem or not.
Aftermarket stuff:
Seeing if the truck has got an aftermarket downpipe would be nice, a chip, or gauges (pyrometer, trans temp, etc.). Ask about any added items and who installed them.
Glow Plugs/Relay:
Find out if the glow plugs are in good working condition as well as the relay. Ask if either has been changed and when. You can check the glow plug resistance through the valve cover connector if needed and the relay should have power to both large terminals on top when the key is turned on, and one of the terminals should go out before ~2 minutes.
CPS Failures:
Some of these trucks are notorious for eating CPS''s. They can leave you stranded anywhere anytime intermittedly. Finding out if it has been replaced (maybe more then once) might be a good idea. You never know when they''ll go out, so it is best to carry a spare. These can often be had for under 60 bucks shipped on ebay, and can easily run in excess of 200 dollars at the dealership!!! It is a simple fix that is described in the "tech files" for the 7.3 forum.
Injector o-rings:
The injector O-rings have been known to be a problem. The new o-ring sets have a pink middle seal. If the truck has an o-ring problem, one of the signs can be a discoloration of the fuel in the filter bowl. There is a drain on the passenger side front of the filter bowl for draining water (the filter is also the water separator) and you can catch some of the drained fuel in a jar – it should be dingy yellow and not blue or dark.
Leaks and Drips:
You can check the valley between the heads of the V8 for moisture and/or fluid. It should be dry not wet. Most leaks will run through this valley and down the back of the motor dripping off by the tranny/engine coupling.
VIN number:
If you take the VIN to any dealer, they can tell you when it was built, when it went into service, and some of the work that might have been done on it. You can also run prospective VIN''s through Carfax.com to see the title history.