Welcome to the diesel world, we're glad you're here. Whether you're shopping for a Powerstroke, a Cummins, a Duramax, or something not-so-mainstream like a 6.9 IDI, this article is hand-written for you.
Most of us here at FASS Motorsports are diesel owners, and we've learned a thing or two over the years. So as best we can, we boiled YEARS of time, money, effort, and yes, blood, into a simple blog for you.
Why? Because we love diesels, and we love selling parts for them. And if we do our jobs right, we'll get to sell YOU parts for your diesel one day.
So without further rambling, here's 3 things you NEED to think about before buying your first diesel:
1. What is the truck REALLY going to be used for?
In other words, why are you buying a diesel, really? Are you buying a diesel because you tow trailers for work? Because you have camper, UTV, or racecar (maybe all three)?
Or are you buying a diesel simply because you want one? There's no wrong answer, but buying the RIGHT truck will depend a lot on how you will actually use it.
For example, if you're towing a 5th wheel RV full time, a Ford F-450 might be the ultra-capable workhorse you need. Conversely, if you want to build an 800+hp burnout machine, a 4th Gen Ram 2500 with the 6.7 Cummins could be EXACTLY the machine for you.
2. What kind of problems do you want?
You read that right. What kind of problems would you like your diesel truck to have?
Regardless of the people who SWEAR by GM, Ram/Dodge, or Ford, every, single, brand, of truck, has issues. All of them, period.
For example, the 2011+ 6.7 Powerstroke came equipped with the CP4 (not good), the 68RFE automatic used in thousands of Ram trucks can be a time bomb, and multiple generations of Duramax diesels are known for breaking crankshafts.
So do some digging. Find out which problems the make, model, and year of diesel you want has, and decide whether or not you're willing to deal with them.
3. Are you ready to deal with the cost of ownership?
This is closely related to thing #2—diesel trucks can be freakin' expensive to buy, own, and maintain. They're worth it (in our opinion), but compared to the gasser versions, they can hurt the 'ol wallet.
For example, simply replacing the factory turbocharger on a 6.7 Cummins can run $2,000 or more (a LOT more), depending on how you do it.
Sadly, every once in a while, we see someone straight-up regret buying a diesel due to the cost of maintenance. While there are PLENTY of reliable, and relatively affordable diesels, you'll almost always pay more for maintenance and repairs compared to the gas equivalent.
