Chevy Colorado ZR2 diesel

[gigantor]

43 minutes ago, norseman said:

And the 2.8 Duramax comes with a stock turbo. 

 

with 310  369 ft-lbs of torque at the crank for $50k.

[17x7]

I just have to say that there is something very interesting about a mid+ sized 4x4 truck that gets the same or better fuel mileage than a small family sedan.  I happen to love it when I get to inform folks that my "giant, gas guzzling, planet wrecking, diesel 4x4" (it's a '92 dodge cummins) gets as good a mileage as their mini-van.

 

17x7

[norseman]

2 minutes ago, gigantor said:

 

with 310 lb-lbs of torque at the crank for $50k.

 

The performance tune was 1200 bucks. Which is just a computer hook up. No 6k super charger needed! Uses stock turbo. Torque was in mid 400’s?

 

How much is a brand new Jeep Rubicon? 50k right?

 

Not sure why you are being stubborn. Diesels vs Gassers, pound for pound, horsepower for horsepower produce gobs more torque and do it more efficiently. This is known globally..... from India to Australia to South Africa to Bolivia. 4x4 rigs are powered by small turbo diesels.

 

Your supercharged gasser makes almost the same torque as it does HP. Roughly 300. The smaller displacement diesel with the after market turbo also produces roughly 300 HP but produces almost TWICE as much torque.... mid 500!

 

Its was no secret in the big truck market (1960s) and then the pickup truck market (1990s) why gasoline engines could not compete. They were less powerful and less efficient. 

 

Well.... now it’s shown up in the mid sized truck market. 40 years late by global standards but it will be here to stay. Until possibly electric vehicles kill all ICE engines.

 

But if you cannot stand the smell of diesel, or get flabbergasted looking for green pump nozzles? Stick with gassers!😃

 

[gigantor]

3 minutes ago, norseman said:

Not sure why you are being stubborn. Diesels vs Gassers, pound for pound, horsepower for horsepower produce gobs more torque and do it more efficiently.

 

I'm not disputing that at all. All I'm saying is that its not worth $50k in a mid size pickup because you don't need 500 lb-ft of torque. Jeeps start at $35k.

[17x7]

2 minutes ago, norseman said:

 

This is known globally..... from India to Australia to South Africa to Bolivia. 4x4 rigs are powered by small turbo diesels.

 

 

I must admit a deep love for my African Landcruiser with the 3L turbo diesel.  It's even an aluminum engine diesel.  Runs like a top.  About as fragile as a brick.  Just don't let it run out of water. 

 

17x7

[norseman]

2 minutes ago, 17x7 said:

I just have to say that there is something very interesting about a mid+ sized 4x4 truck that gets the same or better fuel mileage than a small family sedan.  I happen to love it when I get to inform folks that my "giant, gas guzzling, planet wrecking, diesel 4x4" (it's a '92 dodge cummins) gets as good a mileage as their mini-van.

 

17x7

 

The infamous 6BT...... 6 cylinders. Gets 22 mpg highway and probably 18 mpg while pulling a house. My C15 Caterpillar only gets 5 mpg.... put it will pull a lot lot.

 

 

6 minutes ago, gigantor said:

 

I'm not disputing that at all. All I'm saying is that its not worth $50k in a mid size pickup because you don't need 500 lb-ft of torque. Jeeps start at $35k.

 

So do Colorado’s! Sometimes bud I don’t think you read everything.... 

 

The ZR2 and Rubicon both have lockers front and rear, sway bar disconnect, blah, blah, blah.

 

You can buy the baby Duramax in a much cheaper trim package! 

 

And still gets gobs of torque and better fuel mileage.

 

 

9 minutes ago, 17x7 said:

 

I must admit a deep love for my African Landcruiser with the 3L turbo diesel.  It's even an aluminum engine diesel.  Runs like a top.  About as fragile as a brick.  Just don't let it run out of water. 

 

17x7

 

An aluminum block? I bet!

[Huntster]

2 hours ago, norseman said:

So it’s just the amount? Because we use it too right? Or are we using something else? Do they use sand back there?

 

First of all, when one fellow at the seminar said that the University of Indiana used @ 700,000 tons of calcium chloride in a single winter, I about swallowed my tongue. Ft. Richardson has about 300 miles of streets and roads along with parking lots for a few thousand buildings, and we went for several years on 800 tons of magnesium chloride. We mixed it with sand, which provides melting properties to the sand as well as keeps the sand from freezing into clumps.

 

Secondly, we only spread the sand (also stored in a huge barn so the snow and rain stayed off it) on intersections, curves, and hills where the traction is needed most, or spread more widely during freezing rain situations.

 

Thirdly, we used magnesium chloride instead of calcium chloride. Mag chloride reacts hotter than calcium chloride, doesn't corrode metals, and was even cheaper than the calcium chloride, although admittedly that may have been due to shipping costs. Mag chloride is the salt found in the Utah salt flats, and the calcium chloride cones from the salt mines in the Great Lakes region, likely why those guys still use it.

 

I stress the fact that we used sand. More recently contractors have been using tiny crushed rock (@ 1/8th or minus) in parking lots throughout Anchorage. While it's cheaper than sand (because it likely has few other uses), and it does work great for traction, it gets carried out onto the streets in the tire treads, gets flung up at speed, and chips/cracks windshields. During his last trip up here, my brother noticed that all my vehicle windshields are chipped/cracked.........like everybody elses. He asked if everybody in Alaska has a cracked windshield, and I had to answer "yes". We tried the tiny chipped rock one year on Ft. Rich, and when some colonel got his windshield cracked, he put an end to it, and I agreed with him. Sand works.

 

Also, studded tires are still legal in Alaska. I have a set for each of my vehicles.

[17x7]

8 minutes ago, norseman said:

 

An aluminum block? I bet!

 

Aluminum block with steel sleeves, and an aluminum head.  Not a power beast, by US standards, but it works.  It's from '93 and still gets me 20ish MPG running African fuel (which usually contains diesel, but you're never really sure what else).  The aluminum engine just doesn't like it when you run out of water.  Once it gets too hot, she's done.

 

17x7

[norseman]

41 minutes ago, Huntster said:

 

First of all, when one fellow at the seminar said that the University of Indiana used @ 700,000 tons of calcium chloride in a single winter, I about swallowed my tongue. Ft. Richardson has about 300 miles of streets and roads along with parking lots for a few thousand buildings, and we went for several years on 800 tons of magnesium chloride. We mixed it with sand, which provides melting properties to the sand as well as keeps the sand from freezing into clumps.

 

Secondly, we only spread the sand (also stored in a huge barn so the snow and rain stayed off it) on intersections, curves, and hills where the traction is needed most, or spread more widely during freezing rain situations.

 

Thirdly, we used magnesium chloride instead of calcium chloride. Mag chloride reacts hotter than calcium chloride, doesn't corrode metals, and was even cheaper than the calcium chloride, although admittedly that may have been due to shipping costs. Mag chloride is the salt found in the Utah salt flats, and the calcium chloride cones from the salt mines in the Great Lakes region, likely why those guys still use it.

 

I stress the fact that we used sand. More recently contractors have been using tiny crushed rock (@ 1/8th or minus) in parking lots throughout Anchorage. While it's cheaper than sand (because it likely has few other uses), and it does work great for traction, it gets carried out onto the streets in the tire treads, gets flung up at speed, and chips/cracks windshields. During his last trip up here, my brother noticed that all my vehicle windshields are chipped/cracked.........like everybody elses. He asked if everybody in Alaska has a cracked windshield, and I had to answer "yes". We tried the tiny chipped rock one year on Ft. Rich, and when some colonel got his windshield cracked, he put an end to it, and I agreed with him. Sand works.

 

Also, studded tires are still legal in Alaska. I have a set for each of my vehicles.

 

I think they are outlawing them here soon.

39 minutes ago, 17x7 said:

 

Aluminum block with steel sleeves, and an aluminum head.  Not a power beast, by US standards, but it works.  It's from '93 and still gets me 20ish MPG running African fuel (which usually contains diesel, but you're never really sure what else).  The aluminum engine just doesn't like it when you run out of water.  Once it gets too hot, she's done.

 

17x7

 

Can you just take off into the woods and drive around out there? Is there dudes running around with AK 47s? Is there a lot of park rules? Can you pack a gun everywhere with you? Is fuel stops regular? Is a Lion behind every bush? Crocs in every crick?

 

Africa intrigues the heck out of me, and some day I wanna go.

 

 

[Huntster]

21 minutes ago, norseman said:

...........Africa intrigues the heck out of me, and some day I wanna go.

 

It would be cool (hot?) to go, but too many snakes. No thanks for me.

[norseman]

Well I stand corrected gig. For 2019 it seems the Duramax is only available in the ZR2 trim. Which in past years it was available in other cheaper trim packages. Because I did a search on used ones.

 

I was playing around on their website today.

[17x7]

16 minutes ago, norseman said:

Can you just take off into the woods and drive around out there? Is there dudes running around with AK 47s? Is there a lot of park rules? Can you pack a gun everywhere with you? Is fuel stops regular? Is a Lion behind every bush? Crocs in every crick?

 

Africa intrigues the heck out of me, and some day I wanna go.

Here is Norseman's answer.  Skip ahead if not interested.

 

No, it's not really possible to just drive around off-road.  There is very little public land.  Basically, just some National Parks (where the photo was taken) and a few forest reserves.  Those are highly regulated and have nearly no roads.  The parks have LOTS of rules.  No off-road is one of them.  That said, if 4x4 is your thing, I have to lock the hubs to get to my house about half the year (during rainy seasons) as I live on a pretty steep hill.  Last night we were coming back from some traveling 'up country' and got stuck in traffic as we returned to Kampala.  We left the main road and took side streets to get around "the Jam".  Only the main roads are paved.  Even in the city.  Everything else is just dirt.  My 'cruiser has a 4" lift, aftermarket coil springs all around, and gobs of wheel travel.  I had a wheel in the air 2 or 3 times traveling those streets.  These streets are on Google Maps, mind you.  The bad parts are when you meet another car and have to cross a ditch or rut.  The folks in 2 wheel rigs and small cars can't manage and so it's me that ends up jumping the ruts to get by, just because I can.

 

There are no guns allowed for anyone except military, and some police and security guards.  In fact, even pocket knives are considered concealed weapons and are illegal.  There are lots of military and security around.  Military provide a good amount of security presence and are almost all carrying AKs.

 

There are lots of fuel stations, as long as you are on main roads.  The issue is fuel quality.  The international chains are Shell, and Total.  The rest you have never heard of.  You can guarantee that there is at least kerosene mixed into the diesel at local stations to increase their profit.  Shell and Total are supposed to be pure fuel, but you never really know.  I do know the car likes their fuel better.  The farther from main towns you get, the farther between good stations.  Sometimes 50-75 miles.  One town I go to about twice a year, is at least that and you have to go back to the station because there is no good fuel in the town there.  We carry a jerry can or two to make sure we can get back without having to buy bad fuel.  My 'cruiser can run rougher fuel, but I hate pushing it.

 

Big animals are pretty much just in and around the National Parks.  Lions are there, but nowhere else.  Crocs are more common, but still pretty rare.  People kill them anytime they find them.  Parts of the Nile have them, and sparsely populated areas of Lake Victoria and other lakes.  You can sometimes find hippos outside the parks, but it's rare.  If you see a critter, it's usually monkeys, snakes, or a Nile Monitor.

 

Come on over.  We'll go for a ride and see the sights.

17x7

[Catmandoo]

17x7, are air cooled diesels used in the African vehicles?

Edited July 8, 2019 by Catmandoo
more text

[gigantor]

This is the real reason Norseman likes diesels...

 

 

[norseman]

1 hour ago, gigantor said:

This is the real reason Norseman likes diesels...

 

 

 

Yaaaah! We all know why you want a super charger fer yer Jeep!