Instead of owning some cool vintage car (like Rusty Blackwell's MGB/GT), I usually buy old trucks and SUVs. This weekend I'm trading my old 1989 Ford F-250 with the 7.3-liter normally aspirated diesel engine for a 1965 Willys pickup. I agreed to do all the driving for this swap and that Willys would take forever to drive home with a three-speed transmission and 5.38 axle gears. So I borrowed a new Ford F-250 to tow my F-250 down to South Carolina and bring back my "new" truck. Thankfully, the 6.4-liter Power Stroke diesel has two turbochargers.
I'm very comfortable towing this setup. Last night I loaded up my trailer and went for a quick test to make sure the load was distributed properly. I immediately noticed the power of the new 6.4-liter diesel engine. I think the 2008 truck and trailer is faster than the 1989 truck is empty. Highway stability is excellent and Ford's integrated trailer brake controller is brilliant.
It's a good thing this rig tows so well, because I'll be covering about 1400 miles with it this weekend. Naturally the load will be much lighter when I have an old pickup on the trailer, but my route takes me through the Appalachian Mountains and I'll surely appreciate the extra thrust from the turbos when climbing those five-degree grades.
Check back next week to see how the adventure turns out. I can't wait to get started and I'll surely have some interesting stories by the time I return home Sunday evening.