TIP # 87A, Follow Up on Ford, and Additional Hint on Same.

I was at our local Ford Dealers in Noosa, today and they still have 1 Silver Twin Cab F250 on its way to Australia. After that there will not be any more until 2007.
They told me today that Ford have told them that there will not be any more for 11 months while they set up the factory for the current model with 6 litre motor that complies with Emission controls.

If you want one of the 7.3lt models, then you will have to make your enquiries now.

David,
There are at least 20 new ones still for sale, even in Maroochydore at Pacific Ford, a dual cab XLT, Salesman there Jaime tells me..

Ford Australia indicated the last of them are on the water now, final shipment coming in... I personally lament the loss of the 7.3 litre engine. I have personally owned two of them, pre electronic one and the new Powerstroke I have now... Dispense with all the rumours of why they are not coming in for at least a year (the way things go probably two)... The real reason is the same one that made GM pull the 6.5 and Dodge get the higher tech smaller Cummins. They are governed by the U.S. EPA (Enviornmental Protection Agency) that is on a Legislated Mandate passed by Congress, to reduce the FLEET AVERAGE fuel emissions and increase the fuel economy of the ENTIRE FLEET... That means from the little cars through to the luxury cars up to the SUVs and Light Trucks, on a sliding scale over time, for each Company. They are doing away with the big workhorse engines to opt for a smaller higher efficiency engine (not necessarily better)....

The 7.3 is an International Truck engine that has been around since the 80's. It started out as a 6.9, became a 7.3 in 88-89 and Turboed in 94 and electronic Powerstroke common rail Turbo in 1995. Now this is the last year. My guess is the new engine will not get as good economy when towing, as the bigger diesel is not working. I also hear the 6 litre out in the States is not fairing well, bad reports, and a new version is coming out. Newer is not always better. I might just want to stick with the tried and true 7.3 Workhorse.... EPA Legislation has forced a smaller 6 litre engine that will no doubt have less emissions, and get better mileage around town as forced by Law... But that does not mean it will do the big towing job of the 7.3 as well, if any measure of historical referrence holds true. The 7.3 has a reputation of sort of 400,000km in the dusty hot rough conditions in Australia, and about 800,000km in Fleet service on the highways in the U.S. The emissions standards are a 1/2 of 1% step in the right direction, but is nothing on the scale of air pollution or global warming theories. That is primarily Industrial and Electrical power generation problems of Western Civilization.. I for one lament the loss of the 7.3 engine, another victim of the greenies. And I for one bet, that the emissions of soot from the new engine when it is working hard, are likely to be more than the 7.3 doing it easy..

I might just stay a dinosaur.
Regards from the Last Ranger...