Cmar

I'll sell my '97 SSR-X Limited 3.0 TD to any of you guys !!!

jynx

importing from canada isnt all that difficult from what the dealers up there and the border patrol tell me, as long as its for personal use you only need an entry certificate cf7501 and pay the duty rate for importing. i havent tryed this yet, i'm still digging for exact procedures and rate costs. if anyone has this info...

Driver

Here's a link I found on CBP.gov. It tells you all the forms you need to fill out to import a vehicle.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/bas...orting_car.xml

bak3rme

got a noob question here, if diesel gets more Miles to the gallon, then why do the auto makers not switch to diesel? 50mpg sounds amazing, thats on the line of a hybrid..but i dont understand why they dont make diesel engines..and dont the big tanker trucks use diesel? .and whenever i see a king ranch ford f-350 diesel truck..it looks like a giant tank gas guzzler..but ur telling me that thing gets 30+ mpg?

what are the pros and cons of diesel

MadCityRich

The major issue with diesel has been two things:
1) emissions of particulates and NOx
2) poor reputation in the U.S. for passenger vehicles

With the introduction of ultralow sulfur diesel a year or two ago, it's opened up the ability for car makers to introduce higher levels of particulate and NOx emissions controls. Particulates would clog emission control devices, while NOx formation is caused by the higher combustion temperature inherent in higher compression engines.

California and other states that use similar emissions standards expect diesel cars to meet the same emissions levels as petrol engines. So car manufacturers needed to be able to have the emission controls. Car manufacturers want a "50 states legal" product as it costs a lot to have multiple product designs.

We're starting to see more diesel options in passenger cars, but VW is the only consistent manufacturer.

The other aspect of gas mileage to understand is that diesel fuel has more energy per gallon than gasoline. So it will inherently offer better gas mileage on that alone. The higher compression of the engines allows it to be more efficient, too. Finally, the relatively low rpm of the engines enhances efficiency. But simply for the energy content factor, you need to take about 15 percent off the diesel efficiency to compare it to a gas engine. For example, a 50 mpg diesel car is about the same as a 43 mpg gasoline car. At that point you can talk about higher compression and low rpms enhancing fuel efficiency vs gasoline.

MadCityRich

Midget96

Exactly. Injecting piss into a diesel seems to be the best way right now to get the emissions down. But that isn't a cheap or convenient for your average retard driver to have serviced regulary as required on BMWs and Mercedes vehicles using that technology.

That, and efficient , long lasting diesels are much more expensive to build. Turbochargers, beefier blocks, stouter cranks, rods and pistons, injectors, intercoolers, cooling system, etc. are all more expensive to engineer and manufacture for a diesel than a gasser for your average Civic-typer vehicle.

But if auto makers had invested even a fraction of what's been spent on developing gas engines, we would have ultra efficient diesels capable of reliably running on organic fuels. Instead, we've developed 2.4L gas V8s making 850HP and VW 1.8 TDIs.

eddieleephd

First look at the weight specs and see what the weight difference is. Diesels generally have a heavier engine thus the running gear would have to be swapped and maybe even the undercarriage would have to be reinforced!!

Potomacduck

First, if someone tells you his F-250 is getting 30 mpg, you know one thing about that man...........he's a liar. A Damn liar actually.

I love diesels, I've owned four of them and have also been around marine diesels all my life.

There are a ton of myths out there about diesels:

1. They run forever: Yes and no. Big, heavy, low rpm diesels DO last a long time. You know, the kind installed in yachts and 18 wheelers. But that's not what is being installed in today's cars and trucks. Manufacturers are installing lightweight, high rpm diesels......and they don't last much longer than their gas cousins.

I own a '99 GAS 4Runner with 268,000 on it, it runs perfectly and I will get 300,000 out of it. Not bad, huh?

2. Diesels get great mileage AND that will pay for itself. Nope. The average deisel gets maybe 25% better milaeage than a comparable gas engine............no matter what the chuckleheads on the diesel-tuner websites claim. BTW, 25% better mileage will almost NEVER pay for the premium price you pay for a diesel engine. On an F-250 the cost of a diesel overr the gas engine is an $8,000 option !! Do the math, it would take years to break even and most have traded the truck by that time.

3. They are cheaper to own. BS !!! This is another one of those statements that come from guys who know little about diesels. The yearly manitenance on a diesel engine is almost DOUBLE that of a comparable gas engine. Don't believe me? Get the maintenance schedule for a gas and diesel F-250 sometime. Oh, and Toyota is even MORE expensive.

Then factor in the price of diesel parts..........ever price a camshaft or crankshaft for a Toyota diesel factory part sometime? How about a Toyota diesel fuel pump? The price will make the most corrupt parts manager blush. Honey? do we still have that Home-Equity line at the bank?


Then factor in the fact that a 3.0 liter diesel in a 4Runner would be slower than your neighbor's John Deere and you have a vehicle that really doesn't make much sense unless you just want it because it's different.

Pros: for towing heavy loads like horse trailers, diesels have no equal. But who is towing heavy loads with a 4Runner? Or for that matter that little 3.0 Toyota diesel really isn't a tow rig either.

.

peapicker

The nail has been hit on the head! Amen brother. Had me one of them f350 6 litter desils, with a few upgrades it would smoke 35 inch tires through 3rd gear. Awsome rite! And at 13 miles to the gallon! Not so awsome now.

claybodie

Yep I actually have a 1987 2lt imported into Montana from Canada by the previous owner. Getting it into the US was pretty strait-forward. I think what might be more important is local regs, ie be careful if you live in California.

CamTom12

As much as I love Diesels, you've got it absolutely right. The big plus in a diesel is that if you can keep your egt's and cylinder pressures in check you can make power for days with just fueling changes.

They are more expensive to maintain, heavier, but better in fuel efficiency, but not amazingly so. Those are facts.

Now, with the more modern electronically fueled diesels, you can get better fuel efficiency with a tune. In fact, the hotter tune you run the better your mileage CAN be. It's hard to keep out of the skinny pedal though, hahaha.

In my SD, weighing in at 8k+ lbs I can manage 19-20mpg on the highway on my "345hp over stock" (I haven't been to a dyno, who knows what its actually at). Nowhere near 30mpg. But better than a gasser would do.