valhalla360 wrote:
As mentioned HDT are a different world and not relevant to your 3/4 & 1 ton pickups. I would expect your average trucking company has qualified mechanics performing work. Your average guy with a 20yr old truck that he's stringing along likely cuts a lot of corners...so your assumption that the engine transfer would be done professionally is sketchy at best.
I'm sure individuals mostly could care less about the engine technology but that doesn't mean it must meet current regulations and that it must mate with the new technology on your new chassie.
As far as keeping a truck going for 40yrs...if you dump $40-50k into the chassie, you can do a major overhaul making it like new at 20yrs (probably a good bit cheaper if you don't live in rust belt states)...giving you an additional 20yrs. If it's really that the engine will last 40yrs, you can keep the chassie going and it's much more straight forward.
Back in the days before oil embargo/big changes in engines, the Pete dealer had a kit being built in shop most of time. Anther dealer sold mostly assembled kits.
I think you and I have a different view about who would be the market for class 2 and 3 trucks set up for older model engines. Most people I know that use old vehicles are more likely to replace a wore out engine with a newer 1. Sure, we can replace all the parts, repair rust, and drive forever. (For years I made sure we had a spare car incase I did not get DWs fixed in time)
Many people, including a large percentage of RVers, buy new to be "sure" they don't need to deal with minor repairs
and can have new model with all the bells and whistles. Then another group "I won't take that big hit when I leave the lot" buys what first group trades in. The third owners, that buy what 2nd group trades in are looking for cheap work trucks. If power seat doesn't work, drive it from where the seat is at.
Now, if a dealer had the option to offer first group that wants a new truck, but "I don't know about that redesigned, want buy after we know it is good" he could dismantle something that he would send to auction, price it little lower than new. Might even sell to the 2nd group.
Then think about good engines in wrecked trucks.
