Just an observation re: Ford chassis...

goufgators wrote:
From the OP: Many good comments and consensus is that the Ford F-53 is a very good chassis. After posting my comment it dawned on me that the Ford chassis is not the only very good automotive product on the market these days. If you're as old as me, you can recall the days when an automobile that clocked about 50K miles was due for a complete engine rebuild. It was common to see cars and trucks driving down the highway with smoke billowing out the exhaust due to burning oil (rarely see that today). A car that made it over 100K miles was almost unheard of. Now-days, it's common for automobiles and small trucks to clock well in excess of 300K miles without having the engine touched by a wrench. So, it's not just the Ford F53, it seems to be all cars and trucks are substantially better than their predecessors. Some would say the overall improvement was caused by better quality products coming out of places like Japan and Germany forcing U.S. manufacturers to 'shape up or ship out. Thankfully, they 'shaped up'.

Yes, a lot has changed/improved in automotive/truck markets over the last 50 years. Fuels are better, no alkyl lead compounds, lower sulfer content, and less varnish build up because of improved oxidation stability enhancers. Oil is better. Oil is much more highly refined (or synthetic) with better extreme pressure wear additives. Rarely do you see the internal engine sludge buckets of the past. Material alloys are better. Hard surface wear coatings are better. For the most part, fuel injection has replaced carburetion giving better fuel atomization, cleaner burning, and less cylinder wash down which contaminates the engine oil less. Modern electronic engine management systems have all but replaced seat of the pants mechanics. (good and bad) The list goes on.

Chum lee