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Compared to Chevy and Dodge, Ford came late to the pickup game, but they came
with a vengeance. The first true Ford pickup was not introduced until 1948,
three years after World War II, during the memory of many still living. Today
Ford pickups are the best selling on the planet. The Ford F-250 Super Duty
three-quarter ton pickup is one of the reasons why.
Ford Super Duty pickup parts are, like most vehicles today, built in many
places, then brought together for assembly. Super Duties are assembled in
Kentucky and Mexico, depending on the particular model. The F-250 hails from
Kentucky.
What makes the F-250 special is that it stands on its own. Before the Super
Duties, almost all three quarter and one-ton trucks by any single company were
made on a single platform, and Ford was no exception. This led to problems that
could never quite be resolved - sort of the same way that rabbit or duck tastes
like chicken. They're similar, but not really the same. Separating the platforms
worked so well that other companies have followed suit.
While the Ford F-250 Super Duty 2WD has its own platform, it does not have its
own motors or transmissions. These it has always shared with some of its larger,
and smaller, cousins, and still does. In the beginning there were three choices,
including two gasoline engines, a V8 and a V10. Then there was a diesel, which
was updated in 2003. Maximum available horsepower before 2003 was 310, but the
new diesel, a 6.0 V8, raised the bar, hitting 325.
The number of engines during the first generation (four) was matched by the
number of transmissions. This meant you could get either gasoline or diesel in
either automatic or manual. Of course, miles per gallon varied based on load and
whether you went with diesel or gas. It's reported to get anywhere from 10-16
mpg with those variations.
Like most pickups of the times, the F-250 Super Duty offered your choice of
sizes, regular, large or huge (actually called Regular Cab, SuperCab and Crew
Cab). All three came with or without four-wheel drive and in a variety of trims
ranging from "I'm headed out to the field to haul hay" to "I'm taking Halle
Berry to the Oscars." You could even get the two larger versions in a short bed,
so you could fit them into your garage.
2005 brought the second generation Super Duty, with important changes. The
gasoline engines were improved, giving the V10 a powerful 362 horsepower. The
diesel engine had developed an array of problems, so it was dropped. Instead of
four transmissions, Ford went with two, an automatic and a manual. The frame and
suspension were beefed up, as were the alternator and brakes. In spite of minor
changes to the exterior, the new Super Duty was all about work.
Three years later came the third generation, with an improved, slightly larger
diesel engine and small exterior changes. The third generation Ford Super Duty
F-250 is still fairly new, but with a base price of $22,380, its popularity is
not likely to drop. |
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