Ok, let me begin with my train of thought here. There is a lot to it so hopefully you feel like reding. i promise that when its all said and done (a couple years from now) it will be worth the read!
I had been driving a new ('06) Cadillac Escalade for a few weeks and man I tell ya, that thing is awesome! The creature comforts are just great! ONSTAR, DVD, Navigation, steering wheel controls and a super plush interior. I just LOVED it! The ride was killer too. Then, I drove my dad's '05 Chevy duramax with a 6" Fabtech lift and 35's. It was soooo much more comfy than my Dodge. I really liked driving it but I'm not a big fan of the Chevy. I don't like that you have to lift it to the moon to fit 38's under it. What I did like was that it rode super nice, the steering was VERY tight, the suspension felt good, the handling was great and it was really comfortable inside. I also watched him (my dad) bring his '03 GMC in to the dealer for tranny warranty work a couple times. He had an Edge box in it and they never cared. I know from experience that the Dodge dealers that I have delt with HATE seeing anything aftermarket on our trucks. I know that mine is a bit extreme but still...they wanted to bend me over for any little thing they could.
Soooo, I am driving the Caddy around and I see a black Hummer with a 4" lift and some 37" tires and think to myself, "man, I like the way that looks!" So let's see, its nice looking, SUPER roomy inside, and different. Then I think "could I possibly sell my truck for one of those?" Hmmm, nope, no way. Then I figure, I'll go drive one. I drove one the next week and it was pretty slow. Granted I am used to a FAST CTD so I expected to be disappointed. So I flush the whole idea. Can't do it. A few days later, my A/C goes out in my DOdge...again...after 12 months and 5 days from the last time it went out. Its only about 105* outside so I am thrilled! I spend a lot of time in the truck so thats an issue. I take it in and a couple days later I get it back. Works great. Then, a week later, I lose the lower turbo oil return line towing up to the Rubicon. My truck and Jeep and trailer gets HOSED in black oil. Sweet right?!?! My truck has always been immaculate so this is a bummer. I get everything towed, fix it and spend 100 bucks degreasing my truck. Cool. So then a week later I am driving along and I run out of fuel. Again. My gauge hasn't worked right since the truck was about a year old. I keep track with miles but sometimes it fluctuates. It is pretty frustrating. So I get it going again and decide to get the damn gauge fixed since my warranty is up in about 600 more miles. Well, I take it to the dealer and they fix the gauge. Cool right? Nope, I pay a 50 dollar deductible (through cummins!) and drive it to my moms house. A couple days later (I hadn't been driving it) I hop in it and head down the road. I look at my FP gauge and see it sitting on "0"! I was like "WHAT THE?!?!?!" So I am looking at it and it comes up to 11ish then back down to 0. Slowly. As I am thinking if it was at zero fuel pressure, the truck wouldn't run, it dies! Damn, now I am broken down again! I tow it back to the dealer only to be told that they did the intank pump retrofit and now the FASS is trying to pull fuel through the pump and it's not working out. Sorry, can't help ya. Nice.
I start thinnking about all the driving I have to do and how far I have to go and how reliable my truck needs to be. The whole "300k motor in a 100k truck" thing rings loud in my head. Now I Love my truck and all but the bad can't help but push its way to the surface. I think about Dodge's customer service vs. GM, the issues I might have and if I had lost the oil line halfway across the country on my way to work, that I really don't tow much weight and not very often, how I can can use my dads truck if I need to tow the Jeep a long ways away, I like the room of the 4 door truck, I don't know if I wanna give Dodge any more money due to how I have been treated by them when I needed them (not very well) and how I LIKE that Hummer!
Then I weight it all out....
1) I can get Employee discount pricing on a new Hummer (about 8k off)
2) They have 0% financing for 60 months
3) Its got a nice new warranty
4) Its so plush inside
5) Its different
6) I can get all the Caddy options in it
7) It still has a 6.0 so it's not so bad
8) Its 3/4 ton axles
9) I can get one with a small bed
10) I WANT ONE!!!
So screw it... I buy it. I buy a fully loaded H2 SUT. So far, yes it is slow compared to the CTD, especially towing. I put 6" Fabtech and my 38" tires on it and it looks good. It is a great snow vehicle and is everything I was expecting. I do miss the CTD in my Dodge though...to be honest. I know I can superchrarge the 6.0 but it is still nothing compared to the CTD in torque! Then I lose the tranny as well. Missing my DTT? Yup, I would be. Then it occurs to me.
I ain't scared! When the factory warranty is up, I will drop in a 24 valve CTD into this thing. I know I can do it and I'm sure there is someone that can build a harness for it! Sweet, the best of both worlds and one of a kind!
Sooo, the quest begins. I am going to track down a 24 valve CTD and begin working on it here and there and collecting parts as I can. Also doing the research to find someone to build a harness for it. By the time I am done, it will be a twin'd, built, DTT'd, ONE OF A KIND fire breathing monster!!!!
YAY, I am sooo pumped.
So if anyone knows of a place that might be up to the task of the wiring, that is my main concern. The engine bay is pretty large in the Hummer and I don't see it as too much of an issue but I will take a bunch of measurements. I want to build the perfect rig and I think that this will be it IMHO.
Thoughts?
Here's a pic of the new rig. Its a month old. It had 300 miles on it when I picked it up and its got about 4800 now.
Linear Mode
