WTF are you talking about? Expensive toys? compared to what? What severe duty motor would you like to see in the expy? you need a severe duty motor to make it worthy in your opinion? LOL!!!!
I hope you are not referencing the 5.4 in your 2004?!?!?!?!? that motor was FAAAARRRR from severe duty. Has it done well by you or was it just an expensive toy??
well, I don't know about
your expensive toy, but mine was built as a Police Package for a fire department, in which it did very well for almost 16 years, thank you very much. I bought it from them and it's doing just fine. the design itself is widely known for its reliability and durability. of course it has its issues. what motor does not?
what makes the ecoboost, et al, expensive toys is their cost, both to buy and to maintain, compared with what they deliver for that money. unless you're racing them, you're really not getting value for money.
of course, this argument could go on for days because it all comes down to what we mean by "value". and, of course, I'm right and you are wrong.
oh, and lest I forget: the severe duty motor I would love to see in the Expy is the "million mile" 12V Cummins. I'm not saying the 12V lasts a million miles, though some have, I'm specifically referring to the rebuilds coming out of a shop in Oregon. If i ever find the damn link again, I'll post it. and as soon as I win the lottery, I'm putting one in.
failing that, I'd settle for an improved Ford straight six.
and yes, I need a severe duty motor in any vehicle I own. I resent paying for repairs for issues that arise solely because bureaucrats are allowed to design engines. I resist putting any more money in a car than absolutely necessary, which is why I don't buy new ones, and haven't since 1985. it's the only time i ever bought a new one and it wasn't worth what I paid for it.
though I grew up in a Chevy family, i switched to Fords because Chevy's just cost too much to drive.
an important metric that is almost universally ignored is cost per mile. almost nobody knows what the cost per mile is for the cars they are driving, and paying for.
Mine, for example, since I bought it has cost me $1.41 per mile counting every part of the purchase price, repairs, upgrades, gas; everything but insurance. I think that's higher than it could be because as a retiree we hardly drive it. we've had it almost two years and still haven't put another ten thousand miles on it, which is killing the cost per mile. but i do know what my total cost of ownership is.
PS this is not the original article, but this might be the shop i'm referring to:
http://www.trucktrend.com/how-to/engine/1605-how-to-give-a-cummins-59l-12-valve-second-life