LtFuzz
Explorer
Howdy folks. I picked up my new 1995 DI yesterday and thought I would share with you all my impressions. I owned a 96 SE7 back in the early 2000s and wheeled it pretty extensively through Utah, CO and AZ (I was in college at CU-Boulder). The bug never left me and I've been wanting to buy one since. I recently returned from a 12-month deployment in Afghanistan and this was my present to myself.
First the basics --
'95 DI, 157xxx on body, 5-speed (R380), dual batteries, ARB/Warn xD, OME HD (766? How can you tell? I'm sitting just under 3" over stock), u-joint conversion, sunroofs (working), leather manual seats. Exterior is damn clean for a '95 and the interior is decent as well, just needs a little scrubbing. New headliner.
Oh, and this:
A milspec 6.2L Detroit V8 diesel built and installed by Mr. Burhans of Deutsch American in Maryland.
I was simultaneously intrigued and apprehensive about the 6.2. I love diesels (daily driver is an MB 240D) and nearly bought a 200tdi D110. But the cost was considerable and I was nervous about long-term upkeep on a motor whose OEM support is rapidly waning. Fell in love with the idea of a cheap American diesel motor.
The Chevy/GMC community seems pretty split on the 6.2 -- many like how durable the motor is, the good MPG return, and the infinite availability of cheap parts and crate motors. Others complain that it's a gutless gas-crisis motor (these are also the guys with chipped Duramax/Cummins sitting at 600 ft-lbs). The milspec 6.2s allegedly produce a bit more power but I'll wait until I can find a dyno to confirm/deny that.
I can't say enough good things about this setup. This motor is far more powerful than I was expecting, the gear ratios feel perfect and from 2nd into 3rd at full throttle (3" pipe from the header with a single mid-mounted muffler) is a grin-inducing experience. Around town it almost feels quick and the howl is just gorgeous (not redneck obnoxious at all.) It does chatter like a schoolbus at idle.
The gearbox is very mild-mannered, with a light and predictable clutch and effortless shifts. Enough torque that you can crawl (on flat ground) with the clutch out in 1st with just a touch of gas pedal here and there. It'll chirp the tires (all 4? can't tell :smiley_drive
coming out of first if you stomp on it.
It sounds and pulls very much like the old '72 C20 454 pickup I had for a bit. It'll sit quietly at 65mph on the highway and that "feels" very fast -- an important distinction, I've realized, with slower vehicles lest you push them past their limits in an effort to feel like you're moving.
Haven't done any fuel economy numbers yet -- I've done nearly 200 miles on the last 1/3 of a tank, and I've been wringing the motor good. I was told 18-23mpg, although some other 6.2 Chevy guys are getting as high as 25mpg highway.
The 6.2 is a heavy boy, and I was concerned with how the suspension and brakes would respond. Fears are totally allayed. I can honestly say -- at least on the road -- I can't notice the weight of the motor. Truck is perfectly level and handles wonderfully at any speed. Someone mentioned throwing Will's D90 brake kit in, but for the present the stockers stop this truck very well. I'm curious to see if I'll notice the motor weight off-road. Surely a price must be paid somewhere...
I've only had about 300 miles total on this truck but so far I'm very excited. Apart from the noise (which I like -- I even crack the window to hear the exhaust :victory: ) this conversion is superb.
The only negatives are minor or expected things -- horn doesn't work (Air horn? :chef: ), cruise control doesn't work (is there a used Disco out there with a working CC?), tachometer doesn't work (easy gauge fix), and laborious cold-start -- but even my Benz's OM616 4-cylinder hates the cold, as do all diesel.
From what Dens told me, this was a pretty labor-intensive conversion, so I can only speak to the results when I say I would highly recommend this to anyone. The 6.2 may not be the pickup community's favorite motor but boy does it pull this Rover along nicely. :smiley_drive:
And pictures, of course:
I'm moving out to SE Arizona pretty soon, so my first round of mods will be building it so that it can survive in mild rocks/border patrol roads. Diff covers, gas-tank skid (I busted my '96s gas tank open, so it does happen), rock sliders, and on-board air. I'm considering getting creative with the broken tach -- maybe wiring in a little scan gauge/tiny tac setup in its place. I'll need a roof rack at some point too, as I'm constantly packing up my entire life in my car and moving around for the Army...
Glad to be back in the Rover game. :smiley_drive:
First the basics --
'95 DI, 157xxx on body, 5-speed (R380), dual batteries, ARB/Warn xD, OME HD (766? How can you tell? I'm sitting just under 3" over stock), u-joint conversion, sunroofs (working), leather manual seats. Exterior is damn clean for a '95 and the interior is decent as well, just needs a little scrubbing. New headliner.
Oh, and this:
A milspec 6.2L Detroit V8 diesel built and installed by Mr. Burhans of Deutsch American in Maryland.
I was simultaneously intrigued and apprehensive about the 6.2. I love diesels (daily driver is an MB 240D) and nearly bought a 200tdi D110. But the cost was considerable and I was nervous about long-term upkeep on a motor whose OEM support is rapidly waning. Fell in love with the idea of a cheap American diesel motor.
The Chevy/GMC community seems pretty split on the 6.2 -- many like how durable the motor is, the good MPG return, and the infinite availability of cheap parts and crate motors. Others complain that it's a gutless gas-crisis motor (these are also the guys with chipped Duramax/Cummins sitting at 600 ft-lbs). The milspec 6.2s allegedly produce a bit more power but I'll wait until I can find a dyno to confirm/deny that.
I can't say enough good things about this setup. This motor is far more powerful than I was expecting, the gear ratios feel perfect and from 2nd into 3rd at full throttle (3" pipe from the header with a single mid-mounted muffler) is a grin-inducing experience. Around town it almost feels quick and the howl is just gorgeous (not redneck obnoxious at all.) It does chatter like a schoolbus at idle.
The gearbox is very mild-mannered, with a light and predictable clutch and effortless shifts. Enough torque that you can crawl (on flat ground) with the clutch out in 1st with just a touch of gas pedal here and there. It'll chirp the tires (all 4? can't tell :smiley_drive
coming out of first if you stomp on it. It sounds and pulls very much like the old '72 C20 454 pickup I had for a bit. It'll sit quietly at 65mph on the highway and that "feels" very fast -- an important distinction, I've realized, with slower vehicles lest you push them past their limits in an effort to feel like you're moving.
Haven't done any fuel economy numbers yet -- I've done nearly 200 miles on the last 1/3 of a tank, and I've been wringing the motor good. I was told 18-23mpg, although some other 6.2 Chevy guys are getting as high as 25mpg highway.
The 6.2 is a heavy boy, and I was concerned with how the suspension and brakes would respond. Fears are totally allayed. I can honestly say -- at least on the road -- I can't notice the weight of the motor. Truck is perfectly level and handles wonderfully at any speed. Someone mentioned throwing Will's D90 brake kit in, but for the present the stockers stop this truck very well. I'm curious to see if I'll notice the motor weight off-road. Surely a price must be paid somewhere...
I've only had about 300 miles total on this truck but so far I'm very excited. Apart from the noise (which I like -- I even crack the window to hear the exhaust :victory: ) this conversion is superb.
The only negatives are minor or expected things -- horn doesn't work (Air horn? :chef: ), cruise control doesn't work (is there a used Disco out there with a working CC?), tachometer doesn't work (easy gauge fix), and laborious cold-start -- but even my Benz's OM616 4-cylinder hates the cold, as do all diesel.
From what Dens told me, this was a pretty labor-intensive conversion, so I can only speak to the results when I say I would highly recommend this to anyone. The 6.2 may not be the pickup community's favorite motor but boy does it pull this Rover along nicely. :smiley_drive:
And pictures, of course:
I'm moving out to SE Arizona pretty soon, so my first round of mods will be building it so that it can survive in mild rocks/border patrol roads. Diff covers, gas-tank skid (I busted my '96s gas tank open, so it does happen), rock sliders, and on-board air. I'm considering getting creative with the broken tach -- maybe wiring in a little scan gauge/tiny tac setup in its place. I'll need a roof rack at some point too, as I'm constantly packing up my entire life in my car and moving around for the Army...
Glad to be back in the Rover game. :smiley_drive:
