Disclaimer:
I would prefer the 6.4 or even 6.1 Hemi but, they're more than I would like to spend on this project.
Competitors:
Rebuild current Magnum 5.9
I would have to build it up to keep-up with the modern Hemi's out there plus, I'll be towing long distances. I not only want the power but, I need it as well. (I suffer from a lead foot.)
VS.
Swap with a Hemi 5.7 (Gen III)
I would have to bore it out because I simply cannot go down in displacement, it goes against my religion.
Budget:
$5,000. I'm okay with refurbished parts. At the end of the day, I still need money left to pay for the stuff to tow. I'd hate to spend all my money on the engine & have nothing to tow.
My specific applications for my 99' Durango 4x4:
35% around a semi-urban city with some suburbs on the outskirts of the city
20% towing my 2,800 lb car to the track
10% out to the desert to shoot the dunes
10% up to snowy mountains for snowboarding
10% bad weather
(10% maybe tow a speed boat someday too)
5% other road trips
Long-Term Consideration:
150k miles @ $5/gal:
Magnum 5.9 avg. 11.5 mpg = $65k
Hemi 5.7 avg. 18.5 mpg = $40k
(City mpg ➕ Hwy mpg ➗ 2 = Avg. mpg)
That makes the Hemi $25k cheaper than the Magnum, in gas, after 150k miles! (…. if it lasts)
Aluminum is not as durable as iron.
Hemi would be more complex & expensive to repair.
Hemi parts may be easier to find, maybe even more-so as the years pass.
I would prefer the 6.4 or even 6.1 Hemi but, they're more than I would like to spend on this project.
Competitors:
Rebuild current Magnum 5.9
I would have to build it up to keep-up with the modern Hemi's out there plus, I'll be towing long distances. I not only want the power but, I need it as well. (I suffer from a lead foot.)
VS.
Swap with a Hemi 5.7 (Gen III)
I would have to bore it out because I simply cannot go down in displacement, it goes against my religion.
Budget:
$5,000. I'm okay with refurbished parts. At the end of the day, I still need money left to pay for the stuff to tow. I'd hate to spend all my money on the engine & have nothing to tow.
My specific applications for my 99' Durango 4x4:
35% around a semi-urban city with some suburbs on the outskirts of the city
20% towing my 2,800 lb car to the track
10% out to the desert to shoot the dunes
10% up to snowy mountains for snowboarding
10% bad weather
(10% maybe tow a speed boat someday too)
5% other road trips
Long-Term Consideration:
150k miles @ $5/gal:
Magnum 5.9 avg. 11.5 mpg = $65k
Hemi 5.7 avg. 18.5 mpg = $40k
(City mpg ➕ Hwy mpg ➗ 2 = Avg. mpg)
That makes the Hemi $25k cheaper than the Magnum, in gas, after 150k miles! (…. if it lasts)
Aluminum is not as durable as iron.
Hemi would be more complex & expensive to repair.
Hemi parts may be easier to find, maybe even more-so as the years pass.
