There's no question that turbos and advanced electronics made diesels more potent in the horsepower and torque department, but there's something to be said for a true all-mechanical diesel. The 7.3 IDI from International Harvester (or Navistar by 1993) is widely considered to be a benchmark for pickup and medium-duty truck engines, and is legendary amongst diesel enthusiasts for being long lived, reliable, and simple to keep going.

This is a 1993 Ford F350 DRW - the last to use a naturally aspirated 7.3 IDI. It's a rare find, having been kept in air conditioned storage since new, and driven sparingly by it's one prior owner. Most of these trucks worked very hard for a living - this one had a very soft life.

Full review and test drive by Bill. Car is available at Autohaus of Naples, www.AutohausNaples.com, or at (239) 263-8500.