It’s not every day you find a vehicle that is not eminently desirable but also deserves saving because the owner has spent so much time making it better than it was from the factory. Maybe it’s just me, but I believe this 1981 Chevrolet LUV Pickup should be given a second chance at living. It runs and drives, but it is rusty. The seller has engineered a swap that involves sticking an Isuzu Trooper-sourced 5-speed manual to hook up to the standard Isuzu C223 diesel engine. He seems to love it – do you? Find the Chevy here on eBay with bids to $860 and no reserve.
First of all, he’s not wrong in calling this a “bug out” vehicle. Those Isuzu-sourced diesel engines are damn near unkillable and I’ve heard tales of owners replacing the bodies and frames around these small-but-mighty engines simply because they ran so well. The captive import years of the domestic small truck market actually brought some fairly compelling vehicles to our shores, and the 4WD variants of these Japanese models are very hard to come by – especially with a diesel engine. While the seller is direct in his concerns over the rust issues the truck has, it’s difficult to identify in the photos exactly where the trouble lies as the body doesn’t look that bad.
The transmission swap likely makes using this truck far more appealing on a daily basis. I am not an expert in this exact conversion, but I’m sure it opens up all sorts of possibilities as it relates to using this LUV in situations not feasible with the standard gearbox. Perhaps it makes highway cruising more attainable, or it boosts fuel economy of an engine already known for miserly performance. The seller notes that in order to make the Isuzu gearbox work, he made several custom parts, including a transmission crossmember, front driveshaft built from thick-wall chromoly tubing, and a shortened rear driveshaft to accommodate the conversion.
The truck also has a 4-inch welded steel body lift, CNC-machined 85A polyurethane body mounts, 2005-2007 Ford Ranger seats, and a Vintage Air heater. See what I mean? This owner worked hard to make improvements to this truck that certainly justified its continued use. The value is low and if the frame is rusty, it could be terminal, but I’d hate to see a rig that has been so cleverly engineered get scrapped because of it. Find a new frame and swap it over is what I’d do, but I’m not currently in the market for such a vehicle. Would you save it?
Jeff, the link takes one to a Jeep Wrangler.
I think this is the link you were referring to: https://www.ebay.com/itm/227447421123
Diesel reg.? LS Swap coming up! Californians understand. No smog.
A wee diesel seems like a good choice, for bugging out, maybe in a truck like this with a long-range fuel tank. I’m beginning to question whether carbon-based power is still the best choice, for the end of the world, though. It’s probably the cheapest, up front.
I had one of these thirty years plus ago, my daily driver to frequently remote, 4×4 only, construction sites. The Isuzu/Chevy LUV diesel had a few advantages over the other import 4×4 small tucks of the time: an independent front suspension (Toyotas were still straight axels) and, if you liked them, a sweet little diesel. No AC, the four speed limited highway capability, but the engine wasn’t a high rev anyway, so no interstate cruising. But a great back road, off road, machine. After about a decade I bought a brand new Tacoma, gave the LUV to a teenage son, and he rolled it over on a logging road, slow speed, no injuries, within a week. The engine was still running, truck upside down, cab wrecked, end of the line.
I see some rocker rust thru and a hole in the floor. The primer paint has evaporated resulting in surface rust. It is a NJ vehicle so a frame inspection is in order.
Now that we’ve dealt with the ubiquitous LS swap nonsense, and the end of the world morbidity, let’s look at the truck. A friend of mine had a stock Isuzu pickup with the diesel. They will run a long portion of forever. This one has had some serious upgrades. Too bad about the rust. I’d seriously consider doing repairs to keep it safe and functional. Nice find.
The truck came with a 5 speed as original equipment, so not sure what the replacement is different, maybe to replace a bad one.
yes, agreed: the ford, chev, even Scout had the ‘rising sun’ diesels (not the vw rabbit p/u tho). Most rejected them – to my advantage (durability & tq are MY choice every time).
I like these lil sq-lines rigs. Rainy Blackmoon (neighbor/co-worker) claimed to make his Mikkado (5 speed, king cab, sport model of this) near us while working at the Framingham Plant (’48/start, ’89/died) but looking back I dont think they made a truck there?