Isuzu Pup Diesel

[deerefan]

As fuel prices climb and talks of small diesel trucks escalate, I recall Isuzu making a small truck with a diesel engine and 4 or 5 speed manual trans that was pretty durable and got excellent fuel mileage. A chilhood neighbor had one, but I have not seen one in years. Does anyone own one, what type of mileage does it actually get? It would be nice to see something like this more commonly in America, though with a little better tow capacity.

 

[RobertN]

In the late '80's I had a friend with a diesel Toyota. He got 40-50mpg. But it was a slug; non turbo. He did a lot of white water rafting and kayaking; he drove that truck all over with river gear.

The issue does not seem to be availability; there are a number of trucks on the international market. It is the US EPA and Safety regulations that seem to limit imports, and efforts by the US manufacturers to build them.

It has been discussed here how nice, even in the full size market, it would be to have a mileage diesel. All the effort seems to be in the HP wars of the Big-3.

I have mentioned before, I would like a 1/2 ton Dodge or Ford with 30mpg diesel, even at a loss of HP compared to the 400hp/800ftlb motors in the latest 3/4 and 1 tons.

Kind of like the way gas engines have been for years; you could get a moderate performance smallblock, or a ground pounding bigblock.

 

[deerefan]

In the late '80's I had a friend with a diesel Toyota. He got 40-50mpg. But it was a slug; non turbo. He did a lot of white water rafting and kayaking; he drove that truck all over with river gear.

The issue does not seem to be availability; there are a number of trucks on the international market. It is the US EPA and Safety regulations that seem to limit imports, and efforts by the US manufacturers to build them.

It has been discussed here how nice, even in the full size market, it would be to have a mileage diesel. All the effort seems to be in the HP wars of the Big-3.

I have mentioned before, I would like a 1/2 ton Dodge or Ford with 30mpg diesel, even at a loss of HP compared to the 400hp/800ftlb motors in the latest 3/4 and 1 tons.

Kind of like the way gas engines have been for years; you could get a moderate performance smallblock, or a ground pounding bigblock.

I do recall that isuzu not being real peppy, I think it had only 70 hp or something. He had a pile of miles on it and it was reliable. It would be great for what I do.

 

[dodge man]

The problem with the Izuzu's in this area was they were pretty rusty after a few years. I'm also not so sure they were all the reliable. I had a friend that got into the VW pickups with the diesels. They were based on the Rabbit body, got great mileage, but were really more of a car than a truck.

 

[Bird]

A friend who owned a paint & body shop bought one of the Isuzu diesel pickups in 1980. It was run hard and mistreated, but had about 75k trouble free miles on it by the time I bought a 1981 Isuzu I-Mark sedan with the little diesel. Then in 1984, my dad bought a new 1982 Chevy Luv pickup the dealer still had in stock. For those who didn't know it already, the diesel Chevy Luv back then was simply an Isuzu diesel. In 1989, one of my brothers was selling Chevrolets/Buicks/RVs. He bought the little Chevy Luv from Dad and gave it to his teenage son when he sold Dad a new standard size half ton pickup. Than a few years later, my brother gave the little Chevy Luv to a stepson in Alaska. That little truck had a lot of miles on it the last time I heard from it, but I don't know how many. In 1986, we got my wife a new vehicle and gave the Isuzu I-Mark sedan to our eldest daughter. It had 80K miles on at that time. Daughter finally traded it off when it had a little over 150k miles on it. I think those engines and transmissions (both manual in the pickups and automatic in the sedan) were nearly indestructible, and I'd lover to have one now, but as dodge man said, body rust was common.

 

[jonyyuma]

As fuel prices climb and talks of small diesel trucks escalate, I recall Isuzu making a small truck with a diesel engine and 4 or 5 speed manual trans that was pretty durable and got excellent fuel mileage. A chilhood neighbor had one, but I have not seen one in years. Does anyone own one, what type of mileage does it actually get? It would be nice to see something like this more commonly in America, though with a little better tow capacity.

Okay,I Have a 1984 S-10 with the 2.2 Isuzu diesel in my front yard. The t-10 transmission is broken, bad bearing chewed on the main input shaft. It produced 62 hp. and ran 33 mpg mixed driving to work for 14 years..I special ordered it new.... the body needs paint. the tires have gone flat and air compressor is bad. I will take a look at OFFERS?...Jy.

 

[deerefan]

A friend who owned a paint & body shop bought one of the Isuzu diesel pickups in 1980. It was run hard and mistreated, but had about 75k trouble free miles on it by the time I bought a 1981 Isuzu I-Mark sedan with the little diesel. Then in 1984, my dad bought a new 1982 Chevy Luv pickup the dealer still had in stock. For those who didn't know it already, the diesel Chevy Luv back then was simply an Isuzu diesel. In 1989, one of my brothers was selling Chevrolets/Buicks/RVs. He bought the little Chevy Luv from Dad and gave it to his teenage son when he sold Dad a new standard size half ton pickup. Than a few years later, my brother gave the little Chevy Luv to a stepson in Alaska. That little truck had a lot of miles on it the last time I heard from it, but I don't know how many. In 1986, we got my wife a new vehicle and gave the Isuzu I-Mark sedan to our eldest daughter. It had 80K miles on at that time. Daughter finally traded it off when it had a little over 150k miles on it. I think those engines and transmissions (both manual in the pickups and automatic in the sedan) were nearly indestructible, and I'd lover to have one now, but as dodge man said, body rust was common.

If I remember, they were 4 cylinder engines, something like 2.0 litres or 140cu/in, right?

 

[jonyyuma]

Precisely 2.2, non-turbo and 144cu. in. I turned the air off when taking off from a light .. the chevette was even smaller isuzu engine, then there was w diesel escort and i drove an enimic Nisson diesel, that was new and pathetic...JY.

 

[Kermitfrog]

Sure enough most of them rusted away before their drivetrains died. I've had various 4cyl diesels and my brother had a Pup diesel 4WD new. Been looking for one but they are few and far between. When I was in the middle east working for our uncle Sam my unit used to get unmarked trucks, they were great! We used Misubishi and Toyota diesels and they were built great and held up to our abuse.

 

[jonyyuma]

I saw truck loads of a gm product streatched 4 doors, S-10, not made for USA.They were all going to Brazil.. they had turbos fitted to them. TheyTmust have been military, but were different colors like police??he 1986 s-10 had a turbo on an 4 cyl isuzu engine. Few were produced and sold then small diesels just faded form the car lots..