Isuzu Pup Diesel

[Blast Chamber]

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 agree. This actually did occur briefly in the recent past. My 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 was one of the last Rams offered with the standard output 250HP/460TQ engine. While it won't win a drag race against the newer diesel trucks, it pulls anything I put behind it with no problems. This was also the last Ram diesel engine available without emissions equipment of any kind; no CAT, no DPF, no EGR, nothing. I drove 250 miles yesterday at speeds from 55-75mph and got 22mpg empty. Towing 8k-10k I get 16-17mpg. I wouldn't trade this truck for anything as it runs great and has never been back to the dealer for any warranty repairs, just routine maintenance.

 

[2LMAKER]

I bought an Isuzu deisel P'UP new in 1982, base model with 4 speed.If I remember correctly paid right around $5k. Great pickup you had to try to get worse then 36 mpg. Granted it was under powered but nothing you couldn't work around. I drove it for 4 yrs putting over 100k with changing oil, brakes, tires
Then made it the shop truck and used it till over 200k with no major issues. Still running when I closed the shop so sold it.
Always felt it needed another gear or two though. I did have it under coated, rust was never an issue.
I'd probably buy another one. I have a 86 Nissan 4x4 with 2.4 gas and it is lucky to get 20 and seems just as underpowered.
Rob

 

[ultrarunner]

I would like to see them revived again also. I use my 95 Escort like a little pickup, just wish I could haul a few sheets of plywood from time to time. The old Escort is a little on the under powered side to but, can easily get a speeding ticket!

Roof Rack is the answer...

When I got into fixer houses I used my daily driver 72 Valiant for my truck...

Took out the back seat and put in shelves and added a heavy duty roof rack for materials.

Did you know a Valiant can carry 50' of 6' redwood fence (Boards, rails, posts, ready-mix cement and the shovels and digging bars to get the job done)?

Also carried lots of 30 and 40 gallon water heaters strapped across the trunk lid and a hauled many full wet mix 1 yard concrete trailers with it too... I was really moving up when I made my utility trailer... and the whole car and trailer rig cost next to nothing.

Still have both and probably always will... over 30 years of American Engineering.

 

[RobertN]

Mine is an '01. I made the mistake of getting it with 4.11 gears. Now, it is a stump puller for sure. And it works great. But..... Those gears do nothing to help with fuel mileage.

I did get 19mpg once, on a 500 mile trip from here to Tillamook Or. I was running empty, besides a couple suitcases and duffle bags in the back. That is not too bad considering the gears, and that included not only flatland valley driving, but also the mountains around Mt Shasta, and the Siskyou's going over into Oregon.

I wish I could afford to swap gears to 3.73's...

Overall, it has been a great truck...

I drove 250 miles yesterday at speeds from 55-75mph and got 22mpg empty. Towing 8k-10k I get 16-17mpg. I wouldn't trade this truck for anything as it runs great and has never been back to the dealer for any warranty repairs, just routine maintenance.

 

[ModMech]

I have owned a lot of diesel vehicles in my day and operated 3x as many.

The one I liked the most was my '82 Volvo 240DL 2.4L Disesl. Gutless as it was it got 34+ MPG with the MT and was as safe as anything on the road. It would roast you in the winter and freeze you in the summer while being an utter pleasure to drive. I put 100k on it and sold it for what I paid.

Second would be our current '93 F-250 7.3L IDI w/manual. There isn't anything it won't pull or haul and it is easy to drive while being completely reliable. 335k on her now, orignial engine with reworked trans. We get 20-22 MPG @ 70 and never less than 18 unless towing heavy.

The '78 MB 300SDL was a little too big and "sloppy" for my tastes, nice car tho.

Our '88 MB 190D Turbo was by far, the fastest and most fun to drive, but also the most co$tly to keep on the road. It found a new home, FAST.

In '98 we bought an '82 MB 240D and my wife liked it a lot. It was slow and the seats were worn but it was 100% reliable and comfortable. We could not get the three kids (two car seats) into it, so after two years it was adopted by another family with only two children.

I had a Gen1 CTD Ram 2500 for under 24 hours, I HATED the microscopic power band that made the 5 speed a challenge to operate smoothly. The same truck with an AT got far worse mileage and spent all it's time in the shop for trans repairs.

If I could find it, the diesel I would like is a late '90s/early '00s F-250 PSD w/5spd and extended cab 4x2 in white. We had a '99 at work and it was an AWESOME rig and would get about 20 MPG no matter what you did with it, except plow snow.

My shop teacher in HS had a Ranger Diesel 5 speed, it pulled 10 dirt bikes on a 16' trailer all over MN and western WI. You didn't get anywhere fast, but at least you had lunch money when you got there! I was ready to BUY (CASH in hand!!!) the Ranger diesel "super cab", but then they didn't ever offer it in the US.

 

[deerefan]

I have searched for a pup for a while and either they are rusty, pricey or mechanically unsound. The 4x4 is real rare. I think I found 2 in the past couple months. Being the truck is light, maybe 2wd with some mud grips on the rear might work.

 

[PalmSprings]

I was surfing around and ran into this pup topic.
I am the original owner of a 1981 Isuzu Pup 4x4 diesel and Orig ownr of a 1979 VW rabbit diesel.
I bought them in sutter county ,Northern California.
i have about 160k on the Pup and 60K on the Rabbit and never any issues. with either.
At worst ive replaced 1 waterpump each,and some rubber bushings,but thats it.
Yeah the pup is slow,but you just learn to slow it down.
In the Pup,65 mph is a little loud and 75 might be WOT! the vw is quiet.
Heres how enemic the pup is : A 3 mi, 8% grade in 3rd gear is 35 mph.
4x4 only weighs 160 lbs more than 2wd.
Advertised mi was 28/38,but I only get 24-6 at 65 mph and 30 at 55 mph (hills)
best mpg is 35 to 55 approx
The rabbit gets 64 mpg at 40 ,51 at 55-60 and i forget at 65-70,
No rust,but then theyve been in the Sacramento valley and here in PalmSprings area.

 

[deerefan]

I was surfing around and ran into this pup topic.
I am the original owner of a 1981 Isuzu Pup 4x4 diesel and Orig ownr of a 1979 VW rabbit diesel.
I bought them in sutter county ,Northern California.
i have about 160k on the Pup and 60K on the Rabbit and never any issues. with either.
At worst ive replaced 1 waterpump each,and some rubber bushings,but thats it.
Yeah the pup is slow,but you just learn to slow it down.
In the Pup,65 mph is a little loud and 75 might be WOT! the vw is quiet.
Heres how enemic the pup is : A 3 mi, 8% grade in 3rd gear is 35 mph.
4x4 only weighs 160 lbs more than 2wd.
Advertised mi was 28/38,but I only get 24-6 at 65 mph and 30 at 55 mph (hills)
best mpg is 35 to 55 approx
The rabbit gets 64 mpg at 40 ,51 at 55-60 and i forget at 65-70,
No rust,but then theyve been in the Sacramento valley and here in PalmSprings area.

I appreciate the input. I have not been able to find one to my liking yet and the 4x4 seems to be rare. Luckily, I do not have many steep hills and a lot of highway. I really could use one but they are few and far between.

 

[PalmSprings]

I have searched for a pup for a while and either they are rusty, pricey or mechanically unsound. The 4x4 is real rare. I think I found 2 in the past couple months. Being the truck is light, maybe 2wd with some mud grips on the rear might work.

Get a 2wd if you can and put a posi in it.
My understanding is the only posi unit that will go into the pup is from an outfit in austrailia. A posi rear is better than none and not too expensive.

You can stil Keep looking for the 4x4 pub and snag it when it comes up

 

[schmism]

I remember Toyota, Ranger, Pup, S-10, Nissan, and a few other diesels. They were severely underpowered.
Chris

underpowered to do what? I drove/had one or more of those growing up and it always got everything done that i wanted to do with them.


FYI toyota diesel forklifts use the same 3B engine as was in the landcruisers and therefore can be swapped into the trucks.