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Jdemaris

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JayinNY

Well-known Member
JD, that truck is pretty neat, being a diesel, I don't see why we can't buy a small diesel truck like that today, like a Dakota ect. I'm glad you posted those pice, nice collection, I also have a few decent trucks not rusted out, I was going to post a response to his reply but you beat me to it! Lol
a179675.jpg
 
Australia and other parts of the world have SUV's and light trucks with 4.0L Diesel engines - that aren't available in the U.S. Don't know why they aren't here, but maybe the U.S. Diesel engine restrictions?
 
Nissan is supposed to offer a 5 liter Cummins in a half ton pu this year. Toyota will offer the same Cummins in the Tundra in 16. Some talk that GM may go with a 4.5 liter duramax in a half ton. Gettin interesting.
 
Part of the problem is even though diesels offer much better fuel mileage they still may not pencil out economically. For example, if you do the math using mpg numbers published for the Ram 1500 diesel and with current fuel prices you will find that the truck will be wore out (as in 300k+ miles) before the $4000 option cost is recouped. In larger trucks the performance and capability increase of the diesel would help justify the cost but in small trucks like the Ram 1500 and next year's Chevy Colorado the diesel is marketed mostly as a fuel saver. Unfortunately, when diesel fuel costs more than gasoline and the diesel engine option is so expensive then fuel savings don't necessarily mean dollar savings. In countries with a fuel price structure that favors diesel instead of gasoline it would be a different story.
 
The European Union has the same on- and off-road diesel engine emissions regulations that we do and yet diesel-powered "consumer" vehicles are the norm there. The big difference is that diesel fuel in much of Europe is about 10% cheaper than gasoline but here it is typically 20% more (50% more these days). To pay thousands extra for an engine that burns a more expensive fuel just kills the economics.

Don't get me wrong - I like diesels and have one under the hood of my pickup. But, if viewed from a strictly financial point of view they rarely pencil out for the average driver.
 
When little diesel trucks like my 1985 were new, there was MUCH more advantage to owning a diesel. Even then, sales were so low - the companies stopped selling them in the USA. Back in the 60s, Jeep sold trucks with Perkins diesels. In the 80s Chevy sold LUVs and diesel S10s, Isuzu sold PUPs, Ford sold diesel Rangers and Broncos, Dodge sold diesel Ram 50s (Mitsubishi), Toyota and Nissan had diesel mini-trucks, IH sold the diesel Scout, VW sold diesel Rabbit mini-trucks, etc.
 
Am now 71 and the only 2 of those you listed did I ever here of a diesel in were the LUV and Rabbit. And the LUV just did not amount to much in any way so they did not last very long.
 
(quoted from post at 01:59:27 01/18/15) Australia and other parts of the world have SUV's and light trucks with 4.0L Diesel engines - that aren't available in the U.S. Don't know why they aren't here, but maybe the U.S. Diesel engine restrictions?
Click to expand...

Australia has the same emissions regs as the US & EU.
 
(quoted from post at 06:07:44 01/18/15) When little diesel trucks like my 1985 were new, there was MUCH more advantage to owning a diesel. Even then, sales were so low - the companies stopped selling them in the USA. Back in the 60s, Jeep sold trucks with Perkins diesels. In the 80s Chevy sold LUVs and diesel S10s, Isuzu sold PUPs, Ford sold diesel Rangers and Broncos, Dodge sold diesel Ram 50s (Mitsubishi), Toyota and Nissan had diesel mini-trucks, IH sold the diesel Scout, VW sold diesel Rabbit mini-trucks, etc.
Click to expand...

Even back then, the diesel engines cost more, and few folks wanted to pay the extra $$ for a diesel. I had friends that had diesels back then, but they were kinda "out there" guys. One worked at our GM plant, but lived in the Port Huron area. Almost 200 miles driving per day. He had a little Rabbit diesel, he put 100K on it in less than 2 years. He worked afternoons, and he would never drink anything within a hour of quitting time... didn't want any pit stops!
 
I vaguely recall reading in one of my manuals that Dodge offered a Mitsubishi diesel in the full-size trucks in the '70s? I've never seen one though, and don't remember what the specs were on it; seems like it was kinda under-powered.
 
Dodge did it one year in 1/2 ton trucks. 1977 or 1978. Used a Mitsubishi straight-six diesel with no turbo.
 
Yeah, Dodge had it in a 1/2 ton in the late 70's. A friend has a pretty good original and there is just the shell of one in a local junkyard. Jeep also put a few of the little Perkins in CJ 5's and 6's.
 
LUV was just an Isuzu PU'P mini-truck with Chevrolet lettering stuck on it. Great little trucks and I still have one. 2.2 diesel that will likely outlast me. What does "doesn't amount to much" mean??
 
I believe 78-79 only. They were not turbo motors and way under powered for a 1/2 ton.( I seem to remember like 70 HP ?) They seemed to be reliable though.
 
Yeah, I had one of the Chevy LUV trucks, too. It wasn't much of a truck, more like a diesel powered wheel-barrow, but it would run for a week on ten gallons of fuel. The only real down side to them was the crummy steel body was the favorite food of the Michigan iron termites.

I drove it long and hard for a couple of years until someone offered more for it than I could turn down...
 
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