diesel pick up

[tshadow6]

I'm starting to research my next pick up truck. I would like a 4 or 6 cylinder diesel. I would also like to use Biodiesel or SVO. Any advice such as makes and models?

[theholycow]

I didn't think that there is a 4 or 6 cylinder diesel pickup on the market (unless you find an ancient diesel Chevy Luv). There will be in a couple years, someone posted about a company from India that plans to sell one.

I think you could get a 5 or 6 cylinder diesel small cabover Isuzu chassis-cab and put a bed on it, but it's a big unpleasant project with an ugly result. Something like this with a bed instead of a box:

They make them pretty small / short.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by theholycow

I didn't think that there is a 4 or 6 cylinder diesel pickup on the market (unless you find an ancient diesel Chevy Luv). There will be in a couple years, someone posted about a company from India that plans to sell one.

I think you could get a 5 or 6 cylinder diesel small cabover Isuzu chassis-cab and put a bed on it, but it's a big unpleasant project with an ugly result. Something like this with a bed instead of a box:

They make them pretty small / short.

Good catch remembering the Chevy Luv... I would not recommend one though as they weren't good trucks when they were new. They were foreign made and Chevy just put their name on them. I would not invest much time, energy, and money in a Chevy Luv. As I said they were marginal at best when new, now they are almost 30 years old.

I would recommend finding an old diesel Volkswagen pickup from the 70's or 80's if you are looking for a dependable small diesel pickup.

-Jay

[theholycow]

I would not expect the VW Rabbit Pickup to be any more reliable than the Isuzu-made Luv. Thinking about it more, I think there was a Mitsubishi diesel compact pickup.

Perhaps the best option is to build your own, putting a diesel engine in a gas pickup.

[GasSavers_BEEF]

if you want to get technical, the dodge 2500 diesel is an inline 6 and gas mileage is rough.

I have seen one push over 800hp and 1400ft/lbs.

supposedly the big 3 are coming out with smaller diesels for the 1500 series truck sometime soon but I am not sure when.

[Rstb88]

Mahindra is supposed to be bringing their truck to America soon. IIRC it will have a turbo diesel maybe not turbo i don't remember but it will be 2.2l supposed to be a midsize pickup; coming out in 2010 supposedly.

[almightybmw]

If you're mechanically inclined, get an older toyota pickup. just a hardbody. Then, search online for the 2.4L(?) diesel sold only overseas. Swap it in. Not a simple process, not a new truck, but it can haul 3000lb loads and get 30mpg. There are few options you can just buy and drive here, but the same chassis overseas (east or west) will have a diesel. Just an option. Or pick up an older Dodge Cummins, say 98-02. Those years have the best mpg/power ratio of all the Dodge Cummins setups. I believe its a 6.6L. Big, but with tweaking can achieve 25+mpg towing. Chevy has similar gains, '02 Duramax (V8) towing 4000lbs at 60mph, 23mpg. No tweaks. Tweaked, it's 28mpg. It had the highway gears, so that helped.
Intown mileage is far worse though, around 16-20mpg, for both. But hey, that's what the car is for right?

[Headshot Zod]

94-early 98 - 12v cummins/dodge best all around wvo and creature comforts.
91.5-93 - 12v cummins/dodge great but rougher ride.
89- early 91 cummins/dodge 12v - no intercooler so don't expect to modify it much.

[Big Dave]

There are two other variables that affect MPG that are a big problem with the diesel pickups available on the market: Automatic transmissions and four-wheel drive. Almost all the diesel pickups sold in the US have both of those "tools of OPEC" fitted and as a result get little better MPG than a gas pig.

If you want a pickup that will give you really good MPG you are probably looking at a repowering project.

You could put a 4BT3.9 Cummins and a NV4500 in a two wheel drive F-150 and have a truck that (with some aero work) easily get into the mid-to-high 20s and will probably last for 500,000 miles.

You could put a GM 6.5 turbodiesel V-8 and a choice of manual transmissions and tailored gearing. This setup (with some modest aero work) will get you into the high 20s to low 30s. This retrofit is almost a bolt-up.

If you are greedier for MPG (who isn't), you could retrofit a M-B 5 cylinder and a manual into a S-10 or Ranger. This is a bit more of a project but it is within the reach of good mechanics. With some aero cleanup, the mid-30s should be within reach.

I think in terms of US-built pickups because there is a great deal more aftermarket support for US-built trucks available in the US.

[GasSavers_RoadWarrior]

Older diesels to look out for include a couple of years worth of the early S10/S15 with an Isuzu diesel, a couple of years of the Ranger and Mazda B series truck with a diesel, the Dodge D50/Mistubishi truck with the Mitsu diesel, Nissan had one also, and maybe Toyota had a couple of years worth. Those are all pre-88 trucks though.