Not so sad! It's not like I junked it. I had just replaced it with a better platform for my main use. Ultimately the Tundra is a perfect truck to carry my Eagle camper. Maybe not as trail ready as built. But more comfortable for long extended trips. It's already done several.
Much of the project such as the engine you folks watched me go through will be used in my Trooper to once again refresh that. When it comes to Isuzu's I'm all about 1st gen Troopers anyway. Except for a couple of years I've owned one Trooper or another since '88. Each one a little better than the last. 2 of them bought new. I have somewhere between 1/2 and a million miles behind the wheel of a Trooper.
The Pickup project has simply changed directions though most here won't be privy to the next stage. The new owner has been looking for one of these for a long time. He's a certified Isuzu pickup nut with lot's of diesel experience. He has the desire, skills and parts to finish this truck into something outstanding. I've simply provided him with a fine platform to work on. My work has saved him a lot of work. I have done a lot of things that I'm very good at. Now he can concentrate on the things he is good at and likes to do. This piece of old Japanese iron will live on for a long time. The engine he is installing has a rep for amazing durability. His goal for this truck is at least another 1/4 million miles! He's built a couple that went over 400k.
The Zu community is pretty tight. Not a lot of aftermarket support for these machines anymore. Cool parts don't go to waste. I have a pretty good collection of no longer made specialty parts for engine performance and suspensions. They HD torsion bars went with the truck to support the new heavier diesel. As did the HD aftermarket sway bars. The extra low gear differentials I had built up will soon be on their way to a close friend in Atlanta for a Trooper 4 cylinder turbo project. The no longer made class 3 trailer hitch and 2wd rear sway bar are being sold to a fellow with a very nice 2wd pickup near Springfield, Ma. The rear spring packs I rebuilt are a match for the 12 year old rusty packs on my Trooper. They will be used as bolt in replacements for them. Some parts I will simply keep for spares.
I think it was meant to be. It's rare for me for projects to drag on like this one has. Also rare for me not to finish them. I just kind of lost interest in this one. Getting old hasn't helped my enthusiasm for laying on concrete garage floors. These days I'd rather use my trucks than work on them. Though there is still enough of that to do. My Trooper needs the engine and some TLC. I restored her from a southern replacement frame up back between 2006-'08. Ever since she has been on the road and trail. 10 years and 70k miles of very hard use normally with a trailer in tow. Road salt has done some damage I need to correct. But mostly she just needs some spruce up and cosmetics. Mechanically she is still quite sound.
Now I can get back to that and get the clock rewound yet again.
I do hope many found this thread informative and entertaining. I thank you for paying attention. Maybe I gave a few folks that don't do much wrenching an insight into what can be done and what it takes to keep old cars alive. Kinda drives me crazy the pics are gone with the PB fiasco.
Thanks for reading.
