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Pup concept

18K views 38 replies 19 participants last post by  Cronk 
#1 ·
I purchased an 83' Pup Diesel DLX quite a while back as a project. An upgraded version of my first vehicle. I haven't made much progress with it but have been stockpiling parts to build it up. As many of the 1st gen Pups go, it was a bit rough.

Body rusty but not bad


Tailgate waqs gone


Cab was smashed in


Interior lived in by critters....


The good thing was it was a 4x4, had power steering and AC. The drawback was that it was a 4 speed and had some rough patches in the body, not to mention the interior being trashed. Luckily, I have a 5 speed 4 tranny I saved from a parts truck from long ago... but body parts are scarce. In my search for body parts, I found a 2wd gasser for cheap.



I was going to use it for body parts but it ran too well and looked to good!
Now I may end up creating a low rider out of it and finding a different way of fixing the 4x. Biggest problem is time and location. Plus the fact that the RS has taken front and center.

Anyway, here is the end goal. I kicked around a few designs but I liked this the best. Course it was inspired by Isuzu's Baja 1000 winner.



Image used for the design


And Off-Road cover truck....


 
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#4 ·
What happened to the pup that won the baja? Anyone want to invest money in me and send me off to baja? :lol:
 
#6 ·
Looked on Google, K-cars old address is now a Kung Fu Studio..... but looking on street view, there is a place to the right that seems to have a pup silhouette on the sign.

and if Mike Leon was 65 then, well that article was 24 years ago, he would be 89' now. Not to say that he isn't still involved somehow though. Bet he'd love to hear from us if we could track him down.

Edit, found this: Looks like he has passed but the family is still involved.

http://books.google.com/books?id=35WQOd ... ng&f=false

I like this, quoted from the book: ".......driving a desert racing Volkswagen bug and also an Isuzu in the SCORE races that have now become part of Baja folk-lore and legend."

Makes me wonder if they are they talking about the Isuzu or the Score races as being folk-lore.
 
#7 ·
Mike's Sky Ranch is located in Baja Mexico and seems to be an off road lodge but I can not find a contact number for it. It is featured on Baja.net

http://www.baja.net/forums/showthread.php?t=23189

Jezus Luna seems to still drive in the 7s truck class

"724 Jesus Luna/Guillermo Rodriguez, Tijuana, Mexico/Gonzalo Rodriguez, Imperial Beach, Calif., Ford Ranger"
not sure if Guillermo Rodriguez would be "Bill" or not.....

http://www.xrsonly.com/content/index.ph ... =162:score

No luck looking up Javier Tiznado or Jim Klepper
 
#8 ·
The 741 truck (winning truck) was a short bed and possibly the truck torn down in the shop.

There is a second 741 truck shown that is a long bed. (not as modified as the short bed) The truck seen jumping is a long bed and may be the 741 long bed.

The one with the flared fenders cresting the hill is a different one entirely, also a long bed.... (Can't make out the number, 708 maybe?)

I'd say there were at least three Pups and at one Trooper that were race trucks.
 
#14 ·
I have to admit I was tempted to give my truck an isuzu baja paint job scheme as well a while back... still isn't too late as I am marking up the body more and more. At least if it's marked up in Baja decals, it'll be OK to have some body damage, no? :D
 
#16 ·
cronk said:
Yeah, no progress on the race truck John.....

Looking back through these pages and some of the ECORES photos, I spotted something. Anybody else see it? :shock:

looks like there is a fellow back there picking the dust out of his nose after eating dust from team ISUZU!!!! :D :D :D :D
 
#17 ·
Is that a planetisuzoo logo on his shirt I spy?
 
#20 ·
jwood1016 said:
I look like that guy on the left :D
Constipated and depressed? :shock:
 
#22 ·
Metal88 said:
Mediamonkey11 said:
jwood1016 said:
I look like that guy on the left :D
Constipated and depressed? :shock:
:lol: :lol: great way to start my morning hahaa!
I was going to suggest ExLax and Prozac, he'll be on the pot all day but happy!
 
#26 ·
I've been thinking about this for a while but the pieces are coming together both in my head and literally as parts........

Picked up a front axle assembly out of a 2nd gen Amigo. Has the CV joints, spindles and brakes. I'm thinking about installing it in this truck in place of the older style axle. To utilize the later style spindles, I would use custom control arms like these: http://www.isuzupup.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=13880 This way I could maintain the original A-arm mounts. Just need to check that the torsion bars will still work.

If not, I might do something like this: viewtopic.php?f=22&t=50537 Would stay cheap and use some used factory struts from a Toyota pickup or Ford F150.

I have a disc brake rear end out of a Isuzu LS Pickup that I could use for the rear axle (should be 4:10). I would need to install a larger Brake booster to supply them (may need to get one, not sure I have a good one). Got the 4:10 gears from my Rodeo I can put up front. I would only run 31" tires on this which I already have.

Just dreaming right now but this would be a good upgrade for this truck which needs a complete suspension rebuild anyway.

Is it feasible? Plausible? Goal is to use what I have and or what is available for cheap. Will also add that I want to stay with the CV joints. I Toyota SAS has been done, plus, I don't have a Toyota axle. If so, I'd try to do something like this using the factory A-arm mounts: viewtopic.php?f=22&t=55033

Will take a bit of trial and error to get the right CV joints. Thinking 89 -91 Trooper cvs might be the right length.

I have the parts for the body too. Plus the rare factory Pup fender flares. Would keep the engine stock unless of course I could find a turbo diesel that I could afford.
 
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