grassroots trucks for fun

so i picked up this little nissan d21 hardbody pickup for work , but soon (of course) i started to tinker with it . i lowered it and flat blacked the grille and bumpers.... and fixed little problems here and there, i took the a/c out of it cus it was broken and i couldn't afford to fix it and i wanted to save the weight and parasitic loss. then i polished the valvecover and wire tucked the engine bay , them i had to move and i needed to raise it because i found a set of 16x7 wheels and i put 225/60/16 on them and made it stock height but with the tires it looks like a semi off road little truck, i flat blacked the wheels and i think i'm going to do some low buck gas saving and performance enhancing mods , like a glass pack or little cheap exhaust on it and a modified air box , i've already messed with the timing a bit. hopefully i'll put in a grant steering wheel and some sunpro gauges for keeping an eye on things like oil pressure , water temp ,and volts , . i removed the carpet and it came with a neat little cd player. it's really a fun vehicle overall eithout being ''fast'' or extremely cool but i'm really liking the usability and coolness of it . anybody else got a similar dd truck project like mine , or car? simple , usable and cheap fun modifications? i hope i get a camera soon so i can show you guys my progress...

A friend recently gave me a free Dodge Ram 50, as-is, where-is, which was on the side of the road with a broken ball joint. Now that that's fixed, it needs a lot of suspension attention as the rest of the underpinnings weren't much better.

But if I do end up fixing it up, I'm thinking cheap engine swap. Right now there's a carbed, SOHC 4G63 in there. The possibilities are obvious. :)

I will admit I keep looking at Sportside rangers..

Here's a concept I've had for years...this would be for a truck made for handling:

'64-'66 Chevy truck (These have the rear suspension that is the basis for NASCAR's rear setup...) Do the suspension up with stuff from the Coleman, Hoerr, Speedway, or other catalogue of your choice Drop a mean Small block and 5 or 6 speed transmission in it. Disk brakes on all corners...see catalogues above. Stockcar wheels, nice and wide with some good grippy tires.

I think these trucks should be able to be lightened fairly easily. If it's a track-only setup, you can leave the bed floor (originally wood) out and go sans inner fenders. By this point, they're already significantly lighter than they rolled off the floor from rust ;).

Put a fuel cell wherever it makes sense for weight...to get it out of the cab.

There's plenty of room between the hood and the engine for a blower if that suits you.

Get historic tags that never expire!

That's just one of my many crazy concepts... Clem

Rat rod? Like this one?

That's pretty close.

I'd probably go small back window for the low-buck factor. Those wheels are a little nostalgic for my vision (though I like them on that truck!)...they're screaming for some wide whitewalls ("chrome reverse wheels with whitewall slicks...").

But yeah...imagine a truck just like that that can put on a good show on the autocross course or open track event! And haul it's own tools and spares ;)

Clem

Clem, you're on the right track, but a full size is too big for my tastes.

My idea is this, and I hope to start as soon as my Golf is gone (I've been thinking about it too long):

Old S-10. Delete Bed: Move engine and cab reward towards rear wheels.

4-link w/panhard rear, or otherwise delete the leafs:

Chop the rear of the frame off.

v-8/ 5-speed combo.

Lowbuck disc brake set-up from Camaro possibly. (Maybe a Ford 8.8 rear)

Very low.

Drag race 6-8 pt roll bar behind the cab.

Cheap fuel cell. Battery in rear.

Some sort of wild yet cheap fabbed front bar to hold the lights.

Hood intact but fenders?

Huge wheels and tires.

-Jaems

jamscal wrote: Clem, you're on the right track, but a full size is too big for my tastes. My idea is this, and I hope to start as soon as my Golf is gone (I've been thinking about it too long): Old S-10. Delete Bed: Move engine and cab reward towards rear wheels. 4-link w/panhard rear, or otherwise delete the leafs: Chop the rear of the frame off. v-8/ 5-speed combo. Lowbuck disc brake set-up from Camaro possibly. (Maybe a Ford 8.8 rear) Very low. Drag race 6-8 pt roll bar behind the cab. Cheap fuel cell. Battery in rear. Some sort of wild yet cheap fabbed front bar to hold the lights. Hood intact but fenders? Huge wheels and tires. -Jaems

I like it.

I'd go rat rod and remove the hood and fenders.

Chop top?

if I was going to go all out like that... take an S10 or Ranger (or even a Nissan hardbody) pickup and rip out most of the rear suspension and bed. Install the rear suspension from a Porsche 914 and use a renegade v8 adaptor to the 916 style transmission (standard porsche 915 transmission turned around backwards for the 914) beef up the suspension to handle the weight and torque of the V8 amidships, add a cover to keep it all hidden, and go racing

MadScientistMatt wrote: A friend recently gave me a free Dodge Ram 50, as-is, where-is, which was on the side of the road with a broken ball joint. Now that that's fixed, it needs a lot of suspension attention as the rest of the underpinnings weren't much better. But if I do end up fixing it up, I'm thinking cheap engine swap. Right now there's a carbed, SOHC 4G63 in there. The possibilities are obvious. :)

Ah, my first car. It's a shame the minitruck is gone (though I'm predicting a resurgence...)

mad_machine wrote: if I was going to go all out like that... take an S10 or Ranger (or even a Nissan hardbody) pickup and rip out most of the rear suspension and bed. Install the rear suspension from a Porsche 914 and use a renegade v8 adaptor to the 916 style transmission (standard porsche 915 transmission turned around backwards for the 914) beef up the suspension to handle the weight and torque of the V8 amidships, add a cover to keep it all hidden, and go racing

People keep suggesting this, but I still don't think there is enough room behind a small truck cab.

I like the cool factor of my idea, and it's going to be Mid/Front engined anyway. (That's what they call a Vette and a locost now isn't it, Mid/Front engined?)

Moving the cab might present some problems, but my way has a bunch less engineering involved.

I'd still like to see someone do it, either way

-James

If they can cram a v8 into the back of a 914.. there is more than enough room in a mini-truck.

If you really wanted to do something neat.. use a 2.5 STi engine hooked up to that Porsche transaxle. Put it into a nissan hardbody and it would almost sit beneath the load floor without most people noticing.

Just put the gastank, spare, and keep the radiator up front

mad_machine wrote: If they can cram a v8 into the back of a 914.. there is more than enough room in a mini-truck.

Good point.

A couple of years ago I picked up a running 1990 Dodge D50/Mitsubishi Mighty Max for $300. Drove it for year and then pulled the stock motor and dropped in 2.6L turbo from my starion parts car I had plus a few other parts I came up with this.

I've only got about $1k into her (including price of truck). It's been lowered and mostly painted satin black (bodywork not finished yet).

If you want to go middie, grab a Fiero transaxle and throw in a transverse SBC. No need for that Poor-shuh stuff.

Duh!

Y'all are missing one of the easiest (pretty much a direct bolt in) and most fun (serious power for cheap) small truck swaps to ever exist, taking a pre 96 Ranger and dropping in a 2.3L Turbo engine & T5 trans from a Thunderbird TurboCoupe, Mustang SVO, or Merkur XR4Ti (has a T9 but a T5 can be swapped in). The upgradability of the 2.3L will take you to 400HP on the stock block & head with a big enough turbo (Holset HY/HX series), fuel pump, injectors, intercooler, and engine management, oh and if tuned right you can also cruise all day in the high 20's MPG...

MadScientistMatt wrote: A friend recently gave me a free Dodge Ram 50, as-is, where-is, which was on the side of the road with a broken ball joint. Now that that's fixed, it needs a lot of suspension attention as the rest of the underpinnings weren't much better. But if I do end up fixing it up, I'm thinking cheap engine swap. Right now there's a carbed, SOHC 4G63 in there. The possibilities are obvious. :)

I had a chance at a free Ram 50 as well a few years ago from my mother's husband... '90 Mitsubishi version...

I was thinking: LoCost donor tho...

My REPU is lots of fun,and fits the bill.

I've been searching CL everyday for an offroader

Nice truck HEY LOOK AT THIS

NOW YOU HAVE TO MODIFY IT MUAHAHAHAHA!!!

MadScientistMatt wrote: A friend recently gave me a free Dodge Ram 50,

I used to be in contact w/ a guy from the midwest named Paul Abernathy. He built a handful of T-buckets and rods from scratch. he said that the D-50 frame was a great starting point for a T-bucket and used that frame in several. Here's the only one i can find right now:

i know he built another T bucket and also a 30s Ford on the same D-50 chassis.... food for thought

The D21 is a great truck to modify. With Tokico shocks, a set of Addco sways and a set of Isuzu 15 x 7 alloys my '88 made a pretty nice little scoot. The front brakes can be upgraded with a set of Z car calipers from a similar vintage as well - IIRC,it's a bolt in.

I tracked mine several times at Bridgehampton and always had a blast with it.

The engine (Z24 SPFI through '88, Z24i MPFI beyond) is the same engine found in the similar vintage 240SX, and there is a ton of info out there. Mine was stock with a generic header, and ran strong for 450,000+ miles from new. If the truck hadn't rotted out from under me I'd probably still be driving the thing.

problemaddict wrote:

MadScientistMatt wrote: A friend recently gave me a free Dodge Ram 50,

I used to be in contact w/ a guy from the midwest named Paul Abernathy. He built a handful of T-buckets and rods from scratch. he said that the D-50 frame was a great starting point for a T-bucket and used that frame in several. Here's the only one i can find right now: i know he built another T bucket and also a 30s Ford on the same D-50 chassis.... food for thought

Yea, the frame is pretty stout. It's a boxed frame from the factory unlike most factory frames.

wreckerboy wrote: The D21 is a great truck to modify. With Tokico shocks, a set of Addco sways and a set of Isuzu 15 x 7 alloys my '88 made a pretty nice little scoot. The front brakes can be upgraded with a set of Z car calipers from a similar vintage as well - IIRC,it's a bolt in. I tracked mine several times at Bridgehampton and always had a blast with it. The engine (Z24 SPFI through '88, Z24i MPFI beyond) is the same engine found in the similar vintage 240SX, and there is a ton of info out there. Mine was stock with a generic header, and ran strong for 450,000+ miles from new. If the truck hadn't rotted out from under me I'd probably still be driving the thing.

yeah , right now the truck is sorta got an "off road" vibe, but i want it to be like my other cars . i own a '78 280z and an '89 240sx....soo i'm aware of the parts bin but the single cam has got to be boosted to feel decent in a straight line at all. i'm looking to see if i can lower the truck a bit and still survive local south carolina roads, where i just moved to by the way, and my z and sx are back in florida right now....ughh

Hey Jamscal,

I have had a similar thought running through my head based on the Ranger. Start with the extended cab frame, and a standard cab slid back to the kick-up, and put a large V-8 right in front of the firewall. Cut of the back of the frame just behind the rear axle (for extra width and stance, use an axle out of a full size truck). Maybe even "Z" the frame to get the frame and body very low while maintaining suspension geometry. For the front end, either extend the front fenders to keep an odd but stock look, or go with something reminisint of the T Roadsters with open wheels. I knicknamed it the "R-Bucket" when I drew my first conceptual drawing. Really hope to build it one of these days.

Mark