How would you build it?

OK, so I just posted this same picture on another thread, it has your name all over it. GM Duramax tubo diesel

Wrecked pick-up truck with an auto tranny. Pull the running gear and install in the old heap. Pretty sure it will hit your mileage needs.

And the best kept secret of all times is that TORQUE is way more fun than HP.

Do like my dad did. 1954 willys truck plus 1994 blazer chassis equals 4x4 fuel injected awesomeness. Gets about 17 with a non vortec 4.3.

This:

plus this:

equals

HELLS YES

Body: Find something

Frame? 1980 or 90's Toyota Truck with a 4 cyl.

The bodies always rusted out before the mechanicals. 1980's 22RE is reliable as most tractors, is faster than an air cooled Volkswagen, and should get decent mileage.

Diesel I'd do a Inter/after cooled 4BT Cummins and an NV4500. Depending on size of truck maybe even a B3.3 Cummins. I think I'd pick the OM617 from a MBZ before I'd do the B3.3 though, and there's at least one company that makes a reasonably priced adapter to put a Jeep AX-15 or NV3550 behind them.

For petrol power and economy, I've really been wanting to stick a GM S/C 3.8L (Grand Prix GTP, FWD SS cars and the like) into something RWD with a manual. I've seen a guy put the N/A version L36 into a '90s 4x4 Toyota Pickup, and is in the process of doing a similar swap on another one using the S/C L67 engine. He's pretty much got the junkyard adapter recipe to mate the Toyota 5 speed to these engines figured out. So the Dodge/Jeep transmissions shouldn't be that tough thanks to their similarities with the Yotas. I know of some rockrawler comp buggies with the L67 and TF904 trans. The 700R4 (or is it a 2004R) from the 2.8l S series trucks/SUVs and whatever manual they had should be "bolt on," since they're both GM "60° V6s" and whatever trans was behind the 3.4l V6s in the 4th gen F Bodies too.

• Lee

There was an early 40s IH for sale near me. It looked like it would drop onto a Colorodo chassis pretty easy

S10/PUP Diesel chassis?

The Dakota is a better fit for my '40 IH than an S10. 2.5L Dakota chassis could be a mileage contender, with or without turbo.

ScottRA21 wrote: Body: Find something Frame? 1980 or 90's Toyota Truck with a 4 cyl. The bodies always rusted out before the mechanicals. 1980's 22RE is reliable as most tractors, is faster than an air cooled Volkswagen, and should get decent mileage.

While the bodies do rust badly, unfortunately the frames do too. Also, old Toyota pick ups sell for stupid money - at least around here. Often get shipped down to countries south.

Woody wrote: If you're actually going to drive it that often, you will need independent front suspension.

Jeepers would argue that.

There was a diesel shop around here that just sold a perfect project and I missed it.

It was a 90 dodge single cab dually that had rolled. They took the body off and replaced it with a 40 chevy cab and built a flatbed for it. Then they lowered it about 4".

Cummins, OD, vintage, modern running gear, and probably 25+ mpg. Talk about street cred.

efi six for econ, I would look at a 2 spd rear end, just for fun

and a studerbaker just cause they are so cool!