So, Ford Courier pickup?

Curious.....I know these are rebadged Mazdas from the 70s. How is parts availability for a little old pickup like this? Options for easy engine swaps?

Isn't there a build thread with one getting a 2.3 turbo engine swap?

Slow Road to Fast Truck

I had a Courier some time ago (circa 2000) and parts were a complete non issue. Well, for the basics at least. I was able to get everything I needed to pass emissions, stop, and ride comfortably from Shucks Auto Supply. I imagine not much has changed since then. Although I couldn't speak for the big ticket items (engines, swaps, etc). I rolled it long before any of those were needed.

Depends on what vintage you're talking about. I had one of these:

I liked it quite a bit, but it was horribly slow (a Weber carb helped drivability but not performance) and the manually adjusted drum brakes on all four corners were a major PITA. These tended to be surprisingly rust resistant except for the floorpans and the base of the windshield.

The later version:

Was much better/modern. I believe they all had disc brakes and a slightly bigger engine. You could get the Ford 2.3 in them also but it may have only been with an automatic trans. These had issues with the front fenders rusting out. Ford dealers were generally useless on these but I had no trouble getting stuff from the Mazda dealer...20 years ago. Couldn't guess what it would be like now. I always felt these trucks handled more like a car than their bretheren. I've owned or driven Toyotas, Nissans and Mitsubishis and vastly preferred the driving characteristics of the Mazda/Fords.

Something about this thread made me realize that as bad as the fiat 500L is, a fiat 500L based pickup would be fantastic. Do a dodge version, because chicken tax, and call it the Billy goat

I drove one that looked exactly like that lemon truck for work as an undercover vehicle, it died a horrible death one day when I drove to an Observation Post and pulled up at the kerb. The engine shook, rattled and peed out all the oil and coolant on the side of the road, I walked into the post and called a tow truck.

Never saw it again.

Needs Moar 13b.

I bought one with a massive oil leak for $100.00. I ran it for a year and one day it tightened up at highway speed and I quickly realized I had run it out of oil. But I kept my boot in it and eventually it smoothed out and picked up speed. I ran it with zero oil pressure and the loudest knock I have ever heard for another six months and then sold the thing for more than I paid.

Don't mind me. Just reminiscing.

I love my '75. I've only had it for about 7 months now, but sourcing replacement parts for going and stopping is no big deal-RockAuto has everything and even the O'Reillys nearby could order most stuff. Body panels seem to come up NOS from time to time but I don't think you can just get them anymore. Later models did have disc brakes, but a few parts from the later model make a swap onto 1st gen trucks really easy (just did mine).

People have swapped in all kinds of stuff- I'll post some pictures from my computer tomorrow but there seems to be just enough space. As was mentioned, the floor pan on mine pn the drivers side has riated through in a spot from the windshield leaking in for who knows how long. Luckily the frame is still good but there are multiple rust patches that I need to cut and replace. Best of all, it still works as a truck. I'll post a picture tomorrow but I have an engine block, a hoist, a 38"x33" cart with about 200lbs of junk on it, and more. I was still able to cruise the 150 miles back to Atlanta no issue.

The downside.. 1st gens have 74hp and 4 speeds to use it. I dont like to go over 70 and typically cruise 60-65.

Edited to add this picture:

[URL=http://s1025.photobucket.com/user/laxands13/media/2015-08-15%2010.07.10_zps3ttle3tz.jpg.html][/URL]

The more I look at those small trucks, the more I see the inspiration of the Giulia TI grafted onto the front of one of those.

And looking at the length, it's also easy to see the inspiration of putting a Miata underneath one.

I forgot to mention that I poofed the head on mine roaring down the highway at 70+ and not watching the temp gauge. Cracked it straight across.

The subsequent owner finished installing the Ford 2.6 V6 I had for it then drove it across the country to the west coast.

nice wheel choice

Reminds me of the Chevy LUV, which I think was really an Isuzu. Both are great designs.

Now I'm mildly annoyed I just had to buy my wife a $900 dishwasher, since there is one of these in nice shape on CL for $1000 :/

EDIT: Dammit, it's gone :(

Hmm...I wonder if a BMW M42 would be an easy swap.....I just happen to have two full spare M42 drivetrains sitting around

alfadriver wrote: The more I look at those small trucks, the more I see the inspiration of the Giulia TI grafted onto the front of one of those. And looking at the length, it's also easy to see the inspiration of putting a Miata underneath one.

We must be long lost relatives, because I've always thought a miata would be the perfect donor for one of these. But, then again I have a buddy with a NB Miata project that was parked next to another buddies '74 Courier project for a couple of months.

Somewhere out on the open plains of the Internet is a Giulia that had a tree fall on the back half of it, so they grafted on a Datsun bulletside bed.

Edit: It was a mid-70's Toyota bed.

^^awesome level: high.

In reply to Burrito: A few of them were done- couple with Giula TI bodies, at least one with a later Berlina body, one with an Alfetta sedan body, and one with Milano bodywork.

At one point I dreamed of taking a Ranger chassis and grafting in a Milano body with the Alfa V6 engine.

But a nicely made 2.0l engine would be pretty sweet in one of those trucks. Some nice grunt, and good power. And it would sound really good.

Which 2.0l?

I have one from my Ranger sitting in the garage plus a '74 Courier a few hours away.

I think the early Courier looks best but didn't care for the lack of power.

(Not that the 2.0 is a powerhouse. ..)

In reply to stan:

I've got a 13b for you.

I had the 2nd gen courier and it served us well enough, it got sandwiched between a Buick Electra and Ford Ltd in the rain. A friend bought it of me for $200 and he drove it for a few years till a road flung out the block at around 160k. I nicked named it the Super Gumby Turbo, all that turbo lag without the bothersome turbo power. The carb wasn't quite right and on cold mornings it would bog terribly past 1/2 throttle for the first 15 minutes of my drive. After my buddy fixed it up he put wider wheels on it and it was much more fun to drive.

Tom

In reply to stan:

Alfa. In reference to the Giulia bodied trucks.

alfadriver wrote: In reply to stan: Alfa. In reference to the Giulia bodied trucks.

oh. thanks.

...and Evan, I've already had bad thoughts about your engine/trans combo...

Just noticed this one on Bringatrailer/ebay. Its the car thats for sale but that truck looks pretty clean......

No Reserve: 1954 Sunbeam Alpine Project

That's an International pickup, not a Courier. Still something cool... I had a 1.8 powered (using the term loosely) Courier which was a B1800 Mazda with different badges. I bought it for $100 b/c the previous owner had ignored the timing chain rattle till the chain just chewed the adjuster shoe and its bosses off the front of the block. I filed the remains of the bosses down flat, made some spacer washers, then rebuilt the rest of the motor and stuck it back in. I drove the HELL out of that little truck, finally traded it in on my '83 GTi (one of the worst moves of my life). It was sold to a small parts store which used it as a delivery truck, after 7-8 years I'd still see it on the roads around here occasionally; it was easily recognizeable due to a semi custom 'arrowhead' paint job on both doors.