The LUV has been resting comfortably in the garage while I’ve found very little time to devote to it. I have big plans for it, I just don’t know exactly what they are. That’s the beauty of a project car though, isn’t it? The number one concern with the LUV is that the engine is not operational. When I bought it, a good percentage of the engine parts were in buckets in the bed, out in the weather. The oil pump housing looks like it was forced off of the engine, its aluminum housing broken. It’s possible that the oil pump was the cause of the engine failure, but difficult to know for sure at this point. Some research on the Isuzu G180Z engine has taught me a few things. Things like, it’s a plucky little guy, but was only rated at 75 horsepower. Things like, parts are a bitch to find. Things like, almost everyone with a LUV upgrades their drivetrain. I’ve considered all sorts of options for the drivetrain in this truck. My favorite idea is to install a Toyota 4AGE 1.6 liter and a 5-speed  to make a reliable, high MPG cruiser. I have come to really appreciate that engine while racing with team Volatile RAM in the twin-engined FX32 and MRolla. In this application, it would deliver perfectly adequate performance and some 30 MPG. Alternatively, I’ve been toying with the idea of an EV conversion and this truck would really be the perfect recipient. Sadly, converting to electric, with just decent components, is just too expensive. My estimate for the LUV is close to $10k for a lead-acid battery conversion, more with lightweight, modern batteries. The pragmatic side of me says that that’s too much to spend on any LUV. Another real option is to drop in the freshly rebuilt 327 that’s just been sitting on an engine stand in my garage with no specific destination. This swap has been done so often that there are bolt-on kits available for less that $1k – plus, I have pretty much all the parts on hand. Decisions, decisions. So, what have I done to the truck? Well, polished the paint, of course! I’ve also been trying to locate some similarly colored stripe tape to replace the missing bit on the driver side of the bed. Who cares if it doesn’t run? Billy Crystal taught me years ago that it’s better to look good than to feel good. The super-oxidized original paint been coming back to life pretty nicely, but it’s slow work. The hood alone took two hours. The process is rubbing compound and then polish with an electric polisher from Hobo Freight. There is a secret that I’ve discovered for breathing new life into old paint: patience. The only other thing I’ve done so far was clean out the interior of the truck. There was an interesting collection of books stashed under the seat. Turns out they were there to hold up the driver because the seat is comically broken down. Either a previous owner was a large person or the LUV wasn’t designed to last 38 years (or both).

The difference between the polished and unpolished paint.

This truck is in really amazing condition, and I am excited to start some serious work on it. Whatever happens, you Hoons will hear it here first.

[Images: Copyright 2014 Hooniverse/Scott Ith]