LUVTruck.com

I looked at this car quite a while ago, an 88 Impulse with a wrecked front end but the drivetrain is in pretty good shape. It is a FI 2.3L, so no turbo unfortunately, but there are a lot of parts I think I can use. The motor is going to replace the one in my Trooper, but there is a nice 5Spd trans, power windows/door locks, map light and timed shut off dome light (waits a few seconds after you shut the door to shut off), and a bunch of other little stuff I think I can integrate into my LUV.

I will be parting a lot of this thing out, so if anyone knows someone with an Impulse that needs some parts let me know. All the glass is good, rear hatch is perfect, both doors are nice, interior is nice except the seats are already gone.

thats great xl , i'd like to add that i found 2 impulses in the yard yesterday. ones a TURBO, but some ass got the turbo. other than that everythings there on BOTH cars. i actually asked the yard managers if they sell complete vehicles but said no
xl, if you need anything let me know asap (or anybody else) i'm heading back there in 3 hours from now. i may look at the 5 speed since you reminded me.

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1980 luv sport 4x4 Just a memory now
Frame rusted from the inside. Truck stripped and now looking for a new donor in southern ohio

This car is never going to be a driver again, it hit something hard on the front right and really screwed up the unibody/frame. So I won't be needing any parts for it.

I've got it running pretty good now, just needed some fresh gas. 5 year old gas drove it up onto the trailer last night though. I'd take it for a spin up the road, but the alignment is so far off on the right front you can see it very plainly. That front tire is kicked out quite a ways when the left is pointing straight ahead. I'd probably also wreck it some more on the road when I stomped on it, some bastard stole the seats out of it before I got to it. From what I can tell just moving it around the yard I would be in the back seat if I was able to really hammer on the gas on pavement.

I can see that the seats would have needed some minor fab work to fit in a luv, but all buckets do pretty much. I measured the trans and one of my old luv trannies and they both look like 29 inchs from front plate to tailshaft. It would be sweet if I could drop the 5 speed into the luv without cutting down the driveshaft, but I'll wait to get excited on that until I have them sitting loose side by side and can confirm everything will bolt up. The rear looks like a standard Isuzu 10 bolt 3rd Member, and what I've read says it should have 3.909 gearing in it. Anyone think that would be of any use in a LUV? Bit better highway fuel mileage, or it would match better to a shorter tire. Might be nice to cruise the freeway at 85 and not be pulling 4k RPMs. The rear suspension is pretty cool looking, though tough to convert to a luv, 5 link with coil springs panhards and all that. I bet it handles great, but not very practical to swap. Plus it has 4 lug wheels, not a plus either.

Getting the motor out to go into my Trooper is going to be a chore though, so much crap to get loose before I can even see the motor mounts, much less unbolt them. I've got Seafoam in the motor now, just going to run it a bit more to make sure its in good shape and let the Seafoam clean it out, then start tearing stuff loose. Once the motor is on the stand, I tear into the Trooper, it has to donate a lot of motor parts to make it fit.

congrats for getting it running.if you tear into it and need something let me know. this yard is dirt cheap (fenders 20, trannys 50 alt, staters are 10,complete engines for 80.)
one of them was a 87 turbo and the other is a non turbo 84. BOTH 5 speeds. the 84 had a 2 drivshafts the trans did look the same, but the clutch is hydralic and is connected to the right side of the trans instead of the luvs left side.
i'm really pissed i'm broke. i'd like to do the engine swap with either engine. i had to spend all my money rebuilding my wifes escort, put it into a pole on ice
they also have a complete 80 2wd luv down there too. all chrome and everything is good. i honestly have no clue why it's in the junkyard. the engine looks recently rebuit, it's so damn clean you could eat off it.
it's the first time i've seen something i'd love to have in months down at the yard and i'm dead broke
good luck on pulling that xl. your right, there's alot of shit under the hood of those. i think the wiring would scare me away

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1980 luv sport 4x4 Just a memory now
Frame rusted from the inside. Truck stripped and now looking for a new donor in southern ohio

As far as pulling it, at least I don't have to worry about the wires once its out of the car. The Trooper it is going into has a carb, so the intake and 95% of the wiring/vac line maze will go away. All I have to do is get it out of the way so I can get to the bolts on the motor mounts and tranny.

The hydro clutch on 76-76 LUVs is on the right hand side just like the Impulse. I won't swear to it until I have the trans out, but right now it looks like it is the same length as the stock LUV 4spd. I've got my fingers crossed that I can get it out and just bolt it into my 77 some afternoon, but I doubt it could be just that easy.

I did find that the nifty dome light delay is all intergrated into the light itself. You also just tap the lense and it comes on or goes off. Two wires (power and a door ground wire) and it will work in anything. The center console and e-brake handle look like they'd fit my 77 too with some trimming. Then there is a digital clock and a few other inside gizmos that I'll probably rob out of it too. On the outside, there are pin switches for the hood, I figure I'll use them to put in a work light and perhaps later an alarm trigger. Seems like I found a few other things that would be useful, but I can't remember them all right now.

After kicking around in this car I have decided that I will have to own one someday. The whole dash setup is just killer, controls for everything right at your fingertips. The Lotus suspension looks like it would handle like a dream. Turbo or non would be ok, the 2.3L is only 30HP below the turbo and I could always drop a 2.6 in it. Better yet I buy a turbo with a blown/tired motor and bolt a 2.6 into it. That should be good for close to 200 ponies and the bigger motor with a small turbo should be almost lag free. Oh yeah, I think I will need to own one of these cars someday.

theres a nice 2.3L 89 Impulse in Spokane. They wanted $2k for it 5months ago. Its still there...

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1980 LUV 4x4, going under re-construction...

There was a turbo 89 with a blown head gasket/head on ebay that just sold today, I had to force myself to stay away from the computer when it sold. It still brought $700, but it was in Ohio. I'll need to find one closer than that, but the price was right.

Today I ran the motor in the car for the last time. With all the old gas out of it, clean plugs and cap/rotor it just purrs. Its a little hard to start, I think the throttle body and MAF need cleaned, but once it runs a minute it smoothes out nicely. After getting it well warmed up I drained the oil and water and started unbolting stuff. The trans was full of 90W, but at least it was clean and it was warm enough to drain ok. Motor oil and coolant were very clean too. I think I got a winner in the motor, and the trans should be fine.

It is amazing how far back the damage from the front end impact traveled on this thing. You can see buckling and things out of wack all the way to the rear axle. This is about the first unibody rig that I've done a lot of work on. I can appreciate the benefits, but damn don't wreck one.

I'm starting to see daylight near the motor mounts. Before I pulled everything loose I did remember to break loose the crank pulley bolt.

I don't know if it has been mentioned here, but there are a couple ways to do that. First, put it in high gear (4th/5th) and set the ebrake hard or have someone stand on the brake pedal. I have had that work once, not this time though the clutch just slipped on me. Next, get your socket on it solid and brace the breaker bar against the frame, remembering the motor will want to turn clockwise as you face it from the front. Hook up the battery, and just bump the starter. If it doesn't go, check the bar and socket placement and try again. Don't go more than once, twice maybe, without making sure the socket is on tight and bar braced well. You don't want to round that bolt off or you are done. I tried this about 50 times, no go. So I sprayed some pentrant oil on it and headed to town. I came back with an optima red top battery, two ticks of the starter and it popped right loose.

Two surprises today. The A/C system still had pressure when I opened it up. I learned R12 is cold and A/C oil is messy. The second surprise I should have caught before, there are no AIR manifold holes for the smog pump. I would have preferred to have a complete emissions system on the Troop, but I can live without it.

I'm getting anxious to see that engine bay empty. I'm also looking forward to getting that 5spd trans on the ground next to the LUV 4spd. It is so hard to tell under the car, but it sure looks like it will fit with minimal mods unlike the 4x4 5spds. The driveshaft end looks like it may be a little different, but if it is I'm betting I can swap the yoke, needed new ujoints anyway.

well i think the 2wd 5 speeds will be bigger than the 2wd 4 speeds. Whith both trannys Isuzu just puts the 4x4 tail shaft or 2wd tail shaft on depending on the aplication. So the proportions should be close to the same as a 4x4 5speed just minus the drop down i would think.

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1980 LUV 4x4, going under re-construction...

That is what I figured until I held a tape up to it. It is hard to measure it in the car because the mount is is in the way on the rear and its tough to get lined up on the end of the tail shaft. It looks like it is within an inch or so though, but that is a very rough estimate. The car trans is different from the truck in a few other ways (remote shifter, mounts) so its possible they used a different, shorter gearbox.

I'll know for sure when I get it out I guess.

huh thats interesting. I just kinda took it for granted that Isuzu would use a top loading tranny becouse of the greater strength. And since thier doing that they would have probly just used the truck trannies. I guess i should stop assuming things eh.

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1980 LUV 4x4, going under re-construction...

callme stupid, but i dont know what an impulse looks like. does anyone have a pic of one by chance? they a good looking car?

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"but its that gut feeling of you're drawn to what feels right for yourself and what you're passionate about..."

heres the 80s body style...

http://www.isuzuperformance.com/isupage ... impjr.html

and heres the 90s body style, yes the Geo Storm came from these guys...

http://www.isuzuperformance.com/isupage ... impji.html

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1980 LUV 4x4, going under re-construction...

i'd buy it, even if it's a geo storm then it'd still have the lotus suspension and I could swap the front clip anyways... i'd jump on one of those if there's one for sale.... i'm, dreaming, of a tur-, bo, impulse... i'ts got 15 pounds of psiiiiii!!! (to the tune "i'm dreaming of a white christmas)

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-Old ride-82 Luv diesel 5spd with some upgrades
-Past rides-82 Sierra, 78 Coupe De'Ville, 91 2dr Blazer, 86 RX7, 86 Porsche 944T (rear-ended and totaled)
-Curr. rides- 1970 Ford LTD 4dr, 390 4Bbl, 2nd owner! With a few Extras 00' Civic beater...

yeah i would love to have one of those guys. Id get it all set up for road racing and trailer it to the track whith my LUV. People would pull a double take becouse i have my LUV badged as an Isuzu now, so it would be one rare Isuzu pulling another rare Isuzu to the track

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1980 LUV 4x4, going under re-construction...

wow. i like the 80s body style. im not a fan of the 90s geo body though. but id definantly drive one of those 80s ones!

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"but its that gut feeling of you're drawn to what feels right for yourself and what you're passionate about..."

i had a 86 turbo 5spd. copper color.....blew the head and didnt relize what i had.....sold it for $150

yeah let me bend over so yall can kick me in the ass

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I like my steak like I like my women, young, tender and bloody.

All I need is my weed, women, and wine. -Edge City Outlaws

The weather has had this project stalled for a while now. I could handle a little rain, but the standing water under the car was enough to keep me from working on it. Today I finally got a break in the clouds.

I was planning to pull the motor and trans together, but the remote shifter is in the way, and the damage to the front has the crossmember pushed right up against the oil pan. I decided I didn't want to fight both parts together getting them out and just pulled the tranny out.

Now that I have it out, I took some measurements and compared them to a LUV tranny. From the front to the tailshaft is the same, from the front to the mount is the same, and the pattern for the remote shifter is the same as the LUV's drop in shifter. I will have to make sure of a couple things on the driveline, but everything else looks perfect.

The LUV auto driveline yoke fits, but it could be a bit long compared to the one from the Impulse. The u-joints don't appear to be compatible so I don't think pulling the yoke from the Imp will be possible. Since it matches a TH350, there should be a ton of options if the LUV auto yoke doesn't work. I'm sure I can make it work without needing to have the driveline altered though.

So, long story short, everything looks good for putting the 5Spd from an 88 Isuzu Impulse 2.3L into a 76-77 LUV, with no fabrication required.

Sweeeet deal 800, I hope it all works out!!!

Motor came out the other day, took longer to start the tractor than it did to lift it out of the car. Now I'm tearing it down just shy of pulling the head. Changing valve seals, front/rear main seal, basically all the gaskets I can reach. I'm tired of oil leaks. Interesting fact, the Impulse 2.3L head has bigger intake runners than the 2.3L in the trooper. Not just a tad either, 1/4" or so more diameter. I'll actually have to port match the gasket, maybe grind a bit on the carb intake too.

I put a rear plate from a LUV motor up against the Imp's 5spd tranny and it lines up perfectly. There will probably be some clutch issues to sort out, but everything should bolt up. Flywheels do not interchange between g180/200 and the 2.3L though, more bolts on the 2.3L. Too bad as that means no way to put the big 9.5" clutch from the Zu 2.6L behind a LUV motor either.