LUVTruck.com

As per title. I have the chance to get a Rodeo intact for $200 with the 3.2L V-6. Would the entire drive train (engine, transmission, transfer case, front and rear axles) reasonably go into a 1980 Luv? How much fabrication of mounts would it require? I'm not worried about wiring. I used to be a Navy electronics technician. I can handle the wiring. I can do some basic welding as well, so engine and transmission mounts would be easy. Welding suspension and steering would be beyond me, though.

So whaddaya say, folks? Think it would work or am I going to be replacing the firewall to make it fit?

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1980 4x4 in the process of being grafted onto a 1989 Trooper frame.

Many small block Chevy V8's as well as GM V6's have been pun into LUVs and fit just fine without cutting the core support or modifying the firewall, so I would imagine the engine will fit fine. I would measure the axle width and axle mount width on both first.

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OK, I'm over it. Where's the beer?

Those 3.2s all seem to get a terrible lifter tick that almost sounds like a knock in my experience. Great engine design but those dang noisy lifters are irritating. My girl has a 99 rodeo and her sister had a 98 and i cant stand how noisy the 3.2 top end is. To much crap and money to replace all 24 lifters and such so every one runs different oils to quiet them down. Not worth it in my personal opinion, none of the parts drop in like the isuzu 2.3 and 2.6 4 bangers do it'll all be custom. The 3.2 is plenty stout just very irritating once ir develops the lifter tick. No after market support, etc. Axles are very good in those rigs though. 4.10 or 4.30 gears basically a japanese dana 44

Question is what do you want to do with the truck?

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1993 Lexus SC400 my Daily
2004 Yamaha WR250F my new love in life
2016 Toyota Camry my girls ride

The complete powertrain swap you are describing is simply not practical. Individual parts, such as the engine or rear axle, could be swapped with minimal fabrication, but not the entire powertrain.
The Rodeo front drivetrain & matching suspension is completely different than that of a LUV, even a 4x4 LUV, & would require extensive modification & fabrication to swap. The Rodeo tranny & t-case are physically larger than the LUV counterparts, so plan on expanding the LUV floor pan in addition to fabricating the crossmembers & mounts. If the Rodeo has an auto trans it's probably toast & one reason the truck is for sale so cheaply, so plan on a new expensive tranny.
The other option of swapping the LUV body to the Rodeo chassis is also full of problems because the Rodeo is bigger in all directions- the axles are about 5" wider & the wheelbase is 5" longer.
This swap appears to me to be above your described fabrication skills & could be extremely expensive despite the cheap initial outlay for the donor vehicle. If completed you would have a Rodeo with LUV sheet metal, so again the question "what do you want to do with the truck"? There may be better ways than this particular swap to get to your desired goal.

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'78 Chevy LUV,1.9,4sp,headers,31's,SAS Dana 30,Dana 20,SOA rear w/Aussie Locker, rough body, bought new 12/4/78.
'87 Trooper,2.3,5sp,headers,31's,ball joint flip & spacer,Aussie Locker rear,Superwinch hubs,brush guard w/5.5K winch,more to come.

I worked in the service department of an Isuzu dealership in the 1990’s. The lifter ticking issue is not usually terminal. Isuzu advised us to substitute one quart of tranny fluid in the crankcase. Sure enough those 3.2 engines got quiet after that.

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Tom
'81 Luv diesel 4X4 - daily driver

Yeah by no means a huge deal just very annoying my girls has been doing it for a long time and there is no metal in the pan it's just an annlying collapsed lifter

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Luvless
1980 Mikado-Sold.

1993 Lexus SC400 my Daily
2004 Yamaha WR250F my new love in life
2016 Toyota Camry my girls ride