Rebuilt Isuzu Makes Great Farm Truck

Rebuilt Isuzu Makes Great Farm Truck ENGINES When Chuck Stevens needed a new farm truck he found an inexpensive used Isuzu cargo truck and rebuilt it into a handy flatbed “I looked at Ford and Chevy 1-ton and 1 1/2-ton trucks but the prices were hard to justify ” says Stevens “I spent time at online truck forums and noticed that Australians talk a lot about the reliability and fuel economy of Isuzus The engines use a premium block and are designed for 500 000 miles ” He found a 2001 Isuzu 1 1/2-ton 14-ft box truck on Craigslist for $6 000 It had 1 200 hrs on it and 290 000 miles Stevens estimates the re-do added about $3 000 to the initial cost much of that being sandblasting and a new paint job “My dad Lester and I pulled the box off and installed an 8-ft flatbed from a 1978 1-ton Chevy ” says Stevens noting that the old truck box was converted into a small storage shed “The Isuzu frame is only 3/8-in narrower than Ford and Chevy trucks were before they moved the fuel tank inside the frame rail We drilled new mounting holes on the frame and ran three 2 by 1/4-in plates down each side for brackets We extended it 4 ft to the front and added a headache rack ” To accommodate towing Stevens and his dad mounted a drawbar with a 2-in receiver hitch and installed wiring for electric brakes “The Isuzu comes with a full-size industrial battery tilt cab and exterior transmission filter and drain for easy maintenance ” says Stevens “It also has a built-in exhaust brake The rotor was worn but the bearings still had factory-installed grease We just cleaned and repacked them and put it back to work ” Stevens uses the truck for hauling big round bales and other cargo as well as transporting his farrier equipment to jobs The Isuzu has proven to be a good truck The 16-in tires on it qualify it as a pickup for insurance purposes The short wheelbase with beam axle front end under the cab makes for a tight turning radius “With a full tank of gas and all my tools it is still under 4 000 lbs ” says Stevens “It’s really fuel efficient giving me 23 mpg the last time I checked ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Charles Stevens P O Box 37 Bradley Okla 73011 ph 405 320-1255; madchack@gmail com

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