I had a Toyota 4x4 about 20 years ago. The 4 cyl engine had great power. I
used to drive from LA to San Francisco 8 or 10 times a year on those big
tires, and it zoomed along at 85 very happily. Never had a thing wrong with
it. Also had the most comfortable seats of any vehicle I ever owned, which
I appreciated on those 500 mile drives.
My dad also had a humble Toyota stakebed with a 4 cyl engine. It had less
power, but still enough to do 65 all day dragging that bulky body through
the wind. It ran for years and years without any problems.
I have nothing but respect for Toyota engines. Now they're even making V8s,
but you have to take all the sensors and computers too. I don't know why
it's so sacreligious to contemplate a Japanese engine in an American truck,
but I probably feel it as much as anyone else.
I was talking to a guy in South America several months ago who said most of
the old trucks there have isuzu diesel engines in them to keep them on the
road. This made me shudder, but when I thought about it, it made perfect
sense. Where are they going to get parts down there to rebuild a 235?
Everything's in milimeters, and there's no reason they should care about
keeping the truck All American. The best thing they can do is put in an
engine which is practical for them, even if it is a 4cyl Japanese diesel.
Another thing to consider is that companies we think of as Japanese often
produce many of their vehicles here, and are largely owned by US car
companies, as much as 20% in the case of Mazda (Ford). GM owns a slug of
Isuzu, and Chrysler, or rather, Daimler-Chrysler, owns a chunk of
Mitsubishi.
I don't know if this makes it "ok" to pop a Toyota 6 in your truck, but I
think it does show that it is hard to come up with a principled objection.
Regards,
Grant S.
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
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