As a former owner... The claim of being able to pull a full load on steep roads is laughable. Just putting the bed topper on was enough to make it lug.
I owned a couple gas powered 82 and 84 B2200s. They really were miserable trucks to drive and live with. They really felt like driving a motorized park bench. The 86-93 trucks were miles ahead in refinement. There’s a reason I’ve owned near a dozen of those instead.
I bought an 83 Sundowner deluxe short bed B2200 diesel new. Cost me $6200.00 out the door. At the time Mazda was a little late to the diesel game in the USA in 82 when this video was made. By that time GM had literally KILLED the diesel market with their converted gas engine turd. Only Mercedes was able to sell diesels because people knew they were rock solid for decades. The salesman was trying his best to put me into a B2000 gas as he said they couldnt give the diesels away and were trading them off to other dealers, what few diesels they had to start with. Mazda hardly imported any compared to gas models. Suffice it to say they were more than happy I took one off their hands. I did shop around at every import mini diesel truck and drove them all. The Toyota was the most expensive and still had bias ply tires and a vinyl seat and floor mat. The Mazda hands down was the best value and the best built all around. Plus the diesel was no extra cost! I drove the living p!ss out of that truck 17 years straight until 1999 and put 579,000 miles on it before the frame was unsafe, even after all my patches. Road salt took its toll. It still ran perfect though but burned and leaked a bit of oil. I finally found another in CA in 2002. A 1984 long bed and had it shipped to CT. Its only got 194,000 and runs perfect. Has some rot from a few winters I was forced to drive it in. Parts for it are non existent today so you rebuild yours. These were hands down the best little diesel truck ever to come out of Japan. Slow as hell but even more reliable than a Mercedes 240D
😂 This is the best we could get due to the 1954 Chicken Tax Act and the big 3s hand gifted monopoly on trucks & cargo vans That gave them. That bumper was due to more government regulation, not bad engineering.
That is why when these were imported, they were sent over here in chassis-cab configuration, with the beds being shipped separately. For example, for the 1972-early 1977 Ford Couriers sold in the midwest and east coast states, Sheller-Globe supplied the pickup beds.
Guatemala still has a few of these running around.
As a former owner... The claim of being able to pull a full load on steep roads is laughable. Just putting the bed topper on was enough to make it lug.
I wonder how many of these B2200 Diesels were built?
I owned a couple gas powered 82 and 84 B2200s. They really were miserable trucks to drive and live with. They really felt like driving a motorized park bench. The 86-93 trucks were miles ahead in refinement. There’s a reason I’ve owned near a dozen of those instead.
Those newer ones don’t have diesel tho
Loved my 92 SE5
I bought an 83 Sundowner deluxe short bed B2200 diesel new. Cost me $6200.00 out the door. At the time Mazda was a little late to the diesel game in the USA in 82 when this video was made. By that time GM had literally KILLED the diesel market with their converted gas engine turd. Only Mercedes was able to sell diesels because people knew they were rock solid for decades. The salesman was trying his best to put me into a B2000 gas as he said they couldnt give the diesels away and were trading them off to other dealers, what few diesels they had to start with. Mazda hardly imported any compared to gas models. Suffice it to say they were more than happy I took one off their hands. I did shop around at every import mini diesel truck and drove them all. The Toyota was the most expensive and still had bias ply tires and a vinyl seat and floor mat. The Mazda hands down was the best value and the best built all around. Plus the diesel was no extra cost! I drove the living p!ss out of that truck 17 years straight until 1999 and put 579,000 miles on it before the frame was unsafe, even after all my patches. Road salt took its toll. It still ran perfect though but burned and leaked a bit of oil. I finally found another in CA in 2002. A 1984 long bed and had it shipped to CT. Its only got 194,000 and runs perfect. Has some rot from a few winters I was forced to drive it in. Parts for it are non existent today so you rebuild yours. These were hands down the best little diesel truck ever to come out of Japan. Slow as hell but even more reliable than a Mercedes 240D
Did any '82 B2200 Diesels ever have the older '70s-style tailgate graphic that spelled out "M-A-Z-D-A" (instead of the company's corporate logo)?
They need to make a Mazda cousin version of the Ford Maverick it would sell great!
Mazda is no longer affiliated with Ford
@@zOiNhUhVery true. Also, Mazda has its own midsize pickup that it sells in Asia. It just needs to find a place in North America to build it.
now what Mazda sells is a rebadged Isuzu D-Max@@johnnymason2460
Can we get a better shot of the engine dude zoomed in too close
Quite strange how US-spec versions had a lower payload than elsewhere.
Extra weight of Bumpers?
@@ftffighter LOL of course not... But those softer springs ruin payload.
Because of the emission n regulation.
😂 This is the best we could get due to the 1954 Chicken Tax Act and the big 3s hand gifted monopoly on trucks & cargo vans That gave them. That bumper was due to more government regulation, not bad engineering.
That is why when these were imported, they were sent over here in chassis-cab configuration, with the beds being shipped separately. For example, for the 1972-early 1977 Ford Couriers sold in the midwest and east coast states, Sheller-Globe supplied the pickup beds.
There were no bumper requirements on pickups and vans. Rear bumper was usually a dealer option on pickups.
Jumanji