I'm glad MotorTrend introduced you and Fred and a few others to me. That said, they have lost the plot. I'm glad you are branching out and I'll be watching the whole Trooper build. Never too many projects, always something to work on.
Considering Motortrend is owned by Warner Bros discovery which has been phasing out most of the gearhead shows i'm not sure there will be a Motortrend network much longer.
That Trooper is SO RAD. I know the current tires are possibly toast, but I REALLY love the old school tall skinny's on a rig like that, with the stock steelies. Can't wait to see what all You've got in store for it!
MotorTrends has fallen off the rails. I canceled my subscription after many years since they have cancelled all the programs I liked. Happy to pay for a TH-cam subscription and watch my favorite creators like you.
Feeling bad that I've gotten rid of my Chevy Luvs and Isuzu Pups in the past now. Forgot how much fun they were to work on. They were still in good shape too. Like watching. Keep it up.
I had a red '89 Isuzu Trooper that I bought in 2007 and drove from Washington State down into Mexico, where I used it to explore up and down the coast there for a few years. Underpowered, but otherwise great rig.
I cancelled this last year too after many years! Runs Good was such a good show, dirt everyday, old HRG, the programming went downhill bad, reality shows and auto auction. Love the new Rig!
I'm stoked I caught the video as soon as it dropped. Such a cool, rare, kinda odd rig. So fun. Love it. Little 2 door, be real nimble on the trails too. New sponsors, channel coming along. Great work
This is awesome man! Was I ever ever stoked to wake up and find this in my feed. I've got an 88 4 door that I picked in 2020 that I picked up that has never run. Bought it with just a "blown head gasket" that hadn't seen a regi since 2007. A real beaut with NO rust. The stencils on the rear frame rails are still visible just like your RS. Had the head checked and yuo it was cracked. #1 casting. I've been squirrelling parts since then looking for a spot to put it all back together. Up north of you in a 1 bedroom at with no parking. Cant wait to see what happens here. Sure hope there's a part two here!!! Subbed
There you are, I found you among the 1027 comments! Your brown Trooper is a Beaut and you've put a lot of hard work into it. Now you need to get Hot on the other one!!
the damprid container looks like it was there to keep the parts in the plastic tote from rusting due to humidity ingress, its a desiccant pack with a collection bucket, the previous owner definitely put some thought into that project and how best to protect those good parts while they rebuild the rig, you got a diamond in the ruff for sure man, she should be a sweet little rig, i love old Isuzu trucks
I think this is a classic case of trying to get it right instead of get it running. A lot of fellers will try so hard to get it perfect that it never gets done. There is definitely a sweet spot of just getting it running and working that keeps you from burning out. I have always loved Troopers. Looking forward to some more content with this one!
Owned one here in west OZ ! was either a 1.8 or 2.0L petrol factory duel fuel tanks and badged over here as a 1982 Holden Jackeroo. Had its spare bolted inside the rear right window every morning that smell of rubber getting in it, oh and the transfer pump for the tanks if left on would run when the key was off. Flat battery use to follow that mistake. But that vehicle started a near 30yr off road hobby. 💪🏼👌🏼
Dude this is so sick!!! I can't wait to see you build this! Woooo! That damp rid is a life saver for older vehicles that sit. Helps to prevent humidity destroying the inside of vehicles and mold/fungus growing inside. Just don't let it spill onto the interior, it destroys it. Thats why it was inside of that plastic tub. Who ever had this before cared for this thing which rocks.
I loved my '87 Trooper. That was like 25 years ago, it was only 10 years old with 78k when I bought it. It was a standard 2-door body, Bronze metallic, with Bronze tint glass, chrome package, with roof rack. 2.3 4DZ1 carb 4-cyl, 5 speed. It was a reliable steed for years, and looked good doing it, it was in really nice shape. Then it burned an exhaust valve around 100k. So I rebuilt it, freshly machined head and fresh valves. Timing belt, water and oil pumps. Calmini 2" lift torsion bars and shackles, shocks, and some 30" Dunlop Rovers, on the 5 matching OEM alloys. A couple more years of being awesome, found tan color matched cargo cover for it in a wrecking yard, and a 6 disc Alpine CD changer went in the center console. Then it all went wrong. A/C compressor seized. Bummer. 2 weeks later, it burns another exhaust valve. Bummer. So it's sitting a week or so behind a fence, next to my duplex. Some one gets in there, breaks out the back window, climbs in and clears it out, tools, stereo other random stuff. And they cut the headliner and seats on the way out, just because. Beyond Bummer. All that damage on top of the needed 2nd trip through the engine... I just cut my losses, sold it off cheap and moved on. Now I have a 6-speed '05 TJ Sport Dual top, with the limited slip Dana 44 rear. I've owned it for 19 years. 53k miles, never parked outside overnight, always stored indoors, near mint and basically as loaded as a TJ got without being a Rubicon edition. Mine is bone stock other than 5 Jackman style steel wheels, and 31" Goodyear MTR tires. (of course the mint OE alloys are boxed and safe.) It's my little red summer Sunday top down ice cream runner, or very rare snow day fun rig, never a trail truck or a daily driver. It's always been a toy 2nd vehicle. '15 RT Challenger gets the daily duty.
AS soon as i saw the thumb nail i knew what it was and boy it brought back lots of memories, I did see a good 10 or so here in Manitoba and they were all virtually the same except colour, 2.6 injected 4 banger was a stout engine along with the rest of the power train, I don't think i ever saw them with lockers just a rear LSD, these 2 door troopers were insanely capable off road and had more clearance than most vehicles in its class , in 1989 we had some insane snow storms in Winnipeg and my buddy and i just jumped on our sleds and road around helping people and these troopers were riding around without issue from the fantastic ground clearance and you rarely heard of any major mechanical issues, another buddy had the same engine in a Plymouth Sapporo and put 160k miles on it never apart, regular maintenance and easy 30mpg at 70 mph, i look forward to the build on this Trooper 2 DR 👍
I'm from New Zealand, I drove the Big Horn SWB version of this truck for 10 years, mine was an '88. Even here the SWB versions were rare, I can't remember ever seeing another one. The Big Horn is the 2.8l turbo diesel version of the Trooper. I loved that truck, so many great memories with that thing. The "air freshener" you pulled out was damp-rid, it's a moisture absorber, I'm guessing your truck has a small cabin leak somewhere that the previous owner was trying to manage, careful with that.
Troopers are the best. We currently have one in the shop getting the turbo diesel conversion. Have it built up to be a dedicated overlanding rig for our fly fishing trips! We have a couple films out showing how much this things rips!
@@thedirtheadshed th-cam.com/video/OR82Ulz0yh0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=rpuRLCmdZCbBfWgP This is the intro episode. Was a blast to wheel this thing around southeast Idaho. We definitely don’t have the most mechanical know how, but we know how to have a good time haha.
Worked on these in the 90s. Make sure you adjust those valves. Isuzu 4s would burn valves especially on cyl number 3 when the valves were to tight. Also there is an idle controller under the intake that gums up.
I bought an '89 new. There's a EGR pipe that screws to the bottom of the intake right next to #3. It'll crack letting in clean air leaning out the mixture and burn that exhaust valve.
I second this. Those valves not getting adjusted killed a lot these rigs as it leads to a cracked head. Not hard to replace but if it needed to go into a shop to have the work done it was most times worth more than you'd sell one for years ago. Were you at an Isuzu dealership?
Got an immaculate Trooper for $100 once, ran terrible, smoked black, and only got around 6 mpg. Had been to a shop that couldn't get it running right, they tried everything, including removing all the emissions equipment. After replacing everything, it still ran like crap, so I began testing electrical components. Turned out to be the load reduction relay, the contacts had become high resistance, which lowered voltage to everything, causing it to run in limp mode. After cleaning the contacts, it ran beautifully and easily passed emissions testing. The 2.6 was prone to head cracking around the valves, especially when overheated. Luckily, you have a replacement.
Just a few days ago, I saw an old trooper and was remembering that my dad bought one new when i was a kid. It was a 4 door of course but it was a 5 speed and 4x4. Those rear doors are cool too! You’re really lucky to find that one with such a good body and everything. This is going to be a really nice cruiser
So many memories looking at that thing inside and out. I drove a 1987 Trooper II all through High School that my dad bought for himself brand new off the lot a few years before passing it on to me. We went on several 4x4 adventures as a family in that thing. Such a simple, yet capable 4x4. I miss it still
Me and my wife had so much fun in our trooper back of the day we towed jet skis to the river we towed AT v's to glamis Also used it to go back and forth to the mountains where I work at the ski area. I also blew the heck out of the head gasket and warped the head lol . That rig worked great in the snow
great to see you saving this one from the weather and time! Love the look of these boxy late 80's early 90s rigs. Will be fun to watch it come together!
I owned a Trooper RS a few years ago, bought it with less then 90k miles. They are great offroad rigs, factory 4.88 gears make them fun in 4lo. The one I had came with the factory fender flares, before I sold it I converted it to round headlight grill. Good luck with your build sir.
Definitely a hidden gem. I'm currently running a 1989 4 door SE. 200,000+ miles, a 3 inch lift, 3:1 Tcase kit, rear lunchbox locker, 31" tires. Drove it 1200+ miles last weekend.
Loved you on Roadworthy Rescues! I have an 88 Mitsubishi Montero diesel and owned 2 Isuzu Amigos and absolutes love these 2 door Troopers. Cant wait for this build
I hope you keep it as it is, tall skinny tyres on a bog standard 4x4 are so rare to see these days. Go through the mechanical's plugs, leads fluids etc and enjoy it 👍
A mate had one of those. We called them Holden Jackeroos in Oz. I have an 81 Suzuki Sierra that needs fixing, but the good thing is I used to own it about 15, 16 years ago, so I'm looking forward to getting it road worthy. It, too, has ARB suspension.
It's a good thing it came with a new head. Those 2.6 Isuzus had a problem with soft cylinder heads. The exhaust valve seats would recess into the head and allow the the valves to burn. My 89 4-door burned an exhaust valve, but I was able to grind the seat and get it to seal. I test drove a new sport in about 1988 and it was equipped with the style of wheel that you got with the Trooper. It was on 31" tires.
Such a cool little rig. I’m glad it’s not going on tons, those were such cool off roaders from the start. Looking forward to the build. I definitely like these TH-cam videos better than the mainstream media half hour start to finish episodes. Nowhere the detail like these videos. Keep up the great work.
Saw the Tera low gears on the passenger floor!! Definitely head gasket. 2.6 eats them. The 5tec mod for the intake helps prevent it. Soak the idle air control valve in sea foam as soon as you pull the head. That header is discontinued, score! Those are OG RS wheels as well as amigo. I’m missing my spare and need one….mine took 6 months to complete from pick n pull to daily driver, can’t wait to watch your build.
Loving the Trooper! I had a 88' for a short period of time back in college. The two dooi version looks a lot cooler. Looking forward to seeing more on this one!
Sounded to me like it was down on compression in at least one cylinder; sounded like it was "galloping" when you were turning it over for the first time.
so stoked on this... as the custodian of an 89 Amigo, 89 Spacer and an 86 Trooper with a 2.6 out of an 89 in it, I am thrilled to see this!! (yes, I agree the 89 2.6 FI is indeed a sweet spot for Isuzu!) looking forward to watching this series unfold... appreciate your approach to so much... cheers brother!
Cool rigs I sold a 88 trooper running for 800 $ I had it for a couple years , fun , I bought it for 800 $ Put 33 , s. On it , loved it should have kept it , good job buddy 🎉
@@thedirtheadshed It's rad that it is in as good a shape as it is simply for the age when it was made. Materials weren't made to last long. The interior is really cool. I do like your plans. A simple rad vehicle to bump around in the country, which is magnificent up your way
I love the Isuzu RS models. I had a 93 RS that was one of my favorite vehicles ever. Wish I had never sold it. I'm on the hunt for a diesel Trooper II now....
Friends job bought him new car every 3 years. And paid for gas/ins. He negotiated deal. He got a new trooper once. Told him it was a piece of junk. He agreed. Oh, he got to keep cars. Free.
That bird is a Killdeer. We have them all over our railyard. They like to nest in the rocks and do the fake-broken-wing routine when you get near their nest. I had to mute this because I thought the call was coming in from outside.
Yep. Years ago at work (chemical plant), we had one. The operators set out traffic cones so people wouldn't run over the nest. They are really concealed and hard to see.
Loved my long wheel based trooper. Unfortunately lost it to frame rust the boxed in frames trap a ton of sediment . The short wheelbase is so sweet. Mitsubishi/ Dodge did same with the Raider. Long and short wheelbase
In Colombia,south America you find any spare part for the trooper an a few excellent troopers still working,also if you need spare parts for Suzuki SJ 410 you find everything
I love the new project! But even more, I love the new microphone setup!!! Do you remember how bad the audio was is some of your first TH-cams? Your teaching and story telling are awesome now, since we can hear everything clearly.
Yup. All the nonsense reality show drama based crap being added, and the good shows canceled, or running short seasons got annoying. Once Dirt Every Day was canceled, so was my subscription.
My work is very seasonal, so for like 3yrs in a row I'd subscribe to MT for the month of August and binge watch DED and Roadkill to catch up on what I missed over the last year once they went that way of the subscription. It would never be a sustainable value for me to keep it monthly.
Awesome!!! I have been waiting years for one of you dirt dorks to get one of these and take it wheeling! I remember these in the very early 90’s! Loved them. Was my dream vehicle in 93! Turn that thing into a UA wheeler!
The Troopers are really cool rigs. Everybody forgets about them. I almost bought one in the 90’s when I lived in New Mexico, but I found an even cooler rig. A 66 Nissan Patrol, it was to cool to pass up. I wish I still had it, but I still love 98 Disco that I have now. You should just build it as a mild tourer/overlander. It’s almost perfect as is, after a few repairs.
the govt regulators have effed up fuel tanks really badly haven't they? edited to add: this would be a great place to put one of those Cummins 4cy crate engine!
Those 2.6 motors are famous for internal head cracks. Definitely a reason for the new head that came with it. My Amigo had the same thing at about 160K miles. Very difficult to diagnose, but a replacement head was available that was slightly redesigned to eliminate the problem. I added the headers and had a cam ground for it, which made a nice package. You're lucky to have found that one. I'm still looking for a plain long-wheelbase 4dr in decent shape. I love those Isuzus...
That’s pretty cool to see someone in the US working on one of these. I had several of this generation here in Ireland over the years but they all had versions of the 2.8L Turbodiesel engine
@@thedirtheadshed I’m glad you are . I’ve seen them here with that engine but they were very rare . People traditionally preferred diesel here in 4x4s and vans. From the mid 80s on nearly everything like that was diesel powered
@thedirtheadshed yeah they're out there. I've seen them before. When I bought mine the guy actually gave me a 2 door that I'm fairly certain was a diesel. I was just young and didn't take it too. The engine had been taken out and I didn't have the room for it
I looked forever for an unmolested GM 2.8 5 speed. They are unobtainium with that chev S10 V6. What I found was beat & over priced. But the engine purred & it drove quiet, straight & smooth. I paid the price. It now has overhauled running gear with free flow cat back getting all of the 130 HP, Roof mounted cargo rack A 1974 FJ 40 custom Winch bumper from affordable that improves approach angle, Smittybuilt 9000 winch & full recovery gear. Of course 31x 10.50 - 15 Patagonia M/T Milestar. These Troopers drive like a sports car & in low range that 2.8 v6 may as well be a V8. Troopers are Treats to drive.
Damn that thing is so awesome looking! I never knew they made a two-door short WB version of the trooper. I had a 1992 Isuzu amigo for a few years. Absolutely loved it
I'm glad MotorTrend introduced you and Fred and a few others to me. That said, they have lost the plot. I'm glad you are branching out and I'll be watching the whole Trooper build. Never too many projects, always something to work on.
Considering Motortrend is owned by Warner Bros discovery which has been phasing out most of the gearhead shows i'm not sure there will be a Motortrend network much longer.
@@cjwood2407screw these big media companies.
Yup.
Make sure to check the head really closely for cracks. I went through three in my 1990 before I sold it.
he’s been around forever. started with petersons four wheel and off-road i believe.
Motortrend cancels every good show.
Thank god for TH-cam keeping us connected to the good content creators
No kidding. I just heard that they axed Engine Masters. Still bummed about that.
That Trooper is SO RAD. I know the current tires are possibly toast, but I REALLY love the old school tall skinny's on a rig like that, with the stock steelies. Can't wait to see what all You've got in store for it!
I love the look too! But I want to put Miles on this rig. So the buckshot mudders are for sale
@@thedirtheadshedare those the 15" wheel or 16" wheel mudders?
Those appear to be stock Rodeo wheels.
MotorTrends has fallen off the rails. I canceled my subscription after many years since they have cancelled all the programs I liked. Happy to pay for a TH-cam subscription and watch my favorite creators like you.
So much good content on hete
Discovery ruins everything they touch....lots of DEI.
That Isuzu Trooper is too sweet!
It’s pretty cool!
Feeling bad that I've gotten rid of my Chevy Luvs and Isuzu Pups in the past now. Forgot how much fun they were to work on. They were still in good shape too. Like watching. Keep it up.
I had a red '89 Isuzu Trooper that I bought in 2007 and drove from Washington State down into Mexico, where I used it to explore up and down the coast there for a few years. Underpowered, but otherwise great rig.
Sounds like a great time
I love those things I owned 3 back in the day. Poor man’s 3dr Montero. 😂 mine all had 3.77’s instead of the normal 3.55’s. 😊
Sweet!
With the front bumper off and it up on the trailer, that angle it reminds me of a first gen Range Rover. Probably cheaper and way more reliable.
Hopefully more reliable! We will see
The "air freshener thing" is actually a damprid. It is for keeping the humidity down in a parked car to try and prevent mold in damp climates.
He was a good caretaker of it
I always liked the old troopers. They had a great utilitarian look.
That’s what I’ve always liked as well
I think they were ALL painted red too!? lol The Raider/Mitsu two doors I've only seen in red too.
It was common! But I think you could get black or white too
@@thedirtheadshed Correct, 3 colors and the Very Cool black interior!
A man can ALWAYS use a new project. Looking forward to see where you take this one!
Hopefully we can start by making it run right!
If you’re doing the head and adding headers get a cam kit, too. Cant be too expensive and add some torque!
I cant believe they canceled runsgood and dirteveryday... two of my favorites..
It happens. Even if it’s a bummer
Please make more videos of this trooper, looking to buy one soon
It will make its way into the shop soon
I really like this rig... Looks like my pajero! They are tough. The only thing is the ifs that's not that good as the solid axle...
That’s so true
Cancelling Runs Good, yet another reason I cancelled my Motor trend on demand subscription. Keep doing you Dave! You're the man!
I appreciate that
I cancelled this last year too after many years! Runs Good was such a good show, dirt everyday, old HRG, the programming went downhill bad, reality shows and auto auction. Love the new Rig!
@@thedirtheadshed Hey dave - what steelies are on the trooper?
Ok Dave…love the channel. Where does the your theme song come from? It’s a banger.
My best friend had one of those, bought it brand new in 88. Great little rigs. Had no idea they were rare.
Just the 2 door short wheelbase version is considered rare
I'm stoked I caught the video as soon as it dropped. Such a cool, rare, kinda odd rig. So fun. Love it. Little 2 door, be real nimble on the trails too. New sponsors, channel coming along. Great work
Thanks ! Stoked
This is awesome man! Was I ever ever stoked to wake up and find this in my feed. I've got an 88 4 door that I picked in 2020 that I picked up that has never run. Bought it with just a "blown head gasket" that hadn't seen a regi since 2007. A real beaut with NO rust. The stencils on the rear frame rails are still visible just like your RS. Had the head checked and yuo it was cracked. #1 casting. I've been squirrelling parts since then looking for a spot to put it all back together. Up north of you in a 1 bedroom at with no parking. Cant wait to see what happens here. Sure hope there's a part two here!!! Subbed
I will be pulling it into the shop in November to start the repairs
There you are, I found you among the 1027 comments! Your brown Trooper is a Beaut and you've put a lot of hard work into it. Now you need to get Hot on the other one!!
There's just something cool about 80's and 90's JDM 4x4s. Rad project!
This isn't JDM. These were sold in the US market. JDM is Japanese Domestic Market and it applies to vehicles that were never imported to the US.
the damprid container looks like it was there to keep the parts in the plastic tote from rusting due to humidity ingress, its a desiccant pack with a collection bucket, the previous owner definitely put some thought into that project and how best to protect those good parts while they rebuild the rig, you got a diamond in the ruff for sure man, she should be a sweet little rig, i love old Isuzu trucks
I agree with you
Yeah, that's like using the Dri-Z-Air crystals.
I think this is a classic case of trying to get it right instead of get it running. A lot of fellers will try so hard to get it perfect that it never gets done. There is definitely a sweet spot of just getting it running and working that keeps you from burning out. I have always loved Troopers. Looking forward to some more content with this one!
That is so true
There's something peaceful about wrenching on stuff in a field. When the weather is nice, of course...
I agree with you
Motortrend seems to have a trend of chopping the best shows. Dirt Head Shed for life. It looks like a baby first gen range rover.
Owned one here in west OZ ! was either a 1.8 or 2.0L petrol factory duel fuel tanks and badged over here as a 1982 Holden Jackeroo. Had its spare bolted inside the rear right window every morning that smell of rubber getting in it, oh and the transfer pump for the tanks if left on would run when the key was off. Flat battery use to follow that mistake. But that vehicle started a near 30yr off road hobby. 💪🏼👌🏼
Dude this is so sick!!! I can't wait to see you build this! Woooo!
That damp rid is a life saver for older vehicles that sit. Helps to prevent humidity destroying the inside of vehicles and mold/fungus growing inside. Just don't let it spill onto the interior, it destroys it. Thats why it was inside of that plastic tub. Who ever had this before cared for this thing which rocks.
He had a bunch of those in his sea container too. He took good care of it
I loved my '87 Trooper. That was like 25 years ago, it was only 10 years old with 78k when I bought it. It was a standard 2-door body, Bronze metallic, with Bronze tint glass, chrome package, with roof rack. 2.3 4DZ1 carb 4-cyl, 5 speed. It was a reliable steed for years, and looked good doing it, it was in really nice shape. Then it burned an exhaust valve around 100k. So I rebuilt it, freshly machined head and fresh valves. Timing belt, water and oil pumps. Calmini 2" lift torsion bars and shackles, shocks, and some 30" Dunlop Rovers, on the 5 matching OEM alloys. A couple more years of being awesome, found tan color matched cargo cover for it in a wrecking yard, and a 6 disc Alpine CD changer went in the center console. Then it all went wrong. A/C compressor seized. Bummer. 2 weeks later, it burns another exhaust valve. Bummer. So it's sitting a week or so behind a fence, next to my duplex. Some one gets in there, breaks out the back window, climbs in and clears it out, tools, stereo other random stuff. And they cut the headliner and seats on the way out, just because. Beyond Bummer. All that damage on top of the needed 2nd trip through the engine... I just cut my losses, sold it off cheap and moved on. Now I have a 6-speed '05 TJ Sport Dual top, with the limited slip Dana 44 rear. I've owned it for 19 years. 53k miles, never parked outside overnight, always stored indoors, near mint and basically as loaded as a TJ got without being a Rubicon edition. Mine is bone stock other than 5 Jackman style steel wheels, and 31" Goodyear MTR tires. (of course the mint OE alloys are boxed and safe.) It's my little red summer Sunday top down ice cream runner, or very rare snow day fun rig, never a trail truck or a daily driver. It's always been a toy 2nd vehicle. '15 RT Challenger gets the daily duty.
AS soon as i saw the thumb nail i knew what it was and boy it brought back lots of memories, I did see a good 10 or so here in Manitoba and they were all virtually the same except colour, 2.6 injected 4 banger was a stout engine along with the rest of the power train, I don't think i ever saw them with lockers just a rear LSD, these 2 door troopers were insanely capable off road and had more clearance than most vehicles in its class , in 1989 we had some insane snow storms in Winnipeg and my buddy and i just jumped on our sleds and road around helping people and these troopers were riding around without issue from the fantastic ground clearance and you rarely heard of any major mechanical issues, another buddy had the same engine in a Plymouth Sapporo and put 160k miles on it never apart, regular maintenance and easy 30mpg at 70 mph, i look forward to the build on this Trooper 2 DR 👍
I'm from New Zealand, I drove the Big Horn SWB version of this truck for 10 years, mine was an '88. Even here the SWB versions were rare, I can't remember ever seeing another one. The Big Horn is the 2.8l turbo diesel version of the Trooper. I loved that truck, so many great memories with that thing. The "air freshener" you pulled out was damp-rid, it's a moisture absorber, I'm guessing your truck has a small cabin leak somewhere that the previous owner was trying to manage, careful with that.
He was a good caretaker of it. Hopefully I can do it justice as well
@@thedirtheadshed No, dude, you missed my point. I was the owner of my '88. You have a cabin leak that you need to address as soon as possible.
That is definitely going to be an awesome cruiser once it is done! $4500 for something that rare with all those parts seems like a steal!
It was . I’m stoked
Niiiice, we got them here in Oz as a Holden Jackaroo, LWB & SWB, as a kid we had a LWB 2.8t Diesel, awesome old bus, very reliable.
I look forward to getting this to a reliable stage
Troopers are the best. We currently have one in the shop getting the turbo diesel conversion. Have it built up to be a dedicated overlanding rig for our fly fishing trips! We have a couple films out showing how much this things rips!
Right on . See if you can post a link to the video in the comments
@@thedirtheadshed th-cam.com/video/OR82Ulz0yh0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=rpuRLCmdZCbBfWgP
This is the intro episode. Was a blast to wheel this thing around southeast Idaho. We definitely don’t have the most mechanical know how, but we know how to have a good time haha.
Great video!
Always loved the old troopers. Especially the 2 door. Thanks for showing us cool shit Dave. Now I want a trooper in my fleet of rust buckets.
Try to get a rust free one. No one likes rust repair
@@thedirtheadshed He needs to come out to the Beautiful Rust-Free PNW!!🤣
Will be following along closely on this build so I can show my wife how cool her 88 Trooper can be!
She knows
This is a cool r8g. Looks like new off road tires as well, thats worth a few bucks. Should be a fun rig to drive in PNW mountains.
True! I’m gonna probably sell them off to help fund other stuff
Worked on these in the 90s. Make sure you adjust those valves. Isuzu 4s would burn valves especially on cyl number 3 when the valves were to tight. Also there is an idle controller under the intake that gums up.
I bought an '89 new. There's a EGR pipe that screws to the bottom of the intake right next to #3. It'll crack letting in clean air leaning out the mixture and burn that exhaust valve.
I second this. Those valves not getting adjusted killed a lot these rigs as it leads to a cracked head. Not hard to replace but if it needed to go into a shop to have the work done it was most times worth more than you'd sell one for years ago. Were you at an Isuzu dealership?
Got an immaculate Trooper for $100 once, ran terrible, smoked black, and only got around 6 mpg. Had been to a shop that couldn't get it running right, they tried everything, including removing all the emissions equipment. After replacing everything, it still ran like crap, so I began testing electrical components. Turned out to be the load reduction relay, the contacts had become high resistance, which lowered voltage to everything, causing it to run in limp mode. After cleaning the contacts, it ran beautifully and easily passed emissions testing.
The 2.6 was prone to head cracking around the valves, especially when overheated. Luckily, you have a replacement.
I’m hopeful that this will run nice and smooth
Just a few days ago, I saw an old trooper and was remembering that my dad bought one new when i was a kid. It was a 4 door of course but it was a 5 speed and 4x4. Those rear doors are cool too! You’re really lucky to find that one with such a good body and everything. This is going to be a really nice cruiser
I love the 70/30 rear barn doors
Always good to see another Isuzu guy my 90 Amigo has been a labor of love and a major pain but I wouldn’t trade it for the world
Coolest truck you have. Don't ruin it by turning it into a tank like everything else. Just keep it reasonable.
That’s the plan.
So many memories looking at that thing inside and out. I drove a 1987 Trooper II all through High School that my dad bought for himself brand new off the lot a few years before passing it on to me. We went on several 4x4 adventures as a family in that thing. Such a simple, yet capable 4x4. I miss it still
I’m hoping to keep this one around and put lots of dirt miles on it
Me and my wife had so much fun in our trooper back of the day we towed jet skis to the river we towed AT v's to glamis Also used it to go back and forth to the mountains where I work at the ski area. I also blew the heck out of the head gasket and warped the head lol . That rig worked great in the snow
That’s awesome! Memory machine
TROOPER! Yes! I'm glad to see you with another Isuzu and with such new parts and previous mods, nice find/catch at a reasonable price.
great to see you saving this one from the weather and time! Love the look of these boxy late 80's early 90s rigs. Will be fun to watch it come together!
I need to get busy on it
I owned a Trooper RS a few years ago, bought it with less then 90k miles. They are great offroad rigs, factory 4.88 gears make them fun in 4lo. The one I had came with the factory fender flares, before I sold it I converted it to round headlight grill. Good luck with your build sir.
These were called a Holden Jackaroo in Australia. The earlier models were terrible, dust sealing was non existent., but later ones were quite nice.
I have had many Isuzu rigs. All have been well built but hard to find parts for
I already love this project. I think I'm one of the few Isuzu Trooper fans. Growing up we had a couple of them.
They were never mainstream, but always good quality
Definitely a hidden gem. I'm currently running a 1989 4 door SE. 200,000+ miles, a 3 inch lift, 3:1 Tcase kit, rear lunchbox locker, 31" tires. Drove it 1200+ miles last weekend.
One of joys of living in the PNW is picking and choosing your battles because of the weather.
Ya Scored !!!!! And I'm glad you are gonna leave it stock-ish. I enjoy your videos. Thank you for sharing your adventures with us.
Loved you on Roadworthy Rescues! I have an 88 Mitsubishi Montero diesel and owned 2 Isuzu Amigos and absolutes love these 2 door Troopers. Cant wait for this build
Bleeding the brakes with a piece of wood. Fantastic
It worked sweet!
The trooper is a great vehicle. It did not surprise me it started. I had one back in the day and that thing was bulletproof.
It will be great when it runs smoothly
I hope you keep it as it is, tall skinny tyres on a bog standard 4x4 are so rare to see these days. Go through the mechanical's plugs, leads fluids etc and enjoy it 👍
I never thought I would ever like the look of early SWB Holden Jackaroo. But it turns out I do. Looking forward to the build Dave.🇦🇺
Isuzu for the win! I'm still daily driving two almost 30 year old Rodeos!
Nice!
@@thedirtheadshed thanks brother! I can't wait to see what you do with your Trooper!
I’ve got a 2000 Trooper that I daily drive. Thing has never let me down.
@@stevepauley2437 hell yeah, they're unstoppable. Especially if they have three pedals!
A mate had one of those. We called them Holden Jackeroos in Oz. I have an 81 Suzuki Sierra that needs fixing, but the good thing is I used to own it about 15, 16 years ago, so I'm looking forward to getting it road worthy. It, too, has ARB suspension.
The arb parts are always great quality
i had a 4 door version in 90 or so. did great in the snow. also some wheeling inside tahoe basin behind heavenly valley. lots of fun.
Good memories
The previous owner really loved that vehicle because he bought the best parts for it and took care of it. Great find!
Ya know he cared for it and put that Damprid in there to keep moisture out of the tub of parts!
This is going to be an awesome build sweet find love the fact it’s something different Dave’s the best thanks Dave keep the awesome projects coming
It's a good thing it came with a new head. Those 2.6 Isuzus had a problem with soft cylinder heads. The exhaust valve seats would recess into the head and allow the the valves to burn. My 89 4-door burned an exhaust valve, but I was able to grind the seat and get it to seal. I test drove a new sport in about 1988 and it was equipped with the style of wheel that you got with the Trooper. It was on 31" tires.
Rad
Such a cool little rig. I’m glad it’s not going on tons, those were such cool off roaders from the start. Looking forward to the build. I definitely like these TH-cam videos better than the mainstream media half hour start to finish episodes. Nowhere the detail like these videos. Keep up the great work.
Thanks. I’ll definitely post up on this one
My first car was an 89 Trooper with the 2.8 Chevy engine. Manual. Hated it at the time but man do I miss it. It always "fixed" itself.
It’s weird how that happens
Saw the Tera low gears on the passenger floor!! Definitely head gasket. 2.6 eats them. The 5tec mod for the intake helps prevent it. Soak the idle air control valve in sea foam as soon as you pull the head. That header is discontinued, score! Those are OG RS wheels as well as amigo. I’m missing my spare and need one….mine took 6 months to complete from pick n pull to daily driver, can’t wait to watch your build.
Good eye on the t case gears!
Loving the Trooper! I had a 88' for a short period of time back in college. The two dooi version looks a lot cooler. Looking forward to seeing more on this one!
It will be fun to get started on
On my way to bed at 2300 in Sicily, BOOM! New Dirthead Shed! 😂 of course I stayed up to watch! Ok good night dirt heads!
Cheers! Have a great weekend
Sounded to me like it was down on compression in at least one cylinder; sounded like it was "galloping" when you were turning it over for the first time.
so stoked on this... as the custodian of an 89 Amigo, 89 Spacer and an 86 Trooper with a 2.6 out of an 89 in it, I am thrilled to see this!! (yes, I agree the 89 2.6 FI is indeed a sweet spot for Isuzu!) looking forward to watching this series unfold... appreciate your approach to so much... cheers brother!
You are the kingpin of Isuzu cool
@@thedirtheadshed hardly... just have a similar *problem* -- and a stash of parts to prove it 🤣
Cool rigs I sold a 88 trooper running for 800 $ I had it for a couple years , fun , I bought it for 800 $ Put 33 , s. On it , loved it should have kept it , good job buddy 🎉
The body being in such good shape is a huge help.
Man! I am stoked for you and the build.
It’s fantastic! But not so nice that I feel like I need to restore or baby it
@@thedirtheadshed It's rad that it is in as good a shape as it is simply for the age when it was made. Materials weren't made to last long.
The interior is really cool.
I do like your plans. A simple rad vehicle to bump around in the country, which is magnificent up your way
I love the Isuzu RS models. I had a 93 RS that was one of my favorite vehicles ever. Wish I had never sold it. I'm on the hunt for a diesel Trooper II now....
I'm loving how you are mixing up the content. It makes your videos very relatable to life. Keep up the good work.
My grandfather loved troopers. He had about 6 of them through the years. I like the short wheels base. I look forward to the build.
Project trucks are just like pokemon... gotta catch em all. Freaking sweet Isuzu. I didnt know they made a short one.
Loved my 87. Take it above 75mph, could watch the gas gage drop...at 80, started to cavitate the water pump. But slow going & rough, it never failed.
Friends job bought him new car every 3 years. And paid for gas/ins. He negotiated deal. He got a new trooper once. Told him it was a piece of junk. He agreed. Oh, he got to keep cars. Free.
Seems like a sweet deal
Love this little trooper! But I’m Anxiously waiting for more on the D50!!! Keep the content coming!
That bird is a Killdeer. We have them all over our railyard. They like to nest in the rocks and do the fake-broken-wing routine when you get near their nest. I had to mute this because I thought the call was coming in from outside.
Hahahah. They are loud little suckers
Yep. Years ago at work (chemical plant), we had one. The operators set out traffic cones so people wouldn't run over the nest. They are really concealed and hard to see.
Loved my long wheel based trooper. Unfortunately lost it to frame rust the boxed in frames trap a ton of sediment . The short wheelbase is so sweet. Mitsubishi/ Dodge did same with the Raider. Long and short wheelbase
It was a cool time for vehicles
Those little buckshots are awesome.
They are… should be easy to sell
In Colombia,south America you find any spare part for the trooper an a few excellent troopers still working,also if you need spare parts for Suzuki SJ 410 you find everything
That’s awesome. Keeping them running
OK, I'm gonna be yelling...
WE NEED DAVE BACK ON TELEVISION!!!
Facts he’s a hell of a builder a lot of skill was heart broken when ded got cancelled
I love the new project! But even more, I love the new microphone setup!!! Do you remember how bad the audio was is some of your first TH-cams? Your teaching and story telling are awesome now, since we can hear everything clearly.
It was so bad in the beginning!! Thanks for sticking around
You have a problem Dave. It's fascinating to watch, but it is a problem. :D
It really is… wife is mad
@@thedirtheadshed Remember it is easier to ask for forgiveness than it is for permission.
@thedirtheadshed
Dodge made a twin to these in Canada, was Mitsubishi though
A Dodge Raider.
@@flyin427fordalways wanted one of those raiders! So cool
Not problem, it’s called opportunity.
Having had a few Isuzus myself, hearing those door hinges takes me back.
It could use a little lube!
Motortrend is failing because of required subscription.
That was when it started going downhill
Yup. All the nonsense reality show drama based crap being added, and the good shows canceled, or running short seasons got annoying. Once Dirt Every Day was canceled, so was my subscription.
My work is very seasonal, so for like 3yrs in a row I'd subscribe to MT for the month of August and binge watch DED and Roadkill to catch up on what I missed over the last year once they went that way of the subscription. It would never be a sustainable value for me to keep it monthly.
Greed kills!
I'm happy to get a hotwheel tho, I collect.
Awesome!!! I have been waiting years for one of you dirt dorks to get one of these and take it wheeling! I remember these in the very early 90’s! Loved them. Was my dream vehicle in 93! Turn that thing into a UA wheeler!
I’m not sure I’ll go that hardcore. But it will definitely be capable
DODGE RAIDER
It’s not a raider.. but those are cool
@@thedirtheadshed SuperTrooper?
The Troopers are really cool rigs. Everybody forgets about them. I almost bought one in the 90’s when I lived in New Mexico, but I found an even cooler rig. A 66 Nissan Patrol, it was to cool to pass up. I wish I still had it, but I still love 98 Disco that I have now. You should just build it as a mild tourer/overlander. It’s almost perfect as is, after a few repairs.
It is pretty good. I’ll make a decision suspension after it’s a runner
the govt regulators have effed up fuel tanks really badly haven't they?
edited to add: this would be a great place to put one of those Cummins 4cy crate engine!
It would be awesome with one
Those 2.6 motors are famous for internal head cracks. Definitely a reason for the new head that came with it. My Amigo had the same thing at about 160K miles. Very difficult to diagnose, but a replacement head was available that was slightly redesigned to eliminate the problem. I added the headers and had a cam ground for it, which made a nice package. You're lucky to have found that one. I'm still looking for a plain long-wheelbase 4dr in decent shape. I love those Isuzus...
I hope all these parts are good and usable
Looks pretty promising, good luck...
@@thedirtheadshed Where is the head from?
It seems like they cancelled all the good shows left with stuff like mud madness which seem like a bunch of inbred cousin lovers
I haven’t watched anything in quite a while
That’s pretty cool to see someone in the US working on one of these. I had several of this generation here in Ireland over the years but they all had versions of the 2.8L Turbodiesel engine
The little 2.6l petrol engine isn’t bad. I’m looking forward to tearing into this one
@@thedirtheadshed I’m glad you are . I’ve seen them here with that engine but they were very rare . People traditionally preferred diesel here in 4x4s and vans. From the mid 80s on nearly everything like that was diesel powered
I had a 91 trooper... I loved it. I wish I could find another one... now I want a swb like this one....
They are out there!
@thedirtheadshed yeah they're out there. I've seen them before. When I bought mine the guy actually gave me a 2 door that I'm fairly certain was a diesel. I was just young and didn't take it too. The engine had been taken out and I didn't have the room for it
In today's money, $4500 is not a lot of money. you did well. Also thank you for revealing the price. It really gives context.
Your red Trooper reminds me a lot of the red Mitsubishi Montero my family had years ago. Yours is gonna be a cool project with all those new parts!!!
Super similar! Hope it all comes together
I looked forever for an unmolested GM 2.8 5 speed. They are unobtainium with that chev S10 V6. What I found was beat & over priced.
But the engine purred & it drove quiet, straight & smooth. I paid the price. It now has overhauled running gear with free flow cat back getting all of the 130 HP, Roof mounted cargo rack A 1974 FJ 40 custom Winch bumper from affordable that improves approach angle, Smittybuilt 9000 winch & full recovery gear. Of course 31x 10.50 - 15 Patagonia M/T Milestar. These Troopers drive like a sports car & in low range that 2.8 v6 may as well be a V8. Troopers are Treats to drive.
love the truck, love the tires, absolutely love seeing something useful being improved instead of crushed
Same!
Damn that thing is so awesome looking! I never knew they made a two-door short WB version of the trooper. I had a 1992 Isuzu amigo for a few years. Absolutely loved it
I love that first gen amigo