Jdemaris ? IHC Scouts

[Mike M]

With your vast "fleet" of diesel cars and trucks have you ever had or talked with anyone who had an IHC Scout with the diesel engine ? I was always curious what kinda fuel mileage these would make.

 

[JDemaris]

I drove two of them, for years - one without the turbo, and one with. Both 198 cubic inch Nissan diesels. Both were loaded down pretty heavy with tools all the time and were used as service vehicles. As I recall, the best tank of fuel I ever verified was around 25 MPG - but I never got to check one empty cruising down a flat highway.
They handled so badly, not sure I would have wanted to.
Around the same vintage, Jeep had a Perkins diesel available, but I never got to drive one.
I know of a few Chevy K5 Blazers with Cummins 236 c.i. turbo diesels (3.9 liter) that get a best of around 28 MPG.
I still have a rusted out Isuzu Trooper with a 2.2 turbo Isuzu diesel and that can get a best of around 32 MPG on a flat highway.
I also have many 6.2 diesel Blazers and the best mileage I ever saw was 23 MPG.

 

[Mike M]

My cousin drove a few gas models and I also had some for field buggies as by the time I had them they were too rotted for the roads. I have never seen one of the diesels and wondered about them.

 

[JDemaris]

None of those types of rigs were ever common. I've been buying them up whenver I can find them.
Ford sold a 4WD turbo-diesel Ranger - and that's real rare. Dodge sold a 1/2 ton diesel truck with a Mitsubishi 6 cylinder diesel - again - rare.
Chevy sold S10 trucks and Blazers with Isuzu diesels. I have one truck, but never seen an S10 diesel Blazer in real life.
Jeep had the Perkins diesel version, Checker also had a few Perkins disel rigs.
I used to be able to pick up such things as oddities and cheap, but no more. Prices are going crazy on them. I've got a little Isuzu 4WD diesel pickup and was offered $6000 for it (maybe I should of sold it). Seems much of the new interest is due to people wanting to run on waste vegetable oil.
I had a chance to buy a turbo-diesel Scout last year for $1000. It ran good but was rusted to death. That same rig today would probably sell for $5000 - or more - on Ebay.
Best best is - get yourself a Cummins or Isuzu 3.9 turbo and build your own.
I'm working on a Chevy 4WD Tracker right now - with a 1.6 Volkswagen diesel. It's a real common and easy bolt-in swap - but I'm afraid it's going to have a top speed of around 55 MPH.
The ultimate rig as I see it - is a 1/2 ton truck or SUV with the Cummis 3.9. All kinds of power and close to 30 MPG on the highway. I know of many - the main catch is the price of one of those engines - they don't go cheap. Many were put into Chevy P30 potato chip and bread vans as repowers.

 

[Mark - IN.]

I remember those nissan diesel scouts. Don't remember there being a lot on the road though, but they existed for sure. I'm thinking back then that technologies not being what they are today... Maybe with the other guys bringing out "retro" vehicals, like toyota and what looks like a F3 or whatever the original land cruiser was, maybe time for Navistar to try a "retro" scout prototype to get a feel for the market, and maybe not. Hey, I see folks tooloing around in H2 and now somewhat smaller H3 Hummers, which wouldn't stand a chance up against a real Hummer. Sell the folks what they'll buy, I guess.

 

[Bob N.Y.]

Are you sure Jeep had a Perkins diesel? I know they offered a Pugeot(sp) diesel from 1984-86.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I have a friend with an excellent one. He has a ton of money in it though I think. Has a winch on each end, air lockers on both axles, and the body has been redone. Biggest complaint he has is that it is gutless. At one time, he had a couple spare engines, but I think he sold them.

 

[JDemaris]

Yes, Jeep had a Perkins diesel offered in model year 1968. Only info I have from Jeep is that is was a Perkins engine, 3.5" bore by 5" storke and 192 cubic inches.

 

[Sid]

"Chevy sold S10 trucks and Blazers with Isuzu diesels. I have one truck, but never seen an S10 diesel Blazer in real life." I did not know Chevy ever put a diesel in the S10. I do know they took Isuszu pickups with a desiel and sold them as the Chevy LUV. Best work vehicle I ever owned. I could haul my personel tools and it got around forty, some times a little more, miles per gallon.

 

[Jerry Coulter]

I have Checker literature from 1976 that shows the Perkins 4.236 engine was available. I remember the Jeep was offered with a Perkins about the same time, I thought it was a 3 cylinder. My best mileage maker is my 1982 Chevy C10 with 6.2, 2.7 differential and 700R4 tranny with a .69 OD. I've gotten 29 MPG on a trip.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I bought a 4 x4 diesel turbo ranger in 86 brand new with 5 speed manual ,still have it .It did 32 to 34 mpg in mixed driving .I got 36 or 37 one time .It seems to be very few made it has been a great truck .Nobody seems to no they made a diesel back then .

 

[Mike M]

That must of been Ford's best keep secret ? Too bad they don't get smart enough to sell them like that again ! mileage on these gas ones is not good at all.

 

[JDemaris]

My best fuel milage 6.2 is my 1982 K10. 4WD, 3.07 axles, and a four-speed manual trans with overdrive. 24 MPG is the absolute best it's ever done - and it's pretty useless for pulling anything. Overall though, it's been a good truck.
I'm in the hills and also have the extra weight of 4WD. I've heard of some 2WDs getting upward of 26 MPG, but never 29. Are you citing US gallons or Canadian Imerial gallons?
There was a 6.2 diesel fuel-mileage contest a few years back, and the winner got 27 MPG on one controlled trip (US gallons).

 

[JDemaris]

Chevy sold quite a few S10s with 2.2 Isuzu diesels and Warner transmissions. I still have one rusting out in my field. The S10 Blazer though are very rare. So are the Ford Rangers with the Mazda diesels.
Chevy used Isuzu diesels in many things. I still have and drive two 1981 diesel Chevettes with 1.8 diesels. They are based on German Opel engineering.
The LUVS were quite different - they are just relabled Isuzu PUPs. I still drive one, but can't say I've ever gotten as good fuel milage as I see others cite. Mine has the 2.2 Isuzu diesel, 4WD, 3.41 axles and 4 speed trans. Top safe speed is around 60 MPH and it gets 27 MPG not matter what I do - regardless if it's on the highway or putting around local hills. It's the most handiest truck I've ever owned in my life - but at this moment, I'm cursing it a bit. Just had a CV joint go bad in front and found out the entire front axle assembly has to come clear out to change half-shafts. That's something I never encountered before.