December 2015 Particulate Matters - Truck Trend Network

Most mornings, the drive from my home to Diesel Power Central in El Segundo, California, takes about 30 minutes, from door to door. Seeing bone-stock, older cars and trucks in near-mint condition is a common occurrence on Southern California freeways, and there are instances when a unique or cool (in my opinion) vehicle might catch my attention during the drive. That's definitely how things went on the morning one truly forgotten gem—an '84 Datsun 720 King Cab pickup—merged directly in front of me and had me staring at the bold white letters on its tailgate. Totally by chance, I was staring at a pickup that many diesel aficionados might say is uber rare—and it was clean, straight, and (from where I sat) running like a champ. Believe it or not, "diesel mini pickup" made it onto my list way back in 1997, when I saw an ultra-clean '82 Chevrolet Luv with a 2. 2L Isuzu oil-burner under the hood. The truck was parked at a car show (with a five-speed manual transmission attached to the back of its tiny diesel), and all I could think about was how fun it would be to drive that little rig. The mid-'90s was definitely a golden era for '80s mini-trucks like Luvs, Isuzu Pups, Mazdas, Toyotas, and Datsun/Nissans. Source: www.trucktrend.com