The name Isuzu does not exactly conjure up images of performance or quality. The hapless automaker for all intents and purposes no longer exists in America (though you can still find their commercial vehicles here and there). While these vehicles are boring, a little ingenuity, patience, and a 383 Chevy motor can work wonders.
Bangshift found this 383-powered Isuzu Amigo over at
Racing Junk, and suffice to say it is probably one of the coolest Amigos ever.
Pictures: rstreblin
The only cool thing about the original Amigo was the detachable rear roof. Other than that, the 96 horsepower engine and weak four-wheel drive system left a lot to be desired. So one enterprising owner removed the 2.3 liter four cylinder engine, and in its placed dropped a 383 Chevy engine into it. With all forged internals, a 10:1 compression ratio,
Lunati cam,
Hooker headers,
Weiand intake, and a bevy of other go-fast parts, the seller claims this engine makes over 450 horsepower.
That much power would snap the stock driveline on an Amigo in half. A
B&M Turbo 400 transmission was added as well as a heavy duty Ford 9-inch rear end. The vehicle was then lowered 3 inches, given disc brakes all around, and
BFG drag radials to help get some traction. This is one gnarly ride, and you’d have to be a little bit crazy to want to drive it, and even crazier to build it. The craziest part? The $18,000 asking price.
Linear Mode
