I always have some off-the-wall question.... a Mazda pickup this time.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Just a thought, should you want to spend a lot of money and effort to build something nobody else would have: consider the Mitsubishi Starion turbo'd and intercooled 2.0 or 2.6 engine and 5-speed gearbox. They made around 180 to 200 HP, depending, with enough torque to work in a light truck.

Starions were successful in motorsports, which is usually indicative of a good engine design.

                           

Edited Tuesday at 05:19 PM by Ace-Garageguy

[stitchdup]

1 hour ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Just a thought, should you want to spend a lot of money and effort to build something nobody else would have: consider the Mitsubishi Starion turbo'd and intercooled 2.0 or 2.6 engine and 5-speed gearbox. They made around 180 to 200 HP, depending, with enough torque to work in a light truck.

Starions were successful in motorsports, which is usually indicative of a good engine design.

                           

the chrysler version might be cheaper and easier to find

[89AKurt]

Just like the Chevy S-10s, all these smaller pickups, especially with the extended cab, are going to become very popular soon, when the behemoths with more computers than a Space Shuttle, break one.  I had a friend with a Datsun extended cab, stolen and recovered two times.  So more power to you!

I would do a 350 crate engine, just sayin'.  I would also look for the rotary pickup, slip a newer engine in.

Edited Tuesday at 09:28 PM by 89AKurt

[Little Timmy]

Just stick a fully blown 426 in there 

 

..... You know you want to ... 

 

[johnyrotten]

Later versions of these were essentially ford rangers, maybe the 2.3 L mazda engine from one of those would be fairly simple swap?