'80 L200 Express Commercial model

[1600cc]

I've had this truck for 3 years and have been fixing it when I can.
It's a 1980 Chrysler L200 Express commercial model, which means it has 4g32b motor, 4 speed column shift manual, 4.89:1 rear diff, a 1000kg load capacity, bench seat, and suspension geometry is an inch higher than the square headlight 1st gens.

It's about to do its second lap of the 100,000km odometer, and had a rebuilt motor installed in 1996 when it had almost completed its first odometer lap.

Here's the condition I bought it in:
http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=27033&stc=1

I've also acquired and modified a flat tray:
http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=27031&stc=1

and drove 600+km to buy this stylish canopy:
http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=27032&stc=1

Other than lots of maintenance, I've fitted a torsen LSD, dealt with almost all surface rust, and put in a better dash from a parts ute I have (bent yellow '86 L200 with seized 4G63 and narrow 5spd). I have an italian weber 36/32 rebuilt to escort gt 1600 specs and L300 4g32b extractors that will need a a few inches off the end and a pair of 90degree bends welded on to clear the chassis rail.

There was a minor overheating incident earlier in the year when a heater hose failed, so right now it's got chemiweld holding pressure in cylinder 4. I have a waterpump, timing belt kit etc for a major birthday soon, it just has to get through the Australian summer first, because it's a work truck.

Even after a rebuild the mikuni floods when hot, so I might start a thread to ask for help on that as I don't have all the bits ready for the weber swap yet and don't have time to pull off the tub and lay out electric pump etc. Plus I want to change out all old fuel hose when that happens.

Great to see an active forum for these little trucks in an age when so much useful internet content has been lost to facebook.

[xboxrox]

Hello 1600cc Welcome to MR50

Cool truck you got OO OO headlights are the best !!! Check out my Mikuni rebuild photo album & check make sure the float has not leaked

[geezer101]

Hi and welcome to mightyram. Is it a Tassie truck? Hard to tell from the picture resolution. Now that is a survivor. Finding any parts for it would be a struggle especially with the 4G32 engine. Even getting a salvage engine from a Colt would be a hard task. The 1.6 is a good little engine. Easy to work on, runs on fumes and is really reliable too. Very cool to have a Chrysler L200 Express! Apparently they were also sold in Australia as the Chrysler D-50 as well.

[1600cc]

Thanks for the welcome.

@xboxrox the float floats but it gets stuck open. I'll check out your album, thanks.

@geezer101 it is a Tassie truck, still got the same plates and dealer stickers it left the lot with 41 years ago. I've accidentally downsized the photos when using the forum WYSIWYG, I'll sort it out and add engine bay and interior when I'm on desktop.

General engine and suspension parts have all been easy to find new, but there's a lot of NLA specific parts of course. This is definitely a survivor, there are a few 80-82 first gens down here in the far south of Tas, pretty much all old farmers and all trucks are white and square headlights + 4g52..
There was a long-parked old Colt that I drove past daily for 2 years and idly wondered what 4g it had, and the next time I passed after learning it was a 4g37b... It was gone, finally.
Since that missed opportunity I'll have a chat with anyone driving something crusty enough to be a parts source!

[geezer101]

I might see one First Gen Chrysler truck every 3 or 4 years if I'm lucky. L200's are getting thin on the ground and they rarely make an appearance in wreckers. I remember seeing a lot of older cars in Tas. It seems you guys keep a hold of them for longer. I think it would be a good place to go mining for 60's and 70's cars out on farms.

p.s. loved Tassie, beautiful place :thumbup:

[1600cc]

It's because of a few factors - the orchard industry crash of the 70s left a LOT of (asbestos) shedding available, and transferring ownership of a registered vehicle doesn't require a vehicle inspection.