I actually rented a Ford Taunus in 1985 when I was stationed in Germany. I was amazed how much better it drove compared to the Taurus. My folks came to visit me at the time. We took it down the Autobahn and in the mountains of the Schwartzwald.
5 Likes
Hi Al,
Kubota?
Rindert
Hi Rindert, Itās a Shibaura (Japanese) out of a Ford tractor
3 Likes
Hi Steve, parts are crazy expensive for these V4ās, that why Iām repowering it. One guy online said he replace his with a Ford 2.8 out of a Ranger, suppose to bolt in, but they are hard to find now.
3 Likes
Hi AL,FRICK interesting project, have you seen any mpg reveiw from any one else thay did the deisel switch. ? just currious becouse i put a mersadies 300 desiel in my s10 only too see it got only about 23 mpg. Not all that good for a stinky desiel.my next project other than wood gas my 99 dakota is putting a 5.9 inline 6cyl cummins engine in my 3500 chevy, since it gets about 7 mpg the way it sets 454.
2 Likes
Ha! Ha! Yeah V-4 parts were crazy even back when these were new production in Germany and shipped here into the US.
Why I said offer it parts out one piece at a time. Or in piece sets. Rusty or not.
Damn stout stiff little engine though. Could make power hot-rodded up to crazy RPMs for a push rod engine.
S.U.
4 Likes
Kevin, is that 454 in front of a manual transmission?
1 Like
No its a 4l80e tranny.shifts nice and crisp, rpm at 55 is about 1700.Think i am going too tweek one of the two throtle body injectors with pwm and tune on fly see what if any gain mpg.
2 Likes
Kevin,
About the same mileage my 1985 MB 300SD turbo diesel got on a good day. Now it is sitting dead in my driveway. Hate to call the junkyard, but promised my wife Joy I would get rid of it a long time ago!! 
Too many miles, weak compression, will not start at all in cold weather, I tried again this week with block heater and jump from my Subaru, no go. 
1 Like
Hey Mike, it might start good with a little wood gas mixed in. Maybe use a simple fire gasifer. Happy New Year to you all.
Bob
2 Likes
if i still had my s10 i would have tried it on wood gas desiel mix.As bob said maybe just a simple fire too jump the milege way up. Car probley sitting too long and hard too get parts for. i would at leist save the tranny parts stick or automatic, Getting hard too find parts for trannys, or trannys.probley get 500 bucks out of auto tranny if it still worked good.Or sell it for parts.put out front of on ebay or craigs list.
4 Likes
Yes. I donāt want to put another dollar or hour into the old beast, even though I really like the car! I was hoping to get it to start, then put on Craigslist as āruns , drives ,ok for partsā. I have way too many projects around here and need to learn how to let go of some!
2 Likes
I know what you mean it aint allways easy, i put quit bit of time and money in vehicles. Its allway good too see the yard space if ya gotta acrap it. I took one too scrap this year after pulling the transmission, tires,nice aluminum drive shaft,for repurpus, i let the motor go it had a spun bearing.and sold my 4 cyl s10 at auction, too many projects, not needed so i let it go at auction cheap, but still made more than scrap price, and some body got a decent body too fix up mechanicle stuff.
4 Likes
My wife has forced me to get rid of quite a few junkers. I regret everyone. An engine takes up very little room. Iād yank that and the trans out. Either will sell on Craigs list for more than the whole car will. I donāt know much about that car but plenty of things you can build out of the rear end if itās rear wheel drive. Also Iād mix a little gasoline in the diesel to try and start it. I donāt think ten per cent would hurt anything. Iāve seen it done on industrial engines. Worst case is some pre-ignition. I call it a learning experience.
3 Likes
Hello Mike .
MB around that year should be able to be pulled off . Same a if it were a manual trans.
2 Likes
Hy Wayne did you mean pull started.
2 Likes
Yes Kevin .
Pull started 
2 Likes
Ya I remember pull starting a few of them older automatic transmission. Plenty of old car breakdowns getting started fixing cars.
2 Likes
Hi All,
Dear friends, I have been out of touch for a while. I appreciate yaāll keeping this thread alive. Ha.
I have decided that I will not use my hotrod Dakota as a woodgas project anymore and I am up for selling it to someone that will appreciate it, finish it and use it. I think that would be best. I have 3 trucks. I would like to downsize and provide a leg-up opportunity to someone who will appreciate it.
I have it available as a 99 percent kit form. Basically, I have almost every part either built or in inventory for completion. I am sure there are a few details that will change with the consciousness if its next owner, but I tried to get it āallā together. I also have a pile of tanks etc. here that one could pick through and have with the truck. And enough band saw blades to build a couple more burnersā¦
I stopped the build when I lost the use of my right hand for a about year, but that is back to normal. Then I proceeded in a caregiving mode for quite a while for my Beth. She passed in 2018 and I was in a fog for quite a while. I am back to as normal as possible. Whatever that means these daysā¦
I am building a solar setup at this time on a cargo trailer. Kind of a power company on wheelsā¦
I will even sell the baler that I bought for a chunker if someone would likeā¦ You can take the whole baler, or you/we can cut out the business part out of it and I will scrap the rest.
I would like some feedback as to itās worth. I am in North Central Arkansas about a mile south of the Missouri state line. I am south of the rust line.
You can see this truck and some of what I got done at first at the beginning of this thread, as this thread was supposed to be the public ābuild threadā for this project. There is a bit more rust just around the top of the wheel wells of the bed now, but the rest is a good running, rust free frame and truck. I do drive it around for fun and always get a kick out of answering questions about the pretty rack/cooling rails. I have maintained it since I got it. But mostly just use it to drive to the mailbox and the dock.
Take a look and let me know what you think.
I will be happy to answer your questions as best I can.
Onward and upward,
Al Denninger
3 Likes