Home » Recalcitrant Rarities: 1985 Isuzu Impulse Turbo vs 1987 Toyota Van 4WD

Recalcitrant Rarities: 1985 Isuzu Impulse Turbo vs 1987 Toyota Van 4WD

Sbsd 11 25 2024
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Good morning! We’re kicking off Thanksgiving week with a couple of almost-never-seen-anymore imports that are both stubbornly refusing to do the one thing we ask most of cars: run and drive. But they’re both cool enough to warrant saving, in my opinion.

On Friday we wrapped up our week-long salute to project cars, and it’s clear to me from the results that for the majority of you, “project” means a wash and a wax, and maybe fixing some minor things here and there. The clean Mercedes 300E won by a country mile. I think you’d be in for a surprise, however, a year or so into ownership, when the first repair bill came in.

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For me, it’s the Ranchero, and I’ll tell you why. The Lincoln is way cool, but beyond my abilities to do it justice, I fear. And I think I’d want to modernize it, at least to the point of having decent suspension and brakes, and that would cost even more. The Corona looks like a great project, but it doesn’t really get my blood flowing. The Ranchero is my kind of project: it runs and drives, but needs an endless amount of farting around on weekends.

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You don’t really realize how homogenized and limited the new car market has become until you look at what used to be available. Thirty or forty years ago, most automakers made three or four different sizes of car, in all sorts of body styles, and with powertrain options to suit almost anyone – unless four hundred horsepower is your minimum requirement, in which case you’re probably happier with the choices now. But you won’t find any two-door fastback hatchback coupes with turbo engines and some of the coolest factory wheels of all time, or any cab-over 4WD vans with five-speed sticks. For those, you have to turn to the used market, and in the case of these two, you’ll have to do a little troubleshooting. Let’s check them out.

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1985 Isuzu Impulse Turbo – $3,500

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Engine/drivetrain: Turbocharged 2.0-liter overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, RWD

Location: Santa Ana, CA

Odometer reading: 175,000 miles

Operational status: Doesn’t run, not getting fuel

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Younger readers may not remember, but back in the ’80s, the Isuzu Impulse was the absolute fastest car on the entire planet. Faster, even, than a speeding bullet. Such incredible velocities take their toll on cars, and sometimes, after a whole bunch of miles, they needed to just lie down and rest for a while. And that is where we find this sleek silver missile: Six years into a nap in a driveway in southern California.

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The Giugiaro-designed Impulse was available in the US in only one flavor: Everything. You could choose between a naturally aspirated or turbocharged engine, and either a manual or automatic transmission, and that’s it; everything else was standard equipment. This Impulse has the most desirable combination: a turbo and a stickshift. It’s a two-liter four, putting out 140 horsepower to the rear wheels. Not as fast as Joe Isuzu may have claimed, but no slouch in the ’80s. Sadly, this one only goes as fast as you can push it. The fuel pump is shot, and it has been sitting that way for six years. It’ll take some work to get it going again.

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Six years of sitting takes its toll on more than just the mechanical bits. Stationary cars become catch-alls for all kinds of crap – witness the moldy cardboard box in the passenger’s seat. I assume it contains some parts bought years ago. Hey, maybe it’s a new fuel pump! Otherwise, it’s faded and dusty, but intact, though I’d like to see the seat under that cover.

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Outside, it’s dull and faded, but straight, and all the little details that make this car so cool are intact: the badges, the pop-out vent windows, the half-lidded pop-up headlights, and of course those amazing waffle-iron wheels. The 1980s were a high point for factory alloy wheels, and these are some of the best that ever graced any car.

1987 Toyota Van 4WD – $2,000

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Engine/drivetrain: 2.2-liter overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, part-time 4WD

Location: Seattle, WA

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Odometer reading: 280,000 miles

Operational status: Starts and runs, but dies after a few minutes and won’t restart

Just so you all know: This van sold sometime in the hour between finding the ad and sitting down to write this, so you won’t find anything at the link above. But it’s an interesting van, and I just don’t have the strength to go find something else, so I’m going to write about it anyway. What we have here is the US market version of the Toyota Town Ace, rather unimaginatively called the Toyota Van here, and nicknamed the “Toaster” by the guys I worked with at the service station.

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The Toyota Van is powered by a 2.2 liter four-cylinder engine, located in a hump between the front seats. Most of them had an automatic transmission and were only rear-wheel-drive, but a few of them made it across the Pacific equipped with not only 4WD, but also a five-speed stick.  This one starts and runs, but stalls after a few miles, and won’t restart until it cools down. If it were an older carbureted engine, I’d suspect vapor lock, but with electronic fuel injection it must be something else getting hot and failing. Crankshaft position sensor, maybe? I’ve heard of that happening.

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It has nearly 300,000 miles on it, and it shows: The seats are duct-taped, the carpet is trashed, and I shudder to think what that red button on the steering wheel is for. (I like to think that if you press it, a light comes on that says “Please do not press this button again.“) But it is still a big box on wheels, meaning it’s still suited for all the things a van is useful for.

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Outside, it’s maroon, faded, and has crumbling tape stripes, just like a Toyota Pickup I used to own. Just like a whole lot of ’80s Toyotas, actually. I do see a little bit of rust around the corners as well. It’s nowhere near as bad as it would be if this van were in Detroit instead of Seattle, but it’s there.

For the sake of argument, assume the van is still available when you’re making your decision. We’ve got two cool imports with manual transmissions and bad attitudes. Which one are you going to straighten up and make fly right?

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(Image credits: sellers)

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Stephen Reed
Stephen Reed
7 days ago

Take the power train of the Impulse out and put in a drivetrain from a later model Miata… Or see if an LS fits.

I’m known for giving to impulse, and I’m no different here today.

JDE
JDE
7 days ago

It would be fun to see how big of wheels I could get under that van without toppling over

Schrödinger's Catbox
Schrödinger's Catbox
7 days ago

The outside of that Impulse looks pretty decent. The inside looks like it spent a decade in the bottom of a lake.

Manwich Sandwich
Manwich Sandwich
7 days ago

I would go for the Impulse. And I’m gonna guess the fuel pump for this will be something that is also used on other cars. So I’m gonna guess the part shouldn’t be to crazy expensive.

*does some checking*

And I was right… here’s one for $50
https://treperformance.com/i-685-isuzu-impulse-oem-replacement-fuel-pump-1985-1989.html

But some disassembly and assembly is required as you would reuse the housing from the old unit.

The alternative is to pay more than 10X that from Isuzu
https://www.isuzupartscenter.com/oem-parts/isuzu-fuel-pump-8941132051

Now having said that, I’m gonna guess this needs more than a fuel pump. But due to the nice design and novelty factor, the Impulse deserves to be restored.

Inthemikelane
Inthemikelane
7 days ago

Owned an’85 non-turbo 5 speed Impulse, loved it, regret getting rid of it. Wasn’t fast but was tight, handled really well for what it was, not a squeak or rattle through several years of ownership. If this one cleaned up well, it would be tempting.

FuzzyPlushroom
FuzzyPlushroom
7 days ago

I love the idea of that Impulse (those waffly wheels!) but this one last passed smog in 2010, then failed in 2012, and that’s the most recent record on the BAR’s site, so we’re only getting part of its history. Coupled with the mold and the trash, I think I’d take the scruffy-but-honest van even if the Impulse’s seller wasn’t hitting the Crack Pipe price-wise.

Delorean859
Delorean859
7 days ago

If I’m forced to pick from these two, the Impulse. That said, for $3500 I’ll see what I can get elsewhere.

James Thomas
James Thomas
7 days ago

Toyota all day long. One weakness of the van engines was the end of the crankshaft. It is keyed for the crank pulley and the keyed area breaks. Pretty much spells the end of the engine.

Freelivin2713
Freelivin2713
7 days ago

I’ll make an “Impulse” buy today…I like that body style- it reminds me of the VW Scirocco and Corrado. I never liked the looks of those Yota vans

Comet_65cali
Comet_65cali
7 days ago

Would Boondock the van for sure. It gets my vote.

Isis
Isis
8 days ago

Turning my back on both of these and getting a Tetanus booster while I’m at it. Gross!

Evan M
Evan M
8 days ago

I own an 89 Impulse and side by side that Toyota has to be my pick. The Impulse is fantastic but 4wd van is something else

Alan Christensen
Alan Christensen
8 days ago

The Impulse was stunningly styled back in the day. Crisp,clean, sleek… Giugiaro did a wonderful job. And it still looks great.

Bill C
Bill C
7 days ago

First-time poster. I think the Impulse ranks as one of the best designs not only of the 80’s but in all of automobilia. And to think Guigiaro & Isuzu did this on the GM “T” platform. Yes, a Chevette. Talk about lipstick on a pig.

Hotdoughnutsnow
Hotdoughnutsnow
8 days ago

The beautiful shiny button! The jolly candy like button!

Cyko9
Cyko9
8 days ago

The Toyota is tempting, but I suspect it’s beat. The Isuzu is probably better than it presents, and fingers crossed it’s just the fuel pump.

TheNewt
TheNewt
8 days ago

First thought – the Joe Isuzu campaign was one of the greatest car ad campaigns ever.

Second thought – I would love to have both of these. Went with the Impulse though.

Justin Grady
Justin Grady
8 days ago

As a former owner of a 1986 non-turbo Impulse 5spd, same color as this one. I’ll impulsively buy the doorstop any day! Loved that car, it just began to fall apart all over, including window regulators that snap inside when the plastics get old, the fuel injection was never quite right, and the heater core went out. Still would love to restore one if I had the garage space.

Sammy B
Sammy B
8 days ago

One extra note on the Toyota Van. As you can see it has a proper hi-lo transfer case, so proper 4×4 not just AWD. And this ones appears to be a cargo-conversion model, so it’s got slightly beefier suspension than the passenger 4×4 model.

Somewhat urban legend, though Car and Driver did seem to start it: Toyota wanted to call it Van Wagon, but VW said too close to Vanagon. In lots of press or “official” filings it does still show up as Van Wagon (e.g., on my insurance card, title, registration ,etc.). we are original owners of a 1984 Van [LE 5MT].

MaximillianMeen
MaximillianMeen
8 days ago

I’ll take the Shovette in the Armani tux. Although I would scour the classifieds across America first to try to find a better example at a reasonable cost.

As for the ToyoVan, “What happens when you press the red button? I don’t know? Maybe something good. Maybe something bad. But we’re never going to find out because you aren’t going to touch the red button.”

TOSSABL
TOSSABL
8 days ago

Someone at the site I’m at today has a red Impulse that still has the Handling by Lotus sticker on it. That was such a nostalgia -hit when I saw it that I had to vote Isuzu

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