"Mitch" - The rescued '85

This is a thread dedicated to my truck, documenting regular maintenance, troubleshooting, improvements and everything in-between.
It is one of few first generation trucks left in Norway, and especially one of few with the 2.0L 4G63.

I hope this thread will give inspiration, advice or help to others.

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=27977&stc=1
July 2023


Specifications:

• Engine: 2.0L 4G63 with carburetor, manual choke
• Driveline: 5 speed manual, 4WD with High/Low gear
• Origin: Sold new in Norway in November 1985
• Bought: December 2019 - 137340km on the clock

I will try to keep all posts cronological with an entry date from 2019 and until now.
Every image will also be dated. This main post will be edited and updated with a recent photo when necessary.
Bear with me as it will take a few days to post everything that has been done to the truck.

Feel free to start a discussion at any time!

- Lars

December 2019

I came across the truck for sale online during coffee break at work.
Never had I seen one of these before, but it caught my attention because of the 80's boxy design.

I had already a 1989 Mitsubishi Galant (2.0L 4G63 EFI) so I was familiar with older Mitsubishis, but nothing like this.
Immediately showed it to one of my coworkers and he said I should go and buy it, no doubt.

By the end of my shift I had contacted the seller and arranged a meetup. I was going to have this one.

Later that week I had a look at it. The body looked a bit more shabby in person, but the frame was mint. No major rust that I could spot. It had signs of water puddling up from the doors and onto the floor, as the driver side floor was a bit rusted. Passenger floor had some rust too, but not as bad.

The bed was mint, not even surface rust on it. I'm not sure if it was fixed up at some time, as it was kinda in too good condition considering the car had been parked outdoors most of its life.

Hood and roof had some major clear coat damage, with specs of clear coat being peeled away. I also think the paint itself went with the clear coat, as it seems like there's only the primer left. Whenever it's wet and I drag my finger across, my finger gets gray from the paint or primer.
There's no rust yet, so that's good. My plan was to keep the rat look and just put clear coat on top to seal it.

Gave the previous owner about $3k and went home as a happy L200 owner. This was the first image I took after stopping for dinner:

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=27978&stc=1
07.12.2019


Looking back at this, I am grateful for my coworker pushing me into buying it. I absolutely love it.

January 2020

I quickly discovered the engine had some issues. Whenever I put more then 3/4 of the pedal down, it backfired up through the air intake and I lost power. I started by diagnosing the distributor, and quickly realized the ignition points was adjusted wrong and had burned a hole in it.

Luckily there was one spare in the glove box so I mounted it, adjusted the timing and voilá, the car ran fine again. Ordered all new ignition parts (ignition pins, spark plugs, distributor cap, capacitor etc.) and kept them in the car in case something else went wrong.


First mod

The first modification was one of my favorite ones. I'm a music lover and I was missing something in the car.
I wanted to be able to play music from my phone through Bluetooth, but I didn't want a modern car stereo protruding out of the dashboard.

The solution? Take out the old cassette deck, modify its internals to house a Bluetooth amplifier and power the speakers from that.
I had a thin, small amplifier laying around that fit perfect in the cassette tray. It had 2x8W of power and was more than enough for the small speakers and cabin.

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=27979&stc=1
25.01.2020

I wired up the on/off switch of the cassette deck to the amplifier so I could turn it on and off.

Changed out the old 90's Pioneer speakers with JBL STAGE2 two-way speakers, but I kept the old Pioneer grille.
Had to modify them a bit to fit the tweeter, but they looked retro, and sounded amazing.

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=27980&stc=1http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=27981&stc=1
30.01.20

Pretty happy with the result, as I tried to keep the old, worn retro style, but featuring great sound quality.
The Philips cassette deck and Pioneer speakers weren't original to the car, I believe it originally had just a mono center speaker in the dashboard, and a simple radio with no cassette deck.


Here's what the dashboard looks like:
http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=27982&stc=1
24.07.20

February 2020

Winters in Norway are pretty dark and depressing, and even though the truck has four H4 bulbs, I wanted more light.

Went online and got a 32" LED-bar, I didn't want to ruin the look of the front of the vehicle, so my plan was to mount it on the roof.
In addition I went to Biltema (scandinavian hardware store) and got eight 24W LED work lights and a couple of generic roof rack kits.


http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=27983&stc=1
06.02.20

Made the two roof racks into a rectangle rack housing all the lights. Wired the work lights up in zones: front, left, right and rear.
I also wanted to be able to easily remove the rack in case I needed to haul something that needed the roof space, so I wired up two waterproof plugs.

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=27984&stc=1http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=27985&stc=1
06.02.20

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=27989&stc=1
08.02.20

Light's up on the roof, now the only thing left is to have a way to control them.

The center console had a blank metal plate, not sure what it was for, but it was the perfect place for buttons.
However I did not want to ruin the metal plate by drilling 19mm holes in it, so I took a measurement of the original plate, designed a copy in 3D and printed it in black ABS.

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=27986&stc=1
08.01.20

I used calipers for fine measurement, but this is the only image I have of the original metal blank plate.

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=27987&stc=1
18.04.20

Printed with a powder coated bed (Prusa i3 MK3) so it has this rough texture, hiding the lines from the print.
Came out perfect! The four buttons on the left control the work lights in each direction, and the bottom right activates the LED bar control which turns on the LED bar when high beams are on. The top right button adds in the front work lights in the LED bar control, so I have "ditch lights" in addition to the LED bar. These are handy when driving in overgrown roads in the forest.

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=27988&stc=1
09.07.20

Final look, each button has its own light to signal activation. Here the front work LEDs are on. Mint!

I didn't get the buttons until april, so I had to wait a while to finish the project. They were ordered on Aliexpress.

Also, I changed out the bulbs in the speedometer which was actually original Toshiba bulbs (!) with a green filter cap on them, to orange LEDs. I like the orange look better as it is my favorite light color. I kept the original bulbs, still amazes me that they worked 34 years later.

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=27990&stc=1
18.02.20

very nice I like the button location and layout of it.... and is it safe to drive the truck that fast and take pictures? LOL..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 1fastcolt

very nice I like the button location and layout of it.... and is it safe to drive the truck that fast and take pictures? LOL..

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Thanks! Well definitely not safe, however 80kmh is about 50mph, and on a straight highway (where these pics were taken) that's not too dangerous.

August 2020

More sound!

I was missing some low-end with just the 4" door speakers, but space was limited for a regular subwoofer without sacrificing passenger space.
Thought of getting a slim subwoofer and placing it beneath the seat, but there wasn't enough space. Space behind the seat is filled with necessary tools, air compressor, fluids etc.

The solution was to mount the subwoofer up underneath the glove box. I made a plate in stainless steel, attached the subwoofer to the plate on rubber stands, and the plate to the dashboard with rubber gaskets to eliminate vibration. The reason I used stainless steel is I got my hands on some scrap from my workplace where we use 316L stainless.

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=27991&stc=1
01.08.20

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=27992&stc=1
01.08.20

Plenty of leg-space left, and the subwoofer is mounted securely.

The subwoofer I got was a generic 150W 8" slim sub with passive radiators for about $120. Pretty happy with it, and it sounds amazing. Jaws drop when people hear what it sounds like as they don't expect much from this type of car.

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=27993&stc=1

August 2021

After a year of little to no issues or mods, the rear exhaust rusted off.

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=28004&stc=1
23.08.21

Made a new one with custom bends and pipes, and reused the fasteners.

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=28005&stc=1
25.08.21

That's about it. Welds could be better, but it's still holding together with no leaks a couple of years later.

February 2023

Noticed an oil leak wherever the car was parked, and localized it to be coming from the front differential.
Specifically the left axle seal.

Ordered a new original seal and started disassembling.

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=28006&stc=1
15.02.23

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=28007&stc=1
17.02.23

The seal looked okay, but I'm sure it was due to be replaced.

Getting the new one in was a pain, it kept turning to each side and I ended up having to carefully line it up and do a proper, hard sledge hit to force it straight in at once. I used a plastic cap to distribute the force evenly.

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=28008&stc=1
21.02.23

Replaced upper and lower ball joint and inner and outer tie rod while I was at it.

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=28009&stc=1
27.02.23

March 2023

Windshield started fogging up, I started smelling coolant and I noticed there was a puddle on the floor.

Heater core started leaking. Great.
The good thing about this is that it's quite easy to remove. Undo four screws on the center console, disconnect some steel wires, couple of hoses and undo four bolts on the heater core assembly. That's it, took me about 20 minutes the first time.

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=28010&stc=1
22.03.23

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=28011&stc=1
22.03.23

Getting a new heater core part, however... Such a pain. Even used ones weren't available here in Norway.
Tried our Craigslist equivalent, eBay, scrapyards, contacted my local Mitsubishi dealer, even tried to order from some american site that only allowed to sell and ship within the US, but with a shipping service as the receiver. They responded that they didn't have it in stock after all.

So the solution was to contact a Norwegian company making custom radiators, I sent them my heater core so they could take measurements, and they sent me a new one. Cost me around $400 including shipping.

:thumbup::thumbup:

Great Job ostlar & thanks for sharing...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by xboxrox

:thumbup::thumbup:

Great Job ostlar & thanks for sharing...

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Thanks! Just noticed the images on the last posts wasn't uploaded properly, should be fixed now.

It's been a year since the last post, and Mitch has behaved well.

There haven't been any issues, and I've only done regular maintenance.

Yesterday I brought home an '82 L200 that has been sitting outside for 20 years.
These first gen L200s are so rare here in Norway that I just had to take the chance, and see if I can rescue any parts from this one.

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=28569&stc=1
11.10.24

When I first saw it, I thought "what have I gotten into" as it was burrowed in dirt, leaves and looked in really bad shape.
It was also a 1982 model, which is somewhat different than mine. Headlights, grille, instrument cluster, steering wheel with stalks and seats looked a little different. Engine was a 4G63, same as the one sitting in mine, but with minor revision changes to some parts.

This one is a DL022G while mine is a DL026G (VIN)

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=28570&stc=1
12.10.24

It had a really nice patina once I got it home and removed the dirt and leaves. However, it had seen better days.
The truck bed, floor and parts of the doors were rusted out, but the interior and engine looked to be in good shape.
It came with a 4G63 and a gearbox from an L300 sitting in the truck bed. This one is slightly different to the L200, with the alternator on the other side and an upgraded carburetor.

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=28571&stc=1
12.10.24

Pressure washed it to remove the 20 years of growth on it, made it a bit easier to see what chassis parts are saveable or not.
Shame to remove this patina though, part of me wanted to get it rolling and drive it as-is, but that's not going to happen as I cannot get it registered.

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=28572&stc=1
12.10.24

Found the original grille laying in the truck bed.
Going to sell the parts that don't fit mine, save those worth saving, and scrap the rest.

My main goal for the next week is to get the engine running and check the health of it, then part the car out completely.

Great to see someone working hard to preserve these little old trucks. Heater core replacement sourcing is a nightmare, as you've discovered. I've got one good heater core out of 3 trucks

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 1600cc

Great to see someone working hard to preserve these little old trucks. Heater core replacement sourcing is a nightmare, as you've discovered. I've got one good heater core out of 3 trucks

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Thanks for the encouraging words! Indeed, it was quite the job to find a replacement. Hopefully it will last me 30+ years, at least.
It's getting harder to find parts for these 1st gen. trucks, that's why I'm constantly on the hunt for parts vehicles to hoard up a storage.
I plan to keep this running no matter what, for as long as I can.

Great writeup, and nice truck! Looks like a lot of the things you're doing are the same things I've done / am doing with mine, albeit more professionally. Looks good!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by akrockin

Great writeup, and nice truck! Looks like a lot of the things you're doing are the same things I've done / am doing with mine, albeit more professionally. Looks good!

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Thank you so much for the kind words, just made my day! I love doing small beneficial improvements, they all add up in the end. Do you have a 1st or 2nd gen?

Just replaced the rocker cover gasket and oil cap gasket on my '90 Galant, and now it was time for the good ol' truck to get a replacement.
They share the same engine (8V SOHC 4G63), so I just ordered two of each. Convenient!
It's long overdue, as it has been sweating oil ever since I got it, and it's been sweating a lot. If it stands still for more than a day after being driven, there will be a drop of oil underneath it.

While I had the cover off, I thought I should check the valve clearance. Now, the manual says to adjust these at operating temperature, but I wanted to do it cold. The original clearances with a hot engine is 0.15mm inlet and 0.25mm exhaust. I found some info online that states 0.11mm inlet and 0.20mm exhaust while cold.

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=28645&stc=1

I went with the cold clearances (engine temp aprox. 10°C (50F)), but did 0.10mm instead since I didn't have a feeler gauge at 0.11mm. Some of the valves were reeal tight, I couldn't even get the gauge in between. So I ended up adjusting all the valves according to the manual, put the cover back on and started it up. Didn't hear any noise, so I called it good and proceeded to put on some RTV in the corners of the gasket (also according to the manual), and put it all back together.

Here's what the manual says: (for '84 Montero, but same engine)

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=28646&stc=1

Starting up the second time, it was noisy. Real noisy, like embarrassingly noisy. Sounded like just one or two were ticking, but I couldn't locate which.
Gave up for the day and went to party the new year in.

A couple of days later, I went on and pulled it apart. I almost couldn't sleep knowing that my truck was noisy. Did another cold adjustment, but this time made sure that the feeler gauge was stuck before I tightened the locking nut. I could then feel that the feeler gauge had less friction after tightening it properly, and realized that I need to account for that.

Put the cover back on, started it up and drove it. It was quieter, but not silent like it was before my clumsy adjusting.

Came back to the garage, let it idle for a while to reach proper operating temperature, drove it in and adjusted it while hot according to spec.

Started it back up.. and silence! I did it! Finally.

I'm not sure what I learned this time, other than to actually follow the manual, and that tightening the lock nuts can change the clearance slightly. Oh well.

Kind of forgot to post this one, but I was able to get a bed in good condition for $120

A guy contacted me back in March and asked if I was interested, as I have a craigslist-type ad that I am looking for any parts for these 1st gen. trucks.

He lived about 5,5 hours away, so me and a relative of mine set off with my Galant and a trailer.
When I got to see it in person, I was shocked of how good it was in terms of rust, even had the rear lights mounted!

http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=28771&stc=1
29.03.25

Here's the trustworthy Galant on its way with the trailer.



http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=28772&stc=1
29.03.25

Picked up the bed and returned home, it's now stored upright by the wall in my garage.
The plan is to get this in mint condition, swap out my bed, and then try to overhaul the old bed.
I'm considering a dark grey color for the car, when I'm going to paint the bed anyways. The silver is practical, but I really like dark gray like the Galant.



http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=28773&stc=1
03.05.25

I test fit an aluminium roll-bar that I bought a couple years ago, it was originally painted black and the paint started to chip.
I was going to display the car at a cars & coffee meet today (04.05) and decided last night to sand down the roller bar and glue it on temporary to see how it looked. Used about four hours of sanding, the worst part was the corners and welds.



http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...id=28774&stc=1
04.05.25

Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures at the meet today, I was too busy looking at all the cars. Seemed like my truck caught a lot of attention and people were flocking around it. It was the only L200 at the meet, and there were probably around 500-600 cars. There were some old Chevy trucks, but not a lot of trucks in general.

I will update when I start with the bed overhaul, kind of excited to do so, but there's a lot of other things that is prioritized.

Hello ostlar it's fun to read your posts & see the photos :driving:
Might you be willing to share how 'n why your truck was named Mitch..? Our truck got named Rammy but it just occured to me that reversing Rammy it becomes MY RAM a possible vanity lisence plate name..? Hmmm

The latest work was replacing the EVAP system purge valve & check valve both mounted near the fuel filter by the gas tank... Both parts are still available from Amayama... Previously I had removed & inspected the original valves and the purge valve was basically clogged... The new purge valve easily flows air towards the gas tank as compared to the original valve... RESULTS: when removing the gas cap only a small amount of pressure fuel vapor escapes whereas before removing the gas cap was like depressueizing a huge air tank... Either it's my imagination or the truck actually runs better now (2.6L Mikuni carb all original system) since replacing those EVAP valves... I've tried finding an EVAP Canister part # that has the part in stock but no luck... I might try getting a used canister and rebuild it with aquarium activated charcoal (no gas smell but it might make the truck run even better?) A google search about how can the EVAP system affect engine performance delivers some drastic scary answers..!

Anyway you might be interested in my photo albums at my member profile page no mods just trying to keep it running... CYA :thumbup:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by xboxrox

Hello ostlar it's fun to read your posts & see the photos :driving:
Might you be willing to share how 'n why your truck was named Mitch..?

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Thanks for the reply xboxrox! The keychain I received when I bought it had a tag with Mitch written on it, so it became its name.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by xboxrox

The latest work was replacing the EVAP system purge valve & check valve both mounted near the fuel filter by the gas tank..

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Nice! Mine does not have any EVAP system on it (fortunately). Seems like it wasn't a thing in Norway back in the 80's.

I checked out some of the images on your profile, the truck looks clean! Jealous!
I'm also just trying to keep mine alive, but I need to deal with a bit of rust in the flooring. Frame seems to be all fine and has been coated.

:thumbdown:
RUST IS KILLING MY TRUCK ~ ALOHA :yellow1:

Dang, it is certainly clean, never thought a mighty max of that year would last so long so north of the equator, a real testiment on their durability overall.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Not a real meme

Dang, it is certainly clean, never thought a mighty max of that year would last so long so north of the equator, a real testiment on their durability overall.

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I believe the key is to keep it off salted roads, mine has been used as a farm truck most of its life. It has its signs of sitting outdoors for years like the peeling clear coat and cracked dashboard, but no frame rot from the salty roads, fortunately.

I'm trying to keep mine away from rain, wet snow, and salt. I do drive it in winter time, but only when it's cold and dry outside. I also give it a proper wash underneath after the winter season.