1986 B2000 2.5 T Diesel FOR SALE $750obo

So it is cold outside, I decided to try to work on the gauge issue my swap is going to have. I thought "I'll just take the speedo and tacho cluster from the MB and incorporate it into the Mazda cluster" and all would be easy and perfect. WRONG!

So this is what I had to start with:


And this is what I wanted to integrate into it:


Some tinkering:



And I realized that it was going to be too hard, too much, and no way to back out if I proceeded. So I put them all together, and did what I **should** have done first:


So now I just need to modify the dash a little, do some wire splicing (duh) and get the bezel to fit over it and all will be good in the universe.

Till next time

Good thinking! I am sick of the cold...

Bo ya!






Mounts are gonna be EASY <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_biggrin.gif" alt=":D" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s:D -->

Looking good!

I forgot the money shot.

Clack clack clack clack!

motor mounts are done. I'm going to need to notch the hood as it sits a little too high.

Ok so I have been working on a few things around the house. It is planting season, so the crops had to get into the ground. In addition to that, I have been spending a lot of effort on getting my 190E ready for registration. The truck kinda sat on the sidelines for a while, then the weather went to **** (at least I didn't have to fight pollen though on the truck )

These are just some of the thoughts that are in my head right now as for what I am going to have to do. On the MB setup, the ECU, voltage protection relay, and battery were on the rear of the firewall. I was originally going to leave the batteries in the stock Mazda locations, but I decided otherwise. The real estate is too important for power steering, radiator overflow, air box, and oil cooler.

So instead I am going to be building a rear battery box. I already measured, and my custom battery cables ARE long enough to reach the starter I don't know if I am going to have the ECU and the OVP in the rear near the batteries, or if I am going to put the ECU in the stock Mazda location, or if I am going to put it someplace else. Any are possible.

Next, the fuel tank does need to be moved so I can position the rear end. This will be a piece of cake comparatively, and will also allow better routing of the fuel lines (which for the record I was never really happy with anyways.) So this is an additional bonus to the chore.

More about the rear end, due to the angle of the transmission and the style of drive shaft, I am not going to be able to have a jacked up rear suspension. I am going to work at finding the optimal height of the rear end and weld in the spring &amp; shock mounts that will allow MB factory travel, then adjust the front suspension to match accordingly. For my build, I have more control over the height of the front suspension than I do the rear suspension. I know that it is the opposite of what we are used to reading about. I am likely going to end up with a lowered B truck, which I'm not against, to make this a more efficient ride.

For the bed, it is looking more and more likely that I will be able to use the extended cab bed on my standard cab frame, due to the potential location of the rear end. Of course, my extended cab bed is without fuel door (remember I was originally going to make this my trailer, then a long bed fell into my yard ) and my fuel tank will be relocated, so I am going to have to fabricate a rear mounted fuel door. Likely going to be behind the driver side tail light.

I'm sure that some of my plans are going to change yet again, and I'll figure out how to do something in a better way. Until then, wishing for better (SPRING) weather.

Really digging this build keep up the awesome progress

In for updates!!!