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Junkyard Gem: 1990 Geo Storm GSi

General Motors created the Geo division in 1989, to sell rebadged Suzukis, Toyotas, and Isuzus in the United States. Most of these cars were snoresville econoboxes, but two Geo models got high-performance upgrades and GSi badging: the Prizm GSi (aka Toyota Corolla GT-S) and the Storm GSi (aka Isuzu Impulse). We saw a discarded Prizm GSi in this series last year, and now it's the Storm GSi's turn, with this '90 in a Phoenix self-service yard. The Storm GSi had a DOHC four-cylinder Isuzu engine making 130 horsepower, which was excellent for a 1990 car weighing a mere 2,392 pounds. The 2,174-pound 1990 Honda CRX Si had a mere 108 horsepower (and two seats), and it cost $11,130 versus the Storm GSi's just-slightly-higher $11,650 price tag. Of course, Isuzus never developed quite the reputation for reliability enjoyed by Hondas. This Isuzu notched up an impressive final mileage figure, though. The Storm sold for just the 1990 through 1993 model years, and the GSi still has a devoted following to this day. The interior is straight-up late-1980s-style Japanese-econobox stuff, with plenty of tough gray plastic. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Not long ago, Toyota and Honda were the last word in the world of sporty imports. But that was just the calm... before the Storm. Featured Gallery Junked 1990 Geo Storm GSi View 12 Photos Auto News Isuzu Automotive History Performance geo

Junkyard Gem: 1992 Isuzu Amigo

After some success providing General Motors with small Faster pickups badged as Chevrolet LUVs in North America (plus some Chevette-related Geminis labeled "Buick/Opel by Isuzu," which confused everybody), Isuzu began selling vehicles under its own name here in the early 1980s. At first, we just got I-Mark subcompacts and P'up pickups. Then the Trooper SUV appeared in 1984, and Isuzu joined the suburban-commuter truck game in a big way. For the 1989 model year, the little Amigo three-door convertible SUV landed on our shores. Here's one of those early trucks, found in still-rad condition in a San Francisco Bay Area self-service yard recently. Once Isuzu made a version with five doors and a solid roof, giving it Rodeo badges in the process, the Amigo became more of an afterthought in the North American Isuzu world. Amigo sales halted here after 1995, then resumed for 1998-2000 (after which the three-door became the Rodeo Sport before disappearing in 2003). Starting in 1996, Isuzu replaced its Amigo-platform-related pickup with a rebadged Chevy S-10 known as the Hombre. That meant that Spanish-speaking Isuzu shoppers could be disturbed by the prospect of buying a friend or a man. The Isuzu company itself was named after a river in Mie Prefecture. The Suzuki Samurai kicked off the "cute-ute" craze for the 1986 model year, with the Suzuki Sidekick/Geo Tracker appearing in 1989. Around the same time, irritating pastel colors and squiggly graphics became trendy. This — and other unfortunate 1980s fashions — continued well into the 1990s (One man's "irritating" and "unfortunate" is another's "delightful" - Ed). This odometer can't be right! I suspect a broken speedometer cable. The engine is a 2.6-liter inline-four rated at 119 horsepower.  Unlike Honda's VTEC, the variable-cam-timing system that made its debut in the 1989 Honda Integra, Isuzu's I-TEC name just stood for an electronic fuel injection system.  The only transmission in the Amigo for the first couple of years was a five-speed manual, which is in this truck. That three-pedal setup kept the Amigo's appeal limited to the small group of American drivers willing to work a clutch. The optional automatic became available for 1992. You could get the Amigo with four-wheel drive, but this one is the cheaper rear-wheel-drive version. This interior looks so nice that perhaps this Amigo really did get junked with 57,000+ on the odometer.

GM-Isuzu joint venture assembles 1.5-millionth Duramax diesel

General Motors and Isuzu have officially stitched together 1.5 million Duramax 6.6-liter diesel engines. The joint venture between the two manufacturers started in 1998, and now the DMAX plant employs 517 workers in a 584,000 square-foot facility. GM introduced the Duramax turbo diesel engine to the US market for the 2001 model year, and it can be found trucks like the Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD as well as the full-size Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans. In its current configuration, the engine yields 397 horsepower and 765 pound-feet of torque at just 1,600 rpm.
Of course, the big oil burner has plenty of tuning potential as well. As you may recall, a Duramax-powered truck recently set the land speed record for towing a vehicle at 142 miles per hour.
GM owns 60 percent of the joint venture, with Isuzu laying claim to the remaining 40 percent. The facility is located in Chicago. You can take a look at the brief press release below for more information on the milestone.