Minneapolis Street Sighting: Chevrolet LUV

In a day and age where having the biggest truck on the block matters most, it seems that all of the smaller pickups are either slowly getting bigger, or have been killed off. The Chevrolet Colorado was a "decent" truck when it was introduced in 2004 to replace the S-10, but it hasn't seen the recognition that GM would've liked; after the 2012 model year, it's going away, presumably with no replacement. Ten years ago, the Chevrolet S-10 was alive and well, and seemed to be quite a common sight on our roads.
For the S-10s success, we can thank the Chevrolet LUV (light utility vehicle) which came a ten years before; introduced in 1972, the LUV was an Isuzu vehicle that inherited the Chevrolet badge for its US introduction. Over the course of its lifetime, many Japanese small trucks quickly gained ground, and the Isuzu-built small pickup quickly got overshadowed. In 1981, the second generation was unveiled. Because the S-10 series trucks were scheduled for a 1982 introduction, the second-generation LUV had a short lifespan before its successor's introduction.














Due to Japanese "quality control", these early trucks were hit or miss bodywise; rust was a frequent problem, and often reared its ugly head quite early in the truck's life. Many LUVs I've seen have different colored beds than the cab and front clip--in Kansas anyway. Here in Minnesota, these old "hybrids" are quite uncommon. I've only seen two LUVs in this state, and this is the second; I already blogged the first one.
As one can tell, the front fenders of this poor thing have been repaired as well as the left bedside; other than those two small (big?) rust patches, this little trucklet looks pretty mean. The widened steelies on larger tires certainly give off a "don't fuck with me" vibe, that I didn't think was quite possible with a LUV. Along with Mavericks, these things hold a special place in my heart, and this one is no different.
Fitted with a semi-mean stance, and faded paint, this LUV is about as hot-rod as one can get without going overboard. Let's just hope the owner chose to put in a decent engine and chuck the puny four cylinder. With something as generic as a 350, power, and cool factor would improve ten-fold. Even if it sports the stock powertrain, I'd still dive it. I don't see enough of these things, and each one I do see brings a smile to my face. Truck on, buddy!