Just as Ford had partnered with Mazda for an imported compact truck – the Courier – in the 1970s, Chevrolet executed a similar move with Isuzu, creating the LUV for the U.S. market (and others). An acronym for “light utility vehicle,” the LUV was a badged-engineered version of the Isuzu Faster and (later) D-Max. This first-generation LUV from 1976 hasn’t seen any love in a long time, having been used as a storage container for the past 20 or more years. Located outside of Washington, DC, this old pickup is available here on craigslist for $2,500. Thanks for the find, T.J.!

The LUV first hit U.S. shores in 1972 as a knock-off of the Isuzu Faster, as it was known on its home turf. That run would last more than eight years, followed up by a second-generation which would be a one-year-only model when the American-built S-10 came along in 1982 to replace it. But production of the LUV in Japan for consumption in South America would continue for several more years.

This 1976 LUV entered a warehouse more than two decades ago and hasn’t been functional since. The body may not be in bad condition overall, but it’s really hard to tell from the angles shown and the tons of stuff that have been piled on top of it over the years. Taking it home, whether to restore or use for parts as the seller hints, will involve a lot of digging to free it from its captivity. The odometer reading is said to be 42,000 miles, which if true might mean there’s hope for its 4-cylinder engine and 4-speed manual transmission.

These little trucks were workhorses back in the day. It was common to see them being used for delivering auto parts or pizza (when that market was developing). As such, they were typically used up by the 1980s and don’t turn up very often these days. What would you do with this one, especially since there is no title? As a parts truck, what could you lift off this pickup that’s worth the asking price to fix up another?