The lightweight small pickup is given turbo SVO power and a ton of sleeper character.
Rebadged Mazda
The late '70s / early '80s Courier might wear a Ford badge in the US. But as ironic as it is, considering the manufacturer's history of pickup trucks, the small pickup was basically a rebadged Mazda B-Series truck. Between 1977 and 1982, a limited number of these pickups had a 2.3-liter Ford 4-cylinder, practically the only original Ford-engineered part in the entire vehicle.
Photos: Hot Rod
SVO 2.3
The Courier you see in this slideshow started life with the aforementioned 2.3-liter mill. And while its modest appearance may not alert passers-by of any extraordinary performance, the pickup's owner has swapped in a little turbocharged secret underneath the hood. This true sleeper is powered by a tuned SVO 2.3-liter.
>>Join the conversation about this Courier Turbo resto right here in Ford-trucks.com.
Turbocharged Goodness
The owner, John Hagan, does building construction for a living. The Owensboro, Kentucky native is a also handy when it comes to working on his vehicles. He still has the first vehicle he ever owned, a Fox Body Mustang SVO. You could say he's a fan of the platform. And while the plan with the Courier wasn't swapping in the SVO motor, it's appropriate that it's how things panned out.
>>Join the conversation about this Courier Turbo resto right here in Ford-trucks.com.
The Right Candidate
He'd wanted one of these for a long while, but he had no luck finding one for a reasonable price. That all changed when he came across this black 1980 model year example, which he acquired for $1,800. The project had no particular aim at the start, but when Hagan realized he had a new SVO engine collecting dust somewhere in his barn, he knew what he wanted to with it.
>>Join the conversation about this Courier Turbo resto right here in Ford-trucks.com.
Healthy Power Output
It took some cleaning up, but the turbocharged motor fit in the Courier's engine bay nicely. With some minor work on the motor's bottom end and cylinder head, as well as the addition of a new Holset HX40 providing 17 pounds of boost, the little truck is capable of 310 horsepower and 285 lb-ft of torque on the dyno.
>>Join the conversation about this Courier Turbo resto right here in Ford-trucks.com.
Interesting Sleeper
The healthy power output is transferred down through the Mazda 4-speed and Mazda rear end. Future plans for the build include a more capable transmission and rear axle to be able to handle the inevitable addition of power. The Ford steel wheels wearing 215/75R14 tires provide a subtle exterior upgrade to this sleeper.
>>Join the conversation about this Courier Turbo resto right here in Ford-trucks.com.
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