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I’d be very concerned about a Mazda pickup 5 speed in a 40. I’d worry that it’ll blow up and leave you stranded and having to start over again.
 
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I’m by no means a Mazda expert, but for V8 swaps they seem to use TH350 or 700r4. If your BMW engine will have enough grunt to move a 4500 lb 40, the transmission will likely be a weak point. Mazda pickups are 3000ish pounds compared to many of our rigs that are nearing 5000 lbs.

That said, depending on your use, it may be fine. Mazda pickups are very similar to Ford Rangers which aren’t all that different from Ford Exploders. There’s a good reason Explorers are called Exploders by wheelers and wreckers alike… and it’s not because they are bulletproof.

Not that you’re asking, but my .02 would be you’d be better off adapting to a Fj40 4 speed, running 3.70 gears &/or 33s to keep rpm’s lower if needed.
 
I’d suggest an adapter plate from:
www.bobsautomotivemachine.com

Bobs Automotive Machine - Products

Bobs Automotive Machine, Harrison
www.bobsautomotivemachine.com www.bobsautomotivemachine.com

Or similar. Since I don’t know what model engine your I6 is.

Then a Conversion bel housing Chevy to Toyota transmission. If you already have a standard then you’ll be set… if not AA and other companies sell them.

The Toyota transmission can take a beating from a healthy V8… the I6 won’t be able to hurt it.
 
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76YotaBMWMazda said:
I am still sticking with the 5 speed Mazda. I want it to be more of a daily driver. Plus the 4 speed that was originally in it just didn't suit what I wanted. It's not meant to be a super amazing trail truck. It's meant to be a daily and to go on some trails on the weekend. The engine is a 1996 BMW 2.5 liter inline 6 diesel. Not sure what the model number is. We already have the Chevy bell housing adapter to the Toyota 4 speed. I'm never was worried about the 4 speed taking a beating from the i6.
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Hello fellow youngster. Pics please!
 
76YotaBMWMazda said:
I am still sticking with the 5 speed Mazda. I want it to be more of a daily driver. Plus the 4 speed that was originally in it just didn't suit what I wanted. It's not meant to be a super amazing trail truck. It's meant to be a daily and to go on some trails on the weekend. The engine is a 1996 BMW 2.5 liter inline 6 diesel. Not sure what the model number is. We already have the Chevy bell housing adapter to the Toyota 4 speed. I'm never was worried about the 4 speed taking a beating from the i6.
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Look forward to watching your build. Hopefully it’s just my overbuild it nature speaking. If you respect it for what it is, it’ll do much better.

Does the transfer case have a centred rear output? If so, I’d consider swapping the rear axle from a newer V6 Toyota truck with the same gear ratio, or building a hybrid rear axle with a cruiser diff in the centre and mini-truck Toyota axles.

Looking forward to seeing it come together. If you run into problems, ask… very few problems haven’t been seen before.
 
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76YotaBMWMazda said:
You guys asked for pictures. Get ready for the rust...View attachment 2878514
So here's the engine bay obviously. All of the front is in good condition but the fenders, we bought different ones to replace them and were fixing them up a bit. It's a mess at the moment. All of the wiring and everything is going to be replaced. It's on 33s right now. I do not like them one bit.
View attachment 2878515Heres the rust. I bought new quarter panels and a friend is going to weld them for us. Also bought new panels that are under the door. Not sure what they're called.View attachment 2878518
Going to have to replace that bit... The inside isn't that good either. The wheel wells need replacing. Anyone that has them for a good price please contact me. I also bought a new floor panel. Got a steal of a deal on it.View attachment 2878526Heres the other quarter panel. The guy we bought it from was a former drug dealer actually. So when we were crossing back into Canada the border did a thorough check on it to see if there were still any goods in it. He liked to use that yellow spray a lot. Most of it has been removed. View attachment 2878527 And this is under one of the wheel wells. That's why it needs replacing lol. Well I hope I made you feel better about your rides condition.
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How rusty is the frame

With all that rust, I would look at a new tub, but it’s understandable if that’s too much work right now. I would probably go as far to say it might be cheaper to find a nice tub than to buy all the body panels though.

It’s easy to get caught up in modifications, but you want to make the truck run and drive fine first. Fixes first, mods after. I was caught up in researching lockers and suspension and bumpers for a while, but then I realized I needed to invest in fixes. It’s tough to find money for both, especially at our young age. One step at a time
 
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I would say clean all the rust of the frame FIRST then patch it up. Frame is what holds it together. Then look at tubs or panels. If needed, aluminum tubs exist. They would probably better suit Canadian roads with all the salt and stuff. With all those rust holes, I would go as far to say there are almost no usable panels on that truck. Everything needs replacing I think. I didn’t see the floor of the inside but I’m willing to bet it’s rusted out too. If you get a new tub, I would get aluminum, especially in your climate.
 
76YotaBMWMazda said:
The frame is not cracked or bent, just a bit rusty.

New tubs are expensive so that's why I haven't bought one. I could just buy one from a solid body but there are none in my area. And the only one is a different year and model.

I'm going to attempt to get all the rust off as possible and maybe get a new tub if it's that bad.
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@JohnJL has a FREE tub in Toronto....or had a free tub. It may be better than what you are working with. You may want to reach out to him to see if he still has it. I tried to get it but my shipper could not get it back across to the USA.
 
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