thanks for the info. he bought the thing without any research. assuming swapping drivetrain components would be like a jeep or any other truck. new axles for sure and hoping to use isuzu engine, tranny, and tcase. he mainly wants a mild trail runner but mostly a 4 cyl gas miler for commuting.

thank you for the info about the hyd clutch and integrated tcase. i'm going to the junkyard with him tomorrow to get a new tranny. he bought the amigo with a bad tranny to begin with but it was dirt cheap.

i think he would have been better off getting another jeep but he decided to open this can of amigo worms. on the flip side, he's an excellent fabricator (sand car builder), and super turd polisher. he will make it look good and work well. it just may cost him more than it's worth. it would be kind of cool to have a trail rig that isn't a jeep or toyota though. i guess he has that going for him when he overspends his budget beyond his original plan.

when i go to the junkyard with him, i will try to get him to buy a 4wd tranny/tcase and get the hyd clutch. solid front axle conversion to a 2wd will come later. i'll try to get some pics of that when he does it and post on an isuzu forum. i know he will do it even if it's not worth it. he's stubborn that way. he already bought the suzu so he will do whatever it takes to make it look good and perform. even if i think he's a dumbass for doing so. i personally think if you want a 4wd, buy a 4wd in the first place. we'll see how it turns out. thanks for the info.