Anyone here driven a Japanese Mini Truck?

[GasX]

I am interested in getting a Suzuki Carry or similar mni truck and am wondering if anyone has first hand knowledge of driving/wrenching one...

Also, how is the leg room?

 

[manimal]

Ive been in a Vespa Ape and the small Mitsubishi and Toyota mini trucks and they dont really have a ton of room if your over 5 foot 8. The mits seat went all the way back but it compromised seat angle.


The vespa was tiny but meant for 4 foot tall italians and their taller grandmothers

 

[kitatech]

I ran a Daihatsu HiJet van ("kei-ban" meaning "light" van) with a 660cc engine/mt in Japan for a few of years...easy to wrench, fun to drive.

 

[mmntech]

Kei cars and trucks are unsuitable for North American roads due to the small engines. I have seen them used though at large factories and warehouses to move things around big lots. They're really stripped down and certainly not built for comfort. Meant for short trips only.

It's a shame that the compact pickup went out of style. They were big enough to do some light hauling (furniture, yard equipment, etc) but small and fuel efficient enough to use as an everyday driver. Everybody wants F-150s these days, but they're WAY too big for most people.

 

[GasX]

I ran a Daihatsu HiJet van ("kei-ban" meaning "light" van) with a 660cc engine/mt in Japan for a few of years...easy to wrench, fun to drive.

Can a long legged 5'11" dude drive a HiJet comfortably or at least without kneecapping himself on every bump?

 

[kitatech]

Can a long legged 5'11" dude drive a HiJet comfortably or at least without kneecapping himself on every bump?

Sure...

 

[JulesMaximus]

Kei cars and trucks are unsuitable for North American roads due to the small engines. I have seen them used though at large factories and warehouses to move things around big lots. They're really stripped down and certainly not built for comfort. Meant for short trips only.

It's a shame that the compact pickup went out of style. They were big enough to do some light hauling (furniture, yard equipment, etc) but small and fuel efficient enough to use as an everyday driver. Everybody wants F-150s these days, but they're WAY too big for most people.

:thumbsup: I have to agree with this. Too many land barges clogging up our roads.

 

[Belegost]

Kei cars and trucks are unsuitable for North American roads due to the small engines. I have seen them used though at large factories and warehouses to move things around big lots. They're really stripped down and certainly not built for comfort. Meant for short trips only.

It's a shame that the compact pickup went out of style. They were big enough to do some light hauling (furniture, yard equipment, etc) but small and fuel efficient enough to use as an everyday driver. Everybody wants F-150s these days, but they're WAY too big for most people.

Seriously, I have wanted a small light duty pickup as a spare vehicle, but the lack of new models has pushed the price of older ones up to astronomic levels. And the newer models (last 10 years) that do exist are pushing the limits of "small pickup."

I miss my '85 Nissan Hardbody about now...

 

[smackababy]

Seriously, I have wanted a small light duty pickup as a spare vehicle, but the lack of new models has pushed the price of older ones up to astronomic levels. And the newer models (last 10 years) that do exist are pushing the limits of "small pickup."

I miss my '85 Nissan Hardbody about now...

I think they still make Mitsu Triton clones. My dad had two Ram 50s, and both were incredible. Although, looking at the newer ones, they look a lot bigger.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

Seriously, I have wanted a small light duty pickup as a spare vehicle, but the lack of new models has pushed the price of older ones up to astronomic levels. And the newer models (last 10 years) that do exist are pushing the limits of "small pickup."

I miss my '85 Nissan Hardbody about now...

agreed.
I want a small pickup. We had an 89 Chevy S10 back in the day. It was perfect.
Now the smallest pickup you can get is the new Chevy/GMC Colorado/Canyons coming out in the fall.

I might get one.

 

[GasX]

Kei cars and trucks are unsuitable for North American roads due to the small engines.

It would definitely be light duty use, but its a real shame they are speed limited to 25mph to meet import requirements. Gonna have to google-fu the fix to that right quick...

 

[unokitty]

I am interested in getting a Suzuki Carry or similar mni truck and am wondering if anyone has first hand knowledge of driving/wrenching one...

Also, how is the leg room?

I saw a lot of them when I lived in Japan. It appeared that they would run fibreglass hoops between the sides and mount a covering over them. Made them look like little covered waggons. Though, I never got a chance to drive one. Seemed like they were fun to drive and easy to park.

I've seen them being used by custodial staffs at a local university.

Don't know if you can license them for the street in the US though...

Best of luck,
Uno

 

[GasX]

Don't know if you can license them for the street in the US though...

It depends on the state...
http://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/laws/minitrucks

 

[SSSnail]

I actually burned rubbers in 1st, 2nd AND 3rd once in a mini truck just like that. They're light as hell, 3 cylinders go-carts. The rear is VERY light, so if you brake hard enough, you can almost flip them over end. You won't have a problem with leg rooms, but they're not very comfortable for long distance. Good if you have a ranch or farm and haul little things around.

I never did any wrenching on the darn thing, but can't imagine there's much work to it. And because of that, I had A LOT of fun driving them. I mean, like go-cart driving no care, I-don't-have-to-fix them kinda fun.

 

[marvdmartian]

GasX, most of these small ultra-mini trucks are classified as "low speed vehicles", meaning, they're usually good up to ~25mph, and after that you're going to need a downhill run or tail wind to go any faster!

We had a couple of them at work, years ago, and at 6' tall, I pretty much ALWAYS felt cramped in them. Not sure you'd get through a front end collision without coming out of it with a new nick-name....

STUMPY

 

[Insomniator]

They look like real life versions of cars that would be in a Pixar movie.

 

[mmntech]

Seriously, I have wanted a small light duty pickup as a spare vehicle, but the lack of new models has pushed the price of older ones up to astronomic levels. And the newer models (last 10 years) that do exist are pushing the limits of "small pickup."

I miss my '85 Nissan Hardbody about now...

Ford just needs to release a new Ford Ranger. Maybe built around the Escape or Transit Connect body with a 1.6L EcoBoost engine. That would be perfect.

 

[hanoverphist]

id rather find an old d50 or datsun 620 or something like that. at least it would look cool and go faster. also, theres a good amount of newer S10s and dakotas around here, fairly cheap too. iwouldnt mind finding a decent dakota with 318 in it to mess with.

 

[heymrdj]

Ford just needs to release a new Ford Ranger. Maybe built around the Escape or Transit Connect body with a 1.6L EcoBoost engine. That would be perfect.

I mentioned this very thing in the ford truck enthusiasts forum. What if we could have the ranger back but it had to come back crossover style mixed with a transit connect or focus body. The answer, not surprisingly, is the reason they died. People wee literally yelling at me through the forums how that wouldn't be a real ranger and they they wouldn't buy it ect. Then again most of the old fogies won't buy it unless its a engine that can be put together with duck tape and bale wire, a 5 speed stick, and manual hub 4x4. None of this makes for an efficient modern truck, so it just won't get built.

 

[mmntech]

I mentioned this very thing in the ford truck enthusiasts forum. What if we could have the ranger back but it had to come back crossover style mixed with a transit connect or focus body. The answer, not surprisingly, is the reason they died. People wee literally yelling at me through the forums how that wouldn't be a real ranger and they they wouldn't buy it ect. Then again most of the old fogies won't buy it unless its a engine that can be put together with duck tape and bale wire, a 5 speed stick, and manual hub 4x4. None of this makes for an efficient modern truck, so it just won't get built.

Yet you see very few base model Silverados, which is as pure truck as you can still get these days. Mmm, vinyl floors, same cheap cloth seats out of a Savana, and that lovely manual 4x4 hub. F-150 is the boss's truck. Big land yachts where the bed hasn't seen a single tool or grain of gravel. Yet all the rednecks gotta have them.

Should have shown then the Australian Ford Ranger T6 and see if that appeals to them more. Midsize "real truck" that's ripped off from the Honda Ridgeline.

 

[Davey1000]

Hi! I live in England and my research on Kei vehicles indicates that in Japan they are taxed on length and width so they are all the same size! The engine must be no bigger than 660 cc. All is not lost as Honda now make a three cylinder multi-valve turbo-charged 660 cc engine that produces more than fifty horsepower.

In some parts of the world there are Kei type vehicles built that do not use a Kei size engine. In England we had the Suzuki Supercarry also known as the Bedford Rascal. These had a 1300 cc four cylinder multi-valve engine. In Italy they built the Piaggio Porter which was a clone of the Daihatsu Hijet and these were available with Lombardini LDW diesel engines of 1200cc and 1400cc.

One problem is that in the UK traffic runs at 80 mph on the motorways (speed limit is 70 mph but usually 10% plus 2 mph is allowed before fines occur so in effect a genuine 79 mph is allowed!) Up to 99 mph is classed as speeding but 101 mph is classed as Reckless Driving which is rather serious.

If one has a 28 HP Honda Acty with 660 cc and drum brakes, high speeds will be quite impossible. This is especially the case if the truck is carrying a "Romahome" demountable camper body. (Romahomes were built by Island Plastics on the Isle of Wight) As ever the search is to find the best possible truck for carrying the camper body.

On UK motorways Heavy Goods Vehicles are supposed to be governed to 56 mph so one NEEDS to be able to run at about 60 mph. 28 HP won't do the job so a better truck is needed.