Japanese Mini-trucks
 

Does anyone have any experience with them? I'll be moving in a month and we'll need a second vehicle in the winter for me to drive to work (~50KM). I don't want to spend the $$$ running the explorer. I've been looking seriously into these:

http://img1.classistatic.com/cps/kj/...464578_20.jpeg

Diesel, with a hydraulic dump, and 4WD to boot.

Haven't used one personally, but looked hard at them myself, for the same reasons. For the amount of driving I do, one of these is still high on the list for my next vehicle.
There are several in use by the maintenance department (university campus) at work. I've never seen one broken down at the roadside and they drive them in all weather.
'Course, our winters are probably a bit milder :wink:
Bill

I wanted to get one, but I cannot tag it here. The ones in the US are not dually and typically gas versions.

They use them as farm vehicles and maintenance on private property. Technically not legal for US roads.

When I stayed at the timeshare with my parents they were using them for maintenance.

It is about like buying a grey market tractor or a china bike.

Oh, If my Dad becomes a South Dakota resident I will have him register one for me. South Dakota will tag anything.

Allen

I think you can register them in Oklahoma for use on secondary roads. Cant register them in Texas though. They do seem to be a great little vehicle though. Alot are sold around here for farm use and deer leases. Tilt beds, 4WD, sissor lifts, you name it, they have them on those little things.

No problem plating them for the street here.

I'm really curious about whether the 'stated' fuel mileage of the gas versions is 45-55MPG. I spoke to the owner of the truck pictured above and he said it was getting ~30MPG. Most mini-trucks are 0.66L gas engines; the truck pictured above is a 2.2L diesel.

I'm very curious to see if the diesel has more power than the gas; especially given the displacement different.

I think that the 2.2L will easily go highway speeds. It must be alittle larger truck. The wheels are six lug and the wheelbase is longer.

The typical kei trucks have the 660 gas engines. I hear about 40-45mpg is typical with running them at 50mph. They were designed for in town speeds.

Most of my miles are between 40-50mph on secondary roads. No way I would get on the freeway with it.

I went ahead and emailed the tree company to see how it's been holding up. I also asked what kind of fuel mileage it's been getting. As a fellow ISA Arborist, I'm kinda curious how it holds up to tree work, even though lately I've just been hauling logs and not doing any residential work. If he responds, I'll post what he says.

I like them too.

I don't see them on the roads here that I can recall but they are used on the farms.

They are everywhere in BC. I have a friend up North who used to import and sell them, but I don't think he actually used them.

I'm waiting for Transport Canada to say no more RHD vehicles. I'm not sure if they would Grandfather the existing registered units or not. That said, I have seen the odd mini truck like the one in your photo that is LHD. Apparently they were made for the Middle Eastern market.

I would think that the rural mail carriers would be all over them. Great mileage, 4x4, RHD. They have automatic models too.

I looked at it as an alternative to a scooter.

Allen

Frostbite,

The tree guy already responded. He didn't say much other then it was a little underpowered for his needs, but other then that, it's been a good truck. He was asking $7200 which I'm guessing you already knew that. I was thinking that you just happen to drive by that truck and took a picture of it and I didn't realize that the picture you posted was from a listing, so I'm not telling you anything you probably don't already know......opps!

Anyway, it's made by Mazda so it should pretty reliable and also you would have dealer support. He had mentioned that it was a little underpowered, but then again he's useing it for tree work which means he's chipping trees into that box. Granted that's a small chipper box and you could probably only get a small tree in there, but even a small tree can weigh up to a couple thousand lbs, plus he might be hauling a small chipper.

Anyway, that's all I could come up with. Good luck.

Thanks lego, I suspect it would be a bit light for a tree service as most of his work is probably cutting down problem trees and carting them away.

The 2.2L mazda diesel is common and easy to get parts for. 30mpg sounds about right. Maybe alittle better with light loads.

If it is not already turboed those parts are bolt on I think.

Allen

Common? Did something North American run the 2.2L? I know the Ranger ran a Mazda diesel but it was a Perkins. I believe this engine is a bit newer than that.

My biggest and only fear with the truck is that it would be an 'orphan' from a parts perspective. There is quite a bit of parts support for the gas mini's; the diesel's are almost unheard of in these parts.

The Ranger used a Perkins for a year or two but also ran a Mazda for a year or two. IIRC one was turbo, the other was NA.

Both are virtually impossible to get parts for.

I saw a Ranger Diesel on CL last year cheap but researched getting support for the Mazda diesel and it looked dismal so I passed.

YMMV.

They should say no more RHD vehicles, they aren't safe for our roads... I saw one trying to pass someone on a two lane road, of course they had to swing all the way into the oncoming lane to see if it was clear. :?

At ~45hp, I can't imagine passing anyone. :lol:

Regardless of the vehicle there are always going to be a few retards.

They like to bring in imported right hand drive sports cars, so they are more likely to drive like that. Our roads are designed for left hand drive, signs and signals...

I didn't know those trucks were all rhd?

Not really common in the US or maybe north america, but the rest of the world had them.

The ranger used a 2.2NA mazda diesel. Lots of them in Japan and getting the parts sent over should not be difficult. Filters should be available at the parts store.

I thought they had more diesels in Canada?

Allen

Here's where I got my info from:

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech...ry/Diesels.htm

The mazda was also found in the mazda 626 in the US. I think it was used in forklifts and some other equipment. The ford escort/tempo also had a mazda diesel.

One found in a ranger is rare. I think the mitsubishi was alot more popular due to its hp rating.

I too have been looking at these little trucks.

I *think*, like a Miata, they would be summer use only (locally), they just aren't built heavy enough to resist corrosion, or I should say, corrode in a controlled fashion from the crap put on the roads here in the winter. The frames are no heavier than body metal with plenty of places to retain the corrosive materials the local government puts on the road in the attempt to melt the ice and snow.

OK. Now I can surmise the "Orbital Platform" is somewhere in either Canada, the Northeast, Midwest, or Northcentral United States. :lol: They don't use road salt anywhere west of the Rocky Mountains in the U.S.A. ;)

Spud :)

Road salt here is the very least of one's vehicle worries.

In the guise of cost cutting they are currently spraying sea water on the roads here in the winter.........and when you see them out "salting" the roads, that isn't salt, or what one would consider salt, it is about 10% "pit tailing" (crusher dust), 20% salt, and 70% potash (potassium oxide).

I have never seen, short of battery acid, anything as corrosive as a potash/water mix. And most scary of all, it conducts electricity, so as vehicle computer use increases, so do the potential problems. I have seen tractor trailer lighting plugs completely shorted out (and arcing) from potash/water.

They do, but in the non-commercial space they're mostly limited to full size trucks (i.e. pickups) and Volkswagen cars (e.g. Jetta, Golf, etc...). Finding a diesel ranger is like a Yeti sighting.

BTW, I tried out a mini last night (not the diesel listed above). I was surprised at the power; not as weak as I imagined. Leg room was non-existent (I'm 6' 2") and the bed size was good - at least 4x6. For a used truck the thing was immaculate; a bit of surface rust on the frame members and under the bed but that was it. I got a real kick out of the engine bay, you had to flip up both front seats to get at the motor. The Alternator was the size of a pencil sharpener.

The ride was fairly rough since your sitting right directly above the front tires. I suspect a few hundred pounds in the back would smooth out the ride substantially and balance the truck more.

I agree with Reveen - around here they may not last too long with our Winter salt conditions. I suspect a healthy dose of Rust Check/undercoating/etc... and a good wash schedule would help immensely for Winter driving.

The lack of leg room was a definite show-stopper for me. The only way I would consider one now is to find one of these with the extended cab:

http://imgs.tootoo.com/14/76/147646f...bd6d744744.jpg

http://www.southtexasminitrucks.com/HPIM0626.JPG

Info on the mazda diesel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_Diesel_engine

I have never been in one, but you have about 4 inches on me. I relocated the seat in my 74 chevy luv. Drilled new holes and moved it as far back as possible. The ranger the seat is as far back as it goes too. I have long legs. My next truck will be a crew cab. F250 powerstroke. :wink:

I have seen videos of people doing stoppies in the minitrucks. Alot of forward weight. You may need to tote around firewood to balance out.


I think in Canada you got more toyota diesels. Landcrusiers. Rovers etc.


Maybe a vw 1.6 diesel swap into a minitruck. Probably be good for 65mpg.

Yuck! :!:

I don't miss the East Coast salt where I grew up. It's very rare to see rust on cars out here, even old poorly maintained ones. No road salt that I know of. Maybe in the passes, but I think even up there they use sand.

No salt here in GA either. I don't miss MN cars at all.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation uses road salt as if it were free! 8O When I lived in Pennsylvania, all the motor vehicles became rusted, even if they were kept very clean. :x I'm very glad the transportation departments in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington don't employ road salt. Even the very old vehicles here don't have any rust on them. :)

Spud :)

Salt is a pain in the rear, eats up cars, bridges, and everything it come into contact with. I could definetly live without it, however it does help get people to work, keeps freight moving, and has probably saved thousands of lives over the years. As a truck driver you can always tell which roads haven't had any salt shakers on them by the number of cars in the ditches. Having said that, if people would learn to slow down they wouldn't need to use salt, except for really steep drives.

Sadly I believe it is the idiots in cars (and SUVs) that are the authors of their own demise. All season tires are not "fit" for snow, unless you have the kind of snow that falls, lightly dusts the roads, and melts when the sun hits it. If wet grass poses a problem for your all season tires what do you *think* snow will do? Just because your SUV has 4WD, if you have no tires, you are an accident waiting to happen. If the roads are so bad, that you wish, or are glad you have, a 4WD, stay home.......nothing you will HAVE to do is worth your life.

If you have to "go", spend the 2 bucks on a bus ride.

Too bad the mini truck didn't have enough leg room for you, they look kind of cool! Some of the JDM vehicles are so unusual compared to what we see daily that they really stand out. A woman at work has a Toyota Sara, I don't know a lot of the details on it but it has gull wing doors and the whole nine yards... Stock!

I'm dealing with an importer on a Mitsubishi Delica L300 high roof. Nothing remotely like it here, it's a small van with a 2.5 liter turbodiesel engine and four wheel drive. Even comes stock with bull bars and big fog lights, it's kind of cool in a really really homely way :). Not sure if I will go through with it though, low km's and all but $8K is a lot of money to spend on a novelty. My son's assistant soccer coach has one and it looks like it could about go anywhere.

Importing these to Canada is way easier than I thought. Dealing with a fellow in Edmonton, he does pretty much everything for you. Very professional and very knowledgeable. I thought it would be a lot trickier to get them in.

I need more info on this mitsubishi.

I asked a dealer in Halifax about the availability of a 'Jumbo'. Apparently difficult to come by but he may have been trying to steer my towards another truck he had in stock that had a seemingly larger cab.

Ahh used car-guys!

Mini thread hijack alert:

Heres a little video walk around of the L300 with it's 2.5 turbodiesel engine idling. It's a cool little van with a lot of utility built in. That right hand side drive thing would take a little getting used to but a buddy of mine had a right hand drive Land Rover and he said you just don't pass :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE1_K...eature=related

Mini thread hijack off:

Cheers!
Stew

That would be great. I see a downfall. The sliding door is on the wrong side. :wink: Would have to back up to the drop off door at the school.


Still would make a good commuter van. I wouldn't need to the 4x4 here.

Lol! I thought the same thing about the door, but I was thinking about getting out on the traffic side in the street. They are sweet little rigs and I found an awesome importer in Edmonton but I kind of got cold feet on it... Parts and service thing kind of scares me, plus I could get a pretty good Caravan for that money. Not as cool, but probably more practical :D

Well if you could find one yet.

http://www.turbominivan.com/

Almost non existent now.


Sorry for the thread drift.

I tried out the diesel mini from Kijiji add. I'm hooked.

In person it is slightly larger than a typical mini so it wouldn't be considered a true Kei truck. It's still smaller than a shortbox Ranger. The cab was just big enough that I could drive in relative comfort. I could roll up/down the window with the door closed - ahhh the luxury.

It is more 'heavy duty' than the other mini truck's I've looked at. It had 14" front wheels and dual 13"s in the rear - tires should be easier to find. The bed is about 7ft in length (typical Kei truck is ~6ft). Frame and springs were beefier as well. The owner mentioned he'd loaded 'about a tonne' of rock in the bed.

No leaks and the only rust was on the side panels on the box - easily fixable. The current owner had the truck undercoated as soon as it arrived.

Power was lacking but this was expected. It's a non-turbo diesel from the late 80's. Power is between 40-50HP.

Dad went with me on the test drive and got a turn behind the wheel. He loved it as well. It was the first time for each of us in a right-hand drive vehicle - no problems.

Cool! They are neat looking trucks, met one on the road the other day and did a double take. I believe it was one of the smaller ones though, because it looked quite a bit smaller than a Ranger. So, any pics? Are you going to buy it?