Jap 4x4 Mini trucks???

Japanese Mini Trucks waste of money or cheap fun?

  • Piece of crap?

    Votes: 4 15.4%

  • Reliable useful fun?

    Votes: 9 34.6%

  • No parts stay away?

    Votes: 1 3.8%

  • Good buy for the size and capability compared to the utility side by side market?

    Votes: 6 23.1%

  • I've lost my marbles?

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Please get a buch of em so we can have our own UNF "Uwharrie"Cult?

    Votes: 11 42.3%
  • Total voters
    26
When I worked in Mebane I use to see one of these going down 40 occasionally. It was a three wheel version.

A friend of my uncle's just got one over Christmas. Not sure where or how he got it.
 
We had a couple of these trucks to use when I was in Korea, they were really tough, I loved thew way the bed could be unlatched and turn into flatbed, only complaint is the interior was so damn small.

Also the diesel they had was super economical.
 
My Dad has one that he uses on the farm...neat truck.

I cannot drive it, as it is way too small for me or my feet.

8' bed, fold down sides, slant 3 motor (sort-of)....goes anywhere.
 
Used to drive them a lot in the Air Force. The ones we had were made by Daihatsu. For what they were, and where they were used, they were nice. They wouldn't go over 25 MPH, unless you messed with the governor, but we didn't complain.
 
drkelly said:
Something like this would be fun and cool:

View attachment 180683

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/4888501266.html
Click to expand...

Yep, that's what I'm looking at. My research is revealing you can still get them. Also you can get very current year models. They get pricey and have fuel injection,heat, and ac!:D Loop hole being your not supposed to register them road legal. Seems that a few dedicated business identities have popped up and import them and support parts. Market segment is mostly ranchers, construction, isolated municipality use, hunting (private and guided ranches), and plain folk who want a different kind of toy.

doc said:
My Dad has one that he uses on the farm...neat truck.

I cannot drive it, as it is way too small for me or my feet.

8' bed, fold down sides, slant 3 motor (sort-of)....goes anywhere.
Click to expand...

So how big a feller are you?? I'm a 6 footer and run 210lbs. on the naked meter.. er scale!
 
ncsutj said:
When I worked in Mebane I use to see one of these going down 40 occasionally. It was a three wheel version.

A friend of my uncle's just got one over Christmas. Not sure where or how he got it.
Click to expand...

probably a Robbins. the three wheeled versions are motorcycles. NC DMV says anything with less than 4 wheels is a motorcycle and requires a motorcycle endorsement. its alsoeasier to sneak past import laws and saferty conforms with a 3 wheeler
 
Why not just get an 80s or early 90s Toyota pickup? You can tag it, parts are plentiful, will still fit on a 4wheeler trail (if you dont care about the body), and easier to find.
 
To big.
To Normal more like it.
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
a friend has one on his farm. Its an older open cab style, looks similar to a big golf cart. It has a mitsu 3cyl engine with 4spd and 4x4. Its got a 6ft flat dump bed on the back. It needs better tires, but it seems to go anywhere and the hydro dump is awesome around the farm.

edit: apparently it is a toro workman 3300, like this. He bought it used from craigslist.

View attachment 180694
Click to expand...

Those are tough machines. I lucked up one time was working as a contractor for Linville ridge golf course, they use these for maintenance up there. Anyway had 2 put behind the building asked and bought both of them for 1000 one was 4wd and one 2wd
 
No need to import ... those things are around. Just buy one.
Probably need to do some digging, I see a couple licensed and on the road in Forsyth/Stokes counties.


Matt
 
The import question was related to becoming an importer to resale and make money. Wandered about known fees licenses ect. Found a few for sale and a few dedicated dealers, working on info for the import part.
 
For all who have questions about these trucks... :

I currently own and drive a 1994 Mitsubishi Minicab, which is a right-hand drive, tiny pickup truck with a 2 3/4" lift kit and I put some 14" ATV rims and 14" tires on it (at the rim). I use it on the street, including I-40. I have gotten mine up to 65mph on level ground in 5th gear, and 80mph downhill on I-40 near exit 287. Mine has a valid NC title and registration, as well as a regular NC tag (I can put up pics of it later if you guys want to see it).

You CAN get one of these registered here in NC, but you'd have to go through the right channels first. I talked with my local NC DMV License and Theft agent, who is required to inspect these and other vehicles and sign a waiver to put them on the road and register them here. He told me he had worked at NC's central office for 5 years and saw many of them come across his desk, with no one ever denying their registration requests. He said "sure, it may not have everything the DOT requires, but if another state has given this truck a title and says it DOES have everything required to be on the road, then who am I to say another state is wrong?".
Basically, many (if not most) other states will title anything with a wheel and a motor. Therefore, all I had to do was find one from out of state with a title and bring it here. I got it inspected at the License and Theft office, he gave me a waiver (since the VIN is only 11 digits), and I registered it the same day with the NC DMV. I now drive it on the regular on the streets and get wonderful gas mileage (around 35-40mpg, depending on how I drive), and get stares and compliments from others on the road.

There are 5 major makes/models of mini trucks, also known as Japanese Kei Trucks:
Mitsubishi Minicab
Suzuki Carry
Daihatsu Hijet
Subaru Sambar
Honda Acty

All these trucks are basically the same, but the Subaru and Honda are harder to find parts for and the Subaru's take more to modify and add parts to them. The Subaru's have also had some issues with the boots coming off CV joints and needing to replace the joints on the regular. Anything pre-1993 or so will have the older, 550cc engine in them. These engines are ok, but the top speed is much lower and the newer engines are much better. The 1993-1998 engines are all 660cc engines with a carburetor. These trucks are awesome, and you can even find some with A/C, dump beds, scissor lifts/dumps, and snow plows. Any of these trucks newer than 1998 will have a fuel-injected engine, which obviously runs and starts a little better in the cold and higher elevations. Overall, these trucks would climb a tree if the bark would hold. Around 90-95% of them have 4WD, and many have hi/lo for 2WD and 4WD as well. There are many sites and companies across the US who supply spare parts and aftermarket accessories for these trucks at a reasonable price.

If you're curious about getting one, talk to me first and I'll give you some advice on what to look for, how to title it in NC, etc. I love my truck and am not trying to get rid of mine anytime soon (I've gotten many offers from people to buy it). I got mine from a dealer out of Nebraska. This one was a trade-in from a farmer who wanted A/C, so he bought a newer one and I got this one at a great deal, then shipped it in to NC for a really reasonable price.

If you're trying to become an importer, you'd have to go through the federal government to be licensed with them, but then you wouldn't be able to title them here if they came here first. Tennessee will, though, as that's the next closest state. If you don't care about importing a lot with titles, then your market would be more of the farmer crowd, which is a mostly-untapped market here in NC. The last one I had was a 1993 Suzuki Carry without a NC title, and it sold on Craigslist in around 5 hours to a farmer out of SC who drove up the next day and handed me cash. Bottom line is: people want these trucks, but you just have to know how to market them. You can take off the governor plate on these very easily and make them go through all 5 gears instead of being just stuck with 1st gear and reverse.

As for the poster who said they're itty bitty:
I'm 5' 11", 240lbs, and I fit easily with room to spare. You can also get a smaller-diameter steering wheel to give yourself 3-4 extra inches of belly or leg room.

These trucks will run forever
 
Good info. I was looking to find info on direct import to become a dealer. Everything I found was clear as mud.
 
image.png
Just seen this looks like a decent deal if anyone is looking for one
 
Andrew Beck said:
For all who have questions about these trucks... :

I currently own and drive a 1994 Mitsubishi Minicab, which is a right-hand drive, tiny pickup truck with a 2 3/4" lift kit and I put some 14" ATV rims and 14" tires on it (at the rim). I use it on the street, including I-40. I have gotten mine up to 65mph on level ground in 5th gear, and 80mph downhill on I-40 near exit 287. Mine has a valid NC title and registration, as well as a regular NC tag (I can put up pics of it later if you guys want to see it).

You CAN get one of these registered here in NC, but you'd have to go through the right channels first. I talked with my local NC DMV License and Theft agent, who is required to inspect these and other vehicles and sign a waiver to put them on the road and register them here. He told me he had worked at NC's central office for 5 years and saw many of them come across his desk, with no one ever denying their registration requests. He said "sure, it may not have everything the DOT requires, but if another state has given this truck a title and says it DOES have everything required to be on the road, then who am I to say another state is wrong?".
Basically, many (if not most) other states will title anything with a wheel and a motor. Therefore, all I had to do was find one from out of state with a title and bring it here. I got it inspected at the License and Theft office, he gave me a waiver (since the VIN is only 11 digits), and I registered it the same day with the NC DMV. I now drive it on the regular on the streets and get wonderful gas mileage (around 35-40mpg, depending on how I drive), and get stares and compliments from others on the road.

There are 5 major makes/models of mini trucks, also known as Japanese Kei Trucks:
Mitsubishi Minicab
Suzuki Carry
Daihatsu Hijet
Subaru Sambar
Honda Acty

All these trucks are basically the same, but the Subaru and Honda are harder to find parts for and the Subaru's take more to modify and add parts to them. The Subaru's have also had some issues with the boots coming off CV joints and needing to replace the joints on the regular. Anything pre-1993 or so will have the older, 550cc engine in them. These engines are ok, but the top speed is much lower and the newer engines are much better. The 1993-1998 engines are all 660cc engines with a carburetor. These trucks are awesome, and you can even find some with A/C, dump beds, scissor lifts/dumps, and snow plows. Any of these trucks newer than 1998 will have a fuel-injected engine, which obviously runs and starts a little better in the cold and higher elevations. Overall, these trucks would climb a tree if the bark would hold. Around 90-95% of them have 4WD, and many have hi/lo for 2WD and 4WD as well. There are many sites and companies across the US who supply spare parts and aftermarket accessories for these trucks at a reasonable price.

If you're curious about getting one, talk to me first and I'll give you some advice on what to look for, how to title it in NC, etc. I love my truck and am not trying to get rid of mine anytime soon (I've gotten many offers from people to buy it). I got mine from a dealer out of Nebraska. This one was a trade-in from a farmer who wanted A/C, so he bought a newer one and I got this one at a great deal, then shipped it in to NC for a really reasonable price.

If you're trying to become an importer, you'd have to go through the federal government to be licensed with them, but then you wouldn't be able to title them here if they came here first. Tennessee will, though, as that's the next closest state. If you don't care about importing a lot with titles, then your market would be more of the farmer crowd, which is a mostly-untapped market here in NC. The last one I had was a 1993 Suzuki Carry without a NC title, and it sold on Craigslist in around 5 hours to a farmer out of SC who drove up the next day and handed me cash. Bottom line is: people want these trucks, but you just have to know how to market them. You can take off the governor plate on these very easily and make them go through all 5 gears instead of being just stuck with 1st gear and reverse.

As for the poster who said they're itty bitty:
I'm 5' 11", 240lbs, and I fit easily with room to spare. You can also get a smaller-diameter steering wheel to give yourself 3-4 extra inches of belly or leg room.

These trucks will run forever
Click to expand...


This USED to be true.
You can now direct import to NC and title them here first.

Its being done.

I know where ~20 are sitting right now ready to go with clean NC titles.
 
Ron said:
This USED to be true.
You can now direct import to NC and title them here first.

Its being done.

I know where ~20 are sitting right now ready to go with clean NC titles.
Click to expand...
Info? @Ron
 
Sent some PMs
 
Back
Top