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If you know, you know. Due to Fed Reg’s you can’t easily import cars from other countries until they reach 25 years old. So ‘95/‘96 JDM vehicles are now available. Check your state if you want one as there are some crack downs coming against those used for on road use. Make no sense as they’re actually safer than a motorcycle. I’m in SC so we’re all good here……hell we don’t even have a helmet law.
After visiting Japan 3 times in 4 years (son was there for work) I’ve been looking for a Kei Truck (JDM mini-truck) to import. Really looking hard for about 3 months. Found the right one at Mayberry Mini Trucks in Mt. Airy, NC. Mine’s a 1995 Daihatsu Hijet, 2WD, 5MT, 660cc, AM/FM with cassette and A/C. These things are real vehicles with blinkers, hi-beams, disc brakes, windshield wipers w/washers, done light that turns on when you open the door, a glove box and on and on.
This one is absolutely spotless and came with only 17K miles. How can a 25 year old vehicle have so few miles? Well most of these are farm vehicles and 2WD for mine makes it a safe bet that it saw mild duty and did some runs into town and that’s about it. Mine tops out at 70mph, but I have sone drag-34 (14x6”) wheels coming to replace my 12’s. LOL. Should be able to hit 75 after that.
So far I’ve been cleaning her up, doing light mods and replacing hardware with stainless bolts everywhere that isn’t related to chassis integrity. Mine will be a classic storm trooper (black/white) when I’m done.
Mods include:
1) Painted the grill and wings white
2) Painted the Wiper arms, headlight surrounds, side view mirrors, black
3) Painted the disc brake calipers red (cuz race car)
4) Changed wiper blades
5) Made a custom bedliner out of rubber garage flooring
6) Buffed all the light lenses
7) NiLight LED lights - 2X Bed, 2X Ditch, 1X 20” light bar (still need to wire)
8) Added stickers that make me and my buddies laugh
Mods inbound:
1) JDM M6 stainless hardware kit with black anodized washers
2) 2X 20” white Lund bed boxes for extra storage
3) Raptor Line the bed area
4) VW MK1 front spoiler - yes it fits
5) Japanese custom front plate
6) Black anodized roof rack
7) Wheel adapter/spacers (Daihatsu’s have an orphan 4x110 bolt pattern, way more wheel choices in 4x100)
8) Drag-34 14x6” wheels. Black of course.
9) Nexen 195/60’s. Monsters compared to what’s on there.
10) 13” wood steering a wheel
11) Custom shift ****
12) Wheel flares to cover the poke
13) JBL Charge5 blue tooth speaker for a little thump
14) 2X3 gang switches - one with 3 independent switches for each set of lights / the other for a volt meter + 2 USB’s + cig liter
15) White wire loom cover
16) 72 sq/ft of KILMAT sound deadening
17) Spray can lens tinting
18) White Tow D-rings
19) Battery Cover - custom made
20) White Rhino decals……of course I named it. LOL
Here’s a few pix plus and idea of where it’s going.
Is the 660 engine a turbo? I hear those can respond quite well to a tune up.
Also, I don't know how you can enjoy driving around in something so small, you should get a real man's car like I did! (sarc)
my 'beast'
1000cc turbo, makes about 98hp at 6psi. Haven't got it remapped yet. Weighs only 1800lbs, and shift points as 30, 50, 70, 95, 5th is overdrive. Away from the lights it's so much fun. No power steering, barely 2 inch of suspension travel. A proper little go kart.
The 660cc is a bit gutless at 44hp in a 1,400lb vehicle. Some guys have S/C’d them to 60hp, but really they still move slow but you can move your top speed up to 87mph. I’m good at 75mph and of course it feels faster when you’re sitting over the front wheels and 24” from the windshield. I gotta say though, I love driving this thing.
Is the 660 engine a turbo? I hear those can respond quite well to a tune up.
Also, I don't know how you can enjoy driving around in something so small, you should get a real man's car like I did! (sarc)
my 'beast'
1000cc turbo, makes about 98hp at 6psi. Haven't got it remapped yet. Weighs only 1800lbs, and shift points as 30, 50, 70, 95, 5th is overdrive. Away from the lights it's so much fun. No power steering, barely 2 inch of suspension travel. A proper little go kart.
I had this little right hand drive Suzuki for a while. I used it running around the rural valley that I live in. Was fun watching people's reactions when I had my dog in it. They would see me coming and think the dog was driving.
I sold it because it was just to small and hard to get it and out of.
I had this little right hand drive Suzuki for a while. I used it running around the rural valley that I live in. Was fun watching people's reactions when I had my dog in it. They would see me coming and think the dog was driving.
I sold it because it was just to small and hard to get it and out of.
Steering wheel is slightly smaller so more room and the wood is ‘grippier’. Looking at some Toyota Dyna ex-fire trucks now with less than 20K miles. Very low use vehicles, big GVW’s, bullet-proof diesel engines and 4WD with locking hubs and diffs.
01-02-2022, 06:00 PM
1995 Daihatsu Hijet
