new (to me) toy

[Bobacuda]

So, for several years I have wanted a Polaris type vehicle.  However, the price tag ran me off.  Just over a year ago, at a swap meet I met a guy using a Japanese mini-truck to set up his wares.  His was a Mitsubishi, and he was very informative and allowed me to sit in it (too small for me) and he told me that a Subaru Sambar or a Daihatsu Hijet Jumbo cab would probably work.  So, I started researching them. 

 

I took the plunge and imported a 1990 Subaru Sambar from Japan.  It is a rear-engine, 660 cc 4-cyl, 5 spd, with a low-crawling gear, 4 wheel drive, fully independent suspension, and it has a heater and AC.  It will carry 750 lbs.  And yes, it is smaller than a US truck - it is the size of a Polaris. Vehicle price was minimal, compared to the exporter's fee, shipping, US import taxes, etc.  Roughly $3.5K total from Japan to off the boat in Freeport, TX.  That price is much less than even a used Polaris UTV's that needs work around here.  I'll post some other photos and my overall impression with it when I get it licensed (bureaucracy takes time).

 

Here it is in Japan.  Either I made a good deal, or I have given my family another thing to laugh at.

Edited May 5, 2019 by Bobacuda
missing a sentence

[Plymouthy Adams]

these little lorries were quite popular in the Mideast....I would see them go by with 15-20 workers sitting in,on and about the vehicle as best they could.

[greg g]

See those in Canada. A few around here as golf course maintenance mules.  There is a turbo version...

[Plymouthy Adams]

actually I think here in the US Suzuki marketed these also.....few running around as local delivery vehicles on base

[Todd B]

I had a chance to buy one a few years ago and struggled with making it road legal. Hopefully it works for you.

[MackTheFinger]

That wasn't a bad deal. There are some dealers around here that sell those for about $5k. so it's not too hard to figure out the markup. Probably even better if you buy a container full of them. I don't know that they can be made street-legal here but they're popular on private property. Sure beats the price of a JD UTV or the like.

[Bobacuda]

I don't know about other states, but a 25 yr old one is considered a "classic" by the EPA so the engine clears that hurdle.  Since the Fed accepts them on the road, Texas will as well.  I have to get the local sheriff's department to look at the serial # on the frame and compare it to all of my paperwork to show that it is not a stolen vehicle, next the Japanese title will have to be converted to a Texas title in my name (the paperwork to do so was part of the deal), then I have to get insurance, a safety inspection and plates.  I start that process on Thursday.

 

I see that a lot of folks in Canada opt for the Suzuki or the Daihatsu versions and attach snow plows to them (those two are more suited for lifting, oversize tires and the snow plow).

[lonejacklarry]

Here ya' go:

 

https://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/laws/minitrucks/mapminitrucksonroads

[CO54]

When I was stationed in Japan, those things ran around everywhere non-stop.  I never tried to get my 6'5" self into one though.  Another lesson learned with them was 4 "in the bag sailors" can pick one up and move into a questionable parking spot at the corner of a building.

 

[Young Ed]

Our local junkyard somehow got a bunch of something similar to that but they were minus drivetrain. Not sure if the engines got pulled because they weren't compliant or what 

[Bobacuda]

I am 6'1" and weigh about 325.  Body shape is "old guy."  The distance from the "face" of the back of the front seat to the steering wheel is about 17".  The distance from the bottom of the steering wheel to the "face" of the seat bottom is about 7.5".  That's more room than my '53 Dodge has.  I fit in the Sambar fine, although it is a bit narrow at the shoulders (compared to what I am used to), and getting my feet in at the bottom of that door (foot has to clear front wheel well and the door jamb - see the photo I posted) are the greatest challenges - much like some of the UTV's I have been in.  A 5'8" average size guy would have no problem.

 

Unmodified engines of the Kei vehicles (Subaru, Honda, Daihatsu, Suzuki, Mazda & Mitsubishi) have been ruled compliant by EPA.  All of these little trucks look pretty much the same and by law have the same dimensional sizes, engine size, hauling capacity, etc. regulated by the Japanese government.