Japanese Mini Trucks

[Brandonrol]

I've been looking for one for a while now and they are kinda scarce...anyone know of any good resources for these in the Southeast area?

[91Toyota4x4]

Yeah there are plenty, Toyota made them from 79-95 :flipoff2:

[Desertzuk]

I'm sure you saw mine for sale a couple of lines down. I'm in Calif. but you can get them at tractor importers all over the US.

[Bob]

http://www.h2hminitrucks.com/

[Brandonrol]

I'm sure you saw mine for sale a couple of lines down. I'm in Calif. but you can get them at tractor importers all over the US.

Yeah...yours is pretty nice..it seems like the only thing I have found around here in alabama is junk or overpriced...

[Fisheadgib]

There's a place in Panama City Florida that has a shitload of those things out front. I drive by them almost every weekend. Don't know if they have a website though. It's on hwy 98.

[dkxjois]

Isn't that a Fuzo truck???

[Robeakin]

There's an importer in Fruitland, MO. You can find them at grimports.com.


Rob

[DirtWorshiper]

Let's see more of these cool rigs.

[offroadrocktoy]

I've been looking for one for a while now and they are kinda scarce...anyone know of any good resources for these in the Southeast area?
Where in southeast you located? I know where a few is for sale.

[Paul Gagnon]

There's a place down the street from my Dad's that sells these things. I know that doesn't help you in the souutheast though.

www.japanoid.com

[larboc@hotmail.com]

Those are suprisingly expensive.

But way cool.

[Family TJ]

There is a place in Swansboro, NC that has them for sale. On the www.promud.com website there is a guy running one in the flat track mud race. What area are you in trying to find one?

[unimogken]

Are they street legal?

I'd totally drive one to work.

[Aces'n'8s]

I've been looking for one for a while now and they are kinda scarce...anyone know of any good resources for these in the Southeast area?

I can't remember which town....but somewhere along TN Hwy 14 or HWY 51 there's a guy who has about 15 of them lined along the roadside. I know that doesn't narrow it down, but it gives you a region. IIRC, he also advertises in the Memphis/mid south Truck Trader.

There's a Polaris dealership in Memphis that usually has a couple camoclad mini 4x4s outside for sale (just before hunting season).

You can also try these guys:

ATVtruck Imports
258 South Craft Street
Holly Springs, MS 38635
email:chris@ATVtruck.com

[Aces'n'8s]

Are they street legal?

I'd totally drive one to work.

I think in America....they're classified as an ATV.

[Paul Gagnon]

Are they street legal?

I'd totally drive one to work.

With a few minor modifications they can be street legal here.

[Brandonrol]

Thanks for the replies...sorry I haven't posted back till now. I'm in Birmingham, AL. But I'm willing to drive for the right deal.

And I think it is pretty tough to make them street legal. I don't think they are sold with title's...only bill of sale...and they are sold as an atv. But I'd drive the piss out of one..and I probably will.

[skillet]

Not sure what part of Birmingham your in, but if you come up 31 into Gardendale there is one at a gas station on the right hand side of the road at a chevron for sale. Not sure on the price though, it's been there for a week or two.

Also there is a "Shoppers Hotline" classified paper that comes out in the the north part of Jefferson county that has a tractor dealer that sales them. I believe they are out of Jasper.

[Aces'n'8s]

With a few minor modifications they can be street legal here.

I heard people say that about diesel Landcruisers and Hi-Lux's too....:laughing:

[redline61]

They're probably close to fifty of those things for sale over here in Idaho, they are all over priced and no one can seem to get them licensed. They would be awesome if you could put plates on them though. I bet they get pretty good mileage.

[justinh]

There is a place just North of Atlanta in Alpharetta that sells them.

[Paul Gagnon]

I heard people say that about diesel Landcruisers and Hi-Lux's too....:laughing:

It's true.

[CaryW]

There is a lady that owns a summer camp here that has hers tagged. She said she paid around 1500 to have it certifed.< not sure what that means legally.

[Aces'n'8s]

There is a lady that owns a summer camp here that has hers tagged. She said she paid around 1500 to have it certifed.< not sure what that means legally.

Probably paid off a mechanic to lien it and transfer the title. But in TN, I think they check the suspect vehicle listed in a mech's lien for any previous titles/liens. If it has never been titled in any state, the DMV guy calls you and starts asking a lot of questions.

[hackedmj]

I'm in Sweetwater Tn. There a guy that drives all around town in one, he has farm truck written on the bed, he must be classifing it as a farm vehicle, like a tractor.

[kmoneil]

I've been looking for one for a while now and they are kinda scarce...anyone know of any good resources for these in the Southeast area?

Hey got a few people on www.minitrucktalk.com under the Mini Truck Sales, check it out. They have been talking about to make them legal in some states.

[roundeye]

http://www.h2hminitrucks.com/

Looks like you might endo if you hit a speed bump Bob.:grinpimp:

[MC]

Mini trucks are actually made in China. They are available for around $3500 new if you buy 20 pieces ;)

[DBrown2]

As the guy mentioned above, in TN you can list it as a Farm Vehicle, and run a tag on it, all around town, all day.

A guy local has been buying them, at Military Surplus auctions, then painting them Camo or Flat Brown, Gets around 6500 each for them...

But Considering Rangers/Rhino's are pushing 9K, and arent full enclosed, these get the job done.

They will climb just as good as a ATV 4x4, but they are Tippy, on the sides..

[Brandonrol]

Thanks Kelvin...will do.

[Aces'n'8s]

My local Truck Trader listed a guy who sells mini trucks starting at $3500. His information is:

Kennon Auto Parts
662-534-6839 (days)
662-534-4343 (nights)

His ad says he has over 50 in stock...some with AC, large variety of makes/models, and 4WD/2WD.

[fordman1978]

theres a few places in oregon that have them. a little out of your range though.

[Brandonrol]

My local Truck Trader listed a guy who sells mini trucks starting at $3500. His information is:

Kennon Auto Parts
662-534-6839 (days)
662-534-4343 (nights)

His ad says he has over 50 in stock...some with AC, large variety of makes/models, and 4WD/2WD.


Yeah..he's got about 50 now and 50 more coming in tomorrow...thanks for the info

[Vu14TJ]

There is 4 or 5 of them for sale near me. I think they are asking $3500.

[kegwilliams]

There is a guy up here in Washington that imports them, I'll get the info if anyone is interested, he also sells them lifted with atv tiers. I believe they are around the 3500 range

[Splodie]

There is a place here in North Biloxi that has about 40 of thoes out front, i se him drivin' the all the time

[gatorgrizz27]

The owner of the shop I work for sells them for around $5k, we are in Tallahassee, FL. PM me if you are interested, I will give you his contact info.

[Paul Gagnon]

There's a place down the street from my Dad's that sells these things. I know that doesn't help you in the souutheast though.

www.japanoid.com

I took a couple of these for a test drive last week when I was at my Dad's. I drove the Suzuki and the Subaru. The hills around the dealership were a great test of these little trucks. The Suzuki was a 660cc three cylinder mid-engine, four speed. It was cramped, very gutless and felt a little unstable. The Subaru was a rear engine 660cc 4cyl, 6 speed and had a ton more power, a bigger cab and much better handling. The Suzuki had a low range transfer case but the Subaru did have a granny low gear. Both were inspected street legal. The modifications include DOT approved headlights, side marker lights and relectors and tires. They were a ton of fun to drive but the right hand drive and shifting with the wrong hand took a little getting used to. Price was ~$6000-$6500, if they were a little cheaper I'd seriously consider one.

I'll post the pictures a bit later.

[Paul Gagnon]

Here are the pictures. Both are 1990 models.

First is the Suzuki Carry.

[Paul Gagnon]

This is the Subaru Sambar.

[Paul Gagnon]

First picture is the passenger's seat o fthe Subaru pickup.

The van is a Subaru Sambar van with a "Combi kit", apparently these kits are available for (and very popular with) most of these small Japanese vans to make them look like a VW van. This one has the 660cc engine with factory available supercharger.

Also shown is the Subaru 660cc 4cyl with my hand and with the owner of the dealership standing beside it.

[MikeW]

So all of these Suburus and Suzuki mini trucks are actually manufactured in China?

[Paul Gagnon]

So all of these Suburus and Suzuki mini trucks are actually manufactured in China?

I don't know for sure but I think that the ones being brought into Canada are made in Japan. Like most manufacturers they have plants in various countries around the world to produce vehicles and parts for local, regional or global markets. Hardly a surpise there.

[MikeW]

There are several sitting at a corner at the intersection of Bemidji Ave N and Hannah Avenue as you can see here http://maps.live.com/?v=2&cid=6066D0EABBBDF8E1!119&encType=1 (Click aerial and zoom out a little)

[kegwilliams]

http://kpr.craigslist.org/grd/444512214.html
here is the guy i was talking about if anyone is interested. i have no part just passing the word

[InfantryYJ]

I took a couple of these for a test drive last week when I was at my Dad's. I drove the Suzuki and the Subaru. The hills around the dealership were a great test of these little trucks. The Suzuki was a 660cc three cylinder mid-engine, four speed. It was cramped, very gutless and felt a little unstable. The Subaru was a rear engine 660cc 4cyl, 6 speed and had a ton more power, a bigger cab and much better handling. The Suzuki had a low range transfer case but the Subaru did have a granny low gear. Both were inspected street legal. The modifications include DOT approved headlights, side marker lights and relectors and tires. They were a ton of fun to drive but the right hand drive and shifting with the wrong hand took a little getting used to. Price was ~$6000-$6500, if they were a little cheaper I'd seriously consider one.

I'll post the pictures a bit later.

If it was gutless, you had a defective one. I drove several variants of these in Okinawa, the truck model, the van and the panel van (looks like an ice cream truck) and if they aren't loaded, for their size, they're quite peppy. On the expressway, I got one up to 120kph. The hills of Okinawa are a good test as most of them are short and steep and each truck performed well for it's size, the only downfall is that once you load it, pick up is nil....and when I say load it, I've had the rear end squatting pretty good. BTW, they do make Jumbo cab variants of these too, kinda like an extended cab pick up. I was this close >< to buying one for a daily driver while over there, but couldn't bring myself to get rid of my Laurel.

In Louisiana, I saw several of them for sale, anywhere from $3000 and up.

[Paul Gagnon]

If it was gutless, you had a defective one. I drove several variants of these in Okinawa, the truck model, the van and the panel van (looks like an ice cream truck) and if they aren't loaded, for their size, they're quite peppy.

You are probably right, the Suzuki didn't run particularly well at idle either. There was such a huge difference in power from it to the Subaru that I was kinda shocked. The Suzuki was probably in serious need of a tune-up. Have you driven the supercharged Subaru?

[InfantryYJ]

You are probably right, the Suzuki didn't run particularly well at idle either. There was such a huge difference in power from it to the Subaru that I was kinda shocked. The Suzuki was probably in serious need of a tune-up. Have you driven the supercharged Subaru?

I haven't driven the supercharged ones, at least not to my knowledge. The ice cream truck was assigned to me to use as I pleased for hauling my gear around and doing pickups on the island, then it was replaced by a van. We also had some of the pick ups that we used. My buddy had the Jumbo cab one that he bought, would fit his kids(7, 9) in the jump seats perfectly. I kick myself for not buying it, but I liked my laurel to much and knew the laurel was mechanically sound.

This is just the extended cab model, I couldn't find the jumbo cab, but it's twice the size of the extended cab. Without the lift of course;)

http://www.ulmerfarmservice.com/images/DSCF0183.JPG

[okie@jeeps-offroad]

i have seen a lot of the Honda ones here in SE Oklahoma... they are considered impliments of husbandry in our state.

[Paul Gagnon]

i have seen a lot of the Honda ones here in SE Oklahoma... they are considered impliments of husbandry in our state.

I heard that the Honda ones are not full frame.

[4x4spaz]

http://bulldogoffroad.com/
There are some nice ones here...

[Spork]

My dad has a Suzuki Carry similar to the one posted earlier. It has farm tags and
I believe it was similar to a reconstructed vehicle procedure when he licensed it. He likes it more than the Kawasaki Mule he had before.

[Sillyneck]

where are you from? I was in jacksonville TX a few weeks back and every used car dealer in town had 4+ on the lot. Some lifted. some stock... didn't check any prices cause I don't care :D but I think I saw more of those things on one street in that town than I have seen in all the years of my life incl pics on the net :D

[shoyrtt]

$900 for one on Craigslist in SoCal.:)
http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/rvs/477576975.html

[loupgarou]

there one cool:

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa314/loupgarousuzuki/168422_0a184ed9-36b2-4054-92bb-f7b5.jpg

[lscrawler]

I work at the VA Hospital and they have them to run around in .
You might check the government website. They auction stuff all the time like that.

There are a few in our town for sale but I dont know what they are asking for them.

[zbrockredneck1]

If anyone around the GA area wants a mini truck a buddy of mine just got 14 of them, and i believe he is selling them for $3000.

[wngrog]

We have 3 of them on my farm. I can't say how much I love these things. We have been running them over 13 months now and my dad has put over 1000 off road miles on his, me about 300 miles and the Deck Van about 200 miles.

I broke a CV because I purchased it without good CV boots and I beat on it too hard.

These things kick ass.

[MudTJ]

There is a place in Jackson MS on lakeland drive that sells them and ive seen quite a few places in the Delta that sell them too, not sure on price. I have to imagine there are some places in alabama that sell them.

I put a lift kit on a Diahatsu brand one for a friend, it was a unibody. I guess some of them have real frames though?

[milktoast]

If anyone around the GA area wants a mini truck a buddy of mine just got 14 of them, and i believe he is selling them for $3000. I am in ga and would like to buy 1 or 2 mini trucks!

[jimbo74]

those actually look a lot liek the toyota hiace vans we had in austrailia, but with a pickup bed

[High5]

here are a couple of pic's of mine. i love this little thing. i use it for a hunting/farm truck on my in-laws place and it works great. mine has 3" lift, 25" atv tires and wheels, cd player, optima battery, warn 4700lb utility winch that i can mount front back or in the bed via reciever hitches, etc. etc. the bed size of these things is huge compared to the side by sides out there. plus the enclosed cab with heat is great when i am heading out to the deer stand, duck hole, or where ever. i just got done replacing the coil springs on the struts of mine with some 250lb QA1 coil over springs and it really helped the ride in the rough stuff. it also gave me about an inch more lift.

[SilverZuk]

There are several places around here that sell them.
I have seen them for $4500 to $7500, depending on what you want.

[braxton357]

What is the top speed of these things (in US form)?

[jeep937]

These things are in all the traders around Ohio and the tristate. Why are they so expensive? 6-7 grand$? I own a landscape company and thought of getting one but for that much I could buy another truck or maybe even a 6x6 gator?
I still want one for some odd reason.

[High5]

These things are in all the traders around Ohio and the tristate. Why are they so expensive? 6-7 grand$? I own a landscape company and thought of getting one but for that much I could buy another truck or maybe even a 6x6 gator?
I still want one for some odd reason.

you can find the stock versions for $4500-$5000 if you look but if you want it already decked out then $6000-$7000 is about what they are going for. you are correct in that you can get a truck cheaper. if the truck can do what you need then go that route. also the side by sides sold today do not really compare. they are much more expensive, have smaller cargo areas and the full featured cab of the mini trucks make them better for how i use mine. it all boils down to how YOU plan to use it. where i hunt we are on a river bottom that is prone to flooding and has lots of mud most of the year. a normal truck would be too heavy for where i run mine. the side by sides would work great as far as the mud goes but again the bed size and enclosed cab work best for how i use mine. it all boils down to what works best for how you plan to use it..

[draggbody]

well i am in columbus ga and i will spread my knowledge/ experiences/ justification of price etc... there are ALOT of shit boxes out there, these come mostly from china and the philippines, they are what you would expect, claims of greatness and most are ragged the fuck out and patched up... you do not want a truck that you dont know the origin of import, obviously they all are from japan, but make sure thats where they were imported from... most of these trucks have 40k-50k miles on them, not km, and will realistically last you forever.... i bought a couple of "cheap" trucks at first, they were from japan, but the quality was shit compared to the trucks i order now... most people ask are my trucks new, and as flattering as it might be i give them the pitch on why they look so good, like anything used, you get what you pay for....

price... this is what most want to know about... how come i see these trucks in front of joe blows gas station for $3500 and other retailers get around $5000, well think about service after the sale... parts are not the easiest to get and usually ties up a good bit of time on the phone/ internet to get them... now you buy a turd and then come crying to me that its broke, but you got a good deal on it and now you need sympathy, just like buying a cheap ass winch off ebay and wanting a reputable vendor here on pBB to bail you out... if you bought it from him, there would be no question about helping out, or fixing the problem... you buy good service you get good service.... we service all of our trucks, any issues fixed before the sale, and we stand behind them as do most legitamate dealers... a good retailer is going to make sure you dont have problems...

bottom line is to buy from someone who is knowledgeable and dependable... they are used and you will need something sooner or later so dont get bit w/ a cheap ass truck... i am in columbus ga. and i keep a good inventory... we take them to morris mtn all the time and my dad has a blast in them... he wanted a rhino, but these proved to be much more versatile, so we started selling them at my shop... i have one on our property and so does dad, they are awesome and i couldnt imagine an individual wanting to sell one, because i couldnt live w/o one now.... i dont want to spam the board, just provide as much useful info as possible, if you have questions shoot me a pm....

[blue p.o.s.]

there are a couple of 3 wheeled ones of these running around my town, you can license the 3 wheeled ones as motorcycles with a bill of sale, at least that is how they did it. i almost bought 1 two years ago to try and make street legal, but decided against it after checking on some stuff, i was amazed to see the ones around town. they are sweet though. i would kill to have one. and nolen, why doesn't it surprise me you have some, you have all the cool toys.

[100dollarman]

I just saw this thread! We have been selling these for years! The little trucks are great for offroading. We take them out all the time- Glamis, Dumont, the Hammers, etc. I'm in Socal and usually have 20-30 trucks in stock staring at $3500. All the parts are available now unlike a few years ago. Check out www.libertyminimog.com We deliver all over.

Here are a few pics--

[100dollarman]

a few more miniMOG pics-

[santacruz77]

theres one sitting out in front of oconee off road here in GA

[Slowzuki]

I've seen some around town, mostly the subaru model. I wonder if the 1.2 L 3 cyl Justy motor would fit? Its about 90 hp or so, would have more torque than the little 660cc.

I've been trying to get the bed off one for my samurai to convert it to the pickup model.

[100dollarman]

I've seen some around town, mostly the subaru model. I wonder if the 1.2 L 3 cyl Justy motor would fit? Its about 90 hp or so, would have more torque than the little 660cc.

I've been trying to get the bed off one for my samurai to convert it to the pickup model.



I havent heard of this engine being used, but that would be cool if it would fit-- the stock engines have around 45hp and they run pretty good. 90hp would be a tire burner!

The beds on the minitrucks dont really come off like a pick up. They are integrated to the cab. The sides all come off, but not the bottom of the bed.

[Slowzuki]

Sorry, looking for a Suzuki carry bed, not the subaru!

[D'Animal]

Here is mine with the new 23's.


The wing is just sitting on there so don't give any crap about it.


1994 Daihastu 4x4.

[Stuntopts]

Back in the 80's (when I still lived in SOCAL), there was a VW performance company called "FASTCO" (fast company, get it?) and they had a Suzuki version (late 70's model or early 80's, maybe) that the owner had converted to VW power. All of the original rear end crap was yanked and a built VW engine and transaxle was installed. Whenever he towed his buggy out to the desert, he had enough extra power to pass most anything on the road and in CA., it was street legal.... at THAT time. Around this neck of the woods, they're all going for $4500 and up... but don't really seem worth the asking price.

[85blue4runner]

These are also called K-Trucks or Kei Trucks, as a spin off from Kei Cars, which are very small city cars in Japan and other Asian countries, usually powered by a 600cc engine or so, due to their size weight and classification.