Whatzzit?

[BruceK]

So, I recently import a new vehicle. It's not a Mini, but if I give you a few random clues can you guess what it is?

-mid-engined

-5 speed

-seats 3

[MPlayle]

I will consider myself disqualified as you mentioned it to me in another discussion a little while back.

[BruceK]

Thanks Michael.

More clues:

- 3200 lbs

- 1.8 pushrod engine

[gr8kornholio]

First thought was you found gold in dem dare hills,  and bought an F1.  Was only mid engine 3 seater I knew of, course it's a 6 speed.

Then thought I had it googled, but this only came in 1.6 or 2.2 and weighed in at 2000 lbs.  Intersting non the less, especially the seating.
https://www.carthrottle.com/post/rhrOwb/

[MiniDave]

Matra Bagheera? or Murena as above....saw that after I typed my guess

[BruceK]

Nope. 


More clues:

- it's 4 wheel drive, and strangely it is also

- a column shift (so not "3 on the tree", but "5 on the hive"  ;D )

[MiniDave]

Peugeot?

[BruceK]

No. It's a brand currently sold in the US although this particular model was never imported here when new.

More info:

-RHD

-sister vehicle (different body-style) was sold in the US in the 1980s

[jeff10049]

Air Cooled?

[BruceK]

No, water-cooled. 


-it's a 1992

-JDM

-when I said mid-engined I should have said front mid-engined

[Willie_B]

Man, this is all kinds of mind confusing.

[ADRay]

something similar to this?

[94touring]

something similar to this?

That was my guess too

[BruceK]

something similar to this?

BINGO!!  Winner winner chicken dinner! 

Well done sir. 


It's a 1992 Toyota Liteace pickup. Very similar to the Nissan Vanette pickup picture you provided.  It may resemble a tiny Kei truck, but it is nearly 5 ft longer, and double the weight.

My Liteace has a 750kg load capacity, so more than 3/4 ton. Although with the 1.8 engine I don't know how I'd move that kinda weight.   There is a corporate twin, the Toyota Townace, sort of like Chevrolet and GMC trucks.  The flat bed is fully 8ft long by 4.5ft so sheets of plywood and drywall should be no problem. Which is kind of what I bought it for - just running errands to Home Depot.  My truck also has a dump bed which I have not yet tried.

Oh, it's related to the Toyota Van and Wagon sold here in the late 1980s.  But those had a bigger engine.

[BruceK]

 The interior and shifter.

[Willie_B]

Very cool. Bet it draws as many stares as the mini.

[BruceK]

Yes it does. I just visited the county sheriff's office this morning to have the VIN inspected so I can get it registered, and the inspector was really intrigued saying he'd rather have one of these then an ATV.

Now I'm at Lowe's picking up some stuff.

[94touring]

I've driven one 20 plus years ago at a golf course.   Saw one for sale here a few years ago that was tempting.

[BruceK]

I've driven one 20 plus years ago at a golf course.   Saw one for sale here a few years ago that was tempting.

You probably drove a Kei truck - they are about the same length as a Mini at just over 10ft long.  Kei cars and trucks are limited by Japanese law to certain dimensions and to 660cc.  And they are typically 3-cylinders.  Many new Kei trucks got imported for off-road use only like golf courses and factory grounds, but people are importing older versions of Kei pickups (and vans) for on-road use if they are 25+ years old.

[gr8kornholio]

Well dang, wish I'd known you were in the market for a truck.  I'd cut you a deal on my 85 toyota longbed.  It's only 2wd and no dump bed, but it has the 22R motor in it and a 5 speed.

Cool utility vehicle though.  How does it ride/handle/feel compared to all the driving in MiNis?

[BruceK]

Mark, I wasn't really in the market for a truck per se, but I did want something out of the ordinary.  So I first came up with the weird truck idea, then I worked on possible semi-rationale excuses to have one!  ;D

It's a little different than driving a Mini.  You sit right over the front wheels, so turn-in is more bus-like than driving a car. In fact, it reminds me of driving an old VW bus in that regard.   You look through the big windshield and the road is right there in front of you.  But the cab is nice and cozy, and while there is great visibility all around, I bet the summer sun is really going to heat up the interior - especially through the massive windshield.  On the positive side, the a/c only has to cool a small space. 

Once underway, it rides pretty good, but it's still a truck.  I'm used to shifting with my left hand from owning RHD Minis, but I'm forced to learn some new habits with the 5-speed column shift. And I am also learning to use my right hand for the turn signals.  More than once have I turned on the wipers to signal a turn!  I've only got a couple hundred miles on it so far, and it is taking some concentration while driving to remind myself of the shift pattern and the turn-signal switch location.  But it is rewarding to get it right.

It is similar to driving an 850 Mini (and a VW bus too) in that there is a real need to maintain momentum and plan ahead - especially for very steep hills.   

[MiniDave]

Congrats on the new trucklette! I like it - I would like to have a truck but the new ones are just so damn big and it's impossible to lift anything into the bed.

Sounds like this one needs a turbo, then maybe you could tow a Mini with it on a trailer or at least a dolly?

This would be perfect for me - I need something easy to load/unload engines and stuff into. But I would want it to be able to tow a light trailer too.....

BTW, do they come in any color other than white? Just curious....

My daughter's Honda Acty is blue, but that and white seem to be the only colors they made those in.....

[gr8kornholio]

Just need to convert the BINI to RHD.  71.gif

[BruceK]

Congrats on the new trucklette! I like it - I would like to have a truck but the new ones are just so damn big and it's impossible to lift anything into the bed.

The bed height is fairly high for a small truck, but 3 sides fold down giving you easy access to the flat floor.

Sounds like this one needs a turbo, then maybe you could tow a Mini with it on a trailer or at least a dolly?

That would be great. I've just been watching Mighty Car Mods on YouTube where the guys installed a very cheapo eBay turbo (AUD$169!) on a Toyota Yaris and the damn thing works!  But who knows how long it will last...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4UQsAe9-E4

This would be perfect for me - I need something easy to load/unload engines and stuff into. But I would want it to be able to tow a light trailer too.....

I don't see this truck towing much beyond a little Harbor Freight trailer or similar.  You can tell it was made for the urban roads in Japan where high speeds capability and/or towing capacity aren't required.

BTW, do they come in any color other than white? Just curious....

My daughter's Honda Acty is blue, but that and white seem to be the only colors they made those in.....

It's like the reverse Model T situation: any color you want as long as it is white.   Seriously, I looked at hundreds (thousands?) of used trucks available from Japan and the Kei size trucks through the Mazda Bongo-sizes and larger size Mitsubishi Canter Guts and 99.5% of them are white.  That light blue color your daughter's Acty is painted, is the only exception to white I've seen.

I think it has to do with these being plain work trucks - the idea of a truck as a flashy fashion statement wasn't happening in Japan back in the 1980s and 1990s.  So white it was...

[BruceK]

Just need to convert the BINI to RHD.  71.gif

I would if I could!  ;D