How many of you country folk have car(s)???

[tkyosam]

My buddy has been bitchin to me lately about living in the city and wants to move somewhere like 四国　(shikoku) or 北海道 (hokkaido), but he refuses to even get a scooter license.

Many of my friends that have lived in rural Japan say you can get around without a car, but it is an extreme pain in teh arse and it's not that hard to find a car when you are put in that setting/situation.

How many of you country guys have some kind of mode of transportation that has a motor attached to it, and do you think it is a necessity to living in el wilderness???

[KenElwood]

How many of you country guys have some kind of mode of transportation that has a motor attached to it, and do you think it is a necessity to living in el wilderness???

Hey tkysam,

Sorry to hear about all that bitchin’ going on.

First things first, living in the country without wheels is one thing, but trying to find a place in the country without wheels, or not being able to borrow someone else’s wheels to find a place in the country, is another. I've been meaning to buy mountain land for years, but it's really hard! You have to have a car or a car you can borrow, and lots of money and time to drive all over looking at places, asking around, and sometimes dealing with crooked real estate agents. Then if you find something you like, you have to call around to a lot of offices checking on stuff, maybe hire a lawyer, and draw up a special multi-page contract so you don't get screwed.

Now, say he somehow does find a place and settles down. Whether he needs wheels or not, well, I guess that depends on his life-way.

As for me, I’ve a bicycle. Often borrow the family’s kei-tora. Been meaning to buy an older model kei-tora for years too…but again….it’s really hard, I have to have a car to get to the nearest dealership, need lots of money, and crooked car dealers aren’t my cup of ocha.

hope that helps.

[zilch]

Guess it depends on how much he likes walking, cycling or taking the bus.

I'd say at least get a Honda Cub, fuel efficient, easy to maintain and go for years. They used to say SE Asia ran on the Honda Cub.

Given the choice I'd go for Shikoku, especially without a car, Hokkaido in the winter without a car could be fatal, seriously.

Although Hokkaido in the summer with a car could be fatal too, lot of Honshu city folk get excited on the empty-ish roads and fail to negotiate the occasional corner or junction. Bikers especially.

[johnElarue]

I'd say it's a neccesity. Country bus and train service is limited, unless you want to grow old waiting for it to arrive. Recently I've been concerned over the rising gasoline prices and have contemplated ditching my car, at least part time to start, and taking the Honda Cub to and from the station and take the onemancar, instead of driving to work. It would be an inconvenience, adding about 3hours to my working day, not to mention, the fun of wearing foul weather gear during the rainy season and helmet hair. I have a kei-van and Super Cub by the way.

[TomT]

I'd agree with zilch and john, at least a 50cc scooter or mini-bike. You can get 5 years JCI and they get great fuel mileage. Top "legal" speed is 30Kph.

If you live up north in snow country getting around in the winter would require a car, although the local mailmen have studded snow tires or chains on their delivery bikes.

Public transportation for me would cost more than owning motorized transportation.

I owned a Honda Ape50 and it was a good little bike. Had wide, somewhat agressive tires and good suspension travel so it did pretty good on dirt, rocks and sand. Drawback was I weigh(ed) 200lbs and it did not have much horespower, 3.7Hp I believe. I'm thinking when I return in May, a Honda DIO Z4 scooter might be ok for longer rides, about 5Hp but it has street tires, not good for anything other than tar.

Course then again I should just see how difficult it would be to get a 250cc license!

Wife has a Diahatsu Move AWD so I'm not worried about winter.

[berlinette]

Hey guys,

I was just thinking the other day to ask if any carnuts here.
My everyday transportation is an Isuzu Trooper, it's the Bighorn in Japan.
Sadly it's not the turbo diesel version but it is good for going camping, hiking and hunting.

I would be interested to find out if anyone into racing?
Used to be a rally driver in my younger years and currently have an Alpine Renault A110 1600S.
If I ever make it and stay in Japan I'm thinking Shikoku would be good.
Perhaps I could race my car at the Suzuka curcuit once in a while.
Right now it needs some work but it could be a pretty fast.

Cheers

[KenElwood]

If I ever make it and stay in Japan I'm thinking Shikoku would be good.

That'd be cool.

Nice car, by the way.

[berlinette]

That'd be cool.

Nice car, by the way.

Hey Ken,

Indeed that would be cool, if I ever make it.
I guess not many car guys here, I would be interested to
find some local info on the Suzuka raceway.
Are you in the general area?

[TomT]

berlinette "I was just thinking the other day to ask if any carnuts here."

Well if if owning a Nissan EXA, Diahatsu Rocky, Toyota Surf, Diahatsu HiJet, Toyota LandCruiser, Suzuki Jimny and a Nissan Vanette in Japan between 2000 to 2007 makes me a car nut then count me in! The wife had three vehicles in that time period, 2 retired due to car wrecks As you can see I lean towards the 4WD's. All were pretty much stock except the Jimny that I installed a locker and suspension lift on. The Surf I disconnected the swaybars and put Super Swampers on and the LandCruiser also recieved a set of Super Swampers but already had factory locking diffs and a winch! Wish I could have that Cruiser back.

I also owned four street bikes, two dirt bikes a four wheeler and a mini bike in that time period.

I'm not into racing although I went to a few motocross tracks and enduro courses with the dirt toys. Fast cars in Japan are way expensive to soup up. I once had a club of Ferrari's pull up behind the HiJet at a toll booth in Aomori, once through I pulled over to let them by and guess what? They all stayed at 60Kph! LOL, all that power and money still have to abide by the law.

I have a two year technical degree in Automotive technology, was ASE certified in the mid 90's and worked at a dealership in the states for a couple of years. I have done some mild engine builds for three late 70's American trucks but nothing too gonzo.

[berlinette]

Hey TomT,

That's a pretty good list, I like 4 wheel drives too, that's why I bought the Isuzu.
I had a couple Renaults, 3 Peugeots, Fiat and a bunch of Japanese cars in the past.
Some day I would like to have a bike, the one I like is the old BMW R75.
Here is the one I used to rally a long time ago.

[berlinette]

and an other pic.

[TomT]

berlinette,

Nice pics, looks like you had some fun

Being from the states I did not know much about rally racing until I got to Japan, well, honestly I don't know much about it now but at least I know what it is I bought a couple of magazines that had DVDs of WRC races in them. Once I watched them, I gained a LOT of respect for those guys. I believe you could probably put those drivers in any type of race and they would be competitive.

In a town next to where I live I went to watch a "rally" race. It was a small track with a lot of "run what you brung" type of vehicles and a couple of purpose built. It was pretty fun to watch, I believe you just had to have a Helmet, pay a small fee and sign a medical waiver and you were off. A couple years back I was driving around Hokkaido for a week and drove through an area that was hosting a WRC race the next day! Too bad the wife and I already had someplace to be or I would have stayed and watched the event.

[johnElarue]

and an other pic.

Nice Celica, 75? I had a 76st and the wife had a 74 at one point. Now it's the mighty Daihatsu Hijet Cargo 4WD, surprisingly tough little car.

[TomT]

Nice Celica, 75? I had a 76st and the wife had a 74 at one point. Now it's the mighty Daihatsu Hijet Cargo 4WD, surprisingly tough little car.

John,

I bought a new HiJet truck in 02 and traded it in in 06. You are right it was a lot tougher than I expected it to be! Hauling snow, bricks, lumber, soil and dirt toys it never seemed to break a sweat. I also drove it on the beach quite a bit and it was very corrosion resistant. I just wish it had more interior room! LOL. The first week I had it I drove from Aomori city to Sendai and back without using toll roads. Sure could have used a chiropractor after that!

[johnElarue]

Hi Tom,

John,

The first week I had it I drove from Aomori city to Sendai and back without using toll roads. Sure could have used a chiropractor after that!

Ouch! You're braver than I. Can't go more than 45mins. in a Kei-truck without getting fidgity, and I'm only 5'8", 172cm.

I looked at the Daihatsu Big Boy keitruck before buying the Cargo model, you can put the seat back about 5cm, but still not enough. With the Cargo you can set it way back. Problem is of course, when hauling firewood etc. the critters often want to sit up front too!

Considering the replacement for the Cargo now, thinking of these,used of course.

Subaru Sambar http://www.subaru.jp/sambar/van/
The Sambar has more legroom than most keitrucks, so they say but I've yet to try one out. Has anyone?

Suzuki Jimny http://cartown.jp/clist2.php?makerid...E0%A5%CB%A1%BC

And last but not least, the Mitsubishi MiEV,

The i MIEV is expected to go on sale by the end of 2009 for around \2.5 million, although government subsidies (in Japan at least) of 50 percent for zero-emission cars will see the price paid fall to half that.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-b...0080217pl.html

If the government DOES actually pay half the price in a subsidy I may go for it, even though it will put a major damper on rindou cruising and wood gathering.

The price of the car loan would be the same as filling it with gas every month in my case. Anyone considering electric?

[berlinette]

Nice Celica, 75? I had a 76st and the wife had a 74 at one point. Now it's the mighty Daihatsu Hijet Cargo 4WD, surprisingly tough little car.

Hey John,

The first one is a 73 that I crashed and the second is 74.

[dataGecko]

Hi Tom,
And last but not least, the Mitsubishi MiEV,
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-b...0080217pl.html

If the government DOES actually pay half the price in a subsidy I may go for it, even though it will put a major damper on rindou cruising and wood gathering.

The price of the car loan would be the same as filling it with gas every month in my case. Anyone considering electric?

I love these cute little Japanese trucks. They are like big kids toys, and handy as anything I bet. Now if the Sambar was electric like MiEV, and if they could just get the range up to 200km, that would be a winning formula for me. :-) I think the MiEV is still way cool none-the-less, and at the subsidised price its about the same cost as just buying the lithium-ion batteries here in Oz, I'm not joking!!!!

[johnElarue]

I love these cute little Japanese trucks. They are like big kids toys, and handy as anything I bet. Now if the Sambar was electric like MiEV, and if they could just get the range up to 200km, that would be a winning formula for me. :-) I think the MiEV is still way cool none-the-less, and at the subsidised price its about the same cost as just buying the lithium-ion batteries here in Oz, I'm not joking!!!!

Hi gecko,

You're in luck! I linked to this page way, back somewhere.
Here is an aftermarket Sambar electric-kei.

http://www.zero-ev.com/celoview/index.html

It is too good to be true of course. Lead-acid batteries, and a smaller subsidy. But there is a roadster for the car nuts.

http://www.zero-ev.com/celoview/index.html

[berlinette]

Have you guys heard of the air car?
Range 848 miles.
http://zeropollutionmotors.us/?page_id=43

A cheap version will be made in India
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7241909.stm

[TomT]

Considering the replacement for the Cargo now, thinking of these,used of course.

Subaru Sambar http://www.subaru.jp/sambar/van/
The Sambar has more legroom than most keitrucks, so they say but I've yet to try one out. Has anyone?

Suzuki Jimny http://cartown.jp/clist2.php?makerid...E0%A5%CB%A1%BC

I owned a 91 Jimny and the wife had an 04 Jimny. Tough little off-road vehicles but really short on hauling capacity. The 04 had an automatic that really sucked the life out of the small turbo engine. The 91 was a manual and a lot more fun to drive if not a lot rustier

The Sambar has about the legroom of the cabover HiJet trucks. I believe your HiJet van has the wheelwells right where your feet would normally be? leaving you with not a whole lot of legroom. As far as cargo capacity I seen a guy put an old Suzuki DR350 (off-road bike) into the back of a two seater version just by rachet-strapping the front forks down. I was pretty impressed with that. With the automatic you dont have a console to get in the way on the floorboards also. I've actually considered one of these vans as I believe it is the only Kei van to be of "cab-over" design.

Dont overlook the midsize?, fullsize? Nissan Vanette, Mazda Bongo, and Misubishi Delica Cargo vans. They are all made by Mazda, just rebadged and sold under different names. I owned the Nissan version and it got a consistent 17Km/l with the diesel and manual. Had plenty of room and was built very heavy-duty. Biggest drawback was the 400 plate requiring inspections every year.

berlinette "Have you guys heard of the air car?
Range 848 miles.
http://zeropollutionmotors.us/?page_id=43"

Thats pretty cool. Wonder how it does in cold weather and if there would be air moisture issues with the compressor.

[berlinette]

Thats pretty cool. Wonder how it does in cold weather and if there would be air moisture issues with the compressor.

Good question TomT
You mean the built in compressor to fill the tanks?
But I bet they thought of that already.

[dataGecko]

Hi gecko,
You're in luck! I linked to this page way, back somewhere. Here is an aftermarket Sambar electric-kei.

Oh man, I want one of each!! That little sports car is just awesome! And they will be upgrading the batteries I'd guess to be lighter and provide better range. I wonder what they cost?

And if they can pull off the air car that could be the best option of all. Lighter, no batteries to worry about. Faster charge. Will be watching that with interest. Thanks.

[kirinclassic]

Now there's a TV show I'd watch! (idea copyright KC)

This fellas interior should be in the pilot episode. Man, it's so Louuunge:




Cheers,

KC

[TomT]

Now there's a TV show I'd watch! (idea copyright KC)

This fellas interior should be in the pilot episode. Man, it's so Louuunge:




Cheers,

KC

LOL, I'll take mine in camo.

[KenElwood]

Now there's a TV show I'd watch! (idea copyright KC)

Cheers,

KC

KC,

Let's take 'Pimp my Kei Truck' on the road. Hmm..how about a series called:

KEI TRUCK TOURING(軽トラツーリング)


Dash boards full of onigiri and Hi-lite tabacco.

Everyone's invited !!

For details go
here.

Cheers

ken

p.s. For anyone that really wants to do it, I'm in.

[kirinclassic]

No thanks, Ken, thassa "Shaggin' Wagon"

All it needs is for the kousa to be smeared away with the immortal words:

"If this waggon's rockin...'
















....Don't bother knockin'"

Ha!

(On a serious note tho, seriously utilitarian). Nice find. Pimped!

Cheers,

KC

[KenElwood]

Muuhahaha!!!

Of course we'd all role our own seperate Pimped out kei truck.

[kirinclassic]

Fekkit, I'm in, and the cassette deck is all loaded...

(you have to wait a bit)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D5alggJP5Y

"Born To Be Wild", Keitora-style? What a blast!

Cheers,

KC

[KenElwood]

"Born To Be Wild", Keitora-style? What a blast!

Cheers,

KC

The white one's mine.



Looks like we've got a rival gang. (They look weak though)

[KenElwood]

To all those not in Japan:

Here's what it's like rolling through the country in your kei-truck !

Filmed by yours truely.
(Turn up your Audio)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tBaC438IsQ

[kirinclassic]

No? Really? Hope you pulled outa there leaving a suitable cloud of burning rubber in your wake...

[KenElwood]

No? Really? Hope you pulled outa there leaving a suitable cloud of burning rubber in your wake...

hahaha....

[johnElarue]

Hi Tom,

The Sambar has about the legroom of the cabover HiJet trucks. I believe your HiJet van has the wheelwells right where your feet would normally be? leaving you with not a whole lot of legroom. .

Yes, the wheelwells are right there, but because there is no back partition the seat slides quite a ways, for me anyway.

Dont overlook the midsize?, fullsize? Nissan Vanette, Mazda Bongo, and Misubishi Delica Cargo vans. They are all made by Mazda, just rebadged and sold under different names. I owned the Nissan version and it got a consistent 17Km/l with the diesel and manual. Had plenty of room and was built very heavy-duty. Biggest drawback was the 400 plate requiring inspections every year.

Yeah, I was thinking about the Vanette and Bongo before we got a Sienta for my wife and kids. Softer ride. Didn't know that the 400 number midsize need inspection every year. That stinks.

Once rented a Bongo dually way back, that was cool, don't think they still make em. But 17Km/l is cool, that's what I'm into, fuel efficiency. My HiJet gets 12Km/l. (Auto/heavy foot) If it had a 1 liter diesel it would be awesome. Probably get 20Km/l or more, but the cost involved in manufacturing small diesels cuts profits they say.

Getcha motor runnin....

[berlinette]

Hey Guys,

I thought I break up the everyday ho hum and put a little excitement into the day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKgeCQGu_ug
After all this is about cars, enjoy
Cheers

[TomT]

Hey Guys,

I thought I break up the everyday ho hum and put a little excitement into the day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKgeCQGu_ug
After all this is about cars, enjoy
Cheers

Well that got the blood pumping! Looks like fun except for the whole chance of flying off the mountain Thanks for posting the vid.

[TomT]

Any of you guys have a scooter? I'm looking at getting one when I get back, maybe a Honda Dio Z4 or a Suzuki ZZ.

http://www.honda.co.jp/motor-lineup/...ice/index.html
http://www1.suzuki.co.jp/motor/ZZ/spec.html

The Honda is good because of the 4-stroke engine = good fuel economy and a reasonable 5HP.
The Suzuki is good because of it's 7HP. But it's a 2-stroke.

I had a Honda APE mini bike but with my 200lbs on it with only 3.5HP it was pretty scary on the road some times.

Any scooter experiences out there?

[johnElarue]

Well I filled up my kei-van before obon and it cost me 6500yen. Granted it was bone dry, but 6500YEN! For a kei! That's it, I'm mad as hell and not gonna take it any more.

Started commuting 30km. one way on the Super Cub. Takes only 5-10 minutes more than by car. And exciting too, nearly ran out of gas tonight and scared the heck out of a 4 pointer and his girlfriend, or was it the other way round?

Decided to be a fair weather cub commuter, if the radar says rain rain rain, I'll opt for the car. Hopefully will be able to cut the gas costs in half through to November. And put that money towards a nice deck for the house.

Any others in the inaka two-wheeling it?

[KenElwood]

Any others in the inaka two-wheeling it?

hey johnE,

Yeah, on a bicycle.

6500 yen, ouch.

ken

[hennagaijin]

Live in the country.
Have me a Wagon R that can sit on 40km/hr for hours on end.
In my home country I had a 6 cylinder 4.1 litre fuel guzzler and always drove big cars because i am 6' 3".
I love my wagon R and, if i ever return home, will be happy to have a little 4 cyclinder.

[TomT]

Any others in the inaka two-wheeling it?

I bought a Honda Solo a couple months back. Has the SuperCub engine and transmission. Great fuel mileage, think it's rated about the same as a SuperCub. I've had it on a three hour trip but that is about all I can handle... I need to lose a few Kilo's if I want to go on any long trips on it, lol, the suspension was not made for my weight.

With winter coming up I'm looking at a Jimny or maybe one of those Mitsubishi JEEPs (diesel).

John, best of luck to you and your bum on the daily commute Watch out for HINO trucks.