Little work truck - for just doing a little work

[Ted Hoppe]

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I do like it. Currently on Craig's list for 6k

[John Meachen]

If they were being honest,how many owners of full size pickups could haul all their usual necessities in one?Looking forward to reading Ted's driving impressions when he takes it over.

[Paul Pless]

unimog 411

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[CWSmith]

Electric? Otherwise, where is the motor?

[David G]

Can it be registered in CA.?

[AnalogKid]

It'll almost certainly be a 3-cyl 660cc 4-stroke motor behind the cab. Daihatsu Midget II.

It's a Kei class truck harking after the original Midget, but with more wheels.

[Yeadon]

Trouble with owning a work truck like this is that too many people would want to stop and talk about the truck and you wouldn't get any work done.

[Jimmy W]

For $6,200 in Oakland

[Yeadon]

Now that's the proper truck of an independent person.

[Durnik]

Aye, the 'oyta is about perfect.

[LeeG]

Kawasaki Mule

[sonofswen]

For $6,200 in Oakland

is the mileage under under 174K

[LeeG]

https://electrek.co/2022/08/19/volco...ric-utv-sales/

[Jimmy W]

is the mileage under under 174K

The ad says 178k miles. Mine had 102k when I bought it and is now somewhere near 330k. I still regularly drive it 400+ miles between Georgia and Mississippi.

[AnalogKid]

I reckon those 'regular' kei trucks like the Daihatsu Hijet and Suzuki Carry are ripe for electric conversion.

They've got a regular ladder chassis so plenty of space to put the batteries down low between the rails, and put the motor where the gearbox was.

They're not designed for road tripping anyway, so enough battery for a day's chores and you're away.

[AnalogKid]

Then I saw this:

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Beechcraft B55 nose section mounted on a Hijet chassis.

[hawkeye54]

^ If it can be done, it 'will' be done . . . 

[hawkeye54]

is the mileage under under 174K

I had a similar one -2004 short cab / short bed - traded it when my records showed I had put on 50 miles (not a mistype ) in the previous year


Rick

[Beowolf]

This little guy’s for sale in Ann Arbor.

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But what the hell would you do with it?

[Jim Bow]

We have a car wax store called Griot’s Garage I drove past one Saturday morning and there was a gathering of Pinzgauer and Unimog owners. Fascinating vehicles.

[David G]

The thing in the OP looks like a cute little oddity, or specialty contraption. Real-world functionality limited. More flash than substance. A dilettante's notion of what a useful compact pickup might look like.

I'm still wishing Ford offered their new Maverick - which seems to have both a passel of interestingly creative (and probably useful) features, and a small form factor (like the early Datsuns & Toyotas) - would wise up and offer a bed long enough not to be just a tease.

[Garret]

The thing in the OP looks like a cute little oddity, or specialty contraption. Real-world functionality limited. More flash than substance. A dilettante's notion of what a useful compact pickup might look like.

I'm still wishing Ford offered their new Maverick - which seems to have both a passel of interestingly creative (and probably useful) features, and a small form factor (like the early Datsuns & Toyotas) - would wise up and offer a bed long enough not to be just a tease.

Thing is that most P/U drivers in the US have been convinced (brainwashed) they need a full size if they're gonna carry anything - so the Maverick "doesn't need a big bed". Even in 1/2 & 3/4 to trucks, it's tough to find an 8' bed. That being said, dontcha think the Japanese mfr's would offer small pickups if the demand were there?

What astounds me is that gas prices have not gotten people to slow down on the highway. I regularly see full size trucks doing 80+ - so they're getting maybe 8-10MPG? On a trip to MA earlier in the summer, I was doing my normal 73 (65 limit means you're OK to about 75) & the cars & trucks passing me (90% - I was in the slow lane) were doing 80-90. 90MPH in a full size P/U is probably 5MPG.

[Jim Ledger]

More flash than substance. A dilettante's notion of what a useful compact pickup might look like.

After I ditched the Sprinter, not needing that kind of capacity or wanting that kind of fragile complexity I picked up a 2014 Toyota Tacoma. It had had some work done previous but that was okay, I was looking for something simple and reliable. Four cylinder, five speed, 4WD, bench seat, bedliner, tonneau, roll-down windows, and you have to lean across to lock the passenger doors. No back seat, don't need one. 100K.

Not that I do much work with it, mostly roll it down to the corner for Slim Jims, Marlboros and beer. Bed capacity is limited but I can hang out a sheet of plywood or two. It's real good at pulling a little boat trailer up a ramp and I use a different trailer in case I want to get some long sticks home. It's a versatile combination.

Gotta couple of dents and the occasional scratch, just enough not to be a hothouse flower.

I took it to the dealer this week to have some recall work done and they loaned me a new one, with the backseat. It just sucked in comparison, mushy, way slower because it weighed more and had an automatic, not nearly as nimble owing to the extra two feet of wheelbase due to the back seat. Not even tempted to go into hock again.

Jim

[hawkeye54]

After I ditched the Sprinter, not needing that kind of capacity or wanting that kind of fragile complexity I picked up a 2014 Toyota Tacoma. It had had some work done previous but that was okay, I was looking for something simple and reliable. Four cylinder, five speed, 4WD, bench seat, bedliner, tonneau, roll-down windows, and you have to lean across to lock the passenger doors. No back seat, don't need one. 100K.

Not that I do much work with it, mostly roll it down to the corner for Slim Jims, Marlboros and beer. Bed capacity is limited but I can hang out a sheet of plywood or two. It's real good at pulling a little boat trailer up a ramp and I use a different trailer in case I want to get some long sticks home. It's a versatile combination.

Gotta couple of dents and the occasional scratch, just enough not to be a hothouse flower.

I took it to the dealer this week to have some recall work done and they loaned me a new one, with the backseat. It just sucked in comparison, mushy, way slower because it weighed more and had an automatic, not nearly as nimble owing to the extra two feet of wheelbase due to the back seat. Not even tempted to go into hock again.

Jim

I had one, Jim, 10 years older (2004) that I had to get 'dealer-traded' in - the 2005's were already out, but I wanted an auto transmission - 25 mile commute to work each way, up thru the gears at the start / down thru the gears at the end - had issues with the leg which pressed the clutch, so went to automatic . When I traded it, there was no rust anywhere - a great truck !



Rick

[LeeG]

The thing in the OP looks like a cute little oddity, or specialty contraption. Real-world functionality limited. More flash than substance. A dilettante's notion of what a useful compact pickup might look like.

I'm still wishing Ford offered their new Maverick - which seems to have both a passel of interestingly creative (and probably useful) features, and a small form factor (like the early Datsuns & Toyotas) - would wise up and offer a bed long enough not to be just a tease.

kinda tell us where the market is for new cars. With the rise of pickups as commuter vehicles and cuvs lifted seat height the Maverick is the replacement for entry level cars like Civic. Not a revisit to the original mini pickups but a cuv with a mini bed. Fashion rules. The funny thing about the Maverick is that it has a 120” wheelbase which isn’t small. So it’s got the passenger volume of a Honda Fit with mini bed. I guess with a unibody there isn’t the option of different beds and cabs on the same frame.

[LeeG]

Thing is that most P/U drivers in the US have been convinced (brainwashed) they need a full size if they're gonna carry anything - so the Maverick "doesn't need a big bed". Even in 1/2 & 3/4 to trucks, it's tough to find an 8' bed. That being said, dontcha think the Japanese mfr's would offer small pickups if the demand were there?

What astounds me is that gas prices have not gotten people to slow down on the highway. I regularly see full size trucks doing 80+ - so they're getting maybe 8-10MPG? On a trip to MA earlier in the summer, I was doing my normal 73 (65 limit means you're OK to about 75) & the cars & trucks passing me (90% - I was in the slow lane) were doing 80-90. 90MPH in a full size P/U is probably 5MPG.

Obviously fuel prices aren’t too high for their operation.

[stromborg]

Obviously fuel prices aren’t too high for their operation.

I work with a bunch guys who have big trucks that are mostly used for commuting/mall crawling while they grumble about the cost of fueling up. One of them eventually "downsized" from a dually to a full-sized pickup (he's the one who actually tows stuff on a semi-regular basis) another bought a government surplus Dodge Neon at auction and uses that while his prized Tundra gathers dust.

But for the most part they would rather piss and moan than actually re-evaluate their automotive decisions.

[LeeG]

I work with a bunch guys who have big trucks that are mostly used for commuting/mall crawling while they grumble about the cost of fueling up. One of them eventually "downsized" from a dually to a full-sized pickup (he's the one who actually tows stuff on a semi-regular basis) another bought a government surplus Dodge Neon at auction and uses that while his prized Tundra gathers dust.

But for the most part they would rather piss and moan than actually re-evaluate their automotive decisions.

In our little town a new truck shop opened up a few years ago that catered to the lifted off road pickup folks. It’s an interesting mix of vehicles at Walmart. Lots of 20yr vehicles, maybe half 10yr and a smattering of newish. It really blows my mind how cheap adequate transportation can be. If you don’t need to commute 80miles a day.

My son in law has a 25 yr old F250 w the big turbo 7.3 l diesel. We don’t talk about fuel prices much.

[stromborg]

Ever notice those big-wheeled/lifted vehicles on the used market always need new tires?

[LeeG]

Ever notice those big-wheeled/lifted vehicles on the used market always need new tires?

here the kids have the wheels sticking out another few inches. Going to the dump via the scenic route. Hopefully folks are on their side of the road.

[Jim Mahan]

Ever notice those big-wheeled/lifted vehicles on the used market always need new tires?

Pull up alongside one on the freeway and notice how loud that tire noise is. You can hear it above the sound of other traffic or the sound of the big truck moving all that ground-level atmosphere out of the way or the sound of the gas guzzling engine. All of that noise comes from the bigger surface area contacting the pavement, both from a larger circumference but also the increased surface and the movement of all knobs of the tread designed for off-roading, as the shape of the tire flexes normally underway, and that friction causes heat and abrades the tire, leaving more pollution above the road surface to blow around, and less expensice tire on the truck in the parking lot. So they are paying more to own and display and waste the big gnarly tires than just the larger intitial purchase price. Same size tire, under the same load, with highway tread instead of knobbies will last longer and be quieter, etc. But hey, gas prices Biden bad.

[AnalogKid]

The little truck in the OP is not a one-off gimmick, but one of many kei vehicles in Japan, it was a production vehicle, there's lots of them about. I spotted one on a side street about a mile from home a couple of years ago, but can't find the picture now.

The whole kei concept is anathema to most Americans it seems - where space is at a premium in the tight streets of Japanese cities, you either have a vehicle permit or you are restricted to the limited dimensions and powerplants of the kei rules. The resulting cars and trucks are superb exercises in compact packaging and doing more with less.

As well as all the highly practical cars, people-movers, vans, tipper trucks, etc, there are some lighter-hearted examples of the type. Little sports cars like the Honda Beat, Suzuki Cappuccino and Daihatsu Copen are designed to give a bit of driving pleasure within the rules, while the Midget 2 and the Nissan S-Cargo (which is small, but not technically a kei-car) are designed as promotional vehicles. This is from the land that has a mascot for everything, so an odd-shaped delivery truck fits right in.

According to Wiki, the Midget is popular with bar owners, because a keg fits in the load bed quite nicely. Not every body needs to haul full 8'x4' sheets for work.

[LeeG]

The little truck in the OP is not a one-off gimmick, but one of many kei vehicles in Japan, it was a production vehicle, there's lots of them about. I spotted one on a side street about a mile from home a couple of years ago, but can't find the picture now.

The whole kei concept is anathema to most Americans it seems - where space is at a premium in the tight streets of Japanese cities, you either have a vehicle permit or you are restricted to the limited dimensions and powerplants of the kei rules. The resulting cars and trucks are superb exercises in compact packaging and doing more with less.

As well as all the highly practical cars, people-movers, vans, tipper trucks, etc, there are some lighter-hearted examples of the type. Little sports cars like the Honda Beat, Suzuki Cappuccino and Daihatsu Copen are designed to give a bit of driving pleasure within the rules, while the Midget 2 and the Nissan S-Cargo (which is small, but not technically a kei-car) are designed as promotional vehicles. This is from the land that has a mascot for everything, so an odd-shaped delivery truck fits right in.

According to Wiki, the Midget is popular with bar owners, because a keg fits in the load bed quite nicely. Not every body needs to haul full 8'x4' sheets for work.

In my one trip to Japan it was a kick to see those little trucks on tiny steep streets. Also out in some small agricultural operations motorized wheelbarrow platforms for walking a pile of wasabi roots up out of gullies. A lot of motorized transportation is doable when you only need to go 10-20 mph. Post Permian America is gonna be slower.

[WX]

When there was the Subaru Mighty Boy.
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[David G]

The little truck in the OP is not a one-off gimmick, but one of many kei vehicles in Japan, it was a production vehicle, there's lots of them about. I spotted one on a side street about a mile from home a couple of years ago, but can't find the picture now.

The whole kei concept is anathema to most Americans it seems - where space is at a premium in the tight streets of Japanese cities, you either have a vehicle permit or you are restricted to the limited dimensions and powerplants of the kei rules. The resulting cars and trucks are superb exercises in compact packaging and doing more with less.

As well as all the highly practical cars, people-movers, vans, tipper trucks, etc, there are some lighter-hearted examples of the type. Little sports cars like the Honda Beat, Suzuki Cappuccino and Daihatsu Copen are designed to give a bit of driving pleasure within the rules, while the Midget 2 and the Nissan S-Cargo (which is small, but not technically a kei-car) are designed as promotional vehicles. This is from the land that has a mascot for everything, so an odd-shaped delivery truck fits right in.

According to Wiki, the Midget is popular with bar owners, because a keg fits in the load bed quite nicely. Not every body needs to haul full 8'x4' sheets for work.

Yes, it appears to be a production vehicle. I wasn't suggesting it was a concept car or one-off.

But there are a lot of production vehicles that fit my description: "[an] oddity, or specialty contraption. Real-world functionality limited." Not useless, just limited applications. Very few uses in the U.S. - and probably few in NZ. There's a reason the Izetta faded, while the Corolla is ubiquitous.

Which brings me back to my first question: can it be registered in California? If not, then it becomes STRICTLY an oddity for the U.S.

But I'm glad the option is available for those who need no more. I also applaud CargoBikes for the same reasons. The operative phrase is Appropriate Technology. That go-kart may be THE appropriate rig for ferrying kegs into old-town Tokyo... but too limited in capability for most truck tasks.

And I agree that the U.S. has a dysfunctional fixation with huge pickup trucks, and too many folks buy them as either items of Conspicuous Consumption or for Penile Extension purposes. But the sort of rig shown in the OP goes way too far the other way for most who need a truck.