How large is the Sambar and what years have fuel injection? I have seen a few rear engine with the 4 cylinder engine does that mean fuel injection? Does the rear engine hang down too low for off roading? My main use will be off-road. Is the Sambar the largest of the mini-trucks. Do center models have lockers front and/or rear? Is there something that states that they have lockers or a switch that I should look for? Are the supercharged ones harder to keep on the road concerned about 25 years forced induction, should I be? I am 6'7" tall. Thanks
The general consensus around here is Sambar are better on road vehicle and you should look for the suzuki carry or the daihatsu hijet if you want to go off-road.
Best bet would be a Hijet Jumbo, being slightly longer in the cab, it might allow you to move the seat back far enough to fit in. I’m 5-10, and I’m ok in my Hijet. My buddies is 6-2 and he is a bit cramped.
Years ago I drove a Cushman around base. I have a mule that I can fit into. Are the jumbo hijet rare? Do they usually cost a ton? Thanks
I’m 6’1”, weigh 325 and I fit in my Sambar fine. The worst part is getting my size 10.5 feet in, but I figured that out. Standard cab and my head fits fine. I would think you would definitely want a tall cab. I guess you could move seats back in a D-Jumbo, but one those owners will have to chime in on that.
pretty sure EFI came around in 1990, as far as i know you can only tell by the cab switch if it has locking rear diff. ive driven through 3ft of snow in 4WD without diff locks no issue, 4WD on Sambar is a solid 49/51 split. supercharged EFI ones arent hard to maintain but you wont feel the 10ish hp they make over the carb models, they just hold speed on hills better than carb ones. Sambar have the largest cab out of all the non-jumbo cab trucks, and theyre one of the quietest/comfortable having the engine in the back. the weight distribution is far better too than the mid-engine ones ive done decent offroading no issues, everything is tucked up there pretty good and the 6spd trans has a 4WD crawl gear. only thing is i dunno if Subaru used crappy factory CV axle boots or what but every Sambar ive owned tears open CV boots fairly easy, and theyre independent suspension so theres 4 CV axles unlike Suzuki/Daihatsu with live rear axle
I'm 5'10" 208# 30" inseam and have almost no knee room but plenty of head room. A friend of mine 6' 240# got in my sambar and struggled getting his feet in & out.
I had my seats recovered and had them add about two inches of padding since I had plenty of head room. Did make it a little more comfortable.
I am not a small person. In the attached, recent photo with my 1953 Dodge truck and the man I bought it from (in 1975), I am the "great pumpkin." The distance between my right shoulder and the window is more annoying than lack of leg space (seat is all the way back).
I am 6' and I fit in my sambar just fine with a good amount of headroom. 6'7" could fit, as long as your shins are not too long, as it would put your knees up against/into the steering wheel. As for EFI, only the Supercharged Sambars from 1990-1998 (KS/KV chassis) were EFI up until the TT/TV chassis in 1999 where they all are EFI now. The Supercharger works just fine, even after 25 years. You may want to change the oil in the supercharger just for peace of mind, but they are quite reliable. The only thing I would strongly recommend if you get a supercharged sambar for highway use, is to have an Oil Cooler fitted. At 105km/h+ the oil does get pretty toasty, and if the oil starts to break down.. then the engine will have a very bad day.
I went with a Sambar because of the rear engine and there was a high roof option and my brother who I hunt with is 6"7". I also had feelers out for a hijet jumbo for the same reasons. He fits ok, but legroom is tight. They also have a diff lock option on the rear and although I thought mine had it, it did not. Make sure you see a photo of the diff lock button before you buy if that is what you are looking for. Mine is a 94 and it does not have EFI.
