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Greetings from the Fraser Valley

Discussion in 'Introductions' started by nismonismo, Jul 28, 2021.

  1. nismonismo

    nismonismo New Member

    Hi all,

    My name is Adam and I'm a 20-year-old student. I recently got myself a '99 Suzuki Carry (my first car!) from a local importer based in Comox, Vancouver Island (in fact today the 28th marks a month). This one batch he had was all JDMs, including 4 keis (one of which I bought), a fire engine and the Suzuki jeep-looking thing. I've attached pictures of the lot.

    The one I bought had some minor blemishes/scratches/dents on the cab (not that those on the box mattered much), and with the help of a friend I have taken care of most of those—first by sanding it all the way to the metal and then applying some primer and spraying over it. There was a rattle at the time of purchase but I didn't think much of it as it only had 28,6XXkms in it (which to me is unheard of, at least around here). This rattle was ever-present but on fourth gear, and even when idling it would rattle. No documentation came with it either and as I said, the low mileage was too appealing not to take it. Nonetheless it, was an absolute pleasure to drive and the hours I've put in to make the cab (interior and exterior) immaculate are too many.

    Anyhow, within less than a month (around 800kms), on the 18th, the rattle turned into loud knocking and I decided to park it for good before taking it to the shop. On the 23rd I took it to a local imports shop and the diagnosis I was given was that it was something to do with the transmission, though there was nothing he could do there and then due to lack of parts (and after checking the only parts he could find would have to be imported from JPN). On the way back from the shop, the rattle turned into loud knocking once again and I pulled over to a shoulder, and that's when the clutch gave up for good.

    Anyhow, while this has been quite unfortunate I'm not giving up on it and can't wait to get it back up and running, because I surely love driving it. I'm wondering if any of you guys have had similar experiences with your mini-trucks—horror stories if you may? I've been browsing used-parts-solutions.com and Yokohama Motors' website and the prices don't seem too bad though they are in USD. I'd appreciate if any of you could share your experiences regarding importing directly from Japan, as well as wait times etc.

    Happy to have come across this forum! The last picture is of the little guy himself.

    photo_2021-06-28_18-03-23 (2).jpg photo_2021-06-28_18-03-23.jpg photo_2021-06-28_18-30-47.jpg photo_2021-07-27_19-44-47.jpg
     
  2. nismonismo

    nismonismo New Member

    I've managed to find the electrical service manual as well as the parts manual on Lulu, by James Danko. Getting these seem to be a good start. Danko has a LONG list of translated manuals so I assume he's the go-to-guy for anything JDM.
     
  3. photogdave

    photogdave Member

    Hi Adam,
    I'm looking at trucks from the same importer.
    Sorry about the mechanical issues, but what did you think of dealing with him otherwise? Was it a good experience?
     
  4. fumbimo

    fumbimo New Member

    I'm not super well versed with the Suzuki Carry but I have the James Danko translated manual for the Subaru Sambar and it has many errors. Definitely worth having but I tend to only reference it when I can't learn something directly from this forum.

    Also check out this site for parts if you haven't already, they're in Quebec but it still may be cheaper and should be much faster than importing parts from japan assuming they have what you need. http://mini4x4.ca/store/en
     
  5. nismonismo

    nismonismo New Member

    Hi photogdave,

    Dealing with Marc was a pleasure, and the day I agreed to buy it was not the day I bought it. The one kei I was looking at he said was in the eyes of some other folks too, but as soon as we sealed the deal right there he was true to it (picked it up and paid a few days later). He was friendly from the beginning to end. I came across him on Facebook Marketplace and ironically enough, his profile as a seller and his ''products'' had descriptions that were very lacklustre, which is not what you'd expect from an importer who's bringing over a variety of cars all at once. The old adage to not judge a book by its cover, as cliché as it is, fits like a glove here.
     
  6. nismonismo

    nismonismo New Member

    Thank you for letting me know fumbino. Are these errors to do with translation issues or regarding schematics/diagrams? The only reason I'm considering acquiring both is because I can't find anything like it elsewhere (at least in EN), and since I see myself driving this for years to come it would also be good to familiarize myself with it.
     
  7. photogdave

    photogdave Member

    Thanks Adam.
    I was actually one of the people looking at your truck and you definitely got the nicest-looking one of the lot!
    Have you tried contacting Rocky Mountain in Victoria for parts?
    https://www.japanesecartrade.com/rockymount/

    Also, there is Japanoid on the mainland:
    http://www.jpnoid.com/index.php

    Cheers,
    Dave
     
  8. fumbimo

    fumbimo New Member

    Some may be translation errors and some are probably just small oversights. For example my sambar manual says its for 1990-2007 sambars, However it is actually only for the 1990 sambar. I do believe the danko service manuals are the best written resource we have for these trucks, they're pretty solid and worth having but I wouldn't treat it like the be all end all of information on your truck. I'm pretty sure all the diagrams and such are directly taken from the Japanese service manuals he translates from so likely no errors there.
     
  9. nismonismo

    nismonismo New Member

    Hey Dave,

    It was indeed the sweetest out of all. It's not pictured there because it was on the other side with the fire engine.

    I tried Rocky Mountain earlier regarding the clutch for my model and he said he would check and get back to me by Tuesday (Monday is a holiday after all). The estimate I was given was around $300 which is much more than I was looking at. Nonetheless I thought it was best to call because I could not find anything on the website, which I inquired them about: I was told that their website just went up after their previous one was catastrophically lost by the hosting service. None of the data could be backed up, so they're rebuilding it from scratch.

    Regarding Japanoid, I had heard of them but didn't think twice after checking their website. I did call however and I was told I'd get a quote by tomorrow morning which I am excited about. I've found what I need on used-parts-solutions.com and while what I'm looking at is relatively inexpensive (though not the shipping) maybe that's something that they can get here for cheaper and faster. For instance, I was told that it's easily the case that they could get things shipped here within the week and at this rate the faster I can get my little guy running again, the better.

    Calling is useful, after all. I keep forgetting most places (regardless of industry) usually don't have most of their inventory up on the website, so it surely helps to call...
     
  10. nismonismo

    nismonismo New Member

    That's good to know. Regarding the owner's manual, would you know where to procure one that is translated? It would be quite useful assuming the information regarding when to do oil changes and the whole nine yards isn't already in either of Danko's manuals.

    Appreciate the help!
     
  11. photogdave

    photogdave Member

    Good to hear the local suppliers are on top of the communication!
    I'm going to take an extensive test drive of the '98 Carry tomorrow. What did you think of that one?
    It seems in nicer condition than the Scrum. I would like EFI and low range but the '98 seemed to be in better shape overall.
     
  12. nismonismo

    nismonismo New Member

    I don't think I recall seeing a 98 when I was there. Is that the one on the third picture behind the tenth gen Carry with the black bumper? If so that's the one I paid the least attention to. However if I do recall correctly it had very little body damage to it but that's the most I can remember anyways.

    A friend of mine has an Autozam Scrum and that's a fun drive. His is a 4-speed, has diff lock and a dumping bed (picture attached).

    Hope your test drive goes well--let us know how it goes! Are you bringing it to the mainland or are you from the island?
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Jul 31, 2021
  13. photogdave

    photogdave Member

    It's the one most prominent in your first photo.
    I'm excited to say I've made a deal with Marc. (See my own Intro thread). I live on the Island about 10 minutes away from Marc's yard and already talked to a few local owners, so there should be a good support community here!
     
    nismonismo likes this.
  14. fumbimo

    fumbimo New Member

    i do not sorry, you might have better luck poking around int the Suzuki Carry subforum
     

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