If the Kei trucks were not available in the U.S. and you wanted to create something as similar as possible using an American four wheel drive pickup as the basis, what would you use? I am excluding vehicles such as the Polaris Ranger, Kawasaki Mule, and Jeep because they are not pickup trucks. Would you look for the smallest four wheel drive truck, lift it, put on big wheels and tires, a brush guard, etc. What would you start with? How would you modify it? Sam
For the cargo capacity I would have to say a 90+ Toyota pickup. Other than that a Jeep CJ7 or Wrangler would do. Personally I like the Toyota SR5 Pickups -Greg
How about the Ukrainian Luaz? Only 7.7l/100 km (vs 4.7 for mini truck)! http://www.autosoviet.altervista.org/ENGLISH-automotorusse9-A(Luaz).htm
I think i would be looking for something as small as possible and hunt for an old subaru brat or a suzuki samurai. When the mitsubishis were no longer imported, we replaced our fleet at the golfcourse with the Toro workman and clubcars.
I was eyeing a Geo (Suzuki) Tracker at a local car sales place the other day. Cut the rear bodywork off, make a pickup bed and I think it might just be small enough to get around the woods. Probably still not as nimble as a kei truck but probably more 4x4 capable (which is not really quite as important to me as small size and ability to maneuver among the trees). I really like the efficient layout of the cab-forward design of most of the kei trucks though. If I recall they are asking something like US$3200 for it. Tempting...tempting....
I would get another Suzuki Samurai, in Japan they are listed as Kei class vehicles. If you get the convertible & take out the back seat, you can carry quite a load in it and they are great off-road.
True, I would love to find that first generation Samurai that they imported to the U.S. You know, the ones that "flipped over". As I recall, after the first year or two they widened the track. But those early ones were cool. Good luck finding an unmolested one though. But then, I guess what I would be doing with it was molesting it.
I had one, bought it new in '87, drove it like I stole it for 6 years, until some jerk in a Jeep CJ7 decided to run a red light and t-boned me on the right side, totaled. I had 149k miles on it and it ran like a champ. If it wasn't totaled I would probably still have it with around 500k on it. There are a few nice ones out there, just have to look. My mom just sold her '88 with 38k miles on it. She never drove it, wouldn't let me near it either! lol
If you can find them, Steyr Daimler Puch Haflingers are pretty sweet! http://www.hy-q.com/cooper/haflinger/haflinger.htm
