Man was I excited when a saw that banner at the top of the page. So their web site says you will get a title and will be able to get Michigan plates or your money back. Oh man some one pinch me. So I emailed them about how fast they would be able to go on the road. The response was a real let down. 25 MPH. I could do that with a SMV triangle on the back. Now I'm not sure how they limit the speed. Shifter plate? Computer program? Not sure. Maybe it's the honor system. haha Looks like it's back to the drawing board. Randy
Most newer trucks are limited electronically. Most older trucks are limited with a restrictor plate. My advice is do what I did; lobby your state to make minis legal! I won one battle and lost another, but the war is about to commence this legislative session. Hopefully by the end of the year mini trucks will be street legal statewide in MN.
Anyone noticed gas prices up ... don't know why thats not back in the news media. Sure helped some past bills on legalized minitrucks go through. Oh, by the way - parts can be had from Japan - ECU, whatever. Oh, yeah - just remember to have them reprogrammed...yeah right Frick'in computer chips and plastic. Now your car/truck will nanny you and punish you with a direct wifi link to the police - along with the government :sly: Bob at GungHo has been a straight shooter ... IMHO, done alot for the trucks and tried to play the gov't BS game. Yes, I'm also a customer
Don't get me wrong. The OP was not to put down GungHo. I have been to there lot in Jackson and seemed like a nice operation. Nice trucks. Their ad sort of made it sound like they now have " real " street legal trucks. Had to contact them to get the poop on the speed situation. I don't see them as street legal if I can't drive the legal speed limit. I'm wondering now just how they are speed limited. I mean what if the truck was going to be used for ORV use here in Michigan. Then I should be able to go as fast as the truck was capable. So does GungHo have to modify it for legal street use? Maybe they put in a new puter??? Randy
They will in no way, shape or form modify the speed limiter for you as they would risk a $250,00.00 fine and losing their license to import and sell vehicles. What you do with your truck once you purchase it is up to you though I suppose... I bought mine from a private party and as far as I can see it never had a speed limiter of any kind. It's registered as a Type II ATV in Minnesota and is currently street legal with NO speed limiter requirement in my home county. Hopefully it will be street legal statewide by the end of this congressional session. So like I said... talk to your congressman and your representative and tell them to sponsor a bill making them legal. The louder you yell and the more people you have supporting you the more likely they are to listen. Get some businesses on your side. That helps too.
They are limited by ECU chip, at least that what I was told. I do not know if any alterations are done to the transmission. They are technically Street Legal by Federal Standard 500. To that standard ... thats what Bob has to do. Just that compliance is costly and nit picky paperwork. Remember ... EPA is judge and jury with lots of hoops/loops. The next level is full auto complicance and thats huge bucks for a country that likes larger than life heavy autos with plush comforts and big 'ass' seats. So yes, per that standard they are technically street legal within the constraints of that standard - BUT States and Local can refuse to allow them on the road. Nice SNAFU ... States have the 'right' to refuse MSV LSV etc vehicles....thus add additional restrictions. Work with Bob ... he is doing the best he can based on absurd regulations IMHO. Play that gov't game is big bucks and the importer is where the EPA etc will concentrate their power of regulation. Down the road, technically EPA/States could flipflop etc and go after other infractions related to emissions - there is a crap load of them. Shessh...I see violations all over the place ... Still with me If you want something that is technically legal by Federal standards - Gung Ho has accomplished that. Hopefully, able to turn enough inventory to make it worth it. It is what it is...next step is getting the local and state to change federal. Thats a long haul... Ironraven worked some magic ... lots of common sense really. There are others who ran the trenches as well (success & failure). Don't worry though, America is heading for a wake up call on fuel and autos and jobs. Its gotta turn into a crisis... I'm glad I have one of these trucks - saving me money, getting haul jobs done, and getting me to work - but it is a light duty vehicle for small jobs/small places. I have cabin fever, so enough blah blah
I wouldn't expect nor would I even ask GungHo to make a mod that was illegal. What I meant was if the trucks are shipped without a speed limiter for those who want to use them off road or in a state where they can go faster, but a buyer wanted one for on road use in Mich, does GungHo have to put a limiter on it. Or are they all still being shipped with a limiter? Sorry I'm still on my learners permit. Randy
The regs say the truck MUST be fitted with a speed limiter in order to be imported. The limiter must be fitted in the source country before it is sent to the USA, failure to be limited is grounds for confiscation. There's a billion pages of info on importing regs on this site and on the web. I prefer to just make my own damn rules and get my state to make 'em legal. I recommend you do the same.
I still recommend you call Bob, it may be different now. So this is speculation on past years as he did or may have brought trucks in etc as ATV or had the engines etc tested so you could go past 55mph. That option may have been sealed up. I do know he had trucks that could go faster and that added cost to do so. This is my perspective...and there is forum talk and then there is one on one phone/in-person conversation. Been freezing my tail off here in Aberdeen, SD though. Catch everyone later ... my current project is getting a good piston driven complete AR15 upper. Off track now... cheers Norm PS Oh, I'm not refuting Ironraven...he is right - the overall golden rule - they are speed limited before touching our coasts. Like the Ironraven attitude ... take care guys.
Just ran into a man who has a 2001 Sambar (Sequatchie Co Tn) that is not speed limited. He bought it from a tractor/mini truck dealer in Alabama. It has a medium speed tag on it, gets 41 miles per gallon and says he will not own another gator that he cannot drive on the road. According to him and our local DMV as long as he stays off the freeways, he can drive on any road that is posted 55mph or less. The girl at the DMV wants a truck so bad she can taste it. but she wants a new one just like I do, so I recommended her to Bob at Gung Ho. Just because of my research I have done on Gung Ho and his reputation with the new truck sales. I know in research that Bob will have to limit these to 35 mph (I think) if he sells one here, but I would want the faster speeds for the better fuel millage, as well as being able to stay out of the way of the logging trucks that run all over the place here. The girl at DMV wants to use her truck to promote them and to get better response from the state. Although, we can now tag them and they are showing up all over the place. As a side not, Gary, the guy who owns the truck will have it at the horse shows, and has asked me to spread the word, if you own a mini truck, bring it to the horse shows May 7, and he will have an area set up for them to be shown off. He is also interested in selling them here locally, so I recommended him to Bob and a couple of other of our advertisers for parts and truck sales. With gas locally at $3.00 plus, these trucks are fixing to be a gold mine. Wish I had the money to invest, I believe sales of the new ones would go great here. I will post pictures of Garys soon as I can get back there with my camera. I am also giving him my last mini truck sticker for his back glass and will enclose that picture also.
