5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Buying My Mini Truck 

My son taught English in Japan, he said every Lil old man in Japan had one of these mini trucks, said they were everywhere, said they were the F150 of Japan.

My boss at a beer garden in Texas had a 4x4 Mitsubishi imported from Japan. Our parking lot was an unpaved horse pasture, and on rainy days people would get stuck, and it was my job to pull them out. It was sooo much fun dealing with macho Texans in their big trucks being completely humbled- being rescued by the tiny mini truck!

0:55 attention 2:10 speed 4:30 rust 5:33 parts 6:15 tires

Drove one of these types around al a sad airbase in Iraq back in 2004. Lasted through our abuse. Thanks for the memories.

I can only imagine seeing a Japanese mini truck speeding down a country road at 70 MPH

That is an unbelievably reliable work vehicle here in the Philippines mate. From construction companies, drinking water delivery, hauling, public transport and shop truck. Great buy man

Go down your your local auto parts store and pick up some DEI heat tape, either silver or gold. It's a metal tape for reflecting heat. Stick it on the bottom of your seat of you want to insulate it a bit better.

They’re great trucks - have always liked them - so practical. Sides fold down - can load from the side with a forklift. Such great visibility inside the cab.

You can make the tire selection a easier by changing rims. You currently have the 12x4 rims with 145r12 tires. Bolt pattern is a fairly universal 4x114.3. Find some 13 or 14inch rims with the same pattern, bolt them on. The carry came with a 13" option and 155/70r13. With a 13 or 14 off a Honda, Nissan, or Toyota, they'll be a little wider at 5 or 6 wide, you could run something like 175/65r13, 185/65R13 or 185/55R14

RU-vid: "Hey do you want to know 5 things before you buy a mini truck, even though you've never searched for any tags in this video?" Me: I'm not buying a mini truck, but ...o.k. Also me: ...not disappointed ...also considering a mini truck.

These mini trucks are quite popular here in the UK, on the second hand market they can cost a lot more than much larger vans of the same age. With both Petrol and Diesel engines available, 6 seater minibus models and also compact camperevans. I had the pick up truck years ago as a dairyman/Milkman, and it would happily carry the weight. They are definately fun to drive, especially in town centres where you can fit them into such small parking spaces.

i'm from the Philippines, and the Suzuki Carry (better known here as the Multicab regardless of what body type it has) is the 3rd car i drove after i got my license last January 2021. i live in Manila, and these Multicabs are commonly used for telecommunications cable vans, water delivery service, and for some parts of Metro Manila (specifically in Pasay City), these are used as passenger jeepneys. it was harsh, super loud (despited having a gasoline engine), uncomfortable, and actually capable. the one i drove is a dual cab with 2 sliding rear doors and a very small pickup bed. it was so ridiculous but i hauled a lot of stuff there (like luggages full of mostly clotches) and it did not dissapoint. fuel consumption is pretty good too.

So cool to see the mini truck again!

I had a 1960 something Suziki minivan when I lived in Japan. The engine was in the back and was a 3 cylinder 2 cycle. If I went around a turn to fast it would go up on two wheels and one time I hit the brakes too hard and the back of the van lifted off the ground and swapped with the front. This was all doing 15 to 25 MPH.

Seattle is a wonderful place to own a Japanese car because there are ex-factory workers from japanese factories who retire to Seattle and sometimes open Mechanic shops. They do great repair work because they sometimes built the same things.

When the first subaru was sold here, it was a 360cc micro car. They had mini truck and van too. That was late 60's.

I think you gave a perfect overview of what to expect. Thank you! I have added over 6000 miles(not KM) to my '91 Suzuki Carry this year. It is my daily driver and love it. I will mention the frame is sheet metal and another place to watch for rust. Mine has AC and it takes more than a few HP away from the engine. Many of the electrical items have constant voltage and connects the ground for use. If adding LEDs , may need a wire swap. EVERYONE will ask you about the truck and I totally agree with you. People also ask is it hard to drive. I had no problems shifting on the left and came naturally oddly. The hard part in the first month was getting in the habit of using the turn signal on wrong side of wheel. The battery posts are much smaller on these trucks and expect to change the terminals out when battery dies. Interstate makes one that fits. For tires you are correct... Damn hard to find but if looking for a road tire, go one size up and buy "Classic" brand for cheap and they work really well. Some of the older VW cars use them. I have so much more info and wish I had the time for it. You nailed all of the highlights perfectly. For speed I say 45MPH normal driving and 50MPH max without damage just like you did. (Yes I know it can go more but that little timing belt and old parts... You get the idea) -Logan

I love as you are testing the top speed you blow by the 55mph sign.

We had two of the small mini trucks in the service. But they were governed to 25 mph. Above that the ignition cut out, but the fuel kept being dumped in the engine, ending up in the oil pan. Ours were Mitsibishi, and had 12 inch tires and four wheel drive.

Having had BOTH an ancient Kia and Subie I have found a couple of local tire guys who will take stamped (CHEAP) steel wheels from the junk-yard and drill them with the required bolt pattern for whatever size car you have.

Great video! I have a 97 Honda Acty I imported to Canada. The attention it gets is hilarious! I stepped up to 13" wheels because like you said the 12's are hard to find. One of the reason I went with the Honda is because its mid engine so I don't have to deal with the extra heat and noise associated with driving. Like you though I only go about 80 km/h. Its the sweet spot.

It's a common sight here. Had it as my first ride and i had lots of fun with it. Got to earn a few bucks with it as I gwt small haul jobs with it as well. Painted it black and slapped 13 inch alloy wheels on it. I cried for a week when my ex-gf had me sell it. So I got rid of her too. You're right. When it's parked, some motorists check it out and ask me all sorts of questions about it. Greetings from the Philippines!

I have a 1990 Suzuki Carry 660... only has 16,000km on it. Original tires were very cracked. Ordered Custom wheels and tires made for a John Deere Gator. Same bolt pattern. Also did a 4" lift. Mine is a 5 speed so 70 is easy. 2 hands on the wheel is best. Never had an issue with cab getting hot. Also has EL mode for Four Wheel Drive. Will crawl on its own over anything and no stall.

In Japan these are used by farmers and some others in the countryside. You can't go over 60 KPH on regular roads without getting a ticket. Highway = different. I got a ticket for going 65 but that was in a 50 zone, which I thought was a 60 zone. They are made to deal with narrow mountain roads, roads around farmland, and were very popular post-1960s. They are cheap (you can but for under 10,000USD new), taxed at lower level, durable, handle lots of farm crates carrying produce (such as mikan) to JA market, can be reformed into things like mini-shops which serve rural areas with no set shops anymore or into yaki-imo (sweet potato) sellers even in Tokyo. They are a bit better for the environment and now makers are producing electric versions. People who use them don't really drive long distances. They are great and serve the natural environment where they are designed for perfectly. No F150 is going to fit on a country road (sometimes only one mini can fit at a time) in inaka Japan! More Americans should buy them. Perfect for city small business, shops, or farmers markets. I have seen them made into campers for traveling around! Now that electric versions are coming = even better for environment..

3:49 H e a t s e a t e r s

I lived in The Bahamas for a few years, where I had a Suzuki bus. With an 799cc engine it was probably the most fun vehicle I have ever owned . It was fullof rust(from to down ) from the sea salt, but duct tape held it together. Good luck with your truck and enjoy.

All great points! My Subaru has the engine in the back, doesn't heat up the cab when driving...even with the rad under the passengers seat. The tires are work aroundable with 13" rims...rims are easy to find and it makes finding tires cheap and easier

I'm very pleased to see someone else does the old switcheroo saying "heat seaters". It's just easier to say! And gosh dang wish I could get one of these!

I learned to drive a stick shift in these when I was stationed overseas in Saudi Arabia in the army! You can practically drop the clutch with no gas in first and you're rolling! Never thought I'd see one again.

I’m in Japan now, and have a 94’ jimny I’ll be bringing back. I’m sure I’ll be the talk of the town as well.

I have 91 Subaru Sambar. I picked the Subaru because the engine is in the back behind the rear axles. I changed the rims and tires to 13's. She is farm rated so it has an extra low gear. I love being able to drop the sides to load it or even remove the sides and tailgate to turn it into a flatbed. It has a ton of tiedowns so you can strap your load down. It does get the attention of people. The questions, the pictures and the offers to buy it. All in all, I have WAY too much fun with her.

That's like the cutest truck! Man the Japanese are good at getting it right!

You really are so noticeable in that thing. Every time I see it driving around town I instantly recognize it. Haven't seen it at the trailheads yet though...

It looks a lot like the Diahatsu I drove while working in an oil refinery 20 years ago. Mine was left hand drive, 4 wheel drive and had wide off road tires on it. I think it was only 2 cylinders but had some kind of automatic transmission variable belt drive. The thing was governed to do maybe 25 at the most. It was a fun but odd little vehicle. I can imagine the wonder it brings when you take it to a store.

Mini truck in Western countries:cool little toy truck Mini truck in Asia: normal work truck

I have a Daihatsu HiJet that I use on my property. I love it. The only time I ever took it on a public road was when I put fix-a-flat in the original tires (my property has a lot of thorn trees; not a problem now that I have 6-ply off-road tires) and needed to run it a couple of miles to centrifuge the goo. Other than that, it never gets above 3rd gear. In 4x4 it goes anywhere and it carries a lot of stuff, way more useful than a Rhino or Gator.

I just made a video on my first mini truck. Went to pick up with another guy but his had some rust spots and mine was custom painted and ultra clean. I got lucky. It’s awesome!! It will be a hit on my RU-vid channel and local roads as well! It’s a fun truck to drive. Glad I got one.

Bellingham WA to Sedona Mountain Bike Festival = 1,469 divided by 45 mph = 33 hours of driving plus driving back equals 66 hours of driving. 10/10 you should do it. Cheers Josh!

You could make the rear wheels bigger and that would get you to 70mph. Those size wheels only need 4 bolts- although it's probably not a common size (bolt pattern). I've been using Motorcraft 5w-50 synthetic because it seems to do better during high rpms. Sometimes a good synthetic oil change will get you that extra 1 horsepower when you need it.

I looked at one of these when I had a farm. All in all, seemed like a very practical vehicle, especially the MPG and how the sidewalls were removable to make it a flat bed. Overall speed wasn't a concern, however, for me, going up and down hills was. It's inability to clime steep grade with a load and the small size of the cab were deal breakers... I'm 6'3", it was not made for folks my height, 5'9" or less should be fine... and driving on level ground or managed pathways. I have seem modified versions which were very capable... however, the cad was still too small, even the extended cab.

I had a 5spd version one year newer/ newer body style ( DD51 vs DB51 ).. It would run 95 KPH comfortably without heating up.. Now I have a '93 Jimny. Runs about the same top speed but gets there quicker being turbocharged. But it has bigger tires, better 4x4/SFA and real seats.

Yes! Back talking about mini truck!

In my country you can see a lot of vehicles similar to this just newer and it's usually used by farmers, hardware stores and transportation companies

I own a Suburu Sambar. 2002 loaded to Half ton capacity, it scared me at 80 MPH. . 65 is comfortable highway speed. 72 is okay. Still have pedal for increased speed on level roads. I generally have short in city driving with great fuel milage, easy parking. A perfect metro work truck.

"cabin is hot or heat seater is hot" I relate as a driver

Heat-seat is so useful in cold winter.

Good points, thank you. But just so you know, the best was just seeing you next to it....smaller than I thought.

For a while in the 1980s you could buy a Daihatsu mini van here in Australia, but also available was the Suzuki Carry van which sold for years with the later models having higher roofs and slightly longer noses as Kei vehicle regulations were changed to have more crumple-zone for improved safety. All types of small businesses bought or leased the Carry van (can't remember whether the truck-version was ever imported), although I noted that many were used by cleaners, presumably as they were great when parking was tight. However, a while after I passed my driver's licence in 1980, I did consider buying one of these as it was cheap, economical, & practical for moving stuff (as long as it wasn't too weighty), but quickly scrubbed it from my short-list when I discovered that I really struggled to get my long leg past the steering-column! Went and bought an old 1967 Mini Cooper S instead!

Here in Germany we see them in the city quite often, they are used as mini garbage trucks, snow plow/salt spreader. They are sold new as Piaggio Porter, which is a license build Daihatsu Hijet. If you want a small weird "car", look up the Piaggio Ape.

Surprised that you didn't mention that this falls into the Kei car class, which has some fascinating designs within it:)-John in Texas

If you could find one in really good shape, you could mod the heck out of it. Run an air intake through the engine compartment with a mini radiator fan and a independent switch. Get a custom muffler and lose some weight on it with lighter parts. Might be possible to swap the wheel hub for a 5 point and get different tires. I noticed your gas was near Empty. So the top speed depends on a full or empty tank. 😂 you could maybe run a heat exhaust duct from the back of the engine compartment out the top on its own little chimney looking thing. It would be fun to have one and some money to play around reconfiguring it. Definitely improve the seats for comfort. Maybe put some heat shielding. Also a solar panel on the roof to trickle charge your battery. Great. Now I want one. 😂😂😂

Thank you for the video. I am intrigued by the ones I see running around CT these days. Also have a buddy who is super interested in them as well. I enjoyed the video. Take care

I had a Bedford rascal, so much fun. Used to Chuck my BMX in the back and go on mini adventures

there's actually a lot of those by my local college appliance workplace. For tree trimmers, I guess. They look fun.

there are tons of these trucks in the philippines as well, the main idea behind is you can squeeze them in tight alleys while carrying your groceries, or any items from any point where transportation and carriage is needed at the same time

Remember a buddy of mine used to have a pretty beatup one of these. His coworkers would occasionally prank him on lunch by picking it up and setting it high centered on the concrete curb guards a foot and a half off the ground.

You can sand down the rust on those door sills and hit it with some spray on bed liner and it would look awesome. Also do that whole bed with bed liner and the under side of the truck with under coating. Doing this will make it last and look super fresh !!

Put a lift kit on it then increase tire size slightly to a more commonly available size. Cool truck!👍👍

Just ordered a 4 wheel drive multicab with A/C here in the Philippines. They are very common here but I ordered it with nice graphics and bright yellow paint so it will stand out a little. I have a pedicab, a tricycle and an Isuzu Trooper Bighorn 3.1 turbo diesel. The multicab will be a nice addition to my Philippine garage. Nice video.

Always wanted one of these for my second vehicle

I bought one of these when I got sick of being cold and wet ridding my M/C top work and back. It was VAN with a high roof and a 1,000 cc four cylinder, O/H cam engine. Mileage was so awesome, I never even bothered to see how many miles per gallon I got, all i knew it was super economical. Max speed I ran it on was 90 K's per hour, (70 MPH) when the road was rated for it, which was not often as I used it for a city runaround. Never suffered from heat in the cab, and it gets hot where I live 50 deg in summer. Regular as clock work, she never missed a beat until the wife got a job and wanted to drive the van to and from work. She asked me one day what the red light was for on the dash, :-( OOPS, rushed outside and started the poor old girl, yep low oil was on. Dipstick displayed just a tad of oil in the sump. Apparently the light had been on all week, DUH. anyway, she started to burn oil after that (the car, not the wife) so I took her in for a rebuild. Worst thing I ever did, the guy who rebuilt her did not use original Suzuki parts, and it showed within 4 months, started to leak oil everywhere, main crankshaft seal blew completely, had to remove engine and replace under warranty, but other gaskets were also not up to par. The mechanic refused to redo the job, so basicly stuffed up a perfectly good engine by using sub standard parts. Sold off the little van thereafter, but saw it many times for years later. Would have loved to upgrade to another, but the newer models were very expensive for their small size, so I gave them a misss.

I had one for donkeys years. Never let me down, never had a service. Passed MOT each year with just the odd wiper blade etc. I'd agree the only drawback is...0 to 60....ok, 0 to 50...., about a week. Went rusty and died all in the space of a year!

Wow, thanks for the video. I didn't know I needed this video before I watched this. Love the video!

Bedford rascal and Suzuki Carry in England and the number of front wheel arches I’ve replaced on all variants is amazing. Once word got out that I had repair panels people came knocking sent by testing stations.

Its funny your last point was tires. I just got off work from my shift at a Japanese (toyo) tire plant and I was looking at the tires the entire video thinking "I dont think we make anything that small in America."

I bought a Suzuki Carry a few months ago. I love it. I agree with the speed thing. It's certainly not a speed machine but I don't really mind because I didn't buy it for that purpose. I used to own a Suzuki tracker and I know Suzukis are made pretty well. My truck did have some rust but it was no trouble whatsoever to fix. I repainted it myself and I used truck bed liner on the truck bed which I think really worked out nice. As far as the tires, when I bought it, it came with an extra set of tires and rims 4 back road stuff or in deep snow. (12 inch) I live in North Dakota & we always get snow here so I'm ready now. However, I also discovered that just about any Japanese rim will fit on these trucks! Well, four bolt anyway. I went and bought four rims at a junkyard for a hundred bucks they came off of a Honda. Theyre 14 inch rims so I went and bought some low profile 14 inch tires which I really love and they fit perfect. Course my speedometer is not going to be right. Who cares it's in kilometers anyway and I always forget what's what. I just try to drive with the flow of traffic. Lol It also has right hand steering which I thought was going to be a problem but actually it was very easy to get used to. Except I always forget that the blinkers on the right instead of the left... I'm always hitting the wipers. And shifting is on the left as well instead of the right. And I have another manual clutch which I drive everyday so yeah sometimes I get mixed up!

Thank you for this information, it is super helpful

You forgot to mention that is does a stoppie when you stomp the brakes. Meaning the rear wheels leave the ground and it starts tipping over forwards. A least my moms 88 carry van does this. Here in the Netherlands it was hard to get a wheel allignment done. Most shops aren't setup for skateboard wheels. Fastest car in downtown Amsterdam. Love this little alley racer!

Nevermind riding Crabapple hits on a hardtail. The mini truck high speed test was the scariest thing I've ever watched on RU-vid. 😬

These two videos are exactly what I was looking for. And I live in Seattle and have walked by that dealership on 99 :) So helpful.

Thanks for the heads up!

80km/h is the national speed limit in Japan, so they probably geared/tuned the truck to top out around the speed limit.

I bought tires on Amazon for my mini, they were Westlake brand with really good reviews and cost $37 ea .

Been thinking about getting this for a daily. Probably a Honda one.

Happen to like a truck / mini truck like this. Rust worried me but they remind me a lot of the older Jeeps. Very cool ride.

When I checked into these some 10 years ago, I was told they can not be licensed for on road use, due to trade treaties. I know no-one in my town in the Texas Panhandle has been able to use them except as utes on their farms or ranches. There are several parked in back yards and behind shops that just languish in dis-use for yhat very reason. One business down in Amarillo just painted it in outlandish colors and used it as their SIGN!

Awesome machine! I saw a lot of these in the UK. Does anyone ask about the steering wheel being on the right, as in correct also, side?

I drove one when I was in Japan. It was geared so low! I started off in 2nd gear.

Very well put together video! Super helpful thank you!

I have a Suzuki Carry 1992 version. Factory lockers front and back. Extended cab. Best part is the left hand drive conversion over right, so the steering wheel and pedals are all on the left. I wanted one forever and saw an ad from someone who needed money bad and scored it for $3,000. Tires on mine are 13 inch but the seller showed me his other mini and it had 14 inch which makes a huge difference in tire availability. My other truck is a Ford F-350 crew cab so there is quite a difference.

I drive a smart car.(smart for two) pulled up to the pump next to a newer Corvette, a couple of people stoped and looked at the smart and walked right past the Corvette. When someone ask what kind of mileage I get. I tell them that it gets such great gas mileage I have to stop and take some gas out of the tank once in a while.

sport bike motor swap!!! DO IT!!!

Just picked up a 1990 diahatsu hijet climber, been cleaning it for the past week, super suprised of how little to no rust ot has, only 18k miles! Cant wait to drive it

Two friends I had in the 1980s, their dad's owned these. My mates dad had a van version, used as a plumbers van. The other friends dad, had a van version, and that was a carpet cleaning service. If two people were in the cab, and you stopped quickly, it would slightly lift up at the back, as all weight is in the front! Cute vans though.

Well, your parking brake light was on... so that probably slowed down your top speed run. 🤣

Great, I want one even more now! 😅🔥

1:39 - Yup, Back when I lived in Reo/Sparks, NV I owned a 63 Cadillac hearse/ambulance. same deal. 😁

This is the FUTURE. i Love it.

Best things you can do for performance in these? Rotary it or Electrify it.

That's alot of that here back in the Philippines 🇵🇭 :)

I ordered mine couple days ago. I cant wait to see it!!!!!!!!

In Greece we have these kind of little kei trucks since the 70s, left hand drive and they are very useful on our narrow roads. You don't see them nowadays so often because most businesses buy euro diesel vans for fuel efficiency and torq.

I haven't even watched the video yet, but you get a thumbs up anyway

The handbrake was on when you did the speed thing, that's why it was a bit slower to get to 115 km/h.

They are basically like mopeds with 4 wheels here in Japan. Every old man owns one. Super cheap to maintain and insure. Used ones usually sell for 3 to 5 k. And no problem to get tires and spare parts. I wish they were more mainstream in other countries. Very practical.

Your story of insane attention the vehicle brings is all too familiar. I drive a 62 Austin Healey Sprite frequently in the summer time and get all the same questions! As well as all the older folks who walk up and say, "I had one of those..., or my friend had one of those." Your point on tires is spot on too. Small 13" in wheels are very difficult to buy tires for. Good luck and have fun!

I still gotta have one. Rust? Meh learn to weld and problems solved. 😃

"A whole different class" Bro! You sell yourself short! Owning a Ferrari doesn't make you more of a person. That guy eats, sleeps, shits and bleeds the same way we all do. Dont let someone convince you that they are better then you.

I am a introvert that drives a Tesla. I'm used to it now, all my coworkers, people I run into traveling, people online constantly asking about it. I expect that to get way worse when I get my Acty

Great video. I like your sense of humor and feel it is much like mine. Oh, I still am very curious about the fuel mileage. I would love to have one but it would not be good for our winter here in northern NY state. But I would still love it and just would not drive it in the winter.