Living With A JDM Mini Truck (Honda Acty) 

Kei trucks were not designed for the back streets of Tokyo, as you keep repeating. They are primarily an agricultural vehicle for farmers, but are also used by tradespeople. Because of their agricultural origins there are many 4wd options, as well as manual and automatics, and a very hard suspension if you want it. They can be had very cheaply if you go for one without a/c, electric windows, etc. They are very cheap to run and tyres are amazingly cheap, a set of four costs about the same as one tyre for my Forester. In the Japanese countryside where I live many people have kei trucks for their convenience and the fact that the 4wd versions are incredibly good through quite deep snow. Otherwise kei cars (ie not trucks) are very popular in Japan due to their low purchase price, low annual taxation, insurance and so on. Oh and yes, kei trucks are not designed for high speed driving, and you rarely see them on the motorway here.

I've had a total write off in one of these and was surprised to find the front of the car folded around my legs and I was able to pull myself out all in one uninjured piece. I want another one now. Thanks!

This is funny. My Dad in the early 80's had two acty vans (rather than the pickup) as delivery vehicles. Both bought from the local Honda UK dealer. I learnt to drive in one of them. Fond memories and both the pickup and van version were actually very common on UK roads at the time. Honda soon decided however that commercial vehicle sales were not the image they wanted in the UK, and stopped selling them. Bedford Rascal took over the market.

I love my mini truck. It's so reliable and economical. My X5 and 1 series are always in for some sort of repair and my mini truck has never given me a day's hassle and is always there.

The 350-kg weight limit is driven by the Kei codes. The trucks will carry about twice that at normal speeds, and the Hijets can carry 1500-lbs at speeds below 20-mph. Look at marine cup holders. You should have enough room under the top center dash, to allow you to install them. You should get better mileage with the bed panels off or folded down.

I loved these trucks overseas. Nice to see people showing them love.

Drove these around for five years at work. I am 6 foot 6 and still fit!! Tons of headroom but legroom not so much Haha. We had two Daihatsu’s and two Suzuki’s. those trucks go ANYWHERE and we consistently had several hundred pounds of payload- (firewood and 150 gallon water tanks) along with two adults in the truck- and they always got along just fine. Very capable little trucks, super fun to drive

I want one so bad. I wish there were a sufficient number of these in the states for a racing scene.

Thank you for a well presented review of the Acty i couldnt stop smiling at your witty commentary and thank goodness no stupid music to kill the smooth tone of the conversation and distract your viewers. Good job, thanks for showing this beautiful piece of work to the world. Keep it up, bruv!

Very good advice to add an anti-corrosion treatment to the undercarriage before driving on salted winter roads. I like Surface Shield or Fluid Film. Both are lanolin base, penetrating and non hardening treatments that should be reapplied every year or two. I spray everything underneath except the exhaust, although there's overspray on the exhaust that smokes off in time. If your kei truck arrives with some undercarriage rust, the easiest is probably Monstaliner Chassis Saver, although POR 15 is also good. The Chassis Saver should be painted over to protect it from UV. I prefer Monstaliner truck bed liner. It's very tough stuff but it's a thick polyurethane coating that doesn't look like a smooth painted surface.

All I could think of when you mentioned the plentiful exterior storage space was the old Top Gear clip where Clarkson says that everything would get pinched every time you come to a stop 😆😆

I'm in Canada and I see some of these floating around our streets, I am actually looking at getting a Suzuki Every Wagon its pretty dope

I wish I could get my hands on one of these.

My 1988 Acty (Bug Eye) arrives in Halifax Canada in 6 weeks. I can't wait.

These little trucks are SO COOL! I definitely want to get one someday. Great video, much love from Texas!

I love my truck, i drive it (mainly) daily in florida. Its not the fastest but it gets the job done. Great video dude! Love the color too!

Truly a beautiful pickup

Beautiful colour. I have just brought a white one on ebay should be delivered tomorrow can't wait!

Bought a 2006 diahatsu love it at least i have cup holders .everything you said is spot on , keep on smiling,

Great video! Informative, honest and funny. Keep them coming mate!

They have 4 door and van styles of these as well keep in mind. Also, you can get them in 2wd and auto trans versions.

Love your choice to run it on 4 space saver wheels 🎉

I have a1998 ACTY here in NW Wyoming. Great work & ranch vehicle!

A lot of us Brits forget we had loads of interaction with these kinds of machines in the 80's. Thanks to Suzuki allowing Vauxhall/Bedford to manufacture their Carry under license as the Rascal. Shame you don't see many of them around anymore as they had a 1100cc lump iirc?

Good quality video! Just saw you have other car videos on your channel. Your channel's gonna be big. Subscribed!

Beautiful.,....the steelies look amazing.

Lucky here it is getting more popular to see one, and there are dealerships, and they stock all the spare parts for us. I hope to see these more often, I might get one as a retirement present to myself, after all these go for 6 grand fully registered and tuned up now.

Still got ours good fun around the woods

Thumbs up just for owning one!

Love the video, the acty is super cool too!

My F350 diesel will have to do for my work. I could throw one of these in the back and drive around all day not even notice.

Love it, mate. I’m picking up an imported Cube Rider at the weekend. Subscribed, as love JDM stuff, especially the more unusual motors. Will be interested to see what you do with the undersealing, as mine needs doing too.👊

thank you loved K-Truck＆Please　Enjoyed ACTY LIFE!!

Great commentary, and amusing!

Trades people still import these and the Daihatsu Hijet into Ireland, Toyota Dyna is another popular one here! (The Dyna may have been sold here in the 90s not sure)

love the colour mate!!!

Wish those were more common (USA). A small ready to go cab to stick on some custom frame and drivetrain combo, for a modern model T exposed engine hotrod sort of thing.

I use one of these as my work vehicle to service pools. Here in the USA

Nice video. You should look into 3d printing yourself a cup holder since you have so much dashboard space.

GAWD DAMN THIS IS CLEAN OMG

looks so clean

man i love the exhaust! I wish i could find one for a Kei van Acty

03:20 Am I The Only One Who Noticed The VANS He's Wearing !?

Man that thing is mint! I would love to get one of these :p

Excellent video. I hope to have one someday. I’m a fool for Suzuki so, that’d be my pick. Hopefully you have many more years of motoring enjoyment with your little Honda.

Honestly thought that you had revv'ed up the engine fully but NOPE. That's the jdm mini coming up to idle. HAH! That literally made me laugh its so loud. Honestly. it sounds like so much fun to drive around: like a little angry shiba growling around.

In Brazil we have these chinese and japanese Key Trucks and some make engine swaps for a CHT or AP engine

Funny very funny video i am sure you had poetic licence about the back streets of toyko just to make the video funny...and it was first time seeing you videos and yes i subscribed 😀

Great video mate awesome ride👍👍

I’m trying to find a Subaru Sambar 4WD with a manual transmission here in the USA. I can always put it on a flatbed trailer and tow it back to our house from Seattle (150 miles away). We have some tight spots on our property that are too small to get our older Fored Ranger 4WD super cab into, but I’m sure the Sambar would fit.

I have a 2001 Mazda scrum & love it , I also have a 2006 Suzuki Jimny, both are great but …….. it is hard to get parts , especially when I struggle with on line crap , I live in B C Canada

It's a good looking truck. You need one of those cargo nets for the bed to haul stuff.

Yeah mate I had one, it was a fun little truck tho Im to tall to fit in the cab, so mine be came a spa! Mine had a tub not a tray

Nice rig!!!

I like the spoiler. : )

What a beautiful example.

I want my Kei truck to have a similar style to yours is there any way you can do a video where you detail everything you did to it so far?

Stunning looking

I do think a lot of folks in the west are applying JDM style cred to these keitora where back in Japan these are just the equivalent to a Ford Transit… But it is all in good fun, and I can support the interest. I drove a new at the time Subaru Sambar in 2018 and came away disappointed though. Lived in Japan for years and that was something I’d wanted to scratch off the bucket list. Turns out they feel like a boat even at slow speeds, and shifting gears sometimes feels like stirring porridge because the transmission and clutch lacks any feel whatsoever.

Looks very dapper :)

Think the Daihatsu Hijet might be a better option engine wise. Swapping it out for the Sirion 1.5 or 1.3 from the sirion mk1 rally 2.

Left foot break!!!...WHAT!!?🤣🤣🤣

We would like to have one to do work in tight areas around our property here in the PNW, USA

That silencer does nothing close to silencing that tone 😅 it makes it so much louder as well as increasing the pitch. Without is quieter, lower toned and (in my opinion) sounds better 🤙 sweet truck, God bless

Your Acty is absolutely stunning. Love the sound with the silencer removed (neighbours.... who cares)! I've bought a '15 Suzuki Carry 4wd truck and can't wait for it to arrive. Cool!

Smart as paint..

Its a guy in the city work at got one everytime around lunchtime i see him drive it at first i was like wtf is that but as i kept looking at it i was like its cool af

Not sure about the back-streets of Tokyo, but these are everywhere in the mountains of the countryside.

Few shaker cans of bedliner would probably suffice as an undercoating. I live in West Virginia USA, so it's mountainous, which would probably kill the thing...depending upon how it's geared.

Imagine this with a 2.0l turbo!!!

What year is this? I jusr my specs right for searches. I absolutely adore this truck. The colour and interior is perfect. Im saving all the things i want on mine if im able to get one at some point. Thanks for sharing!

Great video. You've got a VERY nice truck. The ones that find their way to the west coast of the US aren't usually in that good of shape. What doe you get for fuel economy - miles per gallon (or kilometers per liter)

There’s not many fresh imports on the market now. Certainly Ignition Imports don’t have any. Definitely something I’d buy, looks a lot of fun for the money.

Love this

Nice pick up!

Wonderful review ❤ what’s wheels size have you got?

Sweet truck...🚚

Reving it without the silencer gives me some scania vibes

Excellent review. Many thanks! How Many km per liter can it go in town at 35 kpm per hr og on the a country road at 70-80 km per your? Thanks.

That’s one of the cleanest looking actys I’ve seen. 👏👏👏 what size rims and tires? Thanks

Awesome. I wonder if American Honda dealers would service these?

Yes yes this is my next vehicle and the info is fab. North east rules

Very nice truck

It sounds like a Honda!!!! So that’s not a let down

I do doordash in the US.. I really wish my state didn't have stupid rules against "kei trucks". the van version would be perfect for doing these deliveries and if I ever needed to haul something like a generator.. I'd already have a trailer hitch rigged for a little trailer

Just got my Honda Acty and I was wondering where you got that speedometer?

I don't know if you guys have Napa over there but you can go to a NAPA store and they will have your fuel filter that's what my brother does we're from America this to let you know that way it might be a little cheaper on your bed

I have a unicorn..sdx commercial van..1 of 1 in u.k...sweet ride

Love this truck👍😊

Hi, how easy was it to fit the strip on the windscreen thanks

I’m immigrating to the Philippines. I’ve leased two little farms and will need one of these. Where can a lift kit be had. The provinces are mud holes in the rain and a few inches clearance with a body lift and similar with suspension would be nice with more aggressive off road tires on my mountain road.

Y’all know that “JDM” sign u guys love is the learners/P plate equivalent in Japan…

Looking to get one of these. Where you sourcing mods from?

Itasha wrap it for maximum JDM street cred ;)

Even a jdm truck is more funny than automatic western cars

These are for city driving and quick trips, no way I would daily this or on far trips. However they are good cheap (even brand new) trucks :)

do these smoke that much normally? or does your have an oil ring problem? given the cost of parts, how expensive is ROUTINE maintenance on these vehicles which may have at the time of sale >>100K MILES? thanks.

This Would Be Great In An Acreage Garden!

Love your truck, you said about doing something to prevent rust from getting a toe hold, what was that called, also an awesome video!

Is that an OBD-II speedometer on the center of the dashboard? Which model is that?