New Mini Truck Owner

[Samurai9]

Hello, this is my first post.

Yesterday I bought a 1995 Hijet on eBay. The seller is driving it here (Nashville area) from southeast GA and I should have it by Wednesday night. I have never driven a mini truck or even seen one in person. I recently rode in a Polaris Ranger, but have never stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. Although I really like these trucks, I am worried about mechanical problems in the one I bought. if there are problems, it could be a big, expensive headache for me. For example my Hijet has the three inch lift. I have read the posts about problems caused by this. I have just heard from the seller that the truck was already lifted when he got it. He did have an issue with the CV boot ripping because of contact but he "scrunched it together" and eliminated that problem six months ago. Sound reasonable?

I will keep the thing out in the country, and taking it to a mechanic will be a bit of an ordeal. I am about as far from being a mechanic as you can imagine. I have replaced oil and oil filter--that is about it. Anyway, I hope I am lucky and have bought a truck that will work fine for a few years. It will be going up the hills and helping me do work at my rural, wooded property, which I call Camp Copperhead.

Samurai

[Delorean]

but have never stayed at a Holiday Inn Express.



:confused:


Welcome, Welcome!

[Samurai9]

I really like these trucks and am expecting to get one tomorrow. But it strikes me that paying $5,000 for a thirteen year old truck with a three cylinder engine is a bit high. If I were shopping for an F150 or Ford Ranger and had that amount to spend, I think I would get a much more substantial, less exotic vehicle, albeit one with high miles. What accounts for the high prices of these little trucks? Is it the fact that they are imported from Japan on a small scale? Are they rare? Just curious.

Thanks,

Samurai

[draggbody]

my opinion is they are high because of there competition... the market sees them as being cheap... i mean you spend $10-13k for a gator or a mule, so for $5-8k you can get on nicely equipped w/ a cab, heat, a useful bed, some w/ a/c.... i see your logic, but this is simply what i think....

[Samurai9]

I guess the mini trucks are competing against ATVs, not full-size trucks, and ATVs are rather expensive when compared to older cars and trucks, which are much heavier, have more capacity, and features, yes, yes? A new Polaris Ranger, for example, costs as much as a cheap new car, but is much more limited and primitive. Maybe this is an issue of special purpose vehicles versus general purpose.

Samurai

[Delorean]

Well, there is no other vehicle that can offer you getting there in an air conditioned cab, that can fit between rocks and trees. Even in the dark with headlights. Then when you get to your location you can raise the scissor lift bed and have a deer blind. Then load the deer into the dump bed and you don't have to lift it out. Plus with a lift and camo kit and it dosen't stand out like a green and bright yellow gator does. Plus there more Eco friendly and quite.

[DRW]

Samurai9,it is a cold hard fact that our toys are expensive,my son's 4x4 4-wheeler cost over $5000.00 and does not have a heater or A/C or a good place to haul the absolutely nessecary cooler, so in my mind my mini-truck purchase was justified and I have been having fun modifying it.From reading your thread concerning the CV boot issue I would find someone in the know and have them evaluate the lift on your new toy.Some of these trucks are getting lifted by people who do not understand mechanical limits or front end geometry and it could cost you many $$.

[Samurai9]

Today I got my 1995 Daihatsu Hijet truck, bought on eBay. It started, went up my hill, and looks to be in decent condition. But there is a problem. The tires are too big and are hitting the body even though the wheel wells have been crudely hacked to make room. The front tires are being shredded by hitting sharp sheet metal. I will have to buy four new tires even though the truck was listed as having new tires and no known problems. I was cheated! I have complained to the seller and hope he will rebate me some money. The truck came with all of the manuals in the glove compartment--but I don't read Japanese. The seller said everything worked in the truck but I guess that doesn't include the fuel gauge, radio, seat latches, etc. I thought he was being honest with me. nevertheless, it is a very cute truck. The camouflage exterior is painted on rather than applied with vinyl sheets.

Although this ten foot midget truck can almost be toted in a pick-up, it came on one of the longest trucks I have ever seen, about 50 feet. I didn't think this transport could get around on the narrow, winding country roads, but it did so.

Samurai

[Wolfman]

Caveot emptor on the ebay thing. I drove mine before buying it. You'll probably end up stuck fixing up the problems on your own. While you're at it, read up on my thread regarding things going too well. Since your's is the same year as mine, if you end up needing a clutch, you'll end up needing to verify that you get the right cluch release bearing. As for the rest. You don't have to be particularly mechaincally inclined. I'm not very mechanically inclined either, and I just did the clutch in mine. These trucks are quite easy to work on, once you get beyond the fear of tinkering around.