Drove a Kei truck yesterday -- first time in a Kei (not far or fast)

[Bicycle Bob]

I have a neighbor who uses his for most errands and loves it. I see a wide variety of loads. The highways are not busy here. I see another used as a short-haul water tanker.
The 4wd vans are popular as jitney cabs in nearly-roadless 3rd world frontiers, and there are very posh camping conversions for two people available. The same layouts can be home-built. The later models with a safer front engine have recently become available in Canada.

[MetroMPG]

Fun stories.

kimer6: that's how my friend uses his -- light "off-roading" around his property.

[Varn]

Neighbor had one similar. His had regular street tires with 4 wheel chains. I drove it off road down through a creek and all over his place. Then took it out on the road. Really like it, drove like a mtn goat. Most people put off road tires on them.

Here they are legal on the road Just like any other ATV. There are restrictions unlike the old days. You can't drive state highways, keep it under 30mph and have a red flag.

I would like one with a dump bed.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Bicycle Bob

The 4wd vans are popular as jitney cabs in nearly-roadless 3rd world frontiers, and there are very posh camping conversions for two people available. The same layouts can be home-built.

Not just the vans, and also not only the 4WD ones, are widely used as jitney cabs in Southeast Asia and Africa. Anyway, I have already considered to get a Korean license-made version of the Daihatsu Hijet that had been available in my country in the '90s and try to make a modular camping conversion that could be easily removed when not in use.

The later models with a safer front engine have recently become available in Canada.

As long as it's 15-year or older, isn't that easier to register a Kei van there in Canada than in the U.S.? Are them granted access to the highways there?

[Fingie]

here in finland it has to be older than 2001. Id like to import a Kei car one day here. Maybe a Daihatsu Move /T-U-R-B-O/

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Fingie

here in finland it has to be older than 2001. Id like to import a Kei car one day here. Maybe a Daihatsu Move /T-U-R-B-O/

Brazil on the other hand requires a second-hand grey import to be at least 30-year old in order to become eligible, for import as a collection car, even though some folks found odd ways to circumvent this rule in the '90s. Anyway, even though some random Kei car from the same vintage is likely to be better than the locally-built Ford Ka Mk.1, presumably the shipment costs would still lead it to not be so competitive here if we could import used cars from Japan as freely as Paraguayans can do.

[Pryme]

Can these be found here in the states? Are they legal to register?

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by Pryme

Can these be found here in the states? Are they legal to register?

Certain examples are, check out Subaru 360, there are usually a few "sambars" for sale

Another kei car is the Miles zx40 line which are electric micro vans and trucks

Otherwise 25 year old examples plus a police walk around will get one legal after the title company does its job inmost states

Good luck

[Leo.IT]

This kind of little truck is still made by Piaggio in my hometown, Pontedera.
It's called the Piaggio Porter and it came in several versions during the past 25 years, like 4wd, diesel powered, full electric and high loading capacity.
Now it's only powered by a 1.3 l 4 cyliders petrol engine with also the LPG and the natural gas versions available.
There is also a "detaxed" version called "Quargo" with limited top speed at 80 km/h featuring a 2 cylinders 0.7 liters diesel engine with 13 kW of output, but I think that it has a rear mounted engine instead the front-central position of the standard Porter.

Modelli Piaggio Veicoli Commerciali - Piaggio Veicoli Commerciali

[Daschicken]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Brazil on the other hand requires a second-hand grey import to be at least 30-year old in order to become eligible, for import as a collection car, even though some folks found odd ways to circumvent this rule in the '90s. Anyway, even though some random Kei car from the same vintage is likely to be better than the locally-built Ford Ka Mk.1, presumably the shipment costs would still lead it to not be so competitive here if we could import used cars from Japan as freely as Paraguayans can do.

30 YEARS OLD!? And I thought America's 25 year ban was ridiculous!

The maintenance staff at my campus uses kei vans, cute little things, but annoying when they drive on the sidewalk instead of the road around the campus....