Running an active workshop and publishing company in an inner city has its challenges, especially when it comes to moving stuff from Point Lumberyard to Point Workbench to Point Truck Terminal. Every week Megan and I move stuff – 500 woobies, 500 board feet of cherry, 500 lump hammers – to keep the business going.
I have a pickup truck for this, and it works great. But recently I found something more appealing.
While teaching at the Florida School of Woodwork last month, Kate Swann loaned me her Mitsubishi Minicab, a Japanese Kei-class truck. Those of you who have followed me for a while might remember that I used to fix up Volkswagen Karmann Ghias. I adore simple, well-made machines. But I sold my last Ghia because I couldn’t bear to expose these gorgeous cars to the Midwest winters (we’ve never had the luxury of a garage).
After about two days of driving Kate’s Minicab, I fell in love. The trucks are insanely simple: stick shift, three-cylinder engine, less than 50 horsepower, 45-55 mpg and right-hand drive. All that appealed to my affection for old cars. But what really sold me was the truck’s bed in the back. It is perfectly suited for what we do. The bed is only 25” off the ground and measures 53” x 76”. And all three walls fold down so you can load from any side (or even use it as a flatbed). Plus lots of tie-downs.
The trucks are not designed for interstate use (many states prohibit them on interstates), and the most comfortable top speed is about 45 mpg. I see this as a huge bonus.
One of the things I loved about my Ghias was taking trips without using the interstates. I used to drive to Charleston, S.C., to see my dad in a Ghia. Getting off the interstate is my favorite way to travel. You see the country in a new way. You see far more Main Streets, interesting architecture and beautiful vistas (and you can pull over without being flattened).
Yes, it takes a lot longer, but it is far more satisfying. (Insert obvious hand-tool comparison here.)
So I bought a Minicab from a dealer in Tennessee that imports them. It’s a 1996 model with 4WD and has less than 17,000 miles on it (these were utility trucks in Japan that were frequently driven around a factory or warehouse lot; the import papers and history of the truck show that the odometer has not been rolled over). And it was a bargain: $6,500.
And yesterday, Megan and I took it for a long spin to Fairfield, Ohio, to drop off a crate at the trucking terminal. It took 45 minutes (instead of 30), but we saw neighborhoods we’d never been in before – even though we’ve both lived here for decades.
Yes, there will be some misery. No AC, for example. But I drove Ghias for years in the South and managed fine (as did our ancestors).
Lucy and the kids have christened the Minicab the “CATBUS,” after the character in the movie, “My Neighbor Totoro.” While they have pushed me to paint the thing like the catbus character, we’re going with more conservative bling: our skep logo on the doors and six happy bees on different places on the truck.
So now you have one more reason to visit the storefront – to visit Catbus. We’ll have her in front of the store at our next open day, March 26.
— Christopher Schwarz
Great idea! Will you be able to find parts?
Yes. There is a robust network of parts suppliers for these vehicles.
I get this question all the time for my cars. The internet has made part hunting incredibly easy.
Purr-fect!
A great solution for your situation, good for you.
Hi Chris. Yes,they are a cute and quite functional little truck most certainly, but lack safety features. I have owned a 72 model VW minibus/van in the 70’s and a similarly designed, original model Toyota mini-van in the 80’s. After driving those two vehicles with their driver position so close to the front bumper, I have learned over my 7 decades that I much prefer to have much more vehicle mass in front of me, as well as having the modern safety features like air bags, crumple zones etc in the event of a front end collision. I wish you safe driving.
You cannot snuff out my joy!
I am squealing with delight for you.
Chris, I am not trying to snuff out your joy, but I like you and LAP, and I am just being candid and expressing concerns about the vehicle and your safety.
Not attempting to pop your balloon. Enjoy.
I’d never heard of such a thing. I’m intrigued.
My vehicle is a 20 year old Silverado, and I’ll likely be driving it until one of us dies. It’s pretty much neck-and-neck so far. The AC stopped quite a while ago, one window doesn’t move at all, and the other goes down, but not up. But all I care about is reliable transportation, at the lowest cost. I’d rather spend my money on other things.
Now if only there was an electric version…
Oh, there are!
There is!
Though the truck is now made by Suzuki and licensed all over the Far East (China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan, etc)
https://us.all.biz/suzuki-carry-dd51t-660-electric-4×4-car-g12922
I dig it. There is a video of a Japanese fellow building a removable camper onto one of these. I agree about getting off the interstate and taking the two lane roads. It is the best way to travel.
We drive a pickup and an SUV capable of more than legal highway speeds (towing capacity of 5 tons with exceptional gas mileage), but when we travel we avoid the interstates which all have heavy traffic and speeds of 70mph (which really means 80+ in Virginia, of course) because we enjoy the more sane pace and the chance to enjoy scenery, architecture, agriculture and small town activities. As a child I remember 2-day trips on two-lane roads (all we had before interstate highways existed) that can be done now in 5-6 hours. Why do we go too fast to see what we are missing? Why is it fewer people know how to read a map or have any knowledge of the geography or terrain they traverse? Why do we have so little curiosity about the world we inhabit?
Yes, they are great. Living in Europe I have a Italian “Kei truck”, a Piaggio Kipper (based on Daihatsu). It does 130 km/h, so it’s allowed on our highways. It is the simplest and most minimal way to move 750kg over 500m or more.
There is one of these for sale in my town and I am in desperate need of a vehicle (car got crushed by a tree last Sept.) but I noticed it said “for farm use only” on the dealer slip, do you know if there’s anything to be done to make it street legal?
https://myvehicletalk.com/are-mini-trucks-street-legal/
Looks like they are street legal in Kentucky and Ohio if local ordinances permit. Is there an easy way to figure out where you can drive it?
Yup. Google.
Just be careful you don’t get it stuck like Austin Powers
Do you have any trouble adjusting to being on the right side of the vehicle? Seems like that would take some getting used to.
Yes. About five minutes.
Kudos to Katie and Lucy May for the Ghibli reference! Can we importune Katie to sneak a some subtle Catbus features onto it?
For some 15 years or so, from the late 1980’s up until the early years of this century, at the end of each summer I would rent a car for a couple of days and go collect my mother from her mother’s place, and drive her back to town, a distance of about 200 miles that would have taken us between three and four hours by the fastest route.
Instead, the goal each year was to have as few miles of blacktop under the wheels as we could, with the least possible repetition of the route from the previous year. Great fun, much reading of road maps, and we got to see a lot of places – some pretty, some less so, but still – that we would otherwise never have come through.
We called this to åmjölkesboda, a verb of our invention, from the crossroads-and-a-couple-of-farms place called Åmjölkesbo which we saw signposted a number of times the first year we did this trip, but for some reason never came through. (We did eventually make sure to drive past there on a subsequent journey though.)
Interstates and motorways and main roads may have their use, but they sure don’t have the charm that the old roads and small roads and back roads do!
Cheers,
Mattias
They have a fleet of these on UT’s campus and the city of Austin and I’ve always thought they look so handy. The rule with vintage vehicles is if your happy, don’t let anyone else ruin your fun.
I love the fact that all 3 sides flip down. With the engine, can it realistically handle the weight of 500 board feet of cherry?
770 lb. Payload
I can see the appeal of these trucks…they remind me of my Navy days in Italy…We drove small 3 wheeled truck like vehicles…We Sailors called them “Lizards”…(Why I don’t know)…but they were a lot of fun to drive…they had 2 stroke motorcycle engines, some had motorcycle handlebars instead of steering wheels. I may have to look into Japanese Truck importers here in New England. Ghias and (original) Beetles were great cars!
They aren’t street legal in MA, RI, and CT. They are legal in NH within 25 miles of your residence. They are legal in Maine up to 35 mph.
Do you have a reference for being legal in Maine? My research indicates they are not legal, and although some may have been previously registered by the state those registrations are being canceled.
I just did a one minute perusal on Google. If I was serious about it I would look closer, and maybe check with your local DMV.
One of my carpenters had that exact model. He loved it. All the jobs we did were in busy Vancouver BC, so for him zipping through tight streets and alleys was a breeze. It was a trip riding with him a few times sitting in the left seat without a steering wheel in front of me. Another cool feature on it is the bar running across the back of the cab, where you can lean and tie lumber on. Bonus, the rise of gas prices won’t hurt so much with that one. I’m not sure, but I think his was diesel?
So cool! But a Piaggio Ape would be even more cool, especially for LAP – (Ape means Bee!). Thanks for sharing.
Anyone thinking of buying a mini-truck should be aware that state laws vary. Maine will not register mini-trucks for use on public roads. And they do not qualify in Maine as low speed vehicles which are allowed on some Maine roads (contrary to the information on one importer’s website).
Federal law allows vehicles over 25 years old which do not meet the federal safety and emission rules at time of manufacture to be imported. But the legality of importation does not compel states to register the vehicles for use on roads.
Yup. I did my due diligence at the state, county and city level.
The right-hand drive reminds me of seeing one with a skeleton in the left seat. Made me look and then laugh. Think it was around Halloween time. One downside of your new purchase is there will be one less parking spot around LAP.
Looks like the cars you see on Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee movies etc. the best scene when one was packed full of ninjas on roller skates.
Cool truck, You Guys!
How cool! Love it!
Love driving back roads, too!
😀
Interestingly timed post for me. I’ve recently conceived a great fascination for kei trucks, which it turns out are legal in my state. Visiting an importer, I found I can just fit into a Subaru Sambar.
I wouldn’t want to grind along the interstate with one, but then I’ve had lovely travels in a Ural sidecar, a Willys jeep, and my late lamented, farm-geared ’54 Chevy half-ton, none of which were much good over 45 mph. As you say here, one learns to love the scenic route.
I figure the Japanese drop side solution would be far superior to backing a trailer behind our family wagon when it comes to taking lumber, paint, and garden dirt down the long side drive toward our backyard shop.
It should also be pretty great for fishing with my old buddy. Keis will squeeze down goat trails where no full-sized truck could fit.
When the dust settles from current life events, I intend to own a 4WD kei truck as a “towner.” Like finishing the shop, it’s something to look forward to. Thanks for the little flash of joy.
Thanks for this uplifting post.
I’m looking forward to seeing photos of it with the bee skep logo!
Driving that would take me back. I originally learned to shift with my left hand from the passenger’s side of my dad’s Beetle starting when I was around ten. When I was thirteen he’d occasionally take me to the Industrial Park in South San Francisco on a Sunday and let me drive around.
In a right-hand drive car, is the clutch still under the left foot? Having it under the right foot would take some getting used to.
The shift pattern and pedal pattern are the same as on a “regular” stick shift. I was worried…but it took me about 5 minutes to get used to it. The most difficult thing to remember (truly) is that the turn signal is on a right hand column stem; the left is the windshield wipers.
What I’ve found to be the most difficult adaptation when driving a right-hand drive is the rear-view mirror – that automated quick glance upwards and to the right doesn’t work anymore; it has to be upwards and to the left!
Seems that Mustie 1 was recently tearing into an engine for one of these on his web site. Lots more wear, much harder life and now it has a blown head gasket. Glad to hear that parts are available. Please enjoy Catbus for many years to come
Does it have a heater for your cold winters?
Yup
Okay, I’ll be honest. Between the CatBus, Bean and what you guys do/where you live, both of you should be characterized in a Studio Ghibli movie sometime. You just fit.
They could do a children’s book on them all. “837 Willard Street.” Chris would be a possum. Fitz a red fox.
Interesting to hear from so many who have never driven in “wrong side” countries. Shift patterns, pedal placement, and control orientation are the same, just shifted right. These can be had with/without AC, manual or auto, 2wd or 4wd, and even as mini-minivans. But DO do your homework. Yootoob has many videos that are a helpful kick in the pants. My first encounter with these little lovelies was as off-road only ranch rigs in the West where they mounted bigger wheels and aggressive tires. They make SO much sense as urban haulers. I had one for a time with a dump bed and used it for-hire to deliver small loads of gardening and landscaping materials. Moved, sold it, thinking of getting another.
I love this truck ❤️
How much weight can you haul?
770 lbs.
Oh, man. This is wonderful. I have been worrying about what to do when my ’08 Ranger kicks the bucket, because I nohow want a midsize pickup, and that’s all Detroit makes now. And glory be, N.C. made them legal in 2019. Thanks for the tip! (N.B. my dream car is the black Karmann Ghia my father traded in on a VW Beetle — not that I didn’t love the Bug when I inherited it — but just to say that if you have car recommendations, I seem to be your audience.)
You might want to look into a “city cargo van”. I spent several weeks driving my sister’s 2013 used Ram City promaster while her R knee recovered from replacement, and figured out it’s an oldfashioned small truck with cap with better access. A couple feet longer than my Honda FIT, cargo a bit over 6′ long and 4′ wide and higher than a cap, holds sheet goods catty-corner in the back. High 20’s mpg, costs about the same as a small car if you don’t “upfit” (sis has spent $2-3 k on several iterations tricking hers out as a microcamper for crosscountry travel) Lumber more than 10′ long might have to stick out the passenger window. Wanting a 2 passenger small truck which is no longer made when the Honda dies I have been pretty disgusted but this looks like it will fill the bill. Also available from Ford and Nissan, possibly others.
50 West Brewing and Penny Lane would be proud. Nice truck!
Would really love an article, with photos, on your time with Karmann Ghias. They were super stylish vehicles and fascinating.The price of these autos became stratospheric when the young ones( particularly females) all started wanting one of a few years back,Also there’s a thing going on here about tall men and their love for small cars- I’m the same-always more comfortable in a small car.
Should the Kei Truck community prepare itself for the Schwarz Effect now? Lol
Also – check out Motocheez on YouTube for lots of Kei Truck shenanigans, he’s hilarious.
I am completely unsurprised you are Ghia fan. Those were sporty yet sensible cars. I aws mostly a Super beetle person, but I still liked Ghias. Now if I can only find an old Thing.
Will the Schwarz effect applies to automobiles? Quick, everyone buy a minicab before they shoot up in value, leaving car collectors puzzled! Enjoy the truck, i love these quirky small vehicles, it looks awesome.
Hey Chris. I laughed out loud after reading this post. I bought an ’03 Mazda Scrum kei truck for very similar reasons a couple of years ago.
It’s a rebadged version of the much more common Suzuki Carry. We’d just moved houses and I had gotten myself into a (much more intense than anticipated) reno project and we’d just sold our POS minivan that had been doing double duty as my weekend work truck. I neded a truck that wouldn’t break the budget and that would fit in my driveway. A kei truck was the obvious solution.
My truck happened to come with a 2″ lift kit, which allowed me to put a set of 15″ Mini Cooper wheels on it. Yes, Mini wheels on my mini truck is hilarious.
One thing to note is that while they are indeed small, they’re not tiny or silly. They’re honest to goodness simple work trucks. Domestic trucks (including “small” trucks) have gotten massive in the past few years. Compare a new Silverado to a ’67 Chevy C10 or a new Colorado or Ranger to a first generation S10. New trucks are also stupid expensive – that first generation S10 was the second cheapest vehicle on the GM lot – only the Chevette was cheaper. Our idea of what a truck should be has become really distorted.
Chris, you listed lots of the practical benefits of kei trucks. I’ll emphasize a couple more:
-no wheel wells in the box, so sheet goods slide in super easy
-they all have back racks
-the bed is WAY lower than on other trucks. That’s a big deal when youre struggling to lift heavy stuff in and out. You know who notices that? F150 dudes who see me on dump runs or at the home centre.
-Gas mileage is insane. Mine uses less gas than my Toyota Yaris.
-I’m in Ontario, Canada. They’re highway legal here. I’m in the slow lane obviously, but my truck will cruise at 90km/h comfortably. Sorry, no idea what that speed is in American.
-Finally, everyone loves these things. I get looks and smiles and thumbs up non stop from EVERYONE – old dudes, little kids, tuners, and moms alike. Can’t think of a better truck to slap a business logo on.
I’m surprised no one has asked the most important question…how does 7 ft tall Chris fit in that itty bitty cab??? I can just imagine him hitting the funny bone on the back of the cab every time he shifts!
I’ve been fascinated by these myself as my 2000 Tacoma is putting on mileage north of 200,000. Small is indeed beautiful. And you answered the parts question. Now, will I at 6’2″ in height fit in it?
Yes. I’m 6’3″ and fit. It encouraged good posture….
Love them. If i didn’t drive a fancy, work-supplied new Ranger I’d have a Kei truck and a “fun” car. The wife’s vehicle would serve for longer trips. I’ve long heard that they’re great for trail driving as well, low center of gravity, etc.
any Studio Ghibli reference is a good reference.
I’m still looking for a 1951 Studebaker Commander for a road trip with a couple of friends. No offense to the bear, but I’ll drive.
When ever I ride my motorcycle cross country I always run the back roads. There is so much more to see, and you meet the nicest people, who will stop and talk to you. There are a lot of pretty places in this country . Sure you go at a slower pace, but as someone said you need to stop and smell the roses
Better than the one we had in 70’s. If it was’nt for the sucide doors it would be hard to get in. https://m.youtube.com/user/LaneLMM
I enjoy reading your blog, but my schedule makes it difficult sometimes to make it to the party on time. I was wondering however when you’re due to return the truck to Sunnyvale trailer park? Sorry, but I just had to!