[AT] little OT; Daihatsu "mini truck"

[Dan Glass]

I am pretty sure these trucks are not legal on highways.  Most of them 
belonged to airlines as flightline trucks.  I know the airlines sell 
them for $200-$500 when they are throught with them. They are usually 
short wired to bypass the key ignition since they always lose the keys.  
Parts are available, but are not cheap and usually take a couple of week 
to obtain.  I think most of these trucks have Yamaha engines in them.  
These are handy little farm trucks, you would use them like Kawasaki 
Mules or Polaris machines.  They do have enclosed cabs if you have to be 
out in the rain and they do have heaters if you are out in the cold.  I 
don't think they cost $4300 new, so they ebay one doesn't seem like a 
good deal.  If you have steep hills or swampy areas to drive, I would 
look elsewhere.

Mike Sloane wrote:

> I have seen a lot of those trucks in Europe, Bermuda, and the 
> Caribbean - they can handle narrow winding roads, carry a decent load, 
> park in a tiny space, and are very stingy on fuel. It appears that the 
> outfit selling the truck on eBay has a source of parts - you might 
> want to contact them directly. The only problem I can see is, if the 
> truck is "gray market" and has not been certified for US rules 
> (emissions, safety, etc.) you might not be able to get road tags for it.
>
> Mike
>
> pga2 at hot1.net wrote:
>
>> A friend and local IH collector has one. It is pretty neat. He has 
>> labeled
>> his front and rear with INTERNATIONAL in large black letters. I don't 
>> know
>> much about them beyond that. Daihatsu was selling autos in this country
>> several years ago, but they have since dropped out of the market. I do
>> believe that they are still active in the equipment market though. Try
>> looking through the Yellow Pages to see if there is an equipment dealer
>> near you. You "should" be able to get info through them.
>>
>> Phil
>>
>>
>>
>>> Hey guys
>>>
>>> Do any of you happen to know anything about these little trucks (like
>>> EBay 110006839682)?  There’s a non-running one at a local auction (much
>>> older than the one on EBay) that I might be able to buy for cheap.
>>> Anyone know what the situation is concerning parts availability?  Any
>>> tips?  Just thought it might be handy around the farm.
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>>
>>> Lew Best
>>
>>
>>