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Thread: Toyota HiAce

  1. #1
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    Toyota HiAce

    4x4 and diesel options... How do I get one of these to the US? Only available in Japan, AUS, NZ....

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    An importer should be able to bring it over so long as it meets the 25 year rule. The thing that would suck is dealing with parts availability and wait times.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mazderati View Post
    An importer should be able to bring it over so long as it meets the 25 year rule. The thing that would suck is dealing with parts availability and wait times.
    +1. Overall, not gonna be a whole lot cheaper than a 4x4 Sprinter once you get through everything. Unless you can find one someone has already brought over and gotten inspected/certified.

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    it may be 25 year in America but its only 15 year in Canada SO we have been seeing these for years altho more often it would be the Mitsubishi Delica the 3rd gen(cabover) and now the 4th gen (mini van like) have been the most popular, lots of 4-runers

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Delica

    yeah its harder to get service initilay a lot of people jumped on the imported japanese diesel wagon but they only did it once and eventualy got rid of the vehical

    I live in rural northern Canada so driving while sitting in the passenger seat isn't so bad but I would not want to be driving one in the city

    I did a canoe shuttle in a non-turbo diesel 90 something 4runer so forget about passing anyone top speed was around 60mph, unless they have a turbo they are real dogs on the highway, if they have a turbo then they are only a dog, consider these vehicals were built for the roads in a different country than you live in

    If diesel fuel is mostly more expensive in america I am not sure why you want one?
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by XXX-er View Post
    ...
    If diesel fuel is mostly more expensive in america I am not sure why you want one?
    Tons of people are attracted to diesel for fuel efficiency, longevity and low end torque. The low end torque thing matters if you towing a big load. The fuel efficiency idea is around saving money. What most overlook is that the purchase and maintenance costs of a diesel in the US are far more expensive than the the gas savings compared to gas counterparts. Unless (maybe) you drive the vehicle 200-300k mi.

  6. #6
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    I had 2 TDi's which I drove for for 8 years for business so I purchased them new, kept track of costs wrote down the CCA disposed of vehicals ect, so I can actual quantify it while tons of folk ... can only feel it

    I saved a LITTLE money running a 2001 VW TDi compared to say a honda civic because fuel was on average 12cents per liter cheaper but IME if diesel is > RUG it will be cheaper to run gas

    and running diesel I was always one big repair away from going into the red
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

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    ^^^why is diesel the main thing in some developed countries like Australia? That is a real question (not rhetorical).

    There is a slightly lifted, 4wd, mt, rhd, diesel, camper van, hi-ace in grass valley/Nevada city. Up until this year, it have BC plates. It looks sick. I've only seen it parked in town but never driving around. It has the typical dust/dirt/mud that indicates that it's actually getting some use versus spending time in a garage except for a quick cruise to the cafe in the morning.

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    so how much is the fuel in Australia?

    I never been down under but I bike toured in france and spain so I could hear/smell what kind of engine was in every car that passed me and I would say 9 out 10 vehicles were running diesel and that would be audi 3 & 4 series BMW 3 & 4 series Citroen, Peugeot, Seat, Skoda ...everything but the really expensive cars like a 7 series BMW

    I also passed gas stations and deisel was way cheaper than RUG

    So IMO Euro land is diesel centric if that is a real word but to me it means they are set up to run Deisel, there are lots of stations selling deisel the wholesale distribution of fuel is set up to supply lots of diesel fuel, they have lots of dealers selling lots of models of diesel cars & light trucks, they train/employ mechanics that can fix diesels with the parts the dealer stocks.

    compare that to North America where almost everything smaller than a few heavy duty PU's runs on gas and we got a system desigend to support small vehicals running on Gas

    doesnt the US guvermint keep the price of RUG artifcialy low in that you don't pay a world price at the pump and also I believe diesel is taxed extra in some way ?

    SO why run diesel if it costs more?
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  9. #9
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    Stop killing my dreams people!

    Back on topic, this IS the TGR dream car....
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  10. #10
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    ^^ i don't have answers, but your observations match mine. i'm also unsure if the refining processes are different outside the US (and canada?), yielding more diesel than RUG per volume of crude. i'm not sure if emission standards it effects the actual composition of the diesel fuel like it does for RUG. i believe vehicle emissions standards in the US effect prices and the overall fleet that manufacturers can sell.

    i know it's not the same, but in the past 10 years, san francisco has been making movements towards a (bio)diesel hybrid engine bus fleet. the future bay area ferry system is looking into something similar.

    back to the hi-ace. my observation is that from my skimming glance, the hi-ace looks similar to the 80's era toyota "van".

  11. #11
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    is there a reason it's never photographed from the passenger side?

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    yeah my neighbor had the hi-ace and its a cabover design if we remember the VW van we know they generally handle like a circus elephant on acid

    http://www.delica.ca/trader/index.ph...lica_97K_s_4WD

    if you must go down this imported japanese spec road perhaps the 4th gen delica would be better vehical?

    A heliguide/fishguide I know has owned 3rd and 4th gen Delicas , he put the 3rd gen in the ditch which is probably why he now has a 4th gen ...sez it handles better

    that link is for a dealer which has a bunch of vehicals from japan btw
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

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    Quote Originally Posted by acinpdx View Post
    is there a reason it's never photographed from the passenger side?
    cuz its the drivers side ?

    cuz they drive on the other side of the road ?

    japan is like ... another country
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  14. #14
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    Why do people like vans so much?? They seem willing to spend $40-$80K for an AWD Sprinter or Sportsmobile, when you could have a really nice 4wd truck and pop-up camper setup for like $15K. And the vans have a way more cramped interior and less ground clearance? I don't get it.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by XXX-er View Post
    doesnt the US guvermint keep the price of RUG artifcialy low in that you don't pay a world price at the pump and also I believe diesel is taxed extra in some way ?
    No, we have less taxes on gas than most of the developed world. In a way you might say we subsidize it because the taxes on gas don't cover the cost of the infrastructure so tax money is shifted from elsewhere to help pay for the roads. In Europe they collect more taxes on fuel than they spend on the roads so fuel subsidizes other shit like trains. But the short answer is that there is no direct subsidy of fuel costs in the US.

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    http://www.gaspricewatch.com/web_gas_taxes.php

    But then a quick goggle of diesel vs RUG taxes shows that diesel is taxed at 7cents per gallon > RUG
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

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    Quote Originally Posted by Leavenworth Skier View Post
    Why do people like vans so much?? They seem willing to spend $40-$80K for an AWD Sprinter or Sportsmobile, when you could have a really nice 4wd truck and pop-up camper setup for like $15K. And the vans have a way more cramped interior and less ground clearance? I don't get it.
    You're comparing a brand new sports mobile to a well used truck and beat camper..... If you price out new everything, its pretty equal.

    Vans get better fuel economy, you can park them easier, store them in your garage....
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    I thought the new sportsmobiles were $125-150k

  19. #19
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    and then there is the chicken tax don't make me bring out chicken tax
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  20. #20
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    Hiaces are shit. Or The Shit, depending. Driven those for few thousand kms, both front and 4wd. In short they are rustic, drive like shit, for the literal eternity. Driven couple with 900k km with the original engine, only the head gaskets replaced. They are really, really a 3rd world experience. Somehow a bombed Hi-Lux can actually drive better...how I dont know. But, if you absolutely want to have a vehicle that is on about as realiable as an old Hi-Lux, well, it is close. I rather chose a T4 Transporter though, if I would have to chose. Or a Sprinter if the would not rust faster than..something that rusts at the speed of light.

    The floggings will continue until morale improves.

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by nickwm21 View Post
    ... store them in your garage....
    You must have a damn tall garage. No way my van (3" lifted astro) fits in most garages. Maybe if I took off the slim roof rack. Most sportsmobiles are a good bit taller.

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by nickwm21 View Post
    You're comparing a brand new sports mobile to a well used truck and beat camper..... If you price out new everything, its pretty equal.

    Vans get better fuel economy, you can park them easier, store them in your garage....
    No way. Apples to apples a truck and pop-up camper setup is way cheaper than a 4x4 van. Vans don't get better fuel economy, they are not easier to park and I'm pretty sure a sprinter won't clear the average garage door.

  23. #23
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    http://www.rightdrive.ca/guide-to-kei-trucks/

    this is something interesting I found which talks about the kei class of truck which is bascily a mini truck, larger vehicals like the hi-ace are refered to as midsized

    I think Japanese vehicals are a good idea IN japan or for vehicals made somewhere s else to be used where ever but there are usually reasons why vehicals are engineered different somewhere else in the world than they are in NA or why it doesnt make $$$ sense to import or own one

    I was in Bali last may where instead of renting a car we just rented the car & driver for 50$ a day. I forget what fairly new model of toyota we were in but I compared speedo to tach on one of the few stretches of highway and I would say the car was gear significantly lower than it would be in NA to deal with tight roads/steep hills of indonesia
    Lee Lau - xxx-er is the laziest Asian canuck I know

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by nickwm21 View Post
    Stop killing my dreams people!

    Back on topic, this IS the TGR dream car....
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    My wife and I rented one of these when my parents came over to New Zealand. We camped and toured around in it for about 10 days. It fit all of us and our gear well enough. The camper we rented had a bed conversion in the back, and an overhead twin, that was a little tight, but still doable. It was an efficient design. The only downside to that one was the rear seats with seatbelts were in the far rear of the camper, making it too rough of a ride for my mom to sit in back. In Japan, there's a magazine dedicated to Toyota van conversions. I wish I knew what it was called, but I don't read or speak Japanese.

  25. #25
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    Maybe Nissan will bring the NV350 to North America.


    Ford could bring over the Transit Custom to add a 3rd model to the Transit line of vans.

    We get stuck with either tiny "city" sized vans or the monster cargo options when the rest of the world gets a long list of mid sized options from every manufacture.

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