Something new in my garage

[MiniDave]

Interesting inventory, all suv things and vans....

[BruceK]

He used to import lots of different JDM vehicles but he told me he found a niche market in supplying rural mail carriers with RHD vehicles from Japan.    Think about it, if you are a rural mail carrier the only choices you have are factory made RHD Jeep Wranglers with virtually no interior space for packages, or some type of USDM LHD van or SUV with some sort of a half-assed RHD setup with a fan belt connected steering wheel.

Some of the RHD mail vehicles he sells are virtually identical to their US market LHD twins, but others are JDM only.  so harder to find parts and service for them.   But he also usually has RHD Jeep Cherokees made for the Japanese market but chock-full of American serviceability and parts.

Who really wants to drive the cobbled together mess below?

[94touring]

Well that's all super cool!

[cstudep]

Curious to know what the Toyota Hilux Surf/4 runners go for. Will have to check this place out

[BruceK]

I spotted James May's favorite (favourite?) car yesterday, a Dacia Sandaro.  This one was on Mexican plates and it was badged as a Renault but it's still the ultra-cheap Romanian-built car that James loves.

It was the exciting Stepway version - whatever that model name means.

Oh, there's a brand new video on YouTube of James and the latest Sandaro.  https://youtu.be/ELX7NJxnUX0   

[BruceK]

Well, I picked the Beat up at the port today (thanks for the loan of the required safety vests Michael). 

It took about 5 1/2 hours to get home.  Had one little incident.  I'll post more about the trip and my thoughts about the car later. Too tired now. 

But here are some photos from the port. 

[94touring]

Anxiously awaiting the incident story!

[BruceK]

So, my thoughts about the car. 

Pros:

- Fantastic engine sound, especially accelerating up toward the near 9000 redline in each gear.  Sounds like a F1 car to me.

- Excellent air conditioning system -  kicked butt on a 95F degree humid day

- Handling is sharp, ride is pretty good to a light car (1670 lbs)

- Engine power is limited to 63hp per Kei car regulations, but is definitely adequate - doesn't feel underpowered

- Interior is well-designed and definitely comes from a big Japanese manufacturer

Cons:

- Not refined at all - it's twice as noisy at speed as a classic Mini.  No that's not true - it's easily three times as noisy as a classic Mini when you're on the highway

- Not made at all for high speed use - engine is turning at 5200 rpm at 60mph.  At 66mph, it is spinning at 6000 rpm!  Granted, there are still about 3000 rpms before redline, but since the engine sits under a metal cover about a foot behind your head it makes its presence very known

- Besides the screaming engine noise (no doubt sounds are multiplied by bouncing around inside the aftermarket fiberglass hardtop) there is a ton of wind noise - some of which is probably due to old rubber seals on the hardtop

- Interior space for driver and passenger is very, very limited.  Of the three famous A-B-C Japanese Kei cars from the early 1990s (AZ-1, Beat, and Cappuccino) the Beat is said to easily be the most comfortable to sit in.  All I can say is I'd hate to try to squeeze into the AZ-1 or Cappuccino! 

Don't get me wrong, I like the Beat a lot.  But I was thinking it would be Miata-like goodness in a smaller package.  It's not that refined.  Probably because it's a Kei car and they aren't made the same as larger Japanese cars.  My car has only got about 40,000 km, so just about 25,000 miles.  So everything should be in great shape.  I'll have to check it over and see if I can address some soundproofing and other refinements.  Should be fun to try.   Plus, I've only ever driven it on the highways.   I'm looking forward to enjoying it on some twisty roads at below highway speeds - what it was designed for. 

As for the incident I mentioned above, it's not a car designed for high speed travel.  After 250 miles, and just 4 miles from my home I heard a quick knocking sound right behind my head - then a big rush of air.  The hardtop's driver's side window blew out and flew off into parts unknown.  I immediately pulled off the road and got out and walked a half mile up and down the side of the highway searching for it for 20 minutes.  Since it was plexiglass/polycarbonate I thought I might find it intact. But it vanished completely.  I will have to try making one. 

[BruceK]

The missing window should be fairly easy to replace. The original was bonded polycarbonate.  And it mounts nearly flat.

[BruceK]

It may not look like it in photos, but being a Kei car, the Beat is nearly identical to a Mini in width and length.

Once you see it in person it looks even smaller than a Mini. Not sure how it does that, but it does. Maybe because it sits so low?

[BruceK]

Take a look at this center console and door handle.  Hard to judge scale.

[BruceK]

Here's how big they really are.

[94touring]

So it will be like my mini on the highway where ear plugs are required lol. Once you know the thickness of that polly it should be easy to cut a piece and glue new back in.

[MiniDave]

Naw, just take that top off and leave it in the garage!

I know my 86 Mustang convertible was quieter with the top down than with it up due to all the wind noise and the engine/exhaust noise that seemed to reverberate inside!

Anything over an hours drive in my Mini it's time for earplugs.....

That pic of 2 fingers on the door handle made me laugh

[BruceK]

That pic of 2 fingers on the door handle made me laugh

Yeah, it's pretty ridiculous.  I'll have to post a photo of the trunk space. 

[MiniDave]

I think you're right about the types of driving it was made for - running around the city or small country roads at 55 mph are probably more it's thing.

I would like to see some pics of you in the car tho!   ;D

I'll bet it looks like you're putting on a shoe or something!

What were all the black and white SUV things? And were they unloading them or loading them on the boat?

Does the radio work here? For some reason I thought they used different frequencies or something? My grandson never could get the one in his Beat to play anything....

[MPlayle]

Japanese market radios do use a different frequency range.  I believe it is barely overlaps the bottom of our frequency range.

The port at Freeport, Texas does a lot of outbound shipping as well.  The big batches of US style SUVs are likely outbound and the white patches are a plastic protective wrap new cars are often shipped with over certain panels.

[BruceK]

The radio is said to work - I haven't tried it yet.  Yeah, not too much overlap on US and Japanese FM frequencies (just like the upper 80s on the FM dial), but I think the AM frequency bands are identical to those here.  Haven't tried the CD player either.  Just noticed there is a tape player.  Haven't seen a cassette tape in decades, so that will go untested.

Yes, those were tons of GM pickups and SUVs, some bound for the Middle East.  Not sure where else they are going.  Some place that has money to buy them (not cheap), doesn't care about fuel costs, and has room for big vehicles.  Where else but the Middle East?  Dunno. But nearly 100% of the vehicles I saw when I was in Saudi 20 years ago were painted white - and all these at the port   were painted dark colors. All the new vehicles going in or out of port from any manufacturers have some sort of protective coverings. Usually thin white plastic film.

[94touring]

If it has a cigarette lighter there are things you can plug in to tune stations, but it's primary function is Bluetooth to your phone. I use one in my truck to play my spotify playlist.

[MPlayle]

You could also get one of these cassette adapters to then use your phone or iPod type device.

insignia-3-3-5mm-cassette-adapter

[94touring]

You could also get one of these cassette adapters to then use your phone or iPod type device.

insignia-3-3-5mm-cassette-adapter

Very old school!  I used one of those in the 90s!

[MPlayle]

I have one I used in the Miata NA I had a few years back.  It had just the factory cassette unit, so I used the adapter with my iPod.

[BruceK]

Thanks for the ideas guys.  But honestly I don't know if I would be able to hear any audio because it's so loud in the car.

[MiniDave]

Ear buds and Bluetooth?

Noise cancelling headphones?

[cstudep]

I have a pair of these I use in the shop, for mowing, driving the mini, and such. They also can be found in wireless/Bluetooth versions. I had a set of Bluetooth isotunes that are basically the same type of thing, OSHA approved etc.. and they worked ok except for the Bluetooth connection being unreliable. These were considerably cheaper but the wired connection is a hassle for working in the shop. May try the Bluetooth version of these to see if they are better than the isotunes.

https://www.amazon.com/Earplug-Earbuds-Compliant-Reduction-Headphones/dp/B07N7RL5J3/ref=mp_s_a_1_15?dchild=1&keywords=osha+approved+earbuds&qid=1623634793&sr=8-15