Buying, fixing, and driving a Subaru Sambar kei truck
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ต.ค. 2022
- I bought a 1988 Subaru Sambar Super Deluxe 4wd to bop around town, haul stuff, drive to work, etc. Being from 1988, it needed some things. And being a JDM vehicle, I had to get a little creative at times.
This truck is a KT6, 4th gen. with the 3 valve EK23 550cc 2 cylinder engine. Now that I've owned it a while I realize these are particularly rare in the states. Harder to find parts for but I love the old school look.
Let me know in the comments if you want to see more minitruck videos!
Thanks for watching!
Website: russellmakes.com/
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I love it's simplicity and durability, way better than the F150
Subscribed cause I live in Michigan too. Been really wanting a KEI van but wasn't sure about if I could get it street legal. But with you putting a Michigan plate on it tells me that I just need to save up and buy a KEI van.
Sometimes they’re imported for off-road use only. Gotta get one with a title or import one yourself.
I would be totally interested in a part 2 of this
Currently in the making
Always a trip watching your videos and machining skills.
Love the concept of that driving style and the visual quality given. My depth perception is HORRIBLE and I don’t drive anymore myself, but figured that’d be PERFECT for MANY PEOPLE in working . . . . Now when I would drive being that close in vision to what was happening ahead : WHOA ! Easily maneuvering ! Reminder of the 1961 Ford Econoline driving configuration .
Yeah the front end is nonexistent. The “crumple zone” is where your feet go. The first time I had a passenger I tried to point at something ahead and my hand smashed into the windshield.
Thanks, I really enjoyed your video. I'm 65, former Navy engineer, machinist, mechanic, etc.
Thanks for saying so. Cheers
Ah, the joys of the subaru kei vehicle. Have had my Subaru Pleo for almost a year now, and its been an absolute blast for a 180$ vehicle
ive put nearly 20,000 miles on mine and its given me zero issues, drove it 2000 miles home straight from port and havnt had the slightest problem :)
That's insanely cheap. Don't tell me you imported it for 180
yes every subaru must come with a kayak. you are very inventive.
That's the coolest ever...so handy👍❣️
Nice to see a fellow Grand Rapidian. I'll keep an eye out for that cool little truck!
Great content, i love kei trucks, working on cars and machine work. top tier
Thank you
Nice truck! The custom plate adds a nice touch. I like these new Michigan plates, very clean!
What year is the truck? No prob getting a plate in Michigan? Unbelievable. Truly happy for you.
Would love to see more on the adventures and upgrades to this great little truck
The music, the vibe, the truck, the fixer upper shit man you definitely earned a follow and like from me
Need more of this truck 🚚 more content please 🙏
i love this car so much i wanna own one later when im older its quite a cute car
Cute truck, I want one!
Its a motorized wheel barrow ive had one , it did the job . I had it for a couple of years very handy for town driving .not as economical as i thought it would be
some people just to talented! great work that
This is the Future!!!!!!!!!!
I've heard that the Sambar has a noninterference engine. If so, changing the timing belt would prevent you from being stranded but it wouldn't destroy the engine like your BMW. I've heard that the timing belt change on the Sambar is very easy. Access didn't look too bad.
17:55 - I sympathize with "two months later." I bought my 1996 4WD Hijet in Japan and there was a two month delay before it shipped. Then another month on the ocean. I picked it up at the port and the clutch was shot so I had to winch it onto the trailer. What do you expect for a $265 truck? That was probably the Japanese characters that I couldn't read on the inspection sheet. Almost a month later and the clutch parts are almost ready to ship from Japan. I actually had an expensive clutch kit from Amazon in two days but it didn't have the inexpensive rear main seal and pilot bearing that I wanted to replace at the same time. JDM vehicles are not for the impatient. The good news is, my dirt cheap Hijet has a little superficial surface rust on the bed that will be corrected when I paint the truck with Monstaliner bed liner, but otherwise it seems in very good shape. The engine starts quickly and seems to run well. It'll be sweet when I can finally drive it.
Is it up and running now?
im on your side brother
These are cool, not sure they are road legal in Wisconsin but I could see having one of these when I am retired as a 3rd vehicle. Maybe I will move to the UP so I can drive one when I retire.
Love it. See these trucks everywhere in Taiwan 🇹🇼. Would love to get one and in Taiwan they are left hand drive still.
クランクプーリーボルトを緩めるには
フライホイールのリングギターにドライバー突っ込んで固定出来ます。
点火方式がポイントアーム式で容易修繕できます。
大事に乗ってください。
Thank you
Hey those little trucks are fun 😊 thoe
Pretty cool video. Good job
Thanks
This is a great video
Thanks bud!
More Sambar videos pls :)
Hello from Brighton, MI!
My son and I are thinking about looking for a kei truck semi-like yours (same brand anyway), so we're interested to see how it goes for you.
Looking forward to that next video!! :D
Definitely look for a 5th gen. Mine is a 4th gen. I don’t think I’d trade mine because I love the look of the 4th gens but wish mine had more power. 5th gens got a 660cc 4cyl instead of a 550cc 2cyl. Hope you find one!
legend
Fun video, subbed
Thank you!
It is sometimes a good idea to change the idler pulley while you have it apart..
Sure, please find me one.
Homeboy has a good amount of tools you just can't see him they're all hidden Volante welder and lathe do that's professional stuff bro and then some Industrial Level
subscribed JDM CAR AND MOTORCYCLE
That front bumper needs some flame !
Yes, more mini truck videos, please!
..and how to get one...
What's the mpg
Top speed
Carrying capacity?
I love little cars and trucks!🚘👀
I bought mine from a guy in Lansing who had it listed on marketplace.
Mine gets about 26mpg but to be honest it isn’t tuned quite right. Seems like it could be better.
Top speed is only about 45mph from the wee 550cc 2cyl.
Rated carrying capacity is 350kg/770lb
👍👍😎👍👍 Of all the KEI trucks, I think the Subaru Sambar is the coolest version. Well done. How is it doing in the snow?
I think the Sambar is one of the coolest too. Kinda wish mine was a supercharged version but not completely necessary.
It does surprisingly well in the snow!
a lot more of car enthusiasts know about kei trucks now.. but what about the east block counterpart? Multicar M 25 is so funny to look at
Change the water pump when you change the timing belt
Can you make a rear bumper hitch lol? Would be interested in buying it afterwards lol? Just got a 92'...
Subscribed.
Haha yeah I want to make one for mine. Maybe I will make two...
This is so cool love your truck. What year is it? Thanks
Thanks! It’s an 88
Rope down a spark plug hole as not to interfer with the valves holds the engine good also if no other way
That looks so cool I wish they were legal in Oregon
I think it’s fairly recent in most states where they are street legal - someone has to lobby for it and find a sympathetic legislator.
@@ducati135 cool
Thinking about riding my bike over to Texas to pickup my sambar. How did you load the bike into the truck? I was thinking about riding over to a harbor freight and getting a loading ramp then back to pick up the bike...
Haha that would work! The guy I bought my sambar from had a ramp.
I have a 1987 sambar and I’m finding it impossible to find parts to get it running. Do you know what type of coil would work for it ? Thanks you the only person on TH-cam I could find with a similar truck
Not sure about the coil. Check partsouk.com, that’s where I eventually found a timing belt. Could also try megazip.net. I found these sites through the minitrucktalk.com forum, so you could ask there too. Hope that helps! It seems most of the Sambars still out there are the next newer generation. Good luck!
@@RussellMakes thank you for the help I appreciate it.
your a wizard
Good Mechanical skills, metric tool kit…..good welder…..machinist, is all that needed t keep it running.? Are these things made in 2024 ? Available ?
My two cents. Put the side fence down while repairing might be easier.
How do you find out what parts are exchangeable? Had you dealt with the corolla before? Thanks for any wisdom you can share.
In that case I got lucky while searching the web and those looked identical in the picture and it worked out. In a more recent video I swapped the brake master cylinder with some other generic unit and in that case I went off dimensions. It’s definitely tricky finding parts for this one.
@@RussellMakes Thank you for the reply. The parts issue is holding me back, barely. I wish we could import new and old, there are so many fun and cool vehicles out there. Also, you have a great shop! I checked out your website. Thanks for sharing your experiences and knowledge, and the reply.
How were you able to get a plate for it in Michigan? I asked at the secretary of state and they said i had to get a ORV sticker.
They need to be something like 25 years old or older when they’re imported to be eligible for a title/on-road registration. Mine already had a title when I bought it so transferring the title and registration to my name was as easy as usual. You need to find one with a title or import one yourself.
素晴らしい！日本にないと思えば輸出されていたとは！
I feel like Harbor Freight has an inexpensive (manual) hydraulic press.
Does all the work for the steering wheel then finds out he's allergic to the rubber haha just kidding
I thought these were not allowed on public roads in Michigan. It would be a handy jitney for short trips, but I don't think I'd want to drive it on a freeway.
They are if you get one with a title so it can be registered.
Are kei trucks legal in Michigan?
Yes
so how is it in 2 ft of snow ?
Probably not great
Shouldn't you put it in 5th for removing the crank pulley? Higher gear gives wheels the torque advantage, lower gear makes it easier for the engine to move the wheels
Yeah I tried that but it wasn’t as solid as it needed to be. I’ve found that the key to getting stuck or just really tight bolts out is first getting positive torque transfer into the bolt. That means solid fixturing and wrenches that don’t flex. The way it loaded up the suspension meant I was losing a lot of torque into the transmission and suspension. That’s why I made a cheater bar that held the crank solid so all the torque I was putting into the bolt was actually going into the bolt. It popped free pretty easily once everything was held solid.
@@RussellMakes I gotcha, just making sure I wasn't missing something. In theory, practice and theory are the same, but in practice they aren't 😆
Remove a spark plug and put a rope in the cylinder, with the piston at the bottom of its stroke.
Tie a knot so the end can't fall in.
That will keep the engine from rotating.
An old chainsaw and small engine trick.
But has Bruce seen it yet!!?!?
I haven't seen Bruce in 3 years
Can you send me information about the mini truck 🚚 John E May
What do you want to know?
Dude did he pay you to take it away lol
If you are thinking of getting into comedy - stop now while you are behind.
dont use your vise to press parts, my brother snapped the front jaw off of a vise once
As if you have a mill but no press LOL!