Congrats! There's a few in Denver now.

As I’m learning. I’m far from a mechanic. But hearing auction ones can be the inferior ones from a batch bought I hope not for you

Thanks for the idea

Congratulations 👏

Awesome, congratulations. I know of a couple in Miami, there seems to be lots popping up all over America now.

@@nathansharma87 yes very much indeed, the majority of them in the Pacific Northwest, Portland , Seattle and last but not least Canada 🇨🇦. I’m way down here solo as far as I know. I love this thing and I plan to have it for a very long time, I plan to make road trips in it and make use of its capabilities, most of her life will be on tarmac and some dirt roads. Parts are limited here as I have to order them either from Japan 🇯🇵 or Australia 🇦🇺. Lotta guys here in the states have up charge prices of parts. Did you lift or raise your van 🚐? Would you recommend it? Again my van will be on tarmac most of it life.

No I haven't lifted mine.... YET. I will be though just to fit some larger tyres. The drawback is it will no longer fit in undercover carparks. Parts are scarce in Australia also given they were never imported here also. Only New Zealand and a handful of other countries. Parts are becoming hard to source in Japan also like tailgates and lights due to overseas demand. I plan to keep mine forever also, it's going home to NZ with me this year. Just maintain it as I'm sure you would, clean the underbody so you still have a car in the future even though Florida doesn't get snow or salt, she'll be with you forever.

Thank you. Pretty cool cars. Technically you could have bought a Hiace, Landcruiser or something similar new and drive it for the rest of your life.

I'm afraid I wouldn't know mine is manual adjust. I'd probably start by checking fuses, then pulling the switch off and running a multimeter on it while working it to see if the switch is getting power and if it is then it will be the motor which you could test also with the multimeter.

Hi mate Yes the front radiator shroud is original and should be in place. It protects it from stones as well as directing air flow. Transfer case bash plate is also original. The suspension subframe should be black from factory although mine has been recently painted. The body should be a primer grey colour underneath. Im unsure about the older models rear sliding door but if you have the pins mine does and it doesn't soft close itself could be a fault.

Congratulations on the Hiace. If in doubt take it to a fabrication/ engineering shop. They will assess it best and may suggest they weld it up strong. Usually stronger than factory.

Hello Thanks for the kind words. You know you can get the 200 Series in 4WD also right? It's called the Super GL Either way the 200 nor the 100 have LSD rear diffs so a diff lock would be excellent. There are people in Japan who fit LSD's to the rear and have videos testing them in snow. Unfortunately the 2wd vans can't even get up a slightly snowy slope so as for traction, you can't beat the 4wd. The 100 also has the viscous transfer case which locks up automatically if it detects wheel spin on one axle effectively working as a center diff lock. Both are about the same in terms of reliability. The 200 is more basic without sunroofs and a more basic interior however the engine is more electronic and as you mentioned, newer. Less chances of ecu issues, aged hoses etc. As for engine reliability the 1KD is very good. My parents have one in New Zealand with around half a million KMS. The 1KD does like injector changes every 100,000kms you can find good videos on that engine on KZfaq by Fourby4Diesel. The 1KZ is still very reliable although not as forgiving if you take any liberties with it. In inexperienced hands both are massively unreliable. All the best with the search.

Yes I do, sorry if I didn't make that clear, my choice is between that one (AWD/4WD Import) and the 2WD Aussie one. Though is the Super GL different to the normal AWD import one like the DX (In terms of the awd/4wd system - I know the insides are obviously nicer)? Thanks, I think that answers my question right there (Which is to get the imported AWD over the aussie 2WD). I don't plan to do extreme off-roading but it's that peace of mind should I chose to go off track solo to find a muddy campground for the night or hit the snow once a year. Knowing I have that capability is nice. That's great to know, I'll make sure to research which year models have the 1KD so I get that one. "In inexperienced hands both are massively unreliable." this is concerning as I'm really inexperienced. I always look #1 for maintenance history, it's the most important thing for me when buying a car making sure they do services on time, etc. but beyond that I don't know what else to do other than follow videos like yours and if there's people like you who look after it themselves they might not have the records but might have looked after it better than say a toyota dealership would have so it's hard to tell. But in saying that I don't have much options unless you think something like an iLoad is better for inexperienced people? But they seem like they would have more issues in that case, it's such a hard thing to make a call on I feel like any well maintained car will be good even from some of the vans people always tell me to steer clear of like the transporters. Regardless your response has already helped heaps! Didn't expect such a timely response but it's greatly appreciated as I'll be needing to make a purchase in the next 2 weeks. You should consider doing like a livestream QNA, I would be happy to pay for good advice, I even rang up mechanics asking to pay for advice and they usually refuse money and just say get a petrol hiace and that's it.

@@0nceuponatime486 Ah ok cool I get you know. From what I've been seeing the local Hiace's are commanding top dollar and is almost if not the same as an import 4wd. So I'd go with the import just on that alone. Plus it will be worth more in the end too. If you did find a cheap local model then I'd go with that since you don't plan on any serious off roading. With some weight over the back wheels and all terrain tyres the 2wd would be no different to any other 2wd vehicle. Any turbo diesel engine in the 200 series is good. The petrol is fine too but some I've seen with plastic intake manifolds that crack or hoses under the intake manifold that leak. With the iLoad you'll get local mechanical expertise and parts availability however I've driven plenty of iLoads and the build quality is horrendous. That's not to say mechanical parts aren't available for imports. It's just that most mechanical shops don't know or can't be bothered cross referencing. As for reliability in inexperienced hands it's a very broad range of things. Firstly it's ensuring its mechanically sound which you seem to know and check for. Then there's the age issue with the 100 series like mine, I get about one Instagram message or email a week from people with ECU's failing. It's an easy refurb done by any electronic shop that can work on boards. Some vans already have had refurbished ECU's so it's hard to tell. Some people have issues with injection pumps. Not trying to scare you just relaying the info I get. Usually from neglect or bad maintenance in its past. Again with reliability it's little things like using a cap full of diesel fuel conditioner in every tank or second tank of fuel. Running good engine oil, like Penrite's HPR 10W40 and not the cheapest nastiest stuff the local garage gets for $1.30 from their sales rep. Then there's driving it. Running it foot to the floor at 110kph up 3km inclines on a 44 degree day will ensure you need a new engine once you reach the top but, slow down, turn the AC off and it will be just fine. I replaced my water temp sensors so my temp gauge is very accurate and I've taken it to just under 3/4 on extremely hot days up extremely big hills at high speed and it copes fine. I would recommend whatever you get to find a good mechanic and go through it. - Engine Oil and Filter - - Fuel and Air Filter - Auto trans flush if automatic - - Coolant flush - New water temp sensors - - 100% make sure the Viscous fan works - Diff/ transfer oils - - Brake and Power Steer Fluid - Check/ replace the belts etc - - Clean sunroofs if any - Check the battery and alternator charge That way you know it's ready to go. It's what I did with mine and it's been perfect. I've found that most people buy a van and contact me either don't care for it until it gives them issues and/ or then take it to a mechanic who just replaces things one after the other with the same issues coming up. For example I had a lady who just had her head gasket done after overheating it and then had it overheat uphill again on a cool day. The mechanic was then looking to change the radiator or some other components. A good mechanic would have checked things out as to why it overheated in the first place before replacing the head gasket. It was more likely than not her viscous fan not working as it should. She was out of pocket thousands and on her last legs with the van. The importance of a good workshop/ mechanic is invaluable. I've found that when you invest in something so unique and expensive you naturally drive it overly cautiously at first treating it as if it were precious. But as time goes on you'll get to know it better and realise it will handle just about anything. You develop a relationship with it and you'll learn so much without realising it. And yes stay away from Ford's in general. I'm on the Facebook mechanics page and the Ford mechanics are constantly posting up the worst engineering and design issues. They just cut too many corners. You can email me at esvernoc@gmail.com for whatever questions and I'll help.

Also, do you have any advice on running a diesel pre-filter on one of these? I always believe that if it needed it, Toyota would have added it, but some guys think they’re a good idea. Any thoughts?

Hey thank you I appreciate the comment. I've changed and simplified my maintenance schedule. A service (annually): Engine oil and filter, clean air filter. Grease driveshaft and ball joints. Check and top up fluids. Rotate tyres. B service every three years: A + Diff and transfer case oil, air and fuel filter. ATF filter and flush. Brake and power steer fluid. C service: 100,000km A+B (if needed or falls into timeframe) timing belt, water pump, thermostat, radiator cap, fan belts, oil seals, coolant, AC regas. It's this service that if anything like an engine mount etc is needed I do.

@@avkyjonka6539 nope. Unnecessary. The fuel filters capture everything. They're always white clean on the clean side even if the dirty side is completely black and clogged. The people that recommend them usually sell them. The people that swear by it usually bought it. They all seemed to run fine until around 2015 when people started selling these then it became a "necessity". The best thing you can do is buy a bottle of diesel fuel conditioner and use a dosage in every tank of fuel. It dissolves gum and sludge, prevents rust, disperses water, lubricates and cleans, reduces foaming can improve cetane too.

@@nathansharma87 Awesome! Thanks mate🙏🏼

Happy to help, my email is in the description box if you ever need. Thanks for your support I really appreciate it.

Search it up Amayama.com

Hi mate Mechanical parts are pretty easy. Body parts are not such as headlights and tailgates etc as well as interior pieces. No support locally for bullbars and towbars. Glass can be found easily for windscreen and tailgate glass.

I don't recommend it. These have been running perfectly fine for 25 years and people get them and start blocking things and running into issues. If it blocks up at 30 years of age just remove and clean the intake, put a new gasket on and drive it for another 30 years.

You forgot to say please

@@nathansharma87 🤣👍

As in coil with the shock inside it?

@@nathansharma87 yes

@@nathansharma87 I want adjustable height and adjustable damping/bumps

@@nathansharma87 also another question is it possible to fit a 2jz engine in it? I am gonna turn my van into a drift van. What transmission should I use if it fits?

Only way is with a welder and allot of fabrication. 2iz is possible again with fabrication for mounts. Just run a supra gearbox. If it's 4wd you can drop a Landcruiser 80 gearbox in it the H series not the R. H is stronger.