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"Off-Road" Mini Trucks Imported From Japan
"I import several brands of used mini trucks from Japan for off-road use. They're really nice trucks and are a great value," says Paul Stith, Oneonta, Ala., who recently called FARM SHOW to tell us about his unusual business.
  Stith imports six different brands of used Japanese trucks - Honda, Dahatsu, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Suzuki, and Subaru. Most are 1990 to 1995 models. They can be ordered with 2 or 4-WD and with an automatic or manual transmission. They come with a 3-cyl., 660 cc gas engine, cab, heater, and bed. Both sides of the bed fold down, as well as the tailgate. Some models are available with an electric/hydraulic-operated dump bed. They cannot be licensed for on-road use.
  "The trucks are cleaned up and painted before they ever leave Japan. The average driver in Japan puts only about 6,000 miles a year on a mini truck so these trucks have low mileage. I get the trucks in æas is' condition and sell them that way, but I won't sell them if something is wrong with them. There is no warranty."
  Stith says he sells a lot of the trucks to farmers, ranchers, poultry producers, and hunting clubs. "Poultry producers like them because they're small enough to go through poultry houses and maneuver in tight places. Some hunters paint the trucks Army green to camoflouge them."
  He orders the trucks by the sea-going container load. "The trucks are usually pre-sold before I ever receive them. Most customers want 4-WD models equipped with a manual transmission. The trucks generally come equipped with 12-in. street tires. However, most of my customers put ATV tires on them in order to raise the body 3 or 4 inches. That way they don't have to spend money on a lift kit."
  Prices start at about $3,300 for a 4-WD model equipped with a manual transmission and air conditioning (not all models are available with air conditioning). He can also obtain new trucks, which start at about $13,000.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Paul Stith, 95 Oakridge Drive, Oneonta, Ala. 35121 (ph 205 274-7808 or 205 587-1888; stith@otelco.net).


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2005 - Volume #29, Issue #5