Latin American sightings

[KarlH]

I travel periodically in Mexico and South America and occasionally see vehicles that aren't common in the US but would make nifty conversations. Here's a stepvan I saw in Baja Norte a few months ago:



What I was able to find out about it:

- Made in Mexico
- Longitudinal front engine, RWD
- Stick
- Sold for $9k with a full kitchen (I'd guess it would have gone for $5k without)

The interior ergonomics were better than my Grumman, especially since it had more space to move around in the cab.

You could say that it's actually a cross between a step van and a box truck because the wheel wells don't protrude as far into the bay and there's a small (1" - 1cm) step between the cab and the bay.

Anyway, it looked like it would make a decent camper.

 

[eDJ_]

Looks it was some kind of food truck. Above the right side front door is: Ordene, Pague, Recoja .... Order, Pay, Pick-up. On the right rear you see a window and a fold down table.

Not sure what the gap at the rear bumper area is about. The right front fixture that looks like a mirror is possibly LED Lighting as with the one on the rear of the roof. The one at the front looks as though it could be folded over 180 degrees and the fixture flipped 180 degrees to provide lighting at the side of the Van.

Not sure what the 100% TJ is to represent. Perhaps some kind of juice drink ?

The hood is pad locked well. Hope they don't encounter an engine fire with it locked up like that.

Otherwise....did you get any idea if it was gas or diesel.

Structure wise it looks solid and streamlined enough to travel in.

 

[KarlH]

Looks it was some kind of food truck. Above the right side front door is: Ordene, Pague, Recoja .... Order, Pay, Pick-up.

I didn't notice that even when I was standing right there, but it was definitely set up as a food truck

Not sure what the 100% TJ is to represent. Perhaps some kind of juice drink ?

Cien porciento Tijuana

Otherwise....did you get any idea if it was gas or diesel.

It had a huge radiator, and the engine compartment isn't long enough for a six, so my guess is that it's either some type of V8 or a four-banger diesel. Mexicans being cheap, the latter seems the most likely. An Isuzu I4 or something like that.
.

Structure wise it looks solid and streamlined enough to travel in.

Yeah, it looks like it might get better mileage than my big fat brick of a Grumman, but the Grumman has more headroom inside and is probably better built.

 

[KarlH]

Here's an even funkier one I saw recently:



My only guess is that it might have been a hearse for funerals where the casket is paraded publicly, but the dark-tinted side windows and wide piller both weigh against that. So I really have no idea what the heck it was built for, but it definitely has room for a couple of people to sleep.

 

[rruff]

The $10k (that's new, baby!) Toyota pickup will supposedly be sold down there, but not in the US. And no, you can't import or license foreign vehicles unless they are very old.

 

[KarlH]

There are a lot of very cool little utility trucks in Latin America and Asia that unfortunately you'll never see in the US :-/ A lot of fun little micro-vans too.

 

[rruff]

Our automotive market is very much not "free". If you want a simple utilitarian vehicle like the Toyota Stout, you are just SOL. I don't know exactly how it's accomplished, but such vehicles are simply not allowed to be sold here. Part of it is a big tax on auto imports, and our exclusive regulations, but it's more than that. If Toyota can afford to sell these in other countries for $10k, I'm sure they could sell them for $15k here with the tax, and demand would be high.

Basically, cheap and simple living is against the "law". We are required to sell our souls to excessive consumption and luxury, for the benefit of corporate profits.

 

[eDJ_]

Kinda like our Medicines here in the States hmmmm Ruff

Too bad these small trucks can't get an Agricultural exemption to be employed for "Farm Use".
I'm sure a lot of Farmers would benefit by having some light fuel efficient utility trucks in their operations.

 

[rruff]

At least with medicines you can walk across the border and bring them back, and I think you can have them mailed as well? Thought I heard that... but I don't use medicines from anywhere...

 

[bullfrog !]

Our country has higher safety and emissions standards that are expensive as well but there I believe is a loophole in the law that allows you to import vehicles over a certain age. Most of those sell for around $10,000 even though they have several thousands of miles and are old!

 

[rruff]

I think it's 25 years old... so ya, that is pretty old! But you can find them with low miles. A lot of the imported vehicles come from Japan, which has some silly laws making it expensive to own old vehicles... so I guess we can be glad we aren't like them! The double cab 4wd Toyota Dyna fire trucks with a NA diesel are kinda popular with vagabonds.

Oddly every place in the world is more liberal with safety standards than the US. Even in the EU, safety standards are voluntary... while in the US we devise ever more silly and obscure tests for slamming into concrete walls, while ignoring the fact that most collisions are between vehicles... and when that happens, size makes a huge difference! That's why we can't buy cab-forward vehicles like that fire truck, or the Hiace van that was super popular everywhere else in the world.

EU emissions standards are required and roughly equivalent to ours.

 

[KarlH]

Our country has higher safety and emissions standards

Very true, and IIRC that's why the US version of the Lotus Elise had a Toyota engine in place of the original Rover.

The effect of NHTSA side-impact safety standards is quite noticeable if you get into a South American taxi because the doors are about half the thickness/weight. When I first traveled down there, the taxistas would get upset with me for shutting the door too hard, but here in North America you have to shut it hard or it won't close properly LOL.

 

[rruff]

Regarding emissions, every new car sold here must be tested and certified... doesn't matter if it is certified to just as high a standard in another country. So they used the Toyota Celica GTS engine which had already been certified in the US.

 

[bebewanna]

Lada Niva.... Small engine 4x4 jeep available in gas and diesel... Starts at just over $10k US
Made since 1977...Russia

There is an updated model for more but... I know about this because I lived in Eastern Europe... They are everywhere... Then a new one was 8k

 

[KarlH]

@rruff - I think you're right that Euro and EPA standards are very comparable. Euro was stricter across the board when I checked ~2 years ago, but back in 2015 VW's nitrogen oxide sponge system actually passed the Euro standards while failing EPA/CARB.

 

[KarlH]

Lada Niva.... Small engine 4x4 jeep available in gas and diesel... Starts at just over $10k US
Made since 1977...Russia

Very cool

Maybe this is the newer model you mentioned?

 

[KarlH]

And speaking of the HiAce, there are a lot of little commercial vans in the same size range. I think this one is a Suzuki Carry, but I'm not 100% sure:

 

[rruff]

Those are super tiny! The Hiace was pretty good sized... they served as small buses in much of the world.

 

[KarlH]

Those are super tiny! The Hiace was pretty good sized...

You're right, I confused it with the TownAce.

The Carry and other South American micro-vans are just neat because they usually come with a stick and several of the models have really high clearance.

 

[dhuff]

Those are super tiny! The Hiace was pretty good sized... they served as small buses in much of the world.

I really like the Hiace. Great size / design. Wish they sold them new in the U.S., esp. with a diesel motor.