Buying a HIace soon, lots questions right now! I'm in Japan

Hello,
I am in OKinawa and am looking for a Hiace 1994-1996 so I can ship it back to USA once done here in Japan. I will however drive it here while I have it in Okinawa. Love the camper Vans but they are tough to find, and big money. Need some advice, people say the 3000cc is the best engine vs. 2.4. Also gas or diesel? And what are common things to look out for, warning flags other than the obvious body damage or visible things. I am also looking at Goo Net exchange since they are all Japanese dealers. In the meantime I will just read up on lod posts, thanks for having this site, I am finding it really useful. I hope to get and listen to your great advice, and post pics once my van is bought.

Look for rust free and well serviced.

Petrol is simpler but test drive it to see if it's powerful enough. The 3.0D 1kz-te is a great torquey engine but check it's not been overheated and that the coolant is a nice clear red. Look under the cap (while it's cold - before it's under pressure), the side bottle overflow is stagnant and therefore not a good indicator. Check my 'cooling the 1kz-te' thread.

Check everything works and it has the options you want fitted: like cruise.
Check the ECU threads, capacitors are ageing now.
View some campers anyway to give you an idea of layouts if you convert it yourself later.

Thanks for the advice, I have seen a lot of lower trim models that look good but have high mileage. Im looking at a blue one onw that has 120km on it and they want 5 thousand us dollars for it, its a 1995.
https://www.goo-net.com/usedcar/spread/goo/10/700030320230181025001.html

While its not the Super Custom I long for, I think I could customize this one very well. BTW any warnings about 2wd vs. 4wd?

QBNTO1 wrote:

Thanks for the advice, I have seen a lot of lower trim models that look good but have high mileage. Im looking at a blue one onw that has 120km on it and they want 5 thousand us dollars for it, its a 1995.
https://www.goo-net.com/usedcar/spread/goo/10/700030320230181025001.html

While its not the Super Custom I long for, I think I could customize this one very well. BTW any warnings about 2wd vs. 4wd?

Mine has 190k km on it, ignore the mileage, concentrate on service history and condition. check the front seats for wear, more wear == more journeys == more engine starts and stops == more engine/transmission wear.
Check servicing currentcy too: The current colour of the transmission fluid and coolant. Does it look like a mechanic has touched it in the last year?

Check the company "Car From Japan" where I got mine, prices were good there when I got mine and they were easy to talk to.
Also note that you can pay for a very thorough inspection in Japan if you need to, but do the basics for free: service history, interior condition, rust (should be rust free), condition and levels of the fluids, how it drives (test drive last!).

The super custom is most excellent but note it has a lower headlining inside due to the moonroof slide, if you want a pop-top or just want to re-trim it inside to a camper then you don't need the sunroofs of the super custom.

BTW the best layout for a conversion I have found is to stick the bed right up to the back door and use a cloth room divider to give some permanent space behind the front seats for a kitchen/bathroom. That still allows movement when camping in what is still a very small van, and also puts the kitchen unit near the battery should you add a leisure battery, and possibly help for the tricky question of where to put a blown air diesel heater, as they need access to a clear piece of van floor for the intake+exhaust.

Thanks for your help, Its amazing to see how many sites there are for Japan Cars/vans. Most want to export, which is no good for me since I am in Japan and want to drive it before I leave for USA. Also I think I am leaning against converting it to camper, I think I will just add some cool features, add ons etc. and make it more of a family wagon. Thanks again for your help. Looking forward to sharing pic soon of my new van with the group once I find it!

True, many are geared up for export but may be fine to ship it to Japan as it's already there
Not sure how many you are going to find that are not for export.

Buy in haste - repent at leisure, so look carefully for condition, i.e. if it's tatty and simple things are left unfixed it's been neglected etc. Probably worth paying upfront for a good one, an investment against future bills.

Also decide if you need 2wb or 4wd, 2wd is simpler, lighter and better on fuel but of course useless if you need 4wd and/or more ground clearance,

Good luck!!

Hi, I am in Japan too but came with me LHD Hiace haha.
4wd is nice but is up to you how you want to use it. It is useless if you live in south of USA and only go grocery shopping
We use our 4x4 properly, driving sand dunes and mountain passes.
But you intend to fly to the rest of Japan to check them out?
Because Okinawa is not very practical.

The Japanese and the Russians like the 1KZ a lot and yes ot is smoother than the 2L and 3L engines (2.4 and 2.8 liter) but the comouter might go bad, the early ones can have had poor cooling. And check the automatic fluid color, if it is not black.

But those super customs are also really practical and have all kinds of gizmos.

Actually you could also look at Regius or Granvia models. They come with 1KZ or, maybe more interesting a 3.4 v6 which came in a lot of trucks in the US, so will be very easy to service. Just use parts from a Tacoma or 4runner!

But what is the intended use? Just family wagon or use it for holidays? You want to drive offroad?

Oh and check all the gadgets on the super customs, lioe sunroofs, rear AC and heating and curtains, door retractor etc.
Greetings from Kyushu

To import a vehicle to the USA, it must be at least 25 years old for on road use. So as of today, (January 5, 2019) you cannot import any vehicle (to be driven on the road) that was manufactured after February 1994. So you would NOT be able to import anything manufactured in 1995, 1996, 1997, etc.

Additionally, as some people try to argue, you cannot import a vehicle from 1995 and store it on your property until it does become legal. Your vehicle will never leave customs and you will lose all the money you invested in getting the vehicle here.