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Putting the Kei in Kwality.


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Posted

After having my last daily scrapped in October, I've been using two wheeled transport to get me about. Now it's starting to get 'fresh', temperature wise, I decided to look in to getting another banger to keep the rain off...

 

I've fancied something small and 3 cylinder. Looked at Matiz's but they seem beyond terrible and reminds me of a bad ex girlfriend. Hate Corsa's.

 

So I went JDM Kei spec. Not drift car, GR10 for MPGZ!

 

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8 months MOT, 60k miles and the last owner recently spent a couple hundred on it. Which is about what I paid for it! Needs a bloody good service, but it runs well as it is and has very very minimal rust. It even has magic windows and locks that work by them selves.

 

Mr. Shitpeas, I believe I require a W.B.O.D sticker for this fine tat.

 

 

Posted

Three pot Daihatsus are beyond ace! Let me know if the joy wears off once winter is beaten. 

  • Like 1
Posted

Having done 30 miles in it, I can so-far-say it's immense!

 

Wonderfully torquey on the low end and pulls well all the way up to 5k (6k redline). It even cruises nicely in 5th. 3k RPM @ 60MPH. And that 3 banger snarl is very addictive!

 

Just ordered all the parts required for a service. I can safely assume it'll be even better after that.

  • Like 1
Posted

5 door L5 series aren't particularly common, and surprisingly spacious for the external size.

What I used to find humorous  about mine was the door frame wobbling/vibrating when going over 60mph.

 

[pedant mode] It's not kei ... the engine is too big [/pedant mode}

Posted

Two UK versions of Kei cars joining the forum on the same weekend! That's a neat little car you've picked up.

Posted

I've been looking at the 3 pots too. Still undecided.

Trippppple cylinder Daihatsus really are fun; highly recommended.

Posted

UPDATE:

 

I bought the car knowing the tyres needed attention. A mixture of incorrect size on the front and all of them either close to the limit/unevenly worn or perished.

 

I had a brain fart a couple days ago. I have a set of Falken ZE916's off my Mini Cooper in the garage doing nothing with 4-5mm tread on them. Standard size on the Cuore is 145/70/12 (only budgets available in that size) and the Falken's are 165/60/12 so I needed to do a test fit to see how they looked.

 

Bare in mind I'm a tyre fitter for a certain nationwide company, so fitted all four this afternoon whilst it was quiet. I also did the tracking as I knew it was out. All the above cost me naff all. Beautiful. Plus I had a quick poke around underneath whilst I was there. Very tidy, no rust. Top notch.

 

It drives like a precision tool now, or at-least more so than the wallowy pudding it was before.

Posted

I wonder if the Innocenti would be classed as a kei?  I think it might be too wide, which is a shame - LHD European stuff seems to be quite sought after in Japan.  Not that I'm thinking of selling it mind.

 

I agree though, Daihatsu triples are GR9.  Much better than Subaru twins.  Even if the Subaru does sound exactly like a Briggs & Stratton lawn mower when you switch it off, which makes me grin every time.

  • Like 1
Posted

You could be right on the width restriction. I struggled to get this on the ramp at work because it's so narrow! My workmate had the look of dread on him whilst directing me on as he was worried it'd fall through the centre gap lol.

  • Like 1
Posted

MOAR UPDATEZ!

 

Gave it a service last Sunday. Oil/filter change, plugs, dizzy cap + rotor arm, HT leads. All of it was either original or knackered. Runs like a dream now! Next job in that respect is a coolant change, gear oil change and thorough clean of the throttle body/ICV.

 

The old plugs as an example of neglect (Yes, I was very cautious about removing them)

 

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Moving swiftly forward to today...

 

Gave the interior a much needed going over. Vacuum'd everywhere, some top kwality £4 mats, spruced up the dash. And replaced the awful stereo it had with one from my 'high-end-but-old' stock pile. Oh and a Tango orange air freshener lol.

 

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Here's the original space saver that's never left the boot. Only the finest Dunlop, sir...

 

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Finally this went on earlier in the original location, for more JDM points.  :-D

 

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Cheers 'en.

  • Like 4
  • 5 months later...
Posted

This is going in for test next week.

 

If I'm able to get a fresh ticket on it, it'll be going up for sale, so I'll be putting it up here for anyone who may be interested.

Posted

One thing I remember about my old L5s was changing the oil filter. It's jammed between the engine and the grill and difficult to get at .... Until you remove the number plate and it just spins off and comes straight out through the space where the plate is, it's so easy.

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