New guy with something different

[Tusky]

Hey there!

So I have been on here for about half a month learning rotaries. Haven't owned a rotary, nor have every driven one. But I did once help remove and install a 13B with a friend and have enjoyed (and maybe got hooked on) wankel engines for being lighter and different.

I have no plans on owning a real Mazda, and that is because my love for mini-trucks. Especially my love for my street legal Daihatsu Hijet with Mazda shoes that I have daily drove for 2 straight years. I bought it a few years ago with 4x110 Toyo Kogyo waffle wheels already on it. I love them and they give it a nice look.

Now for the 'something different'. Transmission took a fall on the Hijet, either seized or just the syncros... so I am using it as an excuse to replace the engine, transmission, and possibly most of the drivetrain (maybe more stuff) with a 13B na setup. Possibly a aircraft configuration as the Hijet has a low engine center of gravity so to limit the amount of bed cutting. Will be a much needed improvement instead of the 660cc EF-NS engine it has. Currently gives roughly 65 at the crank which left me only racing semis on I5 (topped at 73mph) and loosing speed up hills.

Anyways, that is my dreams and I hope to keep you guys decently updated in it. I had wished to be a true car mechanic and do it all myself (I do lots of my own custom scooter work but that's way different), but a upcoming Navy deployment is in the way. ...And my landlords frown on major car work. Though this works out to give a mechanic loads of time to have fun at this. I had found one that is a friend of a friend who is really excited so maybe I might get lucky to get pictures of the progress while I am away.

Up in Washington here, over on Whidbey island about hour and a half NW of Seattle. When I get back from deployment, I hope to maybe get to go to more car shows and stuff. Good to meet you guys, hope to maybe do more here once I get more into the rotary world.

Now for pictures!

Helping that friend! Yes, the truck has a crane, great for lifting scooters and also small light engines!







But yea... this truck begs for a engine swap. Once stuff happens, I'll start up a build thread with updates.

[speedjunkie]

Welcome! I've never seen someone drive one of those trucks as a daily, that's awesome!

How long have you been in the Navy? Are you getting out after this deployment? Give it time to have a place to do some maintenance. I just retired from the AF in August, but I usually stayed at the same base for 3.5 years or more at a time so I usually had a place to work on cars. Good luck on deployment, I had 8 myself.

[Tusky]

Originally Posted by speedjunkie

Welcome! I've never seen someone drive one of those trucks as a daily, that's awesome!

How long have you been in the Navy? Are you getting out after this deployment? Give it time to have a place to do some maintenance. I just retired from the AF in August, but I usually stayed at the same base for 3.5 years or more at a time so I usually had a place to work on cars. Good luck on deployment, I had 8 myself.

Thanks! It doubles as my scooter hauler. I used to be a 1st gen 3000GT guy but choose the truck over that and went one car.

Have been in the Navy since mid 2007. Trying to shoot for 20 years and then retire and become lazy. I do halfway have a place for maintenance. Got a small car garage at my apartment that could fit my scooter addiction and the truck in there at the same time. Just not best for car engine work. Perfect for scooters however. Driveway is where most of the action for cars happens.

Congrats for retiring! Civilian life is a big change that's for sure. Most of my friends have gotten out or swapped to other rates/jobs.

I was down in San Diego for 7 years, about 5 of them were living the barracks life then rented a room at a friend's down near Imperial Beach.

For deployment, this will be my 3rd. First for a carrier, 2 times were a frigate and cruiser as a helo engine mechanic.

[Fendamonky]

Welcome to the forum I got out in August, got my DD-214 in June (80 days of terminal ftw!!) Kinda glad I got out before NAVADMIN 218/16 happened...

How/where did you find a truck like that? Awesome

[Tusky]

Originally Posted by Fendamonky

Welcome to the forum I got out in August, got my DD-214 in June (80 days of terminal ftw!!) Kinda glad I got out before NAVADMIN 218/16 happened...

How/where did you find a truck like that? Awesome

Nice! I wish I at least got to take leave this year, command has been super busy and all that.

I found it for 7k on this lil thing called Craigslist lol. Found it down in SoCal with a Cali plate already on it. Just had to get it in my name and luckily had no hassle.

Quickly turned into a daily when it originally was meant to be a backup car.

Video before the mods. Since purchase, I've slept in the cab, cross country drove, and more.
http://youtu.be/-XIHz-6Q5-k

[Fendamonky]

Originally Posted by Tusky

Nice! I wish I at least got to take leave this year, command has been super busy and all that.

That sucks ... I did my first four in the fleet, did a shore command and went brown water from then on. The nice thing about the expeditionary world is that, even with a constant deployment schedule, they still won't interfere with leave so long as you aren't actively in pre-deployment training, or deployed..

Originally Posted by Tusky

I found it for 7k on this lil thing called Craigslist lol.

I picked up both my Miata and the POS cold-weather daily driver on CL. It is DEFINITELY hit or miss buying cars from there though...

[infernosg]

Holy crap that thing makes the stock SA waffles look HUGE! How do you find tires for that thing?

[Tusky]

Originally Posted by Fendamonky

That sucks ... I did my first four in the fleet, did a shore command and went brown water from then on. The nice thing about the expeditionary world is that, even with a constant deployment schedule, they still won't interfere with leave so long as you aren't actively in pre-deployment training, or deployed..

I picked up both my Miata and the POS cold-weather daily driver on CL. It is DEFINITELY hit or miss buying cars from there though...

Cool, yea my deployments were with a HSL sea command, and those were around 8 months with a year or so between them.

My Hijet is my cold weather driver lol. The thing that sucks is last winter it was down for a month while sourcing and replacing a master brake cylinder. This year it will be for the swap lol. So riding a 170cc lowered scooter at 30 degrees is my thing in the winter I guess!

Originally Posted by infernosg

Holy crap that thing makes the stock SA waffles look HUGE! How do you find tires for that thing?

I know! I love them, people ask if I'm going aftermarket, but for this truck they pretty much fit that category. Stocks for this are like 12 inch skinny wheels.



For finding them, Simpletire is a good source for my size. And if discontinued, I just look for another tire company. They are P155/65R-13 Camac NT65s if your curious on the size lol. Cheap too. https://simpletire.com/camac-p155-65...Pb_RoCWOXw_wcB

Lol now that I remembered, my scooters also use 4x110 wheels. Had considered this for laughs once. Just is missing rubber band tires. The scoots use 12ins.