Looking to pick your brains

Hi,

Me? John Williams, born the other side of WW2, living near Kettering, I sign as 602 as it was the "last three" of my old RAF number, and helps me recognise my own mails (it's my age, you know. ) UK Vets will understand the "last three" thingy.

I have owned two micro trucks ... a Hijet pick-up which was fun, and a Suzuki Carry bought as a non-runner to donate it's Romahome demountable camper pod to my 1959 Land Rover. The bare Carry was sold on, still a non-runner. The Land Rover conversion is nearing completion, so I'm thinking about what comes next.

I need a shopping trolley. The Land Rover has a 52ft turning circle, so is not car-park friendly, and SWMBO won't let me put bags of cement into her new Hyundai i10. A shopping trolley will be narrow and short and squeeze into places that others can't, and economical to run. (The Land Rover is VED and MOT exempt, and classic insurance is under £100 per year ... but I can't have everything). I think a micro-truck will fill most of my requirements, but I have to finish the Landy first.

I opened by saying I wanted to pick your brains. I'll keep it simple here, move to the main forum later. Can an early micro-truck be insured as a classic? Can a pick-up cab be unbolted from the chassis? If yes, can a van body be unbolted from the chassis?

HTH,

John Williams (hereafter will be 602)

PS ... I know of a battered Suzuki Carry (Super Carry) van lying in Wellingborough, being used as a storage shed. I would prefer a pick-up or mini-bus.

Hello John Williams. A name that brings music to my ears. ( only older members will be able to appreciate the link)
First of all has your Zimmer Frame got 2, 3 or 4 wheels?

The Forum is 95% Hi-Jet orientated and so decidedly biased, particularly me. I have owned Hi-Jets since 2002/3
having fallen in love with them in my 2 years working for Romahome as Service and Warranties Manager.

Hi-Jet's are a monocoque construction and the cab of the Pickup an integral part of the construction. Only the Pickup bed is removable.

The van is completely monocoque and the parts that come off, have usually dropped off due to rust.
They aren't that bad really.

As for finding a 25+ Hi-Jet that is still on the road is a miracle and you just won't find spares for. So forget that Idea. The best model in my opinion to go for is the 1300 but pre 2001 as the road tax is cheaper. The duty changed when the Government in its infinite wisdom decided to tax them as Light Commercial Vehicles because Hi-Jets don't have Air Bags and Light Commercials then didn't require Air Bags.
As you have already been astute in noticing, Hi-Jets have just about the best turning circle of any vehicle and makes the Triumph Heralds 33ft Turning Circle look like a Helicopter Landing Pad. Only vehicle that I can think of with a better turning circle would be the Bond 3 wheelers with the 197cc Villiers 9E engine or the 250cc Villiers 4T engine.
As regards the Suzuki Soup-er Carry, I would recommend that you take an axe with you and go and Batter it some more and then cover in petrol and light the touch paper, retreat and Deep Fry it.
I hope that this has helped you make a decision either to buy a Hi-Jet or go and take some Diazepam and an extra Bisoprolol Beta Blocker.
At least you know now that you can find SOME help on here - but don't expect any sympathy for buying a rough Hi-Jet. That just ain't gonna happen.

welcome
woodie just doesnt like the carry because then we will never see you again here on the forum.
It will probably never overheat and always start.
Parts are realy cheap and its realy reliable...how boring is that?

Just look at how long the carrys were made with the same engine (F10a and F8a) and in how many other vehicles that engine is being used.
And in how many countrys they sell them or under a different names/licenses...
all over the world.. also called
Suzuki Every
Suzuki Super Carry
Bedford/GME/Vauxhall Rascal
Holden Scurry
Maruti Omni
Maruti Versa
Mazda/Autozam Scrum
Wuling Rongguang
Daewoo Damas
Chevrolet CMV/CMP
Mitsubishi Colt T120ss
Mitsubishi Minicab
Nissan NT100/NV100 Clipper
Chang'an SC6320G
Hafei Songhuajiang HFJ6350
SYM T880/T1000/V5/V9/V11

Using the same suzuki engine since the 80,s untill present day (for example in the indian market) is never a good sign.

your much better of with a italien piaggio built van.. its been produced for many many years (not) 
and those 1.3 hces engines were put in many many other vehicles because it was a big success (not) 

just look at half of this forum
its all about the joys of owning one over here.


in no time you will be a coolingsystem expert and know how to make an overide switch for your coolingfan.
nervously watching your tempgauge constantly keeps you awake and sharp.
and pay a lot of money for difficult to get and waaayyy overpriced parts like an exhaust or headlights.
things like nice alloy wheels are realy easy to find to in 4x110.
its going to be awesome

Hate to admit it, but Scotia has a lot of good points there about the Suzuki.
My main gripe was that I found them underpowered and rather thirsty. But WAY better than a 1200 Diesel that also need the gallon of Petrol treatment. I would definitely prefer the 993cc Hi-Jet though, compared to the Bedford/Suzuki. But that is just my preference.

Over here on the Island you see far more Hi-Jets than Rascal's and I often get asked for their spares.

Hi Both,

Thanks for the welcome.

So it looks like I won't be putting T-bucket or C-cab onto a micro chassis. SWMBO will be pleased.

Woodie ... do you know the weight of a Romahome demountable pod?

I had just started to browse the forum classifieds, this morning, when somebody pulled the plug on my internet connection. It was off for several hours. Guess who I was blaming?

Whatever, I guess I will be lurking until the Land Rover is finished, maybe stick my oar in when appropriate.

Er ... this is a Hijet forum. Are other marques second-class citizens?

Can photos be posted? Photobucket has become a no-no.

602 (Tone deaf)

i agree on the underpowered point you made woodie
carrys can only go like 100-115 kmh max

and yes i do feel like a second-class citizen sometimes here    
95% are hijets on this forum, the bedford rascal page on facebook is verry active though.
i am on the suzuki carry australia facebookpage to and that also verry active.
besides that there arent that many sites or pages just for carrys.
there is also this site but its not active
http://rascalenthusiasts.co.uk/forums/index.php

i use servimg images for posting pictures.
https://servimg.com/images.php

create your account then upload picture to the site
then copy BBCode image link
post link here

i copied a lot of the manuals from here and other pages
if youre interested i have carry and hijet documents/brochures/manuals
you can view and or download them here https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B_uqxfTpiDWoVVNZX09tVm15WTA

You could have a Suzuki but where would the fun in that! Sounds like you like your engineering so a hijet is just the job. For you it wouldn't be any fun having a reliable van like scotia, be a man and have a hijet like the rest of us. It's living life on these edge not knowing what may happen next. PS I have a 993 camper and never been happier when motoring.
Welcome to the forum, any micro van is welcome but especially hijet as you have found out...we make allowances for scotia
Lurk as long as you like just don't become a stranger and post some pics of the romahome conversion.

Welcome 602, I have a feeling you will feel at home here. Just let Woodie get over his nostalgia for Cavatina and you will find him a very knowlegable QM! Seriously, between him and HJ is a wealth of Hijet knowledge, and the former mentioned knows more about Romahomes than probably anyone alive. You don't seem ready for a Sholley, so a 1.3 is the way to go. Can occasionally be found from military bases or large estates with low miles, but beware low maintenance. As a BL fan, Landy updates welcome too.

Hi Scotia,

Thanks for the link to SERVIMG. Unfortunately, I am a Technowimp ... I can find where to log on, but can't find an invitation to register. That's about par for my course.

Pretty please ..... ?

602

try logging in with your emailadres and the password you use here

its been a while since i joined there and it automaticly logs me in.
i just did a google search and youre not the only one apparently who has trouble finding the Join section.
from my googling results it says log in with your forum password

did that work?

Hi,

When I go to log onto SERVIMG, it asks for my email address, not my User Name.

I tried logging in with various versions of my email, and user names, then telling it that I had forgotten my pass-word. It asks for my email address, then promptly tells me that it is not recognised. So I tried 602 ... also not recognised. I am lost in the ether. How can I log-on here from an unrecognised address?

Idle thought, I may have ended my registration details with "co" not "com". Back to the drawing board. I will return shortly.

602

Hi,

No, that email address does not match a member either.

It does seem that it's my email address that is wrong. Fair enough, if I'm not here, what is to stop me registering again?

I will wait for approval, before doing so.

602

scotia wrote:try logging in with your emailadres and the password you use here

i never said use youre username..

type in the same emailadres you use here, and in the other section type the password you use to log in to this forum.

Servimg.com is a ruddy pain. For some reason I have to enter my numerical and alphabetical password in every time I want to use it.

it logs me in automaticly every time i go there.
i have been using it for years and never had a problem.

did you see the ""Log me in automatically :"" checkmark woodie?
i think that would help with your problem

And just to be damn contravercial, this time it has logged me straight in. Typical!!

This is what comes up on my Z3 Tablet :

And I have posted the Distributor Cap pictures in the wrong thread too. Is there any hope for me at all??
No!! Don't answer that.

 i wont

it seems to have different layouts for a pc/tablet/phone
maybe thats where its going wrong..
i hope 602 uses a pc (old skool computer with monitor and keyboard ) like me

Hi Scotia,

I received a copy of your latest repy to my AOL mail box, which to me indicates that this forum has my email address recorded correctly. I understand that SERVIMG has been informed that I am a member of this forum.

Some forums do not allow you to post a picture until you have posted a certain number of mails. I think other forums won't allow you to post a picture until you have been a member for a certain length of time. Do either apply to this forum?

When I try to log onto SERVIMG, using my full email address, and password, I am told that one or the other is incorrect.

So I enter my full email address, and say I have forgotten my password. I am told that my email address is not recognised as a member of the forum. But see the first sentence of this mail.

If my email address is not recognised, how do I receive copies of new mails to my mail box?

If my email address is correct, why does SERVIMG not recognise it?

I believe that if I try to register again, using a different username, but the same email address, one of two things should happen ....

... I will successfully register, but my mail will be attributed to the new user name (which would be my full RAF number) but I can still sign with my "last three". OR ...

My registration will be declined, as the email address is recognised as already belonging to a member.

My brain hurts, but there is something else I can try ... my LAPTOP frequently switches to "Caps lock" without me asking. Fat finger? Is my email address case sensitive on this forum. I'll go and try.

602

Hi,

I tried different case, it made no difference.

602

Welcome to the Forum. Well at times I HAVE thought that you are welcome to it. Since I moaned earlier about having to log on every time to get first of all onto the Forum which kept coming up with Woody, my original name and password on here for 3 years and having to enter my password for Servimg.com both are working fine now on this, my Sony Z3 Compact Tablet.

I have tried tried Time after Time ( hmmm, another song title) to get it to work by ticking the box unticking it and various other combinations and it has suddenly accepted Woodie and now logs me in Automatically. Flipping hoo-ray.
But before that happened, Servimg.com suddenly started working too. A modern day Miracle.

I had joined the Forum on 2/2/2013 and then at Christmas 2015 got into a right row with a huge Pillock in America. I had done a lot of research for him online about the vehicle he had, and I finally posted it all, for his benefit and other members too. Not a word of thanks. Zero, Zippo, Zilch so over a week went by and he had visited the Forum several times since I posted it, I told him what I thought of him and his lack of appreciation and he launched a really scathing verbal attack on me, so I thought stuff this. I'm off don't need this aggro. So I pulled my membership after 1,970 posts. I had the third highest number of posts on the Forum at the time behind Highly Jetted, and Logi followed by Rich the Mechanic.
Leopard Pagan blocked the Obnoxious Yank from site.

Numerous members were up in arms about my leaving the Forum. ( Couldn't have been the fact that I had probably the biggest single stock of Hi-Jet spares in the country could it?? Nah!! Course not). Must have been my cool, unflappable, controlled nature that members were missing about me. Get up off the floor PFM and you Raggy and Logi. Stop laughing, I am trying to be serious here.
So a month later I had just about cooled down enough to re-join. But of course I couldn't use my nickname that I have had since I was 5 years old, Woody so I had to use a different email address ( hi.jetmaniow@gmail.com) and use the name Woodie. Leopard Pagan couldn't wangle my getting my original name back although she tried her best.

So I had a go at rejoining umpteen times and the ruddy Catchpa kept telling me that whatever I entered was incorrect or email was wrong or my name was wrong. Steam was coming out of ears. My laptop was about to go for Flying Lessons when I thought I would have a go with my Z4 Tablet. It was 4 o'clock in the morning by this time.
Tried it on the Tablet. Had a couple of hiccups and suddenly BINGO - I was a member of the Forum again.

I spoke to Leopard Pagan in the morning and she was in stitches about the Catchpa. Really ripped the mickey out of me. Seems that I wasn't the only one to experience the frustration of the ruddy thing.

So like Robert the Bruce, try, try, try again. It will be worth it - I think!!

Welcome to the Forum. Well at times I HAVE thought that you are welcome to it. Since I moaned earlier  about having to log on every time to get first of all onto the Forum which kept coming up with Woody, my original name and password on here for 3 years and having to enter my password for Servimg.com both are working fine now on this,  my Sony Z3 Compact Tablet.

I have tried tried Time after Time ( hmmm, another song title) to get it to  work by ticking the box unticking it and various other combinations and it has suddenly accepted Woodie and now logs me in Automatically. Flipping hoo-ray.
But before that happened, Servimg.com suddenly started working too. A modern day Miracle.

I had joined the Forum on 2/2/2013 and then  at Christmas 2015 got into a right row with a huge Pillock in America. I had done a lot of research for him online about the vehicle he had, and I finally posted it all,  for his benefit and other members too. Not a word of thanks. Zero, Zippo, Zilch so over a week went by and he had visited the Forum several times since I posted it, I told him what I thought of him and his lack of appreciation and he launched a really scathing verbal attack on me, so I thought stuff this. I'm off don't need this aggro. So I pulled my membership after 1,970 posts. I had the third  highest number of posts on the Forum at the time behind Highly Jetted, and Logi followed by Rich the Mechanic.
Leopard Pagan blocked the  Obnoxious Yank from site.

Numerous members were up in arms about my leaving the Forum. ( Couldn't have been the fact that I had probably the biggest single  stock of Hi-Jet spares in the country could it?? Nah!! Course not). Must have been my cool,  unflappable, controlled nature that members were missing about me. Get up off the floor PFM and you Raggy and Logi.  Stop laughing, I am trying to be serious here.
So a month later I had just about cooled down enough to re-join. But of course I couldn't use my nickname that I have had since I was 5 years old, Woody so I had to use a different email address ( hi.jetmaniow@gmail.com) and use the name Woodie. Leopard Pagan couldn't wangle my getting my original name back although she tried her best.

So I had a go at rejoining umpteen times and the ruddy Catchpa kept telling me that whatever I entered was incorrect or email was wrong or my name was wrong. Steam was coming out of ears. My laptop was about to go for Flying Lessons when I thought I would have a go with my Z4 Tablet. It was 4 o'clock in the morning by this time.
Tried it on the Tablet. Had a couple of hiccups and suddenly BINGO - I was a member of the Forum again.

I spoke to Leopard Pagan in the morning and she was in stitches about the Catchpa. Really ripped the mickey out of me. Seems that I wasn't the only one to experience the frustration of the ruddy thing.

So like Robert the Bruce, try, try, try again. It will be worth it - I think!!

And that is what happens when someone else posts on the same subject as you are in the middle of writing an important Epistle on here at the same time. You end up with it twice. Still better than losing the whole post as has happened to me numerous times.

Hi Woodie,

Been there, on another website. Password not recognised. Tried to change it ... user name not recognised. Tried to re-register ... user name already in use. Doh! Had to change, come in from a different email address, and use a different username, though I could still access from my usual email address. The problem is signing off ... 602 just flows of my keying finger, probably confuses other forum readers.

A mate in the Hillman Imp club suddenly found he was sharing his email address with a VERY "naughty" gentleman in USA. How can that happen?

Pretty please ... do you know the weight of a Romahome demountable pod? Or even the unladen weight of a Hijet with a fixed pod (I assume that was an option).

602

Hi,

Maybe I've found the problem.

"New member may not post external links or emails with first seven days"

I just checked, my first mail was on the 17th ... THREE days ago. Is that all, I feel like I've been here forever.

???

602