Taking the Hijet to JAPFEST!!

That's right! This weekend is Japfest (Donnington) 2018 and I'm taking the Hijet.

Not only that, it's going as an individual display So this week is busy busy getting it clean and tidy.

I'll be travelling in convoy with 2 Mazda RX-7's which should make for some fun.

Let's see what reaction I get. Who knows, maybe I can start a trend and next year have more Hijets there? Has anyone taken one before?

I'll put some pics up in the "my pics" section of the day and the 'Jet in all its glory!

Excellent, did think about the Japanese Car Sunday in Holland next year, was this Sunday just gone. Are the Mazda's going to wait?

Probably not. They'll soon get bored of traveling at 55mph haha.

You'll have plenty of time to catch up when they blow their apex seals.

I wonder if we could organise something with one of the Kei car groups, that is if they can forgive us for not having 660cc engines. I'm sure I saw a few Kei cars there one year. Definitely remember seeing a Suzuki Capachino track monster. Not sure if that was Donington or Castle Combe though.

lol hopefully nothing as major as that slows them down.

Tagging along with the Kei Cars sounds a good plan. I'm not actually sure who I will be placed with on Saturday now that I think about it.... surely I'm the only Hijet there on this one.

I'll put some pics in the "my pics" topic section on Sunday

HijetMatt,

Where did you buy those wheels?

CSI Motors wrote:HijetMatt,

Where did you buy those wheels?

Hi! They are 14 inch Ford steel wheels that I've adapted to fit. Bigger bore size etc and then sprayed them satin bronze.

JapFest ??? -
I hope no one does their homework - look at your VIN plate your van is a Piaggio Porter badged as a Daihatsu for marketing purposes.
They are built in Pontedera, Italy.
More recent HiJets have been imported in the Piaggio name as Porters.
Mind you the original design and the electrics are Japanese
jon

That's right, let's take all the fun out of it with technicalities.......

So is a Ford a german or american brand? Is the mini a british car as its owned by BMW? Technicalities, a Hijjet is a Japanese Kei car design.

Raggy wrote:So is a Ford a german or american brand? Is the mini a british car as its owned by BMW? Technicalities, a Hijjet is a Japanese Kei car design.

OK guys no need to get too heated I was just having fun - see the emojies.    
If you are really interested in who owns what  there is a thread on the Smallmotorhome forums called Car News Thread - someone has really done a lot of research to get this one right.

https://community.smallmotorhome.co.uk/forum/everything-else/the-lounge/264558-the-car-news-thread

As you will see it gets very very murky as to who owns what who is producing what in partnership with who.
Jon

Taking it seriously...on here?... that’s slanderous gossip that 

Heated? lol that was nowhere near heated. Just making a point that there's always one killjoy. Me taking a Van to a modified Jap car show is all about the fun and the laughs it's going to get.

Believe me, envious laughs!

Raggy wrote:Believe me, envious laughs!

Too right!

OK I'll own up! Coincidentally on Sunday our van will be on show at the West Cornwall Motor Show Wendron. Provided it is not raining - van or no van, I am not sitting in a muddy field!
Jon

Should be nice and sunny again on Sunday.

HijetMatt wrote:Should be nice and sunny again on Sunday.

Up where you are yes - Cornwall is forecast maybe some showers and thunderstorms a low creeping up from the Bay of Biscay - will only hit extreme SouthWest (us) I just hope it misses us
Jon

Japfest seem pretty relaxed (or maybe uninformed) about the japaneseness of vehicles anyway. I saw a Corsa B on display next to an R-34 GTR one year. That same year, I rocked up in a bog standard Saxo VTR and a parking marshal was asking me if I was showing it or just parking. Probably could have got my car in, not that I'd have had anywhere to put it.

But yeah, nationality in the car industry is such a grey area. In my opinion, it's a japanese design with a japanese badge, to it's japanese.
You don't order a curry and call it an english takeaway because it was cooked down the street, do you now

Haha you make a very good point Sam

So, spent the day cleaning the 'Jet ready for the drive down to Donnington tomorrow.





I'll create a post in the "my pics" section with some pics of the day.

Ah, who have you chopped in a hijet? (See sticker on rear window for those who dont watch MCM on youtube)

That is one nice van - surely envious as ours is off the road. Wheel bearing - maybe hub carrier. It became apparent yesterday so now awaiting spares from Stuart. As he is so efficient it will be back on the road by mid-week.
Jon

Raggy wrote:Ah, who have you  chopped in a hijet? (See sticker on rear window for those who dont watch MCM on youtube)

lol I once chopped a kid on a BMX from a standing start. No contest.

kernowjon01 wrote:That is one nice van - surely envious as ours is off the road.  Wheel bearing - maybe hub carrier.  It became apparent yesterday so now awaiting spares from Stuart.  As he is so efficient it will be back on the road by mid-week.
Jon

Thanks good news that yours will be back on the road so quickly.

Thanks Matt, I assume you are aware of the nearside front hub design fault and the preventative fix.
Jon

kernowjon01 wrote:Thanks Matt, I assume you are aware of the nearside front hub design fault and the preventative fix.
Jon

Actually no, not aware of the design fault

OK - the problem is the nearside Hubnut is the conventional Right Hand Thread (turn clockwise to tighten anti clock to undo). Usually the nearside hub nuts have Left Hand Thread - on some trucks this also applies to the wheel nuts.
If you look at your nearside wheel you will see it turns anticlockwise. All that stops the Castelated Nut undoing is a soft metal split pin! Eventually the Nut will "eat" the split pin. On my van this has happened twice once during a previous owners ownership and once on me - in the process wrecking the wheel bearings - the hub carrier - the stub axle and possibly the swivel hub.
HOWEVER now for the good news prevention is simple.
Find an old ALLEN KEY 4mm or 4.5mm remove the split pin and push through the Allen Key - using Mole grips bend the free end so it is locked in place - JOB DONE or as we say in Cornwall, "Proper job!!!"
Do it because not to is expensive.
Jon

kernowjon01 wrote:OK - the problem is the nearside Hubnut is the conventional  Right Hand Thread (turn clockwise to tighten anti clock to undo).  Usually the nearside hub nuts have Left Hand Thread - on some trucks this also applies to the wheel nuts.
If you look at your nearside wheel you will see it turns anticlockwise.  All that stops the Castelated Nut undoing is a soft metal split pin!  Eventually the Nut will "eat" the split pin.  On my van this has happened twice once during a previous owners ownership and once on me - in the process wrecking the wheel bearings - the hub carrier - the stub axle and possibly the swivel hub.
HOWEVER now for the good news  prevention is simple.
Find an old ALLEN KEY 4mm or 4.5mm  remove the split pin and push through the Allen Key - using Mole grips bend the free end so it is locked in place - JOB DONE or as we say in Cornwall,  "Proper job!!!"
Do it because not to is expensive.
Jon

Ah right, thanks for the advice and the tip off for the solution. I'll have a look at sorting it out