Importing a Japanese Kei Truck into the US (1997 Subaru Sambar KS4)
I live in Hawaii, and when I moved here I noticed many small Japanese trucks around the island. I did some research on what they were, and to my surprise, I quickly discovered my fascination with their utility and style. So like any sane person, I began the process of importing one from Japan. I started my import process by researching all the Kei truck models and which ones I liked most. I am 6’ 7” so my options were limited to the models that had the largest cabin space. I found that the Subaru Sambar Gen V had the most head and leg room out of all the Kei trucks (take this with a grain of salt, every form says something different. The Gen V Sambar seemed to me at the time the largest). Besides the cabin space, I chose the Subaru Sambar for a few other reasons. 1. It has a rear mounted engine (located in the bed of the truck by the tailgate). This is useful for weight distribution, ease of access to work on, and the overall heat dispersion of the engine (most other Kei trucks ha...