Honda Acty Street and Daihatsu Hijet Customer Builds | Oiwa Garage Spotlight : Edition 4

Beyond Stock: How Two Kei Builds Evolved Over Time

TL;DR: 

• Brett uses Honda Acty and Honda Street builds for branded promo vehicles

• Cole uses his Daihatsu Hijet for camping, trails, and daily errands

• Featured parts include exhaust, license plates, seat covers, battery cover, filters, and plugs

• Biggest challenges included wheel fitment and title/licensing issue
  

The Oiwa Garage community has once again been generous, giving our readers behind-the-scenes looks at their builds. For March, we’ll be covering Brett’s Honda Acty and Honda Street decked out in extraordinary livery, along with Cole’s versatile Daihatsu Hijet that supports everything from errand runs to his outdoor hobbies. Brett and Cole have also provided valuable insight for those interested in a kei purchase or customizing their current build.

Brett’s 1995 Honda Acty and 1998 Honda Street

When asked how Brett entered the kei world, he told Oiwa Garage: “About a year and a half ago, we decided to purchase our first [1995] Honda Acty to help promote the companies whose products we sell and support. We started with a Milwaukee Tool mini truck and the #milwaukeemicromachine was born. 

“Since then, we built a [1998] Honda Street for AFL, a company that manufactures Fiber Optic cable and products for the communications industry. Our current build is another Honda Acty for a company called Copperhead Industries. They specialize in tracer wire and locate equipment for the broadband industry. Our latest order will support that build. We have one more Acty we are working on to create an all-black “alter-ego” Milwaukee truck.”

Brett has used Oiwa Garage to help keep his vehicles running with both maintenance and aftermarket parts. Some of his favorites purchases include:

• The Growler Exhaust (Stainless Steel)

• Custom JDM-Style License Plates

• Seat Covers

You can find all of these products at the links above. 

Brett shared how exciting it is to share his kei stories with the people he meets: “Whether it’s at a trade show or the local gas station, people love to ask us questions and we love telling all about them. And the looks, the “thumbs ups,” and watching people record us as we drive down the road is pretty cool too!”

After posting a TikTok video of his Milwaukee mini truck, the clip quickly reached over 1 million views. 

Brett also described one of the first kei trucks he remembers seeing, which was on Oiwa Garage and is inspiring his next build: “It’s the flat gray, lifted truck with the surfboards. From the moment I saw it, I knew I wanted one. I just didn’t know I would eventually have 4 that I would use to help market the companies we represent.”

When describing his biggest build challenge, Brett cited oversized wheel and tire fitment. However, he stresses that he has benefited from asking questions online and trusting what others tell him. 

Cole’s 1988 Daihatsu Hijet 

Cole’s experience with his 1988 Daihatsu Hijet shows just how dynamic kei trucks can be. 

He told Oiwa Garage: “I use my truck for everything: running errands around town, cruising mountain trails, hunting, and as our ATV while camping. For anyone curious, they will fit in most Toy Hauler-style RVs!”

While highlighting a battery cover and tune-up parts as helpful Oiwa Garage purchases he’s made, Cole noted: “The battery cover is such an underrated item that seems small, but it completely cleans up the appearance of the truck by covering up the unsightly exposed battery.”

Besides the battery cover, Brett’s tune-up parts purchases have helped him replace all filters and plugs and complete an oil change.

Cole said: “I love the simplicity of these trucks. They’re very simple mechanically, easy to work on, fun to drive right-handed, they turn heads, are cheap to fill up, and can withstand abuse.”

He added: “At the time I purchased mine, Suzuki, Honda, and Daihatsu had the most available parts in the US, and the Daihatsu had the features I was looking for in regards to what I knew the truck’s intended usage would be. 

“The first moment I knew how special my truck was, was when we [Cole and his wife] pulled into a campsite, and everyone was unloading ATVs and side-by-sides. I unloaded the Hijet and turned a few heads. The biggest surprise for most people who ask questions is the cost of actually buying one. They’re very affordable. Where I’m at on my Kei build, I’m still under $10k total, and that includes all costs purchased, shipped, import fees, licensing, lift, etc. Most of today’s side-by-sides start around $30k.”

Cole qualified his build’s sub-$10k price by saying all the work except the tint and bedliner was performed by himself or friends. He also highlighted getting the original title translated from Japanese to English to apply for a duplicate in Utah as his most significant ownership challenge, which cost $800. However, he considers himself lucky that his Hijet has been running and driving well with no issues since he picked it up at the port in Long Beach, California.

Cole also shared some advice for those looking to get into the kei world: “Do your research on what you want and for the intended use of the vehicle. Also, research your local state laws and the licensing process. They’re all different. Utah currently licenses them like a street-legal side-by-side, with a one-time safety inspection, no emissions, and just a yearly renewal.

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