Outlandish One-Box

Want a head turner? Well, forget about putting 20 inch wheels on your ride – get yourself into a wacky Japanese import van! At the wheel of a contraption like this we guarantee people of all ages will be looking in your direction.

If weird is cool, consider this the equivalent to ‘happy pants’ during the early ‘90s!

This particular van – a 1989 Nissan Homy imported from Japan by www.yahoomotorsport.com – is one of the many highly customised vans in Japan. It seems the Japanese are still living out those crazy brown-velour days of decked-out panel vans. Anyone who loves a customised Sandman, Drifter or Sundowner put your hands up!

The Japanese-market Nissan Homy is essentially what Australians know as an Urvan.

This particular vehicle is powered by a TD27 diesel. Displacing 2.7 litres with 4 cylinders, this basic OHV engine is rated at 62kW at 4300 rpm and 177Nm at 2200 rpm. 0 – 100 performance? Well, we didn’t have a week to find out; this is about as far from a performance vehicle as you can get. On the upside, the diesel engine offers decent response and part throttle torque – it’s only when you push the accelerator further you realise there’s nothing more to give. After all, this is an 1800+ kilogram vehicle...

Our test vehicle put its torque through an automatic transmission but we believe a manual version was also manufactured. More interestingly, the Homy was also available with a 114kW 3.0 litre petrol V6 (VG30E). Hmmm, what’s a second-hand VG30 turbo worth?

On the road, our test Homy had a rather curious ride. There was very little impact harshness but it felt like there was minimal suspension travel – the effective spring rate increased rapidly over bumps. This is probably to do with the lowering blocks on the leaf spring rear suspension and the lowered wishbone front-end. This particular example was only mildly lowered but the fitment of aftermarket front and rear spoilers meant ground clearance was minimal; a gentle, angled approach is required for any driveway.

The Nissan’s four-wheel drum brakes feel fine and the live axle rear has no problems putting the TD27T’s grunt to the dry bitumen. A 4WD version was also produced.

Inside, there’s no telling what you’ll get onboard a customised Japanese van.

This vehicle was decked out in blue buttoned velour (yeah!) with luxurious ceiling trim, an array of mood lighting and a central ‘chandelier’. All lighting is controlled by a master switch on the ceiling panel. There is a forward-facing two seater bench seat behind the front seats and an ‘island’ table surrounded by seating further astern. We believe that the seats can be arranged to form a bed but we never found the key to unlocking this mystery. Note that this is the long wheelbase version of the Homy, which gives a bit more room for onboard customisation.

Up front, the driver and passenger have a forward and high view of the road. The cabin is also spacious (like in any ‘one box’ vehicle) and there’s more cabin width than the equivalent model Toyota Hi-Ace. The ‘89 Japanese market Homy comes standard with air conditioning, tailgate lock, tacho and an adjustable steering column. Our test vehicle also had a tilt sunroof, timber steering wheel and add-on power windows. These customised vans are also typically fitted with a serious sound system – note, however, this may be ripped out prior to sale in Japan.

Oh, and take a peek at this – pop the tailgate of this Homy and you’ll find a sink with a pumped water supply together with enough storage to slot in a mobile fridge. Is this the perfect machine to have fun in or what?!

And on the outside?

Well, a Japanese modified van like this is a very rare sight in Australia. So rare, in fact, nobody can take their eyes off it!

The lowered stance, aftermarket wheels, dark tint and the over-the-top body kit treatment is surprisingly common in Japan. This example has a rear spoiler that resembles a pair of skateboard ramps, side skirts and front and rear bumper spoilers (which, believe it or not, are mild compared to other we’ve seen). The nose has also received a new look from top to bottom – there’s a brow over the windscreen, a cowl at the base of the windscreen, chrome corner trims and a radical grille/headlight ‘eyebrow’/bumper assembly.

It’s a look that certainly gets a reaction.

At the time of writing, Yahoo Motorsport have two of these Japanese customised Homy vans in stock. This one, with around 130,000km on the odometer, is for sale at around AUD$7500 plus ADR-ing. Note that some of the existing modifications from Japan will probably need to be removed to pass a roadworthy inspection. Servicing parts shouldn’t be a major headache as it appears that the Nissan Homy shares many components with the local Urvan.

A Japanese customised van might not be everyone’s cup of tea but if you’re a bit extroverted, they have a real attraction.

Go on. You know you want to!

Contact:

Yahoo Motorsport                                                                www.yahoomotorsport.com.au
                                                                                                +61 8 8345 0939/ 0416 080462