This little two-stroke kei car is AMAZING! 1974 Daihatsu Fellow Max (with bonus George the cat)

Yes, it's an utterly bonkers two-stroke kei car from Daihatsu, with a rev-happy 360cc engine producing over 30bhp! (when new). It's under 3 metres (10ft) long, has entirely tiny pedals and I frankly want to adopt one right now. The Fellow Max was actually sold in Australia and New Zealand (as the 360 or 360 Max) even though it is stupendously small. This one is a daily driver!
This road test was conducted during HubNut's tour of New Zealand. HubNut can be supported by the simple act of buying lovely things (new stock in!) from the store, or there are other support options - head to hubnut.org
Thank you.

[@nzsaltflatsracer8054]

The fact that it's still a reliable city car after all these years is testament to their design plus it has more seats than a Smart Car & doesn't look as dumb!

[@DoubleMonoLR]

Probably not quite so good at not killing you in a crash though.

[@robertmaitland09]

Why would anyone want a supercar when you could have one of those, little cars rule!

[@kevinkeeney6693]

Agreed. Having fun while observing the speed limit. Doesn't get better than that.

[@Teribus13]

On that road Ian was on, you can exploit ALL the power the engine has to offer, and still not be going fast enough to crash. Can't say that if you were driving a Ferrari. I'd far rather drive that road in something sub-1-litre with a tiny bhp figure, that's for sure

[@henryrolt3747]

This thread gave me hope that there are people who enjoy cars/driving in the same way that I do 😃.

[@yamahonkawazuki]

@@henryrolt3747 for the longest time i didnt like tiny cars. but theyve grown on me. theyre fun. smiles per gallon Eh?

[@NotSoCrazyNinja]

I love tiny cars, if they have decent power. A tiny little car can be very fun even with less than a hundred HP. My daily driver weighs a whopping 1984 pounds (about 900KG) dry and has around 80HP from the factory. With the mileage, it probably has closer to 50 or 60, but it's still fun to drive. You can drive it like you stole it and still not go very fast lol.

[@neilwalsh4058]

That's one of the most interesting cars you've ever tested. Super cool, super different, super sound and super rare. What a daily driver for the fella that owns it. Ace!

[@nickgerr3822]

Hey mate, I’m from Christchurch too & I just bought one of these today lol, but it’s got an 850cc from a Daihatsu Mira! Surprisingly quick lol

[@reddermot]

One of the first cars that I drove before getting my license was a Suzuki Fronte. I had never seen so many gauges in a car. It even had an overhead console with more gauges! Loving the Daihatsu. What an epic little thing. I didn't know they were ever sold new in NZ.

[@rustywreck6631]

Maybe if everyone drove these around instead of big bmw or Audi it would be a happier world

[@davidh4281]

If no one drove a BMW or an Audi, we wouldn't know who the stupid people were.....

[@Teribus13]

@@davidh4281 they'd still have the Kumquat, Squashedeye, Gashgay, whatever they're called

[@imnotamechanic3491]

@@Teribus13 Think the last one you meant kashkow

[@stephenscholes4758]

@@davidh4281 I guess the German marques have done their duty in "providing" each Japanese factory their intellectual property...

[@chucku00]

The Isetta and the BMW 700 were quite happiness-inducing cars too. BMW should dive in dire straits again in order to produce new cars like these ones...

[@mohabatkhanmalak1161]

I remember these Daihatsu chummy cars back in the 70's. Since Daihatsu is a Toyota division, it would be hilarious to put a bumper sticker saying..."When I grow up I would like to be a Toyota Crown".

[@imnotamechanic3491]

So glad you have reviewed this - I only discovered this car this year, I saw one at a car show in Coatbridge, it had only a few thousand km's on it and an amazing story. It had been bought by a Dane in the 70's when he visited Japan, and wanted to import them into Denmark, so he drove it from from the port to his home! But, having got it to Denmark, he left it in his garage for 20 years without ever driving it (maybe he wasn't as enamoured with the driving experience as you). His neighbour then bought it off him in the 90's, you would think he might drive it, or restore it, but no, he put it in a box, and left it for nearly another 20 years before someone in the UK bought it. It still had original tyres on it and was basically mint apart from the odd spot of rust. So glad you have shown us some of the quirks, like the wheels! I had a Kelisa as my first car, so this is kind of its ancestor.

[@tuomashelin555]

The expansion chamber in a two-stroke was developed in the 1930's in Germany and re-developed at MZ motorbike factory, in East Germany. The engineer at MZ was Walter Kaaden. Suzuki acquired Kaadens work by bribing a MZ race driver to defect to the West after a race, with the blue prints of the technology stuffed inside his shirt :) It works by increasing the speed of exhaust gases at first by increasing the diameter of the exhaust tube rapidly and at the end of the chamber there's a rapid decrease of the diameter of the chamber, which pushes unburnt fuel-air mixture back into the cylinder. The same chamber was built-in in a Wartburg engine, with three cylinders and 0,993 l capacity, pushing the output from 38 hp to 50, in rally versions even about 100 hp. I've driven many years a Wartburg and could astonish people with its hill climbing capability. The trick was "pedal to the metal" and the expansion chamber took care of the rest. Did Daihatsu put a freewheel clutch in those two-stroke kei-cars? It's very useful in a two-stroke smoker.

[@HubNut]

No freewheel, as it has full pressure lubrication.

[@Ian-Steele]

The fact that you can hear the indicator click from the back of the car shows that this is a ‘real car’. Love it.

[@audreyfforbes-hamilton]

Dear Ian, A little bird told me that you’ve been seeing someone else behind my back. We’ll be having words when you get home. Love TWC

[@audreyfforbes-hamilton]

CRS1964 Dear Ian, Don’t come to me with your excuses. I suppose she’s younger than me, got four wheels and perky headlights. Well don’t think you’re sleeping in my garage when you get back. Regards, TWC

[@audreyfforbes-hamilton]

CRS1964 Dear Ian Liar! I know you went for a ride in her, someone saw you. You’ve really hurt me, you said you loved ME! My radiator has been leaking all night. You’re going to have to choose, is it me or her? Broken hearted TWC

[@audreyfforbes-hamilton]

CRS1964 Dear Ian Aww, you always did know my body better than I do myself! I’ve been thinking about all the good times we’ve had, like the time we went for a drive in the snow, the shows and events you took me to, and especially that time you took me to the top of Shelsley Walsh 😜! Hurry home my darling and keep away from those Kiwi hussies. X

[@julianlangdon3456]

literally crying with laughter at this clever little exchange

[@adamtoms2726]

Lovely little Daihatsu. Thanks for spotting this one, and doing a video on it. It's a shame we lost Daihatsu from the UK market in 2009. They did make some quirky but very well built cars. I blame the cross overs.

[@appledjerry]

Saw this video, loved the Kei Car concept, quickly came across the Daihatsu Copen roadster - a rare thing of small perfectly formed beauty and within a week I'd bought one with my modest inheritance. Just love these cars!

[@volvo480]

It may seem out of tune in the vast space of New Zealand, but imagine this car in an overcrowded Japanese city. :)

[@reangerer]

Nah, there totughta be more of these in nz

[@ironcast]

One of these would work quite well in very rural northern NY state where I live.

[@RichieRouge206]

Massive Triangle of Doom! Still it can be forgiven as it’s so cute. Love the fact that you can hear the flasher relay from outside 😂

[@millomweb]

Could possibly be improved by longer blades.

[@chepesantacruz777]

I would absolutely rock this as a daily all day everyday. This is what a car should be in essence, small, practical, simple and reliable.

[@Andrew.bergin]

Glorious 2 stroke soundtrack, I miss that, and the smell 😀

[@voornaam3191]

Buy a twostroke bike. Not that complicated. Get that license, get that bike. Duh. Or buy a vintage car.

[@Andrew.bergin]

@@voornaam3191 no need for the sarcasm, I would expect better from a hubnut follower. I have the licence thank you, but a good 2 stroke is now hard to find. I was referring to the fact that 2 strokes used to be everywhere, sadly now due to ' the environment' they are getting rarer and rarer.

[@voornaam3191]

@@Andrew.bergin Yep, harder to find.

[@jurivlk5433]

I also love these tiny cars a lot! The driving experience is simply great and the noise of this 2-stroke is superb. Don't forget that Suzuki had two very famous motorcycles in those days, the 350cc and the 750cc called "water buffalo" with powerful, squealing 2-Stroke engines that let all in fumes when you went off full throttle. You couldn't see anything for a while till the smoke disappeared in mother nature. Superb water-cooled engines and duplex drum brakes (I think) made these Suzuki among the fastest bikes around and drove British motorcycle industry to ruin.

[@marklittler784]

Remember A&B for Datsun Newton le Willows in the UK advertising in the 70's offering custom paint jobs with every new car.

[@GrahamGroovyUK]

I do indeed. My local dealer in Barrow In Furness (Barton Townley ) used to source it's second hand cars from them.

[@tonypate9174]

Did Eileen Bilton have one for a company car ?

[@GrahamGroovyUK]

facebook.com/A-B-Motor-Group-231888476854002/

[@marklittler784]

@@GrahamGroovyUK Remember BOC advertising a lot " better people to buy from " too in Granada land in UK

[@GrahamGroovyUK]

@@marklittler784 In Morecambe we had John Wilding advertising on Granada and Radio. He kept changing brands but Citroen was his last venture. Banbury Garage has sadly been demolished and replaced with a Lidl and John Wilding became defunct after becoming Vantage Ltd bought him out :(

[@alanlansdell7533]

I reckon that meets airline carry on requirements.

[@law1008]

Nah, not on Ryanair, not even if it was a corgi replica!

[@RWBHere]

You can fit one into the overhead luggage rack, perhaps...

[@ChrisG3253032]

I've always loved these. Last time I saw one (a yellowish colour) down in Dunedin was around 2001. Aside from that, I worked at a motorbike & engineering shop in '97 and a guy bought in a go-kart that had a daihatsu 360 engine and trans in it. Even had the instrument cluster mounted to the right of the driver. Never seen anything like it since.

[@rogersjhonatanmoreiraceden1533]

Muy buenas noches amigo m gustaría saber si este motor 356cc tiene fuerza o es para carga gracias

[@damonearwaker8147]

More great memories of The 1970’s Christchurch car scenery- these were surprisingly popular in their time along with the Suzuki Fronte and Honda 360. These new modern Japanese models took over the Microcar market when the last Fiat 500’s were sold in NZ in 1973. It’s an interesting coincidence that this car was sold by the same dealership in Christchurch as the Renault Fuego you reviewed.

[@HubNut]

Good spot!

[@jmurray01]

What a charming little car - I think it has more character than a V8 Range Rover!

[@rexdrabble4988]

I drove one from christchurch to greymouth,Nz. Via Arthers pass. What an awesome car on winding roads,it could handle very well. like a motor bike with two extra wheels.

[@jackjacko8706]

I had a Honda Scamp. Same 360cc. Four stroke. Motorbike motor. Then updated to a Honda Zot. Same motor but weird shape. Great little cars.

[@dougvb9048]

Thanks for this. I had one of these in the 80s. 6000 rpm=60MPH! My wife drove it from Wellington to Dunedin and back. I had a lot of problems with spark plugs, so I built a kick arse CDI which was great but due to dwell angle problems it could start in reverse if it almost stalled. That caused a few dramas! The only thing missing in your video was the the two stroke smoke smell.I sold it to one of my workmates who eventually smashed Into his house while attempting to reverse out. -caught by the Random reverse engine rotation . That was the end of it.......

[@ericgeorge5483]

Supercars and high tech modern cars are all very well but there is a genuine charm about this car that no amount of money can buy.

[@timevans815]

As a microcar (and microlight) enthusiast and ex Bond, Powerdrive, Saab, Gogomobile and Trabbi driver, I just loved this car. Bring it back for me Ian!

[@PaulinesPastimes]

Wonderful memories and sounds. I had the 1973 model with square headlights but I don't remember not being able to turn off the heater. There must be a flap valve somewhere. I went everywhere in it, loved it to bits, it got repossessed cause I was young and irresponsible. Thank you for the test. Cheers.

[@thepofmeister]

Pauline Hunter that reminded me of me: Things were great; Shortly to to turn to ****; because: My life. 😂👍🏻

[@salipander6570]

This car is what this trip was planned for, isn't it? You didn't want to mention it, but now it is obvious. The joy is immense! Mission accomplished!

[@jrbaeronz9840]

I had one of these, as well as a Max Cuore, which is a later version with a 550cc OHC 2cyl engine, which is the same as the earlier 3 cyl Charade, but minus 1 cyl Both great little cars for round town, but the Cuore was not as fast as the 360, and was only happy at around 80kph on the motorway. The 360 is very outboard motorish, with an oil injection pump and reed valve induction. They were originally imported by Campbell Motors in Auckland, who I worked for at the time (around 1974) and I was there when the first batch of 5 cars (from memory) all came buzzing up from the wharves together. One of the cars was a 4 door, which was specially order for a night time radio talkback host Bunny Rigold (who later died on air) and was the only 4 door imported. Surprisingly, you can get an 8ft fence post inside and shut everything. The rear seat can be unclipped and laid down, and the rear parcel shelf has a large removable lid for tall items (under that sign). Daihatsu have always been clever at getting maximum use from tiny spaces. Seats even have micro adjustment ratchets on the seat angles. Everything on a big car, compressed into a tiny car. Worst place for rust is the big fresh air boxes under the front guards which form part of the structure (come all the way from the front). Can't be seen unless you remove the guards. Collectible in Japan.

[@Teribus13]

My 2 year old (3 in February) daughter saw George and thought he was our black cat, Neo. I told her no, that he was George, and she announced "awww, he's SO CUTE!!!". I don't think I can disagree with her on that one 😻

[@tauncfester3022]

Compare this car with the Bond Minicar estate with the 250cc motorcycle engine driving a single front wheel, that you drove at the 2018 Micro car rally. The same engine in the Fellow Max placed in a motorcycle with a 5 speed gearbox would be capable of over 100mph, but you're also talking about a bike that weighs 270#. When you were climbing that hill I kept saying, 'downshift' as you were well off the torque curve. I should correct your mention about the oil tank on this car. It an oil injection system, it precisely meters in a steady trickle of just enough oil to lube the engine while keeping the visible smoke low. It's a little engine driven metering gear pump that also has a volume control tied to the throttle opening. The fuel to oil ratio can vary from over 100:1 to about 25:1. The nice thing about oil injection systems is the oil stays as a film, clinging on to all of the internal moving parts and is actually better for engine longevity. What oil makes it up the transfer ports to the cylinder gets burned with the fuel air mixture and is a fraction of the oil used compared to say SAAB pre-mixer engine which runs 33:1 fuel to oil. By 1974 the Japanese were well into making 2 stroke engines that would be world class racing engines, but also were developing 4 stroke engines with 4 valves per cylinder and lots of power and RPMs. Which paved the way for all the fast cars coming out of Japan in the 1980's.

[@charris939]

I had a 1987 1 litre charade, bought for $1500, with 250,000kms I added another 100,000ks in 5 years, spent $1500 on maintenance costs (including tyres). And traded it in for $1000 . Great fun little car.

[@waynekerr5815]

Everyone should have a drive of a old school Mini if they get a chance .

[@TheMentalblockrock]

Agreed, they are brilliant, even the rust prone last fuel injected ones. In fact the last proper Mini I drove was a 1998 cooper 1.3 and that is a lot of fun.

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

In a mini he would not be scared at any legal speed on that road. Minis were fantastic and always felt underpowered because they handled so well.

[@Ian-Steele]

My first two ‘cars’ were both mini vans. I toured Denmark in one of them sleeping in the back. Many’s the time I had to crawl underneath with a blunt instrument to tap the fuel pump to get it clicking again and pumping petrol to the carburettor.

[@GlamStacheessnostalgialounge]

Since my second ever car was a Zastava 750 I don't think I'd be too foreign in a Mini either. Would love to drive one one day, though preferably left-hand drive.

[@MatthewJohnCrittenden]

Been on my list to own one, racing green, white stripes, hinged rear plate, the whole Italian Job thing … one day … it was either that or a mint NA Miata a few years ago and I picked the latter. One day it'll be both. :)

[@profrumpo]

Oh that was brilliant what a superb little car! Surely less terrifying than TWC though when you were on that challenging twisty section, and going up hill reminded me of TWC's struggles with inclines. Love the fact that it is daily use too, thanks to you and the generous owner for that treat :) Oh and yet more views what a fabulous country New Zealand is.

[@alexthomsonuk]

Met a guy with an imported Suzuki Wagon R R. Now that is cool. Tiny little engine with a tiny turbo! Awesome little thing.

[@iatsd]

It's like an InvaCar, but with actual engineering and production standards applied to it.

[@gosportjamie]

And two more wheels...

[@RWBHere]

And three(ish) more seats...

[@jaggass]

Another brilliant 2 stroke Kei car is the Subaru 360. 2stroketurbo loves them.

[@frothe42]

He's working on his Honda N360. Also has an Auto Union 1000s.

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

I remember lots of these 2 stroke kei (not that we knew that word at the time) cars in New Zealand in the 70s. My favorite was the Susuki Fonte with its rear engine. I used to sometimes get a ride home from school in one from a Neighbour. The back seat was a challenge but the sound of the rear engine inches away while making the 1000 foot climb home was fantastic.

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

I have to add in the sexist days a typical Kei car would be purchased as something small and cheap for the wife. So it was common to see them on the school run. The man would usually drive a base or near base large Australian car (to tow the boat or caravan) with no power steering....that the wife would hate driving or parking.

[@timhancock6626]

In 1978 I had a Honda 360 Actyvan pickup as my company daily hack (motorcycle dealership and used for collecting breakdowns). I absolutely loved it. It was a bit dodgy on corners and roundabouts where it cocked a rear wheel at the drop of a hat when unloaded.

[@michaeld7409]

This car is a true gem. Sadly these never made their way to Austria where i grew up. My dad, however, had a Mazda 616 rx2 rotary. What great fun it was for me seeing mercs or bmw 02‘s vanishing from the back window 😀

[@roconnor01]

Apart from the cars,I'm hugely impressed by New Zealand and to us British, the luxury of absolute silence in the countryside.

[@macfie9331]

The countryside in NZ is very much like Scotland. Lies to the north of England.

[@Teribus13]

Absolute silence except for the sound of a Daihatsu Fellow Max indicator relay...

[@Chris391971]

I still have fond memories of my 1982 daihatsu charade 3 cylinder 1.0 engine which seemed very fast and economical at the time. Unfortunately it lost 5th gear and the head gasket went. I sold it at the local auction and saw it knocking around for a while. Probably a tin of beans now!

[@mauricevanmourik1982]

What a happy little car! (goes for most twostroke cars, lively and a nice soundtrack! )

[@unbalancedcrank]

Just Wow!!! When your hand is pointing at the car, it looks like you are pointing at a scale model, or a child’s car. Fantastic!

[@martinnorth2680]

Sat in my cold UK house wearing my HubNut hat to keep warm and watching HubNut in the sun. Excellent

[@benjaminmarriott6742]

Not biased by daihatsu ownership in any way, but this looks like an absolute hoot, a mind blowing little kei road test! I was grinning with you as you were driving this, all of the excitement indeed! As you say, an astonishing vehicle, I truly want one now, what a find, could you get more hubnut than this? Fantastic stuff! ❤️

[@paultaylor9652]

Lovely Jubbly Mr HubNut, it reminded me of driving my 1.0 AX in Wales and Scotland back in the 90's.

[@iatsd]

Ahahahaha - Ian's discovered Dyer's Pass Rd. The hoon. :) :)

[@allanwilliams2299]

Awesome video! I got one of these (in NZ) when I was 14. Fixed it up and painted it for when I got my license at 15. I've owned another one more recently, bad sadly no longer have one. One of the most fun cars I've owned, along with my Suzuki Cappuccino and Suzuki Wagon+ 1.0 Turbo.

[@jo05dk]

Many moons ago i owned a Suzuki T350, a 315cc two stroke bike. Mine was born in 72, i think, and the 315cc engine delivered 38 or 39HP, don't remember exactly. It had a mighty bark, and got quite a decent move on if motivated. Man that bike was fun. ..anyways.. What a cute little car. Guess you'd have to be a bit of a nutter to have that as your daily, but such nutters are my kind of people. All the kudos in the world to the owner :)

[@graemew7001]

I seriously want one of these for local driving, it looks an absolute hoot to drive. I could never get bored of that engine noise.

[@admiralalcatraz6080]

Love the styling. A lot of subtle touches you don't notice straight away, like how flat the bumpers are and how little they stick out to keep it within regulations.

[@rydermike33]

What a charming little buzz box. Love the sound of that tiny two-stoke. I would be very happy to have that as a daily driver. Wonderful. Thanks Ian, (and George.)

[@DeerKoden]

Japanes cars and objects made in that time really show a good build quality . Still got a few Takumar camera lenses made in the 70's, they're still smooth to focus with and the build quality is exceptional.

[@danielvergara2901]

Great report Ian ! For the non anglophone countries , this tiny econobox was called Daihatsu Cuore and Max Cuore . There are also 4 doors . But the common feat as every Daihatsu : these "fellows" are invincible , almost hard to die. These Japanese guys gave a big lesson of quality to their contemporaries Fiat 126 / 127 to the Mini and even to Renault 5 . Daihatsu was pioneer in showing a lot of respect to their customers

[@HubNut]

Cuore came later, and had a four-stroke engine. Very much an evolution of this model, but 550cc.

[@danielvergara2901]

@@HubNut Thanks for updating it ! Anyhow i have more confusion now . All in all i do trust in your words . But let me check it out . What i bet is that never was labeled as Fellow !!! I give you the five🖐️👌

[@iatsd]

The expansion chambers have to be on the exhaust side of things, Ian, not the inlet. They are (or should be) designed to create a drop in pressure on the exhaust side to aid in scavenging the cylinders during the exhaust cycle.

[@dlittlester]

I believe he was pointing to the exhaust.

[@iatsd]

@@dlittlester indeed. But he referred to them getting on the inlet side of things. Where's the fun of being online if we can't be pedantic? :-)

[@dlittlester]

@@iatsd Oh. Sorry. Must have missed that.

[@Surestick88]

Since we're being pedantic expansion chambers don't create a drop in pressure, they reflect the positive pressure pulse back to the exhaust port to stuff the portion of the incoming fresh mixture back into the cylinder... At the right RPM of course.

[@jarthurs]

So much innovation comes from the development of small cars, with engineers having to come up with solutions rather than repackage off the shelf elements the mantra less-is-more certainly rings true! What a delightful little example.

[@ianh.6825]

Japanese - English. I remember reading a 1978 Suzuki motorcycle owner's handbook. It advised to ride more carefully on wet roads "for here lurks the skid devil".

[@Phiyedough]

Great to see some of that fantastic New Zealand scenery, my dream country!

[@b.2221]

That little beauty is the equivalent of a Hubnut Tardis time capsule 👍 Tam.

[@RichieRouge206]

I was absolutely enthralled by this little car! The way it buzzes along - it has so much character and amazing fun! I’ve always loved Kei cars. What a great video - made my day!

[@keithfletcher6123]

One word to describe the drive ... “Frantic ...” How gorgeous ...

[@CaptHollister]

The boot opens AND closes, so that's two of the three positions right there. 31 (or even 44)bhp from 360cc is why two-strokes were so dominant in competition motorcycles until regulations were changed to favour 4-strokes. Ironically, one of the essential tools in making two-strokes so powerful is the expansion chamber which was invented in East Germany by Walter Kaaden, though never used there except for competition. When Ernst Degner, MZ's factory rider/engineer, defected to Japan, he brought with him knowledge of Kaaden's. This little Daihatsu demonstrates that they applied this knowledge outside the realm of competition. Half the displacement, but more power and refinement than a Trabant which also uses a transverse-mounted two-stroke twin. Aging Wheels might be a little envious...

[@nikonordman7624]

I think this might be the best road test you have done!

[@Hertog_von_Berkshire]

Great report Hubnut. Thank you from a Suzuki Cappuccino owner.

[@gosportjamie]

What a wonderfully different take on the economy car. This is the direction car companies should be taking now, cars so small that you can drive into town and then pick the car up and put it in your pocket as it's so small. It's really not hard to see why Daihatsu got their reputation for making small cars that are just really good fun...

[@CZ350tuner]

The correct term for the "Expansion Pipe" is "Expansion Chamber" or sometimes "Harmonic Supercharger". It uses the Kaaden effect (discovered by Walter Kaaden of MZ motorcycles in 1954) to utilise exhaust pressure waves to force unburnt fuel charge mixture back into the cylinder at a predetermined moment in the rev range, set by the distance of the expansion chamber's cone from the exhaust port of the cylinder. Shortening the distance moves peak torque higher in the rev range and increasing the distance moves peak torque down the rev range. Basically an expansion chamber has the same effect on a 2 stroke engine like an afterburner has on a jet engine, which is why 2 stroke motorcycle owners add them to their bikes. Before the invention of the expansion chamber, in 1954, 2 stroke engines only produced around 2 x the power and torque of an equivalent capacity 4 stroke engine. The expansion chamber hikes this to just over 2.5 x the power and torque of a equivalent capacity 4 stroke engine. In the 2,000's the most powerful 2 stroke 250cc motorcycle engine produce the equivalent power of just over 1,000 HP per litre.

[@kh23797]

Wish I was in NZ for the winter. Feeling the need some long, warm days, and starry nights filled with the chirruping of crickets.

[@willswheels283]

I don’t know how I missed this video, what a fun looking little car, with that buzzing 2 stroke engine, and only 360cc, it’s amazing what the Japanese could do with such small engines. It’s great that the owner has had it for that length of time and still uses it as his daily driver, fantastic! Thanks for this Ian.

[@brettnetherton398]

Daihatsu have made some impressively long-lasting vehicles.

[@sg8539]

What a fantastic little car, perfect for congested towns and cities with slow moving traffic as the K cars were designed for. Well done for showing us this little gem. Thanks Ian.

[@jgvgjv2980]

Terrific car, looks really very enjoyable to drive, brings a grin to all who see and drive it

[@dlittlester]

Ian, there's a guy in Oregon who has a KZbin channel called 2stroke turbo. He'd love this little car. He's got some Suzuki 360 cars and a couple of vans too.

[@schlookie]

Try and find a Suzuki Alto to test drive, they were reasonably common in NZ. It would be interesting to see how this little car's performance drops off with a load of 4 people riding in it. I know from personal experience, a load of 2 adults and 2 kids makes a Suzuki Alto's performance suffer quite considerably!

[@Teribus13]

Even the ones we had in the UK suffered with more than 1 adult. My wife had a 2003 model with the 1.1 engine, which was great up to 30MPH, but gutless beyond that. Mind you, the rev counter went all the way up to 10! The engine wouldn't rev anywhere near that high, so I've no idea why the rev counter went that high 😂

[@dazaspc]

Daihatsu the CITROEN of the East. Even in their trucks they always did things differently. The things like the big PCD wheel nut wheels on the drums was a characteristic of Daihatsu when fitted with 4 wheel drum brakes. As were the foil stickers inside the doors that were poorly translated. They used to make a one ton van same class as a Hiace {Hijet?}and these were extremely well made. They never achieved popularity they deserved. I don't ever recall a 2 stroke 360 Daihatsu from those days but it doesn't mean they weren't sold in Australia. Their commercial vehicles always seemed to sell well in Australia. However after the company was taken over by Toyota they seemed to loose their uniqueness. Excellent find and a testament to just how well Daihatsu was built. 90000 miles is amazing

[@amosburton5227]

What a fantastic little car thanks Ian, on a side note I've taken a leaf from the hubnut book and recently downsized to a 3 cylinder 1.0l corsa with an astonishing 59bhp!

[@SharkoonBln]

I think the air cleaner is now in it´s "winter" position to stop getting a frozen carb. In "summer" position it is supposed to be turned 90 degrees clockwise to get cold air in.

[@nigelcharlton-wright1747]

My late father had one of those amazing coat hanger aerial on his Marina, that may of been the most exciting bit of the car and it wasn't even a BL part. Love the little car reminds me of the Honda.

[@paulanderson79]

In the early 1980's we had a senior school teacher who drove one of these things. The chap concerned was a Mr E. Watts (BA), who taught Latin, Geography and 'classics'. Avid pipe smoker and was often to be found in the local pub at lunchtime. The car was a dark forest green colour and we were all fascinated by it. What was notable is that it never seemed to go wrong. Couldn't say the same of the Talbot Solaras, Austin Maxis and Vauxhall Cavaliers that seemed to dominate the staff car park.

[@antonmealy168]

Great to see this. Haven't seen one in Aus, apart from a JDM import Fellow Max Hardtop coupé & a period road test. You didn't mention Kei class until '75 was 10'x4' so 10cm NARROWER than a Mini, which makes modern roads huge. Suzuki Fronté & Honda Life also available as 4-doors. Must get my '74 Honda Z360 Hardtop going with its 35hp 9000rpm 360cc 4-stroke water cooled twin...

[@gaznicol5020]

Fantastic little K car. Your excitement when it arrived at the show was addictive and I throughly enjoyed this test drive with you, Ian.

[@benday1218]

Still one of my faves, glad to see its hit 100k views.

[@themadscientest]

Easy to work on engine, small, and tons of fun well within the speed limit on a mountain pass! Seriously what more could you want.

[@barstowtovegas8574]

That's the one to buy and bring home. It's perfect Hubnut.

[@antonyhowell6189]

We miss 2 stroke engines, the sound smell and easy maintenance. What a great little car. 👍

[@erik_dk842]

I visited East Berlin in 1984. The stink of two-stroke exhaust was terrible and it was as if there were no colors on that side of the wall.

[@nix123ism]

My first car was a Suzuki Fronte LC10W 3 cylinder 2 stroke , very similar to this car, remember me and 3 of my mates piling into it and driving from auckland to Parakai hot pools at open road speeds 100kph, good times.....at 100kph it was flat out with 4 of us in it but great fun, from memory , it weighed 500kg...

[@toastielovegrave2938]

I never knew 2-stroke cars existed! Have seen motorbikes of that ilk of course, and they're a completely different animal to their 4-stroke counterparts. That looked like so much fun to drive. ❤

[@RexWaldron]

Bonkers but brilliant. Love the rather incongruous wood effect dash!

[@bobeden5027]

the expansion tube is sized so that the return negative pressure pulse arrives back at the exhaust port to improve cylinder scavenging and hence improve volumetric air flow through the engine.

[@zugbug1986]

I can just sense TWC The Invacar back home getting very jealous with all the love and praise you're giving to the little Daihatsu. Purrrrrrfect ending.

[@alasdair4161]

It makes my G11 look like a limousine.. with its big block 1L.. I like the way they shape the 3 to look as much like an 8 as possible.. at a glance, through the 2 stroke smoke 'was that an 860?' WOW!

[@AndreiTupolev]

Love that magnificent coathanger aerial.

[@zugbug1986]

It was a costly option.

[@kevinkeeney6693]

Truly Hub Nut. Somewhere in Wales there is an Invacar nodding with approval.

[@dunc1958]

That is the cutest little car ever, a brilliant little machine. For all its appeal it is upstaged by George the cat in the last seconds.

[@olivermacke838]

A Trabant looks like a well-established saloon in comparism. Love it.

[@shebbs1]

Not really, this car is definitely superior, even if Trabants had an average life of well over 25 years. Then again, 25 years in the West is a long time in terms of car development, but was just the same old thing ongoing in the East.

[@happyhermit2022]

Definitely a Hub Nut car ! I'm surprised you haven't toyed with a 1980' s Daihatsu Charade...993 cc three cylinder and an absolute flying machine...🤗

[@chucku00]

He already did a review of a 660cc Daihatsu-powered Innocenti 500 Small. I'm pretty sure if he has an opportunity to review a 993cc Charade, Ian would gladly jump in it !

[@varg11]

2 Stroke are amazing. I will keep my bikes forever.

[@yamahonkawazuki]

i came along in 1975. tbh i didnt know who or what daihatsu was until the charade was sold in the us. that to me was a fun little car.