UPDATE: **SOLD** Was $4995.
Not many of these RHD J30s in the US.
“1966 Mitsubishi Jeep J30 4 Door 4X4
Built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries under license from Kaiser Jeep.
These were made from the late 1950s through the late 1990s. However, very rare here in the US.
It features a 4 Cylinder gas motor with a 3 speed manual column shift. (Three on the tree).
It has a THREE speed transfer case 2 Hi, 4 Hi, 4 Med, 4 Lo, and N.
The motor runs quite well. It shifts fine. We drove it to the lot.
However, the brakes need work before it can be driven.
Overall the Jeep is pretty solid. There is some minimal rust in various rocker and door spots.
The frame, floors, and underside look remarkably well. The truck came from Texas.
The interior appears to be mostly original. The seat upholstery is good, but the cushioning material has deteriorated.
The door panels need recovering and the headline is missing (the insulation is still there).
After market gauges and radio have been added many, many years ago. The radio actually works.
The tire look fairly recent. It looks like it was probably repainted eons ago.”
I like this a lot, except for the RHD. Having had and driven a RHD British car in the US, it’s frustrating how many things are set up for LHD only. For example, going into a parking garage where you need to take a ticket from the machine. By the time I slide back across the seat and re-position myself to drive again, the darn gate is usually on its way down.
Anyone out there ever done a RHD to LHD conversion on one of these? I’d imagine, since it mostly jeep-based, that the parts for the steering linkage, steering box, master cylinder, and brake hoses and pipes would be easily obtained. But it looks like I’d also have to come up with a new dash, all the pedal brackets, re-locate the heater, and switch the 3-on-the-tree to a floor shift.
That back seat seems to be set up for leg-less riders. Even in Japan, I’m sure the rear seat passengers weren’t too pleased to be sitting there.
That’s pretty cool. It’d be fun to have. I think I’d just leave it RHD and deal with it.
I have never seen one, I would have thought it was someones homemade custom.
Here’s more info on them: http://www.automobile-catalog.com/make/mitsubishi/jeep/j30/1962.html
Craig: I would think switching sides would be doable. Whether it would be easy or not would depend on how many standard jeep parts were used. If they adhered to the standard mechanical design, then I imagine that using jeep parts to switch back to LHD might not be all that difficult (though the dash would be an issue). After all, by the early 1960s jeep was producing both left hand and right hand designs.
Here’s a very similar Mitsubishi HJ-38 that was for sale near me: http://www.ewillys.com/2014/04/24/1975-hj-38-mitsubishi-wagon-kent-wa-4500/ The ad doesn’t mention whether this is RHD or LHD. It was/is owned by George, a jeep expert who would have an opinion regarding the plausibility of switching one of these from RHD to LHD.
– Dave
Looking closely at George’s Jeep, it looks like it is RHD also.
Dennis,
I couldn’t tell for sure. I was going to go out to George’s to buy a part and check out this and his other jeeps during a trip for Seattle, but George had to put me off a few times until I ran out of time.
– Dave
It’s a shame that Willys didn’t make a four door wagon back in the 50s. I would have definitely been a buyer for one of those