1999 Daihatsu Hijet, Climber

Full interior and exterior detail Driven and verified by our team. A/C blows cold. 4WD, hi/lo, and rear differential lock all engage properly. Everything works. The Climber is the off-road specification of the Hijet lineup, and the difference over a standard Hijet is real and meaningful. Rear differential lock. High and low transfer case. OEM Daihatsu alloy wheels. Side steps under the bed for access to the cargo area. OEM front cab mirror for visibility in tight spaces. EFI DLI ignition system. These were factory specifications on the Climber, not aftermarket additions, and they are all present and functional on this truck. The rear differential lock is the feature that defines this trim. Engage it and both rear wheels receive equal torque regardless of which one has traction. On mud, loose gravel, steep inclines, or anywhere one wheel might break loose, the differential lock keeps the truck moving where a standard open differential would not. Most light trucks twice the price and size do not offer a rear locker at all. On paper, the Hijet Climber carries 770lb. In practice, owners consistently report carrying more without issue. The EF-SE is a naturally aspirated 660cc three-cylinder, simple and proven, with a parts network that extends across Daihatsu’s broader lineup. The front passenger seat folds completely flat, a factory feature on this configuration. It extends the cab floor into a usable flat surface for tools, supplies, or additional cargo when a passenger is not aboard. Small detail, genuinely useful in daily use. Mileage: 37,200 miles (59,834 km). Fuel economy: approximately 35 42 MPG in mixed driving based on real-world EF-SE data. Interesting Facts The Daihatsu Hijet Climber was the off-road focused variant of the Hijet truck range, distinguished by rear differential lock, a feature Daihatsu added specifically for buyers working on farms, forestry operations, and rough terrain. The combination of a manual locker, hi/lo transfer case, and 4WD gave the Climber a capability profile far beyond its size and price. Rear differential locks on light trucks are more common in Japan than in the US market. American light trucks of this era rarely offered lockers outside of dedicated off-road packages on full-size platforms. Japanese kei truck manufacturers understood that farmers and tradespeople needed genuine traction capability in a compact, affordable package. The EFI DLI ignition system on this Hijet uses distributorless direct ignition, eliminating the distributor cap, rotor, and associated wear items. This was a relatively modern ignition solution for a vehicle of this class in 1999 and contributes to the reliable cold-start performance the EF-SE is known for. The passenger seat fold-flat feature on Climber-spec Hijets was designed for operators who frequently needed to transport long or awkward items through the cab. By folding the passenger seat forward and flat, the effective cargo length from the front of the cab to the tailgate increases significantly. The Daihatsu Hijet was never officially sold in the United States. At 25 years old this example now qualifies for legal import under the federal 25-year exemption rule. Key Features 1999 Daihatsu Hijet Climber EF-SE 660cc EFI DLI engine 5-speed manual transmission 4WD with hi/lo selector Rear differential lock 37,200 miles (59,834 km) White exterior OEM Daihatsu alloy wheels New tires OEM front cab mirror Side steps under bed Front passenger seat folds flat Cold A/C New spark plugs and battery All belts replaced All fluids replaced Air filter replaced About Us We’ve been working with Japanese vehicles for over 25 years. Long before opening our location in the United States, our team was importing and servicing these vehicles in Europe when many of them were still new. Because of that experience, we know these platforms extremely well. Every model has its own weak points, and we inspect and address them before the vehicle is offered for sale. All vehicles are serviced at our facility in Japan before shipping. Fluids, belts, filters, batteries, and common failure points are inspected and replaced when necessary. Unlike many dealerships, we actually drive our vehicles. They don’t sit in a parking lot. Our trucks and cars are used regularly so we can verify reliability before they reach their new owner. When you buy from us, you’re getting a vehicle that is fully prepared and ready to drive from day one. JP-TRADE is our first location in the United States, supported by a team of more than 40 people across Europe, Japan, Korea, China, and the U.S. If you made it this far, here is a little bonus for you. Why does a 660cc kei truck have a rear differential lock when most full-size trucks do not? In Japan, the buyers who needed kei trucks were often working in conditions where traction mattered more than speed. Rice paddies, mountain farms, forestry tracks, and muddy construction sites do not care how small your engine is. They care whether all four wheels are working together. Daihatsu understood this and built the Climber specification specifically to address it. A rear locker on a truck this size and price was not common anywhere in the world in 1999. It still is not. Most buyers of full-size American trucks never experience a differential lock in their entire ownership. Daihatsu put one on a 660cc farm truck because the people buying it actually needed it.