>Whenever I look at traditional Japanese products, from tools to textiles to
>teapots they are wonderfully sublime yet subtle.  Then I see something like
>what you have pointed out and I have to wonder what in the hell
>happened to those
>people.  It seems as if they are trying to steal the Done In Bad Taste title
>from us Yanks.

Must be the new boy-wonder breed in Japan. I hope this is only a
(quickly-) passing phase!

>The Hiace looks like a cool van.  I only wish we, too, had the chance to
>consider one.

>I wish the HiAce was sold in North America....even ones from 10 years ago.

Appearancewise the outgoing model is still a great-looking vehicle.
The model before that (~82-88) was far from ugly but still not what
I'd call good-looking. The two prior generations were good lookers
for their times but were much smaller than the 3rd-5th generations.

>It would be great to have a newer "sit over the front wheels" style
>van with lot's of room and Toyota reliability, especially if it was
>outfitted like a Westy with kitchen and pop-top etc.

Poptop Westy-style Hiaces are popular here, lots in rental outfits.
The new (5th-generation) model, ugly though it is, should make an
even better camper than the old (89-05) model, as there's an optional
body 1.88m wide. Looks like there's no SWB version this time, which I
think is no loss at all; only the LWB & XLWB. Nissan's new
Caravan/Urvan/Homy slao retains the layout, but will be the standard
old 1.69m wide.
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin
New Zealand
Fossil preparator
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut

HUMANITY: THE ULTIMATE VON NEUMANN MACHINE

DEMOCRACY: RULE BY THE LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR