I rarely do reviews, but JDM Hawaii has been awesome (Matthew and the sales/test drive person that helped me out [I forgot his name... ]) were great and made the whole process and experience great!
I've always wanted a kei van for the longest time, did LOADS of research into models, engines, trims, aftermarket, etc. and had the exact model/brand that I was looking for.
I was in the market for a Honda Acty van, 5 speed manual, 4WD and A/C (if I could get A/C).
I spotted mine on the JDM Hawaii website (which updated frequently), talked to Matthew and his assistant, confirmed the availability (there was a special deal running, which was confirmed) and I went out to see the van (I flew from Kauai to Oahu to see it; not with the guarantee of buying it).
The van was a 1996 Honda Street (a luxury version of the Acty van)!
The salesperson had pulled the vehicle from the lot parking, cleaned the vehicle and had it ready before I even arrived! I checked out the dealership, looked at other models and was given snacks and water before the test drive.
I did take a LONG GANDER at the van, checking it for any damage, wear and tear, etc. and we started the test drive. The van was driven to an empty parking lot; I needed to re-adjust to driving manual again after a year + it's right-hand drive (YES, they trusted a random test driver to know manual good enough to drive on busy roads!) I drove the van around the block for a few times, listening for any odd noises, feeling how well the transmission worked and how the engine ran. It all checked out with the road drive!
After the test drive, I went inside the dealership, they crunched the numbers (including the special which was a $500 discount from dealer price, free shipping and no tax) and set the paperwork in front of me. I asked if I could take a good look at the van again, which they kindly approved. I took an even harder look at the van, interior, exterior (there's some minor damage from the previous owner; a dent and a small bumper scratch, but nothing major), undercarriage and engine bay and I signed and bought the thing!
Matthew kept in touch with me with texts and a few phone calls after (the DMV registration was the most time-consuming thing after buying the van; 2-3 weeks) and let me know when the van was being shipped out + gave me insurance suggestions. The van took 3ish days to ship out and I picked it up shortly after! (The shipper didn't receive the shipping payment from the dealer, but after a phone call, JDM HI squared it away with Young Brothers). All the shipping paperwork was complete at pick-up; no problems!
The van needed no parts or repairs after my purchase from the dealership (I did, however, get a full tint from Sky Auto and it's CLEAN; a better job then my daily's prior tint job and about $300 cheaper then another tint shop by me).
Van condition at purchase;
No rust; frame or otherwise
Mechanically solid (engine, trans)
Exterior was repainted by prior owner; some flaking in spots, but nothing major and a small dent is on the rear door.
The interior is EXTREMELY clean (sorry, don't have photos), very minor wear on the driver's seat (especially for these vans), all passenger seats are original and spotless (no dirt or wear)
The dash cluster works fully; the speedometer, tach, odometer temperature and fuel gauge all work.
A/C and heat + defroster work great.
An aftermarket radio was installed (previous owner?); works with local stations; I have yet to try plugging in my phone to the AUX port.
Headlights (brights, turn signals) work; the previous owner did a LED conversion on the headlights; NICE TOUCH.
The cute, innocent-sounding horn works!
Manual windows (all hand-crank) work fully and the cranks are fully intact.
The rear seat-folding mechanism works flawlessly.
...and that's about it!
I highly recommend JDM HI to check out and buy a kei car from; like any big purchase, know what you want, do your research and don't be afraid to check out the car (they let me check all over the van!) Matt and the crew treated me well and I'd consider buying another if I could (but I don't have the space or funds... ); Mahalo to the JDM HI crew! read more