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View Full Version : The migratory pattern of the native Japanese S-Cargo in Calgary



RealToyCars
09-03-2005, 10:47 PM
I've been away from this forum for a while... But one of my colleagues mentioned that he saw a couple of Street Encounter threads about my S-Cargo on here, so I thought I'd check it out.

It appears there's some uncertainty about how many S-Cargos are in Calgary these days (even if the one that the SkylineShop brought to Calgary for a show is excluded). So I thought I'd tell my little story about my S-Cargos (yes, plural) and post links to some pics, and everyone can match their spottings with the timeline I present, and enjoy the beautiful pics I took of my S-Cargos.

I imported my first 1989 Nissan S-Cargo (I'll call it S-Cargo #1) in September 2004 and had it on the roads of Calgary by October 2004. This one was yellow with mock woodgrain bumpers and fenders, and had an electric canvas sunroof.

It was involved in a head-on collision :banghead: in February 2005 with a mini-van. My mechanic was driving it at the time... actually, he was stopped at a stop sign, and the careless driver in the mini-van was going to fast, cut the corner too close, and hit the S-Cargo straight head-on. The mechanic was fine :), but the S-Cargo was terribly flat in the front.
:drama:

Since I wanted a vehicle like this to be an example of the quality vehicles we import (that's right... for those of you who guessed, I'm one of the owners of JNS Imports), a significantly repaired S-Cargo wouldn't be a good example, even if the accident occurred here in Canada.

Thus, I located another fabulous 1989 Nissan S-Cargo (I'll call it S-Cargo #2) to import for myself. It was imported in March 2005 and was on the roads of Calgary by April 13, 2005. I remember the exact day because it was 2 days before the Calgary Herald had published an article in the Driving section about my S-Cargo #1.

S-Cargo #2 is the same yellow body colour as S-Cargo #1, but it doesn't have the mock woodgrain bumpers and fenders... the bumpers/fenders are grey on this one. Nor does S-Cargo #2 have the electric canvas sunroof (something I will miss). It does, however, have the portal windows on the side, which I find more useful since it allows a sight path for checking over the left shoulder.

Before I tell the rest of the story, here are links to the photo galleries for these cars so you can see the real things with good pics. I have the before-and-after thing happening with pics from the supplier in Japan as well as my own pics once I got them on the road... although there really wasn't any work done to these S-Cargos (other than the wheels) since they were in such good condition.

S-Cargo #1:
Original pics from supplier in Japan (http://driveit.clickspace.com/gallery/1010287/1000121)
My pics (with new wheels) including accident damage pics (http://driveit.clickspace.com/gallery/1015420/1000121)

S-Cargo #2:
Original pics from supplier in Japan (http://driveit.clickspace.com/gallery/1011829/1000121)
My pics (with new wheels that were used from S-Cargo #1) (http://driveit.clickspace.com/gallery/1015421/1000121)

Before I continue my story, I'd like to take this time to thank a few people...

...Tunerworks for going the extra mile to locate those nice 15" Konig Freefall wheels (yes, they are, in fact, 15" wheels) that I was so adamant about finding for my S-Cargo... many people have noticed and commented on them.

...Auto Smart for their excellent and quick service, for taking a personal interest in my S-Cargos, and for letting the broken S-Cargo sit in front of their shop while the insurance company took a long time to figure out the damage and costs.

Now back to my story...

Between February and April, there wasn't an S-Cargo on the roads of Calgary :(. The broken one was sitting in front of Auto Smart (where I get my S-Cargo serviced) while the insurance company completed the claim. My intent was to find someone to buy the salvage... and if that didn't happen, I'd have a parts car.

The broken S-Cargo #1 was getting a lot of exposure sitting in front of Auto Smart (a little too much at times apparently), and a couple of people asked about purchasing the salvage. Needless to say, a buyer was quickly found who took the salvage off my hands in June 2005.

The buyer was so intrigued by the S-Cargo, that he purchased a nice pearl white S-Cargo from us for his business (let's call this one S-Cargo #3). He just received it about a week ago, and will have it on the roads as soon as he gets his business signage painted on it. The last time I spoke with him, he indicated that he will have S-Cargo #1 completely repaired and on the road again soon :), and that he may also be interested in having one or two more (possibly S-Cargo #4 and #5) for his employees to drive.

So there may be a whole gaggle of happy little S-Cargos zippin' around the streets of Calgary soon! :love:

For those of you curious about what's under the hood of an S-Cargo... it's snails of course (it sure beats gerbils)!

Actually, it's the same 4-cyl 1.5-litre carbureted engine that was found in the U.S. model of the Datsun Sentra. Here's the full info on the S-Cargo...

PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Produced only for the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM)
12,000 units produced from 1989 to 1991
Price of new car (in 1989): ¥1,250,000 JPY (approx. $14,500 CAD)

SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE
E15S – 1.5-litre 4-cylinder inline carbureted engine
Horsepower – 73 HP @ 5600 rpm
Torque – 84 lb-ft @ 3200 rpm
Fuel type – Gasoline
Fuel consumption (city) – 5.4 L/100km

DRIVETRAIN / BRAKES / SUSPENSION
Front engine / front-wheel drive (FF)
3-speed automatic transmission
Front disc / rear drum brakes
Front independent strut-type suspension
Rear torsion bar suspension (acts as independent rear suspension)

WHEELS AND TIRES
OEM wheels: 13” x 4.5” Steel wheels with S-Cargo branded plastic wheel covers
OEM tires: 155R13 Light Truck tires
Upgraded wheels: 15” x 6.5” Konig Freefall alloys
Upgraded tires: 195/55R15 Toyo Proxes 4 (all-season)

DIMENSIONS / CAPACITIES
Exterior dimensions (LxWxH), mm: 3480 x 1595 x 1960
Interior dimensions (LxWxH), mm: 1065 x 1325 x 1230
Wheel base, mm: 2260
Treads (F/R), mm: 1395 / 1340
Ground clearance, mm: 165
Curb vehicle weight, kg: 970
Gross vehicle weight, kg: 1380
Seating capacity, persons: 2 (plus 2 with folding rear seat – no restraints)
Minimum turning radius, m: 4.7
Fuel tank capacity, L: 40

EQUIPMENT / FEATURES
- Air conditioning
- Electric tailgate lock
- Portal windows (option)
- Electric canvas sunroof (option)
- Halogen headlights
- Folding rear seat
- Large center mounted speedometer
- Center dash mounted gear shift
- Large flat writing surface on dash

Sorry for the long (dry) post... I hope someone enjoys it.

If you see me on the streets, give a honk and a wave... I'm sure this car will put a smile on your face, and maybe even make you chuckle a bit. If you catch me stopped someplace, don't be shy... come and say "Hi"... I'll give you the grand tour!

philipoo
09-03-2005, 11:28 PM
lol, very nice story. S Cargo... pretty cute car.

calgarys13
09-03-2005, 11:50 PM
hey cool s-cargo story, ive been meaning to talk to you guys about the r31 gt-s you guys have..i see this car everyday downtown and im hoping you guys can bring the scargo and the r31 to the NECC meet tommrow night..chinook center..infront of east side marios/ shopper drug mart (or in that vacinity) at 7:30 pm.. hope to see you there!

Kamen
09-03-2005, 11:51 PM
Those cars are neat! :thumbsup:
I wouldn't mind one of those or a Honda Beat myself :)
There is 1 in Victoria and I'm sure some in Vancouver as well.

t-im
09-04-2005, 02:58 AM
Cute car!!! I always see the one parked up in the NW

Anyways, in the end, how much does importing one cost?

RealToyCars
09-05-2005, 04:09 PM
Originally posted by t-im
Cute car!!! I always see the one parked up in the NW

Anyways, in the end, how much does importing one cost?

An S-Cargo of this quality/condition and low kms (less than 70,000 kms) would end up costing between $7,000 and $8,500 CAD through us.

Something that needs some repairs would be in the range of $5,500 and $7,000 CAD.

The S-Cargo fetches a high price on the used market in Japan because there's a significant following in Japan and the U.K., as well as a small following in Austalia and even New Zealand. Thus, it drives the price of this little car up a bit. Even really tired ones (more suitable as a parts car) still fetch a high price.

kaput
09-05-2005, 07:27 PM
.

RealToyCars
09-05-2005, 08:47 PM
Originally posted by kaput
hey I've seen one of those in NW calgary twice now, looks exactly the same. I'd never seen it before and I had no idea WTF it was.

That one would be mine. It's difficult to deny it since it is the only one currently roaming the streets of Calgary (or appears to be the only one)... at least in the NW...

...For now, that is... Bah hah hah! There are more of them coming... soon... to the streets of Calgary... One-by-one, people will smile and chuckle... and without warning, the whole city will be smiling and chuckling... And S-Cargos will start popping up in other cities... and people will start to smile and chuckle there, too... Before you know, the entire country will be smiling and chuckling.

And then we can spring our ultimate surprise... to take over the world!

dooman24
09-05-2005, 08:57 PM
lol sweet car..
never heard of it before..
haha
can't wait to see it somewhere in calgary.. lol

s dime
09-05-2005, 09:48 PM
I saw your car when I was waiting in line at the bottle depot on saturday. Pretty neat... ( I was the one who got out of a pickup and started snapping pics when I was leaving! ) :thumbsup:

wankel_love
09-06-2005, 12:15 PM
hahahah those s cargos are sweet, they are like a faster golf cart!:D

lastprodigy
09-06-2005, 01:23 PM
looks liek an escargot

Thaco
09-06-2005, 01:28 PM
i say a rhd one of these

http://www.japan-partner.ru/images/27ca6e81c3/0ca51019b4_t.jpg just a few days ago in calgary.

HRD2PLZ
09-06-2005, 01:57 PM
hahaha the S-Cargo is so cute! I'm gonna have to keep my eyes open for them :thumbsup:

GoChris
09-06-2005, 06:58 PM
neat car and thanks for the story :thumbsup:

canadian_hustla
09-06-2005, 10:00 PM
saw a yellow one today driving around in crowfoot =~ 8 pm

funny little vehicle, i noticed it was RHD, as well as that it had dark yellow tinted headlights. Aren't these illegal?!!!??!

BubbaSTi
09-07-2005, 08:07 AM
Originally posted by canadian_hustla
saw a yellow one today driving around in crowfoot =~ 8 pm

funny little vehicle, i noticed it was RHD, as well as that it had dark yellow tinted headlights. Aren't these illegal?!!!??!

If it is illegal, oh well. I actually filled up with gas at the Esso gas station on Country Hills and Nose Hill Drive a while ago and made a post about your car a while ago in the Street Encounters section. I wanted to go and talk to you but I got scared. And I LOVE those wheels man. They suit the car so nicely.

If you drink coffee, come through that Tim Hortons in the Esso and I'll give you a free coffee, but ONLY if the S-Cargo is there...

GQBalla
09-07-2005, 11:42 AM
hey i saw your s cargo yesterday on crowchild LOL it was pretty funny put a smile on my face i kept tryin to take a picture of it but the sun was to bright!!!

BerserkerCatSplat
09-07-2005, 11:48 AM
Good story!

I love S-Cargo's now. I'd seen pictures, and I thought they were just butt-ugly. But you see one in person, and you get that first "OMGWTFSCARGO" moment, and you just can't dislike them anymore. There's just something about them that makes you grin and chuckle. :D

canadian_hustla
09-07-2005, 12:30 PM
If it is illegal, oh well. I actually filled up with gas at the Esso gas station on Country Hills and Nose Hill Drive a while ago and made a post about your car a while ago in the Street Encounters section. I wanted to go and talk to you but I got scared. And I LOVE those wheels man. They suit the car so nicely.

:werd: , whoever owns that thing.. cool car to have

Benny
09-07-2005, 09:27 PM
:werd: I've seen the one driving around Crowfoot a couple times. Neat little car. :thumbsup:

RealToyCars
09-10-2005, 02:27 AM
Originally posted by s dime
I saw your car when I was waiting in line at the bottle depot on saturday. Pretty neat... ( I was the one who got out of a pickup and started snapping pics when I was leaving! ) :thumbsup:

I didn't see you snapping the pics... I just saw you walking away with a guilty look on your face :)

You should have approached me... I would have given you the 10 second grand tour of the little car.

RealToyCars
09-10-2005, 02:40 AM
Originally posted by BubbaSTi


If it is illegal, oh well. I actually filled up with gas at the Esso gas station on Country Hills and Nose Hill Drive a while ago and made a post about your car a while ago in the Street Encounters section. I wanted to go and talk to you but I got scared. And I LOVE those wheels man. They suit the car so nicely.

If you drink coffee, come through that Tim Hortons in the Esso and I'll give you a free coffee, but ONLY if the S-Cargo is there...

I saw your post (and the other posts about my S-Cargo), which is why I thought I'd tell my story and de-mystify the street encounters.

You should have come say "Hi"... I don't think I'm that scary :eek:, and my car is happier than the Love Bug :love: when it gets all that attention.

My S-Cargo is my daily driver, so I fill up regularly at that Esso station. So if you see me there again, stop me and I'll have that coffee :) I've put over 4700 kms on that odometer since I got it on the road in April. I drive it to work about 90% of the time right now, and will probably drive it to work about 65%-70% during the winter.

t-im
09-11-2005, 01:07 AM
I saw your car at Rogers today (Saturday evening) :clap: :clap: !!

toddlewis
11-06-2006, 03:28 PM
:poosie:
Hi, hope you all don't mind me posting here but I'm trying to contact all nissan s cargo owners worldwide. I've set up a blog for all. If you are interested in contibuting with cargo info and posibly pictures, please, please get in touch via email.
[email protected]
:burnout:

Anton
11-06-2006, 07:58 PM
Hah that's awesome!

Unique looking car man! :thumbsup:

Graham_A_M
11-12-2006, 11:40 PM
Originally posted by Kamen
I wouldn't mind one of those or a Honda Beat myself :)


So was I, .66 liters is pretty rough, but 80MPG makes up for it in a real hurry:eek:

They'd make great commuter cars... thats for sure.

AzN'SKillZ
11-13-2006, 12:03 AM
not to be rude

but i just dont dig the car, and cant understand y other ppl do

LilDrunkenSmurf
11-13-2006, 02:48 AM
Because it's original? Sometimes it's not just looks

HiSpec
11-15-2006, 02:16 AM
i'll love that car to commute around!!

If I were to own one, I already have a few ideas on what to do with it. Give it a nice interior with interior mood lighting. Or even in the future give it a nice power-up project.


Originally posted by RealToyCars


An S-Cargo of this quality/condition and low kms (less than 70,000 kms) would end up costing between $7,000 and $8,500 CAD through us.

Something that needs some repairs would be in the range of $5,500 and $7,000 CAD.

The S-Cargo fetches a high price on the used market in Japan because there's a significant following in Japan and the U.K., as well as a small following in Austalia and even New Zealand. Thus, it drives the price of this little car up a bit. Even really tired ones (more suitable as a parts car) still fetch a high price.

how much is insurance for this little car?

Donmega
11-15-2006, 10:56 PM
anyone else notice that it looks like jar jar binks:confused:

theken
11-15-2006, 11:01 PM
haha^:werd:

Arthur Dent
11-16-2006, 07:35 AM
Cool - seen yours around a lot up in the NW. Love the S-Cargo.

Nissanaddict
11-17-2006, 02:59 AM
Originally posted by Donmega
anyone else notice that it looks like jar jar binks:confused:

Doesn't someone here have that as a sig? (S-Cargo with Jar Jar)....btw I like those cars. Nifty.

gypsy
11-19-2006, 10:19 PM
I read your story...I am thinking of buying a SCARGO VAN from Japan...another friend of mine just did. What do you like about it? I am only 5 feet tall. I know the steering wheel does not tilt...will I be able to get close enough to pedals and see over the dash? And how is the power and speed on highways? Do you feel safe in it? ) I tried a smart car and did not feel safe.) Was it difficult learning to drive it with wheel on the right? The one I am looking at is automatic. It is $6000 USD. What do you think of that please? I am basically an idiot with cars but have a good mechanic. Just do not want to buy it and spend more fixing it. I plan to just drive it in and around Vancouver when I am there. thanks for replying soon or if anyone else can reply, also?
betty

Godfuader
11-19-2006, 10:43 PM
Was this "vehicle" designed to be a milk delivery vehicle. Saw it months ago on crowchild. :thumbsup: for you, for not getting a very typical and common jdm nissan.