1979 Daihatsu TAFT F20 Canvas Soft Top
Rare Japanese classic jeep produced by Daihatsu built in 1979, it's a F20 series known as TAFT and Wild Cat in UK, comes with full canvas soft top has original 78k miles, 4x4 Right-hand drive vehicle had power by 1.6L Petrol engine. Very straight and original.
Detail about this car
You are looking at the incredibly rare Daihatsu F20. These where only originally imported to the uk in very small numbers and the majority of them where hardback van versions.
This is the full canvas version which similar to a early land rover can easily be stripped off including the doors and the windscreen folded down.
This little Daihatsu has been in a private collection dry stored since 1999. It has spent nearly all its life in north Wales and was last used on the road in the summer of 1998. It has been regularly coated in spray wax to preserve it.
It’s a very basic little vehicle and is very similar to a early series land rover with tough steel ladder chassis and leaf springs and drum brakes all around with a transmission brake hand brake. It has selectable four wheel drive with Hi and Low gears for rough terrain.
The chassis and complete underside is in superb condition and has been coated in clear wax regularly and shows no signs of corrosion. The rear bed has had steel plate riveted over the original floor many years ago but looking from underneath the original floor is still very solid.
The bodywork overall is very good for its age with some bubbling along the sills on each side but you can actually get your hand behind the bodywork and it feels solid . There are obviously marks and light scrapes here and there but its that kind of vehicle and overall looks great.
The canvas hood and hood tops are all very good and original .They keep the weather out and the whole thing is watertight.
It has excellent tyres all around with a almost new spare .The wheels are period Weller style and are in good order.
It starts and drives fairly well with excellent gearbox and good working four wheel drive system. It has manual free wheeling hubs that work fine. The steering is surprisingly light and is very responsive (Better than a land rover anyway). The drum brakes work like drum brakes do (Stop eventually) but would benefit from a good service and adjustment and possible flush /Air bleed.
The engine is very sweet and strong but due to being unused for 15 years it would benefit from a good service and possibly a carburettor clean out. It starts very easily and will run well but seams to run better with full choke even when warm so there is a minor carb issue somewhere but it would be easier to replace the carb as they are still available.