Filipino-made Utility Vehicles in the Past

**krit.kulot** · October 4th, 2007 12:13 AM

Originally Posted by webmiester

This one is actually called "skates"

Wala yan sa States

hindi ba padjak tawag jan?

**DinoJuan** · October 16th, 2007 01:48 AM

Mabuhay!

I am new to this so please be patient. My name is Dino Juan. I came across Tsikot.com forum by chance when I saw my name in the google search pointing to your site. It got me interested right away...it brought back memories of the mid 1980s to 90s when assembling Philippine made jeeps and AUVs was so in and so patriotic.

A member of your forum, a gentleman named "Ehnriko" seems to know my life story..hhhmmmm..I wonder who is this kind soul?

Yes I am Dino Juan of the ENZO 911 kit car. And Yes the same "juans" as the wrangler jeep body and chassis stamping works in the 90s called DAJ and 4- Wheeler along Shaw Blvd. and in Taytay, Rizal. And proud cousins to the 3rd generation MDJeepstars.

After 12 Enzo 911 kit cars, 1,000 plus wrangler jeep body and chassis assembly kits, and several 1,000 AUV chassis... I am temporarily in retirement from the automotive metal industry. Now busy selling beer at Pier One while reminiscing the good old days of the true Pinoy local auto industry.

Hopefully this wonderful forum will help bring back the glory days of Proudly Philippine Made vehicles.

Mabuhay Tayong Lahat!

DINO JUAN

**jpdm** · October 16th, 2007 08:05 AM

Welcome sa Tsikot sir!Sana mag-venture uli kayo sa local auto industry!People like you are badly needed by this country!WE need Filipino industrialist, innovators and trailbrazers like you...

Malaki ang maitutulong ninyo sir sa pagbuhay ng "truly local auto industry" through the production of new generation Jeepneys, AUVs and PHUVs!

**wildthing** · October 16th, 2007 08:44 AM

Indeed we are doing it for "kicks" right now because we all know (and believe) Pinoys can make it....

welcome sir dino... hope you visit us more often, and freely express your ideas dito.

**wildthing** · October 16th, 2007 08:59 AM

Porsche Club of the Philippines filed a suit against Dino to pressure him in mothballing the project and destroy the moulds eventually. It appeared at that time that it was Porsche AG who was behind it... but it turned out to be fellow Pinoys...

it is so sad that up to now uso pa rin ang mga "MAKAPILI" na pinoy

**jpdm** · October 16th, 2007 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by wildthing

it is so sad that up to now uso pa rin ang mga "MAKAPILI" na pinoy

--Well, sad to say, and pardon me, pero marami katulad ng mga taga Porsche Club of the Philippines dito sa tsikot....tulad ng ibang Pinoy sa Amerika na sila rin ang nagsusuplong sa kapwa Pinoy...dayuhan ang pinagsisilbihang amo

--May tawag sa mga ganyang klase na Pinoy....

..wag na lang baka madali ako ng mods.s

**M3excempt** · October 17th, 2007 03:58 AM

"CHAMPION AUV" JRS express van delivery.

**webmiester** · October 17th, 2007 10:38 AM

Hi Sir Dino,

Im so glad to meet you. I am an admirer of your work both for the enzo kits and the MD Jeepstar bodies. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to own any of your vehicles because my parents werent really big fans of the local industry, and I was just in grade school back then.

But now that Im working, I can make/purchase them myself

My concern with the enzo is that I live in a flood prone area in Sampaloc...Wont the enzo's low clearance be a problem to this? I wish I can meet enzo owners, and buy one from anyone who is willing to sell his

**OyiL** · December 30th, 2008 09:41 PM

the citroen mehari and renault rodeo bears a striking resemblance with the fmc pinoy I:

mehari:

rodeo:

**donbuggy** · December 31st, 2008 02:30 AM

That Citroen is a FAF. Also known as Citroen Pony.

http://www.citroenet.org.uk/foreign/faf/faf01.html

FAF - facile à fabriquer - easy to build - facile à financer - easy to fund. This was the ethos behind the FAF V.E.P., a range of cars based on the 2CV platform and intended for assembly in third world countries thereby reducing those countries' dependence on the developed nations and assisting in economic growth.

Citroën International developed the V.E.P. range of vehicles specifically for assembly in countries without a high tech industrial infrastructure.

Citroën International provided plans for the construction of a factory which, in order to produce 500 vehicles per year would require 2 ha. of land; the factory building itself occupying 2 500 m2.

Tooling was specifically intended to require minimum capital outlay and comprised:

12 pneumatic welding tongs, water-cooled
4 pneumatic sanders
1 arc welding unit
6 oxyacetylene torches
4 spray guns
2 sewing machines
1 guillotine
1 pair of shears
1 punching machine
1 lathe
4 pneumatic drills

The Citroen Mehari had a moulded ABS plastic body and it looked like this:

http://www.citroenet.org.uk/passenge...ri/mehari.html

I actually saw a Mehari in Makati a long long time ago. But I don't think these were sold in the Philippines. I do remember seeing ads in the papers for the Renault Rodeo. And I did see a few Rodeos on the streets. Mini Mokes and Sakbayans were more common. A classmate of mine in engineering school had a VW Type 181. Yes, once upon a time, the Philiipines had car-based utility vehicles. But the Pinoy buying public preferred normal cars or owner type jeeps.

The FAF and the Mehari may look like utility vehicles, but they have the sophisticated interconnected suspension of the Citroen 2CV. If the front wheels hit a bump on the road, mechanical linkages transmit the forces to the rear wheels, making the rear wheels go down. What this means is the car remains level instead of pitching in rough roads. I saw a 2CV running on an unpaved section of EDSA (2CVs were also sold in the Philippines a long time ago). I believe that the 2CV driver deliberately chose to go through the rough road rather than go around it to test his car's wonderful suspension.