Year: | 2005 |
Make: | Nissan / United Diesel |
Model: | Condor Wing Truck |
Mileage: | 621,000 ki / 386,000 mi |
Transmission: | 6-Speed Manual |
Fuel Type: | Diesel |
Drivetrain: | Front Engine, Rear Wheel Drive |
Exterior Color: | Blue |
VIN Number: | MK25A-1**** |
This Nissan Condor’s Wing Opening Truck Body Is Ideal For Quick Loading and Offloading: Access to the Load Bed from Both Sides!
Anybody who has worked in commercial transport, whether as a truck driver (like I was), or as a fleet manager, knows that the 5-ton truck is the backbone of much of the transport industry.
Five ton trucks are big and can carry a lot of stuff, but they are not too big. They don’t require a second axle to carry their max load, nor do they really need a two-speed rear (especially if they have a six speed transmission like our Condor here), so they can stay mechanically simple as far as drive line and transmission are concerned. Yet they are big enough that they can accommodate large capacity straight six diesel engines. If you are looking for a used wing opening truck to import from Japan, you can’t go wrong with a third generation (1993-2011) Condor like this unit that we exported from Japan to Myanmar.
Long Live the King! (And he will, too)
One of the best jobs I ever had when I was a young guy was driving heavy straight trucks. After I got my professional license (DZ class in Canada) my first truck was an ex-post office 5-ton Ford box van with a normally aspirated (non-turbo) V8 Diesel coupled to a five speed trans with single speed rear axle. Not a bad truck, but he’d seen better days and the engine was coming to the end of its service life. Then I drove a bunch of old single axle dump trucks for a building supply company. (We recently exported a nice, clean 2-ton Mitsubishi Canter dump, have a look here.)
Later I moved up to a 10-ton tandem axle van, and then the on to big dumps (Mack and International), and finally on to concrete mixers and the big hog tandem-tandem Macks. Heaven help you if you had to turn a tight corner in one of those monsters.

But I was proud as a peacock to be behind the wheel of those big guys.
In all of those really big trucks, as in our Condor here, the most common engine was the big straight six.

The V8 was not as common in big trucks as you might have expected. A bigger truck needs a bigger engine and so it needs more cylinders, right? No, not always right. When it comes to big over-the-road truck engines, the straight six is King. This is because a straight six engine configuration has nearly perfect primary and secondary balance. This good balance means that the main moving parts, the pistons, con-rods, crank and crank throws are not fighting against each other as they go spinning around and thrusting up and down inside the engine. This allows for the engine to be scaled up to quite large sizes while still having the smoothness that reduces wear and tear on all those expensive (and expensive to replace) internal components. So the internal parts aren’t pushing and pulling against each other; and the large capacity of the big straight six allows the engine to be a bit of a “lazy,” low stressed, unit. Bottom line: the engine lasts longer…a lot longer. Next up, the straight six is, compared to the V8, generally easier to work on when it comes time for repairs and service. This matters big time for commercial vehicles since it translates into fewer mechanic’s hours (and fewer mechanic’s braked knuckles).
(As an interesting aside, Mark Wan wrote and excellent technical paper for his AutoZine website in which he surveys the merits and demerits of the various engine configurations. I have linked to this article of his before and I recommend it again for guys who want a solid intro to the whole fascinating topic of engine configuration and balance. He updated the paper in 2017 and you’ll find it here. First rate work.)
So when you are looking for a used truck, if you go for a machine that has a big straight six engine (like this seven liter Condor that we are looking at here) you don’t have to worry too much about buying a high-mileage vehicle. He’s got 386,000 miles on him, and he is in no way reaching the end of his service life. He’s got many more miles left on him. Many more.
Don’t Overlook High Mileage Used Trucks
These technical points need to be kept in mind when you are shopping for a good used truck or other commercial vehicle from Japan. Low mileage is less important when it comes to bigger commercial vehicles than it is when you are thinking of buying a used private class vehicle like a car or light truck. Big commercial trucks are usually serviced regularly and properly by truck and coach mechanics who work to the service schedules. These machines are very well built (they have to be to do the heavy jobs they do) and are designed from the beginning to last for years and years and miles and miles (they have to be or no fleet manager would ever buy them). A good condition high mileage used truck will cost you a lot less than a near new unit, but it will still serve you long and well. (We provide a pre-auction inspection service that helps you to target only the good used trucks; you can find out more about that here.)
Nice Body!
A further advantage of your classic 5-ton straight truck is the variety of bodies that the chassis can take: flat bed, pole side, short side, canvas box, and the aluminum van box that this Condor has. And with aluminum van body trucks you can have the standard rear-opening door or you can have the wing opening body (often called a “wing truck” and sometimes referred to as a “swing side”).
These wing opening bodies are super practical because, when it comes time for loading and off loading, you can get open access to both sides of the load bed at once. A forklift can place your pallets right where you want them: no need to use a pump truck to muscle the pallets around inside the load bay as you have to do with the more basic rear opening tailgate type of body.
Reasonable Shipping Costs
Certainly a wing body is a bit more complex than a standard box body, but, as you see from the photos, it was not actually a big job to partially disassemble the body to prepare this Nissan Condor to drive onto the ship for transport from Japan. (Yep, our car carrier ships are big enough that you can drive a full size truck right on to them and straight to its designated parking space inside the boat. Amazing! But, of course, this helps to lower the cost of shipping your used truck direct from Japan. The dockside labor required in what we call “RORO” (roll on, roll off) used car shipping is much less than what it takes to load individual containers on ships. Lower shipping costs from Japan translate directly into lower overall costs for you when you decide to import a used vehicle from us here in Japan. For everything from mini cars to BIG trucks, doing a direct self import of a good, clean used vehicle from Japan is smart move. (For more detailed info on the export costs and on the whole process of buying a used truck from Japan, just click here.)
To find out more and get your used Japanese 5-ton truck moving now, register here.
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I used Japan Car Direct's services to import a Nissan Silvia from Japan to Australia. Mike was very helpful from start to finish and definitely made the process stress free.
The... read moreI used Japan Car Direct's services to import a Nissan Silvia from Japan to Australia. Mike was very helpful from start to finish and definitely made the process stress free.
The detailed videos where Mike would translate and explain the Japanese auction sheets and inspections provided great clarification so I knew exactly what I was getting with my car. I have to also commend Mike's swiftness when it came to replying to emails and phone calls, he would always reply near on instantly and even outside of normal business hours just to ensure I was never left in the dark through the bidding and shipping preparation processes.
I could not recommend JCD enough for any potential self importers! read less
Just picked up my car that I bought through JCD. I was a complete newbie about buying a car overseas and Mathew was kind enough to basically hold my... read moreJust picked up my car that I bought through JCD. I was a complete newbie about buying a car overseas and Mathew was kind enough to basically hold my hand and help me through the process. It seems pretty daunting at first but if I can do it anybody can. Highly recommend JCD! read less
I worked with Mathew on getting my first Japanese Kei truck. The process and communication were great. For me the back-and-forth communication was the reason why I decided to go... read moreI worked with Mathew on getting my first Japanese Kei truck. The process and communication were great. For me the back-and-forth communication was the reason why I decided to go with japancardirect. Being able to see the auction trucks that are coming out and getting a detailed translation of the auction sheet is awesome. At first, I was a little hesitant sending money for a car overseas that I haven't actually seen in person, but Mathew stayed with me even at times when I was less patient. Thanks for all the help you and your team provide. read less
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Taylor at JCD has been incredibly helpful in my search for a couple of unique rigs from overseas -- We've scored one, and are looking forward to finding another.
Taylor's professinoalism,... read moreTaylor at JCD has been incredibly helpful in my search for a couple of unique rigs from overseas -- We've scored one, and are looking forward to finding another.
Taylor's professinoalism, promptness, clarity of communication has been amazing. He's helped answer a miultitude of questions, and everything went without incident (aside from impacts from Ukraine).f
Thank you, Taylor! read less
After seeing quite a few Kei Trucks on the road, I was intrigued. Seeing the local retail prices gave me sticker shock, so I immediately thought there has to be... read moreAfter seeing quite a few Kei Trucks on the road, I was intrigued. Seeing the local retail prices gave me sticker shock, so I immediately thought there has to be a better way. Sure enough, that way is Japan Car Direct. Yoshi and team are knowledgeable, professional and responsive. They do what they say they are going to do before, during and after the transaction, they are in it for the long haul. The result of reviewing the auction listings and acquiring/importing yourself (with help from JCD) is substantial savings and the satisfaction of paying a fair price. It's also fun if you enjoy searching for and identifying great automotive values. Would not hesitate to recommend their services to others and I will be back for more vehicles in the near future. read less
Can't fault these guys - this was the first time I've bought a car at any auction, let alone one in Japan. The support from Yoshiro was brilliant, very patient... read moreCan't fault these guys - this was the first time I've bought a car at any auction, let alone one in Japan. The support from Yoshiro was brilliant, very patient with me and ensured that I only bid on cars worth having. The car I have bought far exceeds expectations in every way and the whole process of purchase and shipping was all taken care of - top marks and thank you read less
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Japan Car Direct helped me find my dream car. We found a great deal on an ST205. Yoshiro was fantastic and super responsive and patient with all of my questions.... read moreJapan Car Direct helped me find my dream car. We found a great deal on an ST205. Yoshiro was fantastic and super responsive and patient with all of my questions. They made navigating the import process a breeze. This is a reputable company. I highly recommend them if you’re interested in importing your very own JDM. read less
So pleased with our companies new Japanese mini-truck import. Japan Car Direct made it all too easy. We made a few first-timer mistakes on the paperwork but the next import... read moreSo pleased with our companies new Japanese mini-truck import. Japan Car Direct made it all too easy. We made a few first-timer mistakes on the paperwork but the next import will be even smoother. Looking forward to the next experience. read less
MARKNADEN Studio
4/08/2022
Great dependable business! Highly recommended! Thank you Mathew for all your hard work!
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Yoshiro and the folks over at JapanCarDirect are the best! They were super helpful with my first time importing a vehicle to the US and were quick to answer all... read moreYoshiro and the folks over at JapanCarDirect are the best! They were super helpful with my first time importing a vehicle to the US and were quick to answer all of the first-time questions I had about the process. The vehicle I got was exactly as I expected based on the pre-bidding inspection that they organized and I am beyond thrilled with my new (to me) little van. I'll definitely be working with them again for the next vehicle I look to import read less
This was our first time importing a vehicle and we would hands down use Japan Car Direct again. Taylor made everything so simple and stress free. We would our Toyota... read moreThis was our first time importing a vehicle and we would hands down use Japan Car Direct again. Taylor made everything so simple and stress free. We would our Toyota Land Cruiser and would definitely use Japan Car Direct again. read less
First time importing a vehicle and Taylor did a great job guiding me the entire way! 5 star service! Excited about my new mini truck!
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Good experience throughout the entire process. They had the patience to help me find what I was looking for, when it arrived it was in great condition as I expected... read moreGood experience throughout the entire process. They had the patience to help me find what I was looking for, when it arrived it was in great condition as I expected it to be via the inspections and information provided. read less
First time customer review:
All around a great company to work with. Mathew was very responsive and helped me throughout the entire process. With this being the first time importing a... read moreFirst time customer review:
All around a great company to work with. Mathew was very responsive and helped me throughout the entire process. With this being the first time importing a vehicle, there were a lot of questions I had and he made sure to answer everything and kept me posted throughout the process. I would highly recommend Japan Car Direct and would happily work with them in the future. read less
My sales rep at JCD, Taylor, was amazing. He was quick to get me auction info, provided me good insights on possible price points, and was ready to answer any... read moreMy sales rep at JCD, Taylor, was amazing. He was quick to get me auction info, provided me good insights on possible price points, and was ready to answer any questions all the way through the process. The import was painless and the car is great. I will 100% use them again in the future! read less
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