For just $24.99 (gasoline engines) you will receive up to 5L of oil, oil filter and change, tire rotation, Fluid top off (brakes, coolant, PS and washer fluid) and a FREE 50 pt mechanical inspection. Price for diesel engines is $44.99 and includes up to 7L of oil. Conditions on oil apply.

If you are not a member of our newsletter and wish to receive the promotional coupon for this deal, please send your email to matt@rightdrive.ca.

Offer ends September 30, 2010.

But wait, there’s more! We are also giving away VIP tickets to Importfest 2010 to qualified buyers. All you have to do is book an oil change between now and September 5th and you are automatically entered. Winners will be chosen at random and will receive an additional ticket for a friend!

Expected delivery date: April 2010

Photo courtesy of Wheels.ca

Our friends at Right Drive were featured in “Driving on the other side of the vehicle” in the Dec 17, 2009 edition of The Toronto Star’s Wheels section.

Mark Toljagic talks about how imported vehicles from Japan are filling the needs of some Canadians faced with limited domestic options. He also discusses some of the issues surrounding the temporary banning of RHD vehicles in Quebec.

Read the entire story at Wheels.ca.

Hondas and Subarus tend to do better in the snow because the rear placement of their engines helps with weight distribution and traction of the rear wheels. Those with Suzukis and Mitsubishis may benefit from loading sand bags, patio stones, cement mix etc. in the bed over the rear axle.

If you’re driving with a load of lumber, firewood or a deer from a hunting excursion, there shouldn’t be any issue.

Please share with all of us what YOU do to help with heavy winter conditions.
Click here to share your tips.

You should always continue regular maintenance of all mechanical and electrical systems of your MiniTruck. But now is the time to check if you have any existing problems. If you do have any issues, it’s only going to get worse with cold weather.

Following is a list of items to check as you are winterizing your MiniTruck.

Protect against rust

If you haven’t already, get your MiniTruck undercoated and rust-proofed or do it yourself. They don’t use salt in Japan so driving in Canada without undercoating and rust-proofing will produce rust quickly.

I’ve used Krown products in the past and seem to be doing their job well. You can do it yourself, or Krown can do it for around $120.

Maintain visibility

Replace the windshield wiper blades if there is damage. You won’t be able to replace just the rubber part of the blade because the size is slightly different than standard North American blades. You’ll need to buy the whole blade, but luckily you can pick new ones up for around $8 ~ $12 from Canadian Tire.

If you bought your MiniTruck in the last year, it may still have summer washer fluid (or in many cases just plain water). Stock up on winter-grade windshield washer fluid and top the washer tank off regularly.

Make sure you keep a snow brush and an ice scraper in the cab.

Cold starts

Clean the battery terminal ends and add distilled water if needed.  Make sure it can hold a proper charge.

If your MiniTruck has a battery that’s older than five years, you’ll probably want to replace it.

Read more about keeping your battery charged during winter here.

A/C

If your MiniTruck has air conditioning, run it at least once a month. The freon lubricates the compressor.

Tip: Running the A/C will speed up window defogging.

Winter traction

Check the air pressure of your tires. Don’t forget the spare.

Make sure you have enough tread depth. If it’s less than 3/16″, it’s time for new tires.

Changing your all-seasons for proper snow tires would be best.

Winter comfort and safety

Check that all lights, heater and defroster are functioning properly. (On some MiniTrucks, the dash vents only blow cold air. Heat only comes from the defroster and floor vents.)

Keep the gas tank as full as possible to prevent moisture from freezing in the gas lines. Keep a bottle of gas line anti-freeze.

Check your brakes if you haven’t done so in the last six months.

If you have other tips that MiniTruck owners would find useful, please share below. Thanks.

+ Read More from CBC.ca

A few weeks ago in the last week of September, Jerry, his wife, youngest son, and their dog drove their Honda Acty MiniVan half way across Canada to visit family in Ontario. The 4,200 km trip took them through Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. One can only imagine the beautiful fall scenery this time of year.

Through varying gas prices, the total cost of the trip was under $300.

Jerry writes, “That was an awful long drive in one of these little beasts but the economical factor made it worth while.”

As if that wasn’t enough, he’s also took his entire family (five plus the dog) on a thousand km tour through the Rockies (Banff and Jasper National Parks).

Jerry also owns a Daihatsu Hijet which has become his daily driver and hauler. As you can see from the photos, his vehicles take a lot of abuse.

Jerry notes "There's still spring left!"

The 350 Kg rating gets disregarded.

He says of his prior vehicles, “I wouldn’t want to have to go back to regular pick-ups.”

We wish him the best on his next trip!

The offset of a vehicle’s wheel is the distance between the centerline of the wheel and the plane of the hub-mounting surface of the wheel. It is typically measured in millimeters. Wheels are usually stamped with their offset such as “ET45″ for a 45mm offset.

Offset has a significant effect on many elements of a vehicle’s suspension, including suspension geometry, clearance between the tire and suspension elements, the scrub radius of the steering system, and visually, the width of the wheel face relative to the car’s bodywork.

Learn how to calculate wheel offset

After calculating your current wheel offset, use this neat tool from 1010tires to see if your new wheel will have fitting issues.