Alrighty, here to add story of my L601 Move. It’s been a five year project. I started the project in early 2012.
Apologies for the long post, it has been a five year project…
If you’ve read my old thread on the old forum, you seen pretty much everything I’ve been through, annoyingly the stupid Photobucket pictures cannot be seen anymore so it’s really annoying as pictures speak a thousand words.
Original idea was to convert the L601 to the L602 with the JB-JL engine, importer could only find the L600 with the EF-RL, think he wasn’t looking hard enough…oh well.
Started off as a L601 at the wreckers with a blown ED-20 engine, got it home and removed their decals off the Move.
Then began taking the engine, gearbox and driveline off the Move. I didn’t know how to drop the front subframe with the whole kit still bolted on…so I took the engine out first, then the gearbox and driveline. This was when I had no mechanical knowledge and relied on the L601 Workshop Manual to show me how to take things apart.
I ordered the L600 with the 3 cyl EF-RL halfcut from the importer as he mentioned that the 4 cyl JB-JL was a task as the Malaysians were paying a premium to get them in for their Peroduas. While waiting for the halfcut coming from Japan, I continued removing the interior and repairing surface rust at the front.
Got these photos of the halfcaut before it got placed in the container.
So its late July 2012 and the halfcut arrives, I ordered a HIAB to collect the halfcut, this rocks up…I told them when I ordered the HIAB that the cargo is less than one tonne and it’s on a pallet.
Once it got delivered, I wasted no time taking panels off and test fitting it on the L601.
Started taking the front subframe from the L600 donor. I now learnt that the front subframe can completely come off - winning!
I had this picture I found off the net and wanted the move to look like this, with the side decals, the chrome electric mirrors and chrome handles.
During this time, I started buying things for the Move - rims, parts and accessories.
With a bit of elbow grease, some sandpaper and polish the matte rims from Daihatsu dramatically changed.
Changed the belts, filters, etc and married the L600 subframe to the L601 shell.
During this time, I bought a second Move - parts vehicle. Obligatory side by side pics.
So it’s now May 2013 and I’m ready to take the Move for a drive on the trailer to a few paint shops for quotations for respray.
It’s now July and I’ve decided on a paint shop who will do it and this is the morning it is waiting for the flat bed to take it to the shop.
Also here are some pictures when it was at the shop being fixed and prepared.
Here it is after bringing it back from the shop in September 2013!
Now, the downhill begins 
A weird grinding noise begins, subframe is out to diagnose - was advised to flip the engine over and check the bearings.
Nothing wrong with the bearings, but a perfect opportunity to swap the clutch over.
I begin applying Dynamat to the Move, reupholstered the headliner and did other stuff…not sure now.
This is around the time I don’t have enough time to look at the Move - adult life kicks in…
It’s now mid 2014 and another box of goods come from Japan and it was the time I bought a powdercoating kit from the States to powdercoat some parts.
During the year I splurged on the rear disc frame from the L500, came with the calipers, frame, etc.
In 2016 the rear subframe, front subframe and other various parts went to a commercial powdercoater to be coated and they were stunning when they left the shop. They are still glossy black now as most of them haven’t been unpacked…
While waiting for the main parts being coated, I rebuilt the rear calipers, powdercoated them and put new shoes on them, here are the results.
During these years, I had so much fun understanding the software for the parts catalogue for the L600 Move.
Everything is in Japanese and the software had to run on Windows XP. Joy!
Now the “fun” part. Sigh.
It doesn’t start. It cranks, but doesn’t fire up. It will fire up when I spray starting fluid and then dies out.
I’ve swapped out the pump, run the pump directly to the fuel rail, there is fuel in the rail - not sure about the pressure (pending a fuel pressure gauge), the injectors have been pulled out and been taken to a shop for injector cleaning. This part just befuddles me.
Since I had limited time in the past I couldn’t allocate enough time for troubleshooting. Now, I’ve set myself a goal to get the Move running again within six months. This project has taken five years, it needs to be done…it needs to Move from the spot under the patio…
Let the fun begin…again
MoveOn
