The
Filipino jeepney is a contraption of materials classified as
junk by other countries.
A typical jeepney, for example, contains these mixed components:
- engine from Isuzu,
- transmission from Mitsubishi,
- brakes from Toyota
- steering wheel from Hyundai,
- differentials from Nissan
Materials for building a jeepney are sourced from so-called "surplus" shops. These shops import second-hand or
junk vehicles mostly from
Japan and Korea, and sell the dismembered parts for jeepney assemblies.
Filipino jeepneys are not built on rules:
- They do not follow automotive safety standards.
- There are no standards in build quality.
- There are no design plans.
- They are built based on builder's experience.
- a "Jeepney
engineer", as opposed to a
true automotive
engineer, can be anyone. Can be a backyard mechanic, a welder, a tinsmith, or a combination of them.
Public safey is never an issue for both jeepney and driver. There are no safety tests, no safety certificates, no driver training. Newly-built jeepneys are considered as "road-worthy", jeepneys
get legal license plates even if built by backyard mechanics, and can be used as public transport.
"The unique thing about jeepneys is that no jeepney is exactly the same as another." As mentioned previously, that's because there are no design rules to build a jeepney. Only 1 simple rule: If it fits, its good enough to use.
Surplus
dealer: What
hydro-vac do you want for your jeepney?
Jeepney mechanic: ISUZU.
Surplus dealer: We don't have it. Here, use a
NISSAN.
Jeepney mechanic: OK, that's good enough.
