RE: Suzuki Jimny | Shed Buying Guide

[RicksAlfas]

TheJimi said:

Ha! I've learned a thing

Interesting stuff.

I'm still totally put off a Jimny by this guide though.

I wouldn't be. Just check for rust.

[Usget]

Yeah, nothing in this guide should put you off one. You could write a similar (worse!) guide about a Defender, but they're still desirable.

[Blackpuddin]

Usget said:

Yeah, nothing in this guide should put you off one. You could write a similar (worse!) guide about a Defender, but they're still desirable.

They already did, and it was indeed just as frightening, if not more so.
https://www.pistonheads.com/features/ph-buying-gui...

[Turbobanana]

TheJimi said:

Ha! I've learned a thing

Interesting stuff.

I'm still totally put off a Jimny by this guide though.

So, let's say I want to scratch the 4x4 itch and want to buy something around shed money, what do I buy?

Preferably not ruinous

Edit: from my digging about, it strikes me that a MK1 Honda CRV is what I'm after...

Edited by TheJimi on Wednesday 13th November 22:24

CRV / HRV are totally different to a Jimny. The former are road cars that can cope with some light off roading. Jimny is, despite appearance / size, actually quite a serious off roader that can cope on the road. Anyone put off by this buying guide shouldn't be: these are tough little cars that are as reliable as anything else but simpler than most, so if things do go wrong they're easier to access and fix.

I'm an ex-Suzuki salesman and used to run these as demonstrators. We used to sell no end of them to the likes of fisherman, dog walkers and gardeners who actually had a need for a small, capable off roader. They're a bit bouncy on the road but will happily sit at 70mph all day long, the later ones more so. The only real competition was the Daihatsu Terios which had 5 doors but was nowhere near as capable in the rough.

[ukaskew]

Weirdly, the Ignis Sport is pretty much bomb proof (mine is on 170k with no notable issues), as far as I'm aware rust isn't a particular issue with them either.

[irish boy]

My first car was a Suzuki sj410, now that was properly compromised on the road. Still loved it.

[A1VDY]

Once had an LJ 10 jap import with the 360cc 2 stroke air cooled engine.
Low powered and needed to be revved. Worth a bag of sand then but likely to command a premium today.

[Patch1875]

I was sitting at light yesterday and noticed one for sale and thought that was expensive!

Sure it was an 08 at 6k

[rallycross]

what engine swops can be done easily on these?

Would the gti 16v G13b engine be an easy swop?

[ChocolateFrog]

It's such a shame that Japanese manufacturers haven't got on top of the rust problem, atleast it's not a Mazda I suppose.

[I would rather be sailing]

I'd rather have a Lads Nova. bullet proof go anywhere and has its own classic charm

[irish boy]

I would rather be sailing said:

I'd rather have a Lads Nova. bullet proof go anywhere and has its own classic charm

Have a classic charm but the suzuki beats it in many areas, and try finding lada parts.

[snotrag]

rallycross said:

what engine swops can be done easily on these?

Would the gti 16v G13b engine be an easy swop?

Doesn't look hard!

https://www.masterforest-boutique.com/en/engine-pe...

[MajorMantra]

I would rather be sailing said:

I'd rather have a Lads Nova. bullet proof go anywhere and has its own classic charm

I'm assuming that's "Lada Niva" as rendered by autocorrect.

Have to say, the Niva does sound almost enjoyably terrible:

https://jalopnik.com/what-its-like-to-drive-the-gr...

Almost.

[Phil Dicky]

https://youtu.be/x7uBu-DnpjU

Always find his videos quite good.

[The G-man]

We have a twin air Fiat panda 4x4 with electronic diff lock. seen them all over the alps and last year my wife had the pleasure of helping a RRS petrol V8 driver stranded in the snow all be it his tyres we low on tread, she gave him a lift to the station in her Panda rather than our pick up, she was very proud of just how far the little panda goes in the snow.

The benefit of light weight and skinny tyres, when we had lots of snow last winter it was great on the step hills, my old RR Diesel turns into a 2 tonne sledge, ok up hill, very scary on a 1 in 3 decline even in low ration and hill decent mode, single track lanes with stone walls and sheet ice not a good combo.

The Fiat was only stopped when the snow got so high it beached it also goes far further than my 330D Xdrive does when its snow.

Great little car though will in all likelihood we might just replace the Panda when the time comes with a few years old New Jimny in the years ahead.....