I don't have enough money to feed my addiction...

No, I'm not confessing to being addicted to class "A" or anything like that!

I just have this addiction, that many of us have, to modifying cars. Not just the Jimny, but anything with 4 wheels!

Whilst chatting with a mate down the pub recently who suffers from it too, but with his VW Golf, I realised how bad my problem was when my Mrs said to me "Can you look at a car without thinking how you could modify it?" When I answered "No" without thinking, I realised the extent of my problem!

Today's thoughts are:

Buy an early soft top Jimny and modify it as follows (get a cup of tea now if you plan to read on):

ORA 4.5" suspension lift with even longer shocks and disocation / relocation cones, spring hooks etc with suitably lenthened brake lines and Rhino Ray rear shock brackets.

2" body lift

The lowest ratio Rocklobster that Rockwatt can build me with one of his Rockbucket mounting kits

Full external cage made by my mate (Ironworkdesigns) mounted to a front winch bumper made by him, all to MSA specs.

Rear winch mounted in boot floor from chassis up through floor and rear door thrown in the bin to allow fairlead space.

Heavy duty rear bumper capable of recovery with hooks or slots to guide winch rope when pulling rear of truck around with the rear winch

Alloy roof panel to replace front soft top section - to protect heads if roll on uneven ground (rocks, tree stumps etc)

Bin rear section of soft top roof so it's open all the time

Centre winch mounted on cage behind seats as low as possible

All three winches to be lowline external braked such as Goodwinches and of the same type so spares carried are the same, with Bowmotor 2's and Bowrope

Lockers front and rear with hardened shafts and CV's - possibly from KAM Diffs if they ever produce the front lockers, hardened front shafts and CV's they have been saying they will, otherwise ARB's front and rear with KAM rear shafts and either ORA front shafts and CV's when they go into production or if they don't D+G shafts and CV's.

Axle trusses front and rear to keep the axles straight

Spanish front brake calipers (Like the ones I had on my old SJ that cope better with mud as the slider is a bolt not a slider like the Jap Calipers usually found on JimJams)

Rear disc conversion (this Zuk will get muddy and abused unlike my current one which I love too much)

KAP front fibreglass arches and the original arch liners thrown away

Protection bars built into the cage to protect the front arches

Insa Turbo Special tracks with minimum diameter of 31"

Fuel Tank guard

A plethra of X-Eng X Lites front and rear

X-Eng, SJ X-brake on the Rocklobster

Janspeed exhaust manifold to get a couple of horses

Snorkle

Diff, transfer box and gearbox breathers

Diff guards

Polybushes all round

Ground anchor and waffle board mounts on cage

Fixed front hubs

Retain viscous fan (electronic ignition and fuel control as standard seem tobe able to cope with water and electric fan motors don't like being under water. Viscous fan will stall when in water and stop splashing water everywhere)

Extend ECU loom to raise it up further out of harms way when wading

Move fuse box to on top of dash where easily accessed

Bucket seats and harnesses

Metal box (waterproof) made to suit to fit tools and basic spares in back in a way they are easy to find, not shaken up together

CB

Retro fit a twin cam non VVT engine

Have new castor corrected radius arms made up that have chassis mounts like Land Rovers to allow more flex

Bigger offset wheels with beadlockers

Air compressor, needed for air lockers if air lockers used not electric ones.

New good trailer to carry it to Winch Challenge events

Large confortable van to tow it and contain all spares and be a mobile workshop full of it's own tools, vice, wire brush wheel, compressor with air tools, jacks etc.

Gazebo large enough to fit it under and work on it staying dry in bad weather at events

Spare wheels and tyres to allow new ones to be thrown straight on when damage occurs

Spare Bowropes

More to be added as I think of it.

second high output alternator to charge winching batteries only

two decent batteries for the winches and a third for just the engine - all gel non lead acid ones for safety



So, I don't want much... well not really!

I used to like traybacks but this is the flavour of the month with me at the moment!

Now let me tell you what I want to do to the Mrs Beemer ..............


What's your dream Jimny like (well, this week anyway)???

Kirkynut

That's an extensive list of mods, remember pics

But I wonder a bit. Why buy welded transfer reduction gears when you can get the real thing from Calmini, and a wider range to choose from ?

TomDK wrote: That's an extensive list of mods, remember pics

But I wonder a bit. Why buy welded transfer reduction gears when you can get the real thing from Calmini, and a wider range to choose from ?

It's a dream and the pics are in my head where they will stay unless I win the lottery!

In respect of the welded gears - Richard does a fine job, so why not??? I don't think lower than 6.1 would be of much use to be fair, and it supports my own country's economy, which I think is important at the moment!

kirkynut

I like your thinking here i am nearing the end of that list. virtually identical to what i'm trying to achieve.

there are some pics here if your interested

bigjimny.com/index.php/forum/8-my-jimny/36760-working-progress

Mine, built from the ground up:

Matt lee rims inc beadlocks
Simex/Copies min 31"
Full axle trusses
Front and rear ARB's inc shafts cv etc....
Bigger brakes, and calipers rear discs and all fiddle!
Full flexy suspension, adjustable fox shocks, dislocation cones, some sort of twister radius arm setup.
Crawler box and guard
Full underbody protection, steering guard.
Chassis reinforced appropriately
2" body lift
Full exo cage to msa specs, with front end and wing protection
Grp front end and space frame internals on a soft top shell
Modern TDCI Diesel conversion with motor set lower and further back, rad relocated to the rear with twin electric fans, snorkel routed through cab. Exhaust routed up and side exiting, all remapped to suit the application
Front winch mounted further back to retain approach angle
Rear winch, centre winch. All 3 Gigglepins etc etc
Full arsenal of lightforce lamps and one of the most sensible places i've ever seen - lights in the arches!
Fuel cell
Lightweight seats and carbon dash,
GRP half doors
HD cameras front and rear mated to in dash screen and hidden dvr.
All with uprated electrics to suit, twin batteries and alternator etc, etc

All towed about on a suitable trailer behind a F350 superduty, twin wheel flareside effort!

Not that i've thought about it :dry:

Matt Lee wheels? Are they Mach 5's?

I'm not a fan of 8274's. I appreciate that Mr Giggle and his Pin do marvelous things with them and I have alot of respect for their abilities, however, they run on somewhat after the button is released and their cost is ridiculous. Also, unless you really know what you are doing, they can be too quick, believe it or not.

Lights in the arches are a good idea. I am crap at night driving so they would help.

You are indeed some way towards my list and I look forward to seeing the finished product.

I wouldn't want a dirty diesel though. A good waterproofed petrol is my bag and a tdci has all the sensors too but the fueling is more complicated.



Kirkynut

Yep matt lee rims, mach 5's. I'd love some on my truck now when i can spare the cash as they're not overly expensive.

The lights in the arches is something i saw at a night p&p, brilliant idea for repairs "in the field"...........unless said fix involves a lack of power

Mines a dream like yours

kirkynut wrote: Matt Lee wheels? Are they Mach 5's?

I'm not a fan of 8274's. I appreciate that Mr Giggle and his Pin do marvelous things with them and I have alot of respect for their abilities, however, they run on somewhat after the button is released and their cost is ridiculous. Also, unless you really know what you are doing, they can be too quick, believe it or not.

Lights in the arches are a good idea. I am crap at night driving so they would help.

You are indeed some way towards my list and I look forward to seeing the finished product.

I wouldn't want a dirty diesel though. A good waterproofed petrol is my bag and a tdci has all the sensors too but the fueling is more complicated.



Kirkynut

I believe it was on Devon4x4 forum I read something about a brake Gigglepin are working on, to prevent this problem with the winch still running after button is released.

About the welded gears. I understand your point of respect to mr rockwatt and support of the countrys economy. I'm just thinking, if they are equally priced, I would avoid weldings in my transferbox if I could.

I just want waterproof axles

darthloachie wrote: I just want waterproof axles

dont we all!

That's a good list! Particularly the two X bits!

Come and have a cup of tea with me one day - and I'll give you a good deal! I'm easily bribed with peanut cookies or kit kats!

Si

Tom - I understand they are working on a brake to stop it running on, then it will be very good, but it won't have much 8274 parts left and will be nearly all Gigglepin and cost thousands!

In my humble opinion there are better winches that could be developed to perform as well if they had the same money spent on their development, such as the Superwinch Husky with it's worm drive. So simple yet so strong. I've heard but not seen of a chap who's got one working quite fast but not Gigglepin fast yet.

Darthlochie / Rus - I purposely left out Toyota axles as I wanted to modify the Zuk ones to see what they could do, but ultimately, Toyota axles are the way to go.

Simon - If I'm ever at a loose end down your way i'll hold you to that. It's good to know you have the breaking strain of a Kit Kat! Maybe one day we shall catch up at an event and I'll buy you a cuppa! I'd like to see your Jimny project in the metal too!

Kirkynut