Imagine if Suzuki built this!

Ho Ho Ho! What a Merry Christmas that would be!!

Design and build process from the ground up:

1. Big Offroad Tyres
2. Front and Rear solid Portal Axles
3. Ladder Frame
4. Part Time 4WD with low range
5. Kombi-type body.

A bit smaller version of this thing: The Swedish C303



A Suzuki version of this might surprise Unimog owners just like the little Jimny surpises owners of big "Real" 4x4s....

* Jimny type wheel arches on it
* The Jimny front grille
* Rounded corners on the two front windows
* Front Runner roof rack
* Kinetic green....

Getting excited in the trouser department just thinking about it...

What suggestions do you guys have for a build like this? Engine, interiors etc....?

I actually have plans to convert Jimny along these lines.
Will be a cross between a C303 as above, and a Steyr Haflinger . With a similar forward control design and size & weight somewhere between the two.

First job will be remove the body and relocate the controls to the front. Looking in my engine bay it seems like after moving a few things around there should be room either side of the engine for a seat (albeit a narrow one). I guess the main hard part of all this will be re-siting the gearstick but I figure a van-style cable-linked gearstick will be the way to go for that.

Then a large wide flatbed on the back, or if I can figure out to do it without adding too much weight some kind of hook/winch loader system for pulling up diferent 'modules' onto the back of the thing ...Flat bed, dumper back, people carrier, cage for woodchip, bowser, mobile workshop/tool store, etc..

I have some 31x13.5-15 tyres off a bank mower ( same as these ) that I'd like to use. Although the rims they go on will need some serious banding. Might also have to do some bulking up & reinforcing in places to help cope with the extra leverage on the kingpins.

If possible I'd like to try and keep the weight under a ton so it can be registered in the UK as a light agricultural vehicle.
....I'm under no illusion that something like this (made by me) will pass an IVA/SVA test or whatever they're called nowadays, ag vehicles are't subject to quite such stringent requirements.

Realistically though the thing will only really ever be used off road and maybe a few dozen yds going from one field to another.

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Looking to start the project in the summer and am currently on the hunt for a write-off/rolled Jimny or one with serious body rust that I can buy for a couple of hundred quid. That way if the project doesn't pan out and things are way harder than I'm expecting then I'm not out too much cash.

....anyone have a semi-knackered Jimny they'd be willing to donate to the cause? 

Maybe more Puch Pinzgauer than Puch Haflinger. The Haflingers are tiny and extremely capable in off road with a small 22hp air cooled 2 cylinder engine in the back.

The Pinzgauers have the engine in the front between driver and passenger so are much more similar to what you plan but they are much higher and bigger than Haflinger and also extremely capable off road, especially the 6x6. Both are not the greatest cars on road.

RainerK wrote: Maybe more Puch Pinzgauer than Puch Haflinger. 



 

In terms of layout yeah, but in terms of weight It'll hopefully be closer to the Haflinger.

C303 is 2.4 tons, Pinzgauer 4x4 is 2 tons, Haflinger in 0.5 tons.
I'm aiming for under a ton.

Standard Mk3 Jimny weighs a little over a ton, but lose the body, doors, dash, most the wiring & electricals, rear seats, windscreen & other glass, carpets, etc. and that should give a fair bit of leeway for adding a flatbed, open cab, ROPS, etc.

The Kawasaki Mule it'll be replacing comes in at around 800kg, would be great if I could match that, but I'll settle for anything under a ton as the tyres I have are plenty wide enough that it'll have pretty low ground pressure whatever weight it ends up at.

Used to trial against a haflinger in AWDC in the late 80s, guy called Dave Geech. Gives lie to the big wheels and tyres, lift kit etc. It had about 13 inch rims with dumper tyres, very limited suspension, pretty well went anywhere, often with both front wheels off the ground! Absolutely phenomenal bit of kit.

Found a couple of pics of the haflinger in action, took some kahunas to drive it!

Both the Haflinger and the Pinzgauer have portal axles and Diff lockers as a standard and therefore are built strong and heavy.

RainerK wrote: Both the Haflinger and the Pinzgauer have portal axles and Diff lockers as a standard and therefore are built strong and heavy.

 

They also use independent suspension. Similar to a Tata truck. Without difflocks they would be a lot less able to cross terrain, as they tend to lift wheels a lot more.

The Volvo C303 is more akin to a Land Rover 101 in design, just arguably slightly better. Both use live axles.