Thinking of buying a Jimny (Southern England)

Hi, this is my first post to this list. I'm not sure if it is a worldwide
list, or just UK. I'm in Hampshire, England. I was directed here after posting to the Suzuki4x4Tech yahoogroup.

My girlfriend and I hired a Jimny while on hols in Greece in September.
Wonderful vehicle! I loved it so much I said I was going to buy one when I
got home. My father has a CRV, which is good, but I prefer manual 2-4wd and
low range option, so don't really want one of these modern auto-4wd cars. I
prefer to be in control. I used to own a Defender, great vehicle, but
unreliable and cost me a fortune every MOT.

I have not viewed any Jimny's yet, but will do so very soon.

Before I get on autotrader and start phoning, is there anything I need to
watch out for? Common pitfalls?

Some questions...

- Is rust an issue? It certainly is on Landrovers.

- I want a softtop for the summer, but am concerned about security. The one
in Greece was softtop, and would not clip fully. It was a safe area so I
just left the roof down. Things are a little different in UK. I always like
to carry some recovery kit...towrope, basic tools, etc. I'm worried this
would be easily nicked. Is there a better zip up hood available like on MX5s
etc?

- Is the rear window glass or plastic? Is it heated? (our hired Jimny had
no rear window at all)

- Are parts easily available? Online specialist shops etc? How easy is the
Jimny to work on?

- I had no idea that there was no centre diff until I read on Wikipedia. I
stuck it in 4wd all week in Greece! Kind of explains why the wheels were
juddering on bends! I guess this is actually a good thing in the snow as
effectively difflocked fore and aft. Any comments on this?

- I'd like to get a set of mud tyres/wheels for when things get snowy.
Anyone done this? Any recommendations on brand?

- Are there any shows/events where owners and enthusiasts meet up? (I used
to own a mini and an MGB...lots of events to go to)

Looks forward to hearing from you all, thanks in advance

Scott

Hi Scott,

You don't say what your budget is for the Jimny, the rust issue affects earlier (hence cheaper) models as these were not galvanised. More recent ones are protected. When buying check for rust in the "toolbox" area in the boot. This is a recess under the carpet in the boot. On softtops in particular water gathers in this area with inevitable consequences.

I had a hired Jimny with a softtop and the rear "glass" was simply plastic. If you are going for a softtop then the assumption should be that there is no security!

They are pretty straightforward to work on but being Japanese , some parts can be expensive. Often cheaper alternatives can be found (see my shop!)

When buying make sure you have an extensive test drive. You need to check you are happy with the way it drives, steers and brakes. The steering will be worse than you are used to in a normal car but should not be scary. If its scary then you have one that will require some work and expense as bad steering is a common issue and can be difficult to resolve. Equally the brakes can be bad but these are simple to fix.

The transfer box is chain driven,make sure it is quiet and rattle free. Try dropping the clutch violently to see if the chain slips.

Hope this helps

martni

Thanks for the reply.

I'm selling my girlfriend's Saab to fund it (yes, she does know I'm selling it!). Should get 3-4k for that. Am aiming for a Jimny which is around 5 years old and 50k miles. I've seen O2 and JLX listed. Are these higher spec?

What year did the galvanised body come in? I really don't want to be having to do mig welding underneath it. Did enough of that with my mini. Never again.

Anyone put some sort of locked metal box in the back of their softop to keep essentials in like towrope etc? I really want a roof which can go down in summer but hate the thought of driving with no tools etc.

Scott

Welcome.

I used to have an old ammo box bolted to the floor of my SJ but could not find one to fit in the space behind the rear seats but if you can self you could make one to fit.

I have a hard top for warmth and security.

Kirkynut

Hi Scott and Welcome.
I have a 2002 JLX softop which I have had for 4 years. It has been a great little car and I have had loads of fun in it. It has the older G13 engine and if you are looking for a soft top, these G13 engineed versions are fairly easy to come by. The O2 has G13 engine and have a slightly higher spec than my JLX model.

My G13 sof top has had a wheel tyre upgrade and now runs 15 x 7j alloy rims and 215 75 15 tyres. I have also replaced the older mk1 soft top (rear section has zip out side windows as well as zip on the rear). The newer mk2 softops have just the zip out rear window and are much easier to take down and put up. Having said that there is a knack to make sure clips down correctly.

My G13 JLX averages about 32mpg but can go down to 28 mpg.

If looking for a soft top you may also come across VVT versions, but these seem rare. They have the newer M13 engine with variable valve timing which gives slightly better performance and better MPG (about 38mpg). The VVT can be found on 2005-2007 plates.

The G13 versions have gear lever to select 4 wheel drive and low, whereas the M13 VVT version have push buttons on the dash.

The M13 VVT versions all have ABS where as some of the later O2 G13 have it as an option.

I am currently considering upgrading to VVT soft top and need to find out if the ABS will work correctly with larger wheels.

Another thing to consider is that the G13 has 6000 mile service intervals whereas the M13 VVt is 12,500.

Hope the above is useful.

You won't regret buying a Jimny whatever version you go for. But i think you will have twice as much fun in a soft top.

Cheers

Paul
Hertford

Thanks for the reply. The saab hasn't sold yet, but hopefully soon. Wish I had a Jimny in the snow last week.

As soon as the saab is gone I'll be looking for a JLX ~5 years old ~50k miles for around the 3 grand mark. I want the manual lever operated 4wd and am not overly keen on the 3 spoke wheels. I think I'd prefer the 5 spoke alloys and a single solid colour body, maybe in red...O2's seem to be two tone.

Not fussed about VVT...something extra to go wrong!

I'll let you know what I end up getting.

Scott

ive just bought one about a month ago mate, got a 53 plate with 50k for 3k locally. i wanted a solid colour but went to look at a red one and it was pink, which wouldnt bother me too much after a clean up but the rough finish on the bottom of the doors/arch's that the jimnys have looked so bad all faded etc so left it and ended up with a dark red over silver Mode with the half leather.

It wasnt my first colour choice but looks better now with some new rims and tyres. I went for 215/75 bf goodrich mud terrains and they seem great so id reccomend them, fitted to some modular low offset steelies as i too, wasnt keen on the 3 spokes lol!

mpg is poor, especially with larger tyres etc. Looking around 20-25!!

Earlier ones are belt driven but the years your looking for should have a cam chain so thats a bonus.Im sure i seen some later 02 models when i was looking that had the older engine in so do look at that! "i was told" that if theres a black plastic cam cover on the front of the engine its a cam belt, if its silver/metal larger cover then its chain, easy to tell between the two when you pop the bonnet, maybe someone can confirm this to be absolutely true?

My exhaust was shot when i got it so the garage fitted a full new one with CAT so maybe check that over at these sort of ages.

Check inside wheels for greasy leaks from the kingpin being shot, knockem down if so.

err apart from that and the above there fun little jeeps lol!

Thanks for the advice. Is the cam belt unreliable on Jimnys then? I would have thought a chain would rattle (memories of mini engine timing chain noise).

I'm sure someone else mentioned a chain in the transfer box or something. Is this only used in low range? or only in 4wd?

I like the lift kit you've added. Is that just longer springs?

Also, I've seen on the web that some Jimnys are 8v SOHC and some are 16v DOHC. Is it only the VVT engine which is 16v?

All rather confusing to the newbie.

I can't seem to find a definitive list of what was introduced when.

May just have to take a leap of faith with it and hope I don't end up with a troublesome one.

Scott

Remember - this website/forum is your friend!

See

www.bigjimny.com/index.php?view=article&...om_content&Itemid=63

Thanks. That is very helpful. I think I'll aim for 2004, M13 but not VVT.

I can't seem to see what is different spec-wise between JLX and O2. Aircon? Leather seats? (I don't need either of those)

Scott

I would go a little earlier and try to avoid ABS if you plan to offroad it - abs and slippery mud are not the best combination and it's a little more to worry about maintaining.

You can get a good Jimny with low miles and not too much rust for a lot less than £3k now!

You'll have money left over to start modding it then!

Kirkynut

Re the security issues with the soft I have a MDF parcel shelf with sides and a back panel that is a tight fit creating a secure compartment. Even if the rear seats are flipped forward it wont lift out unless the tailgate is open. I also dissconected the central locking on the tailgate so nobody can pull the pin on the driver door to unlock the back so it only opens with the key. The MDF shelf also allowed me to fit some decent sized speakers recessed in flush and tastefully covered in cammo material . So I have a better sounding stereo and security. Great for summer days out.

Rich