Fletch's M19 Gen 3 - The Italian White Stallion

I bought my 2016 Jimny Gen 3 in 2018. I'm the second (and, hopefully, the last) owner.
The guy who had it before me installed, since day zero, a Trailmaster +5cm Sport lift kit with steering damper, a snorkel (not connected... ) and five 15X6” et 0 Modular steels wrapped with Ovada BF2 regrooved tires (BFGoodrich T/A KO2 design). 

In 1998, when the 3rd gen was born and I was 18, I promised myself that, sooner or later, I would have it. After 19 years ad several cars later, one day, browsing a popular car buying and selling site I saw this Jimny and, immediately, I fell in love.
I went to the owner in order to buy but he decided, at the last moment, to not sell it because he was so affectionated. He promised me that he would have called me if he changed his mind. One year later he did it. Obviously my wish was the same and the little white beast became mine. 
Here how it was when I got it.


So I started with upgrades and customizations.
First of all I changed the brakes: at the front end I mounted the 1.5 DDIS calipers with ventilated (slotted and drilled) discs, at the rear end I replaced drum brakes installing the front discs with a HM4x4 kit (Fiat rear calipers). Braided brake hoses on all four corners. No pics, sorry. 

Then I changed the front grill and put a Bad Boy fiberglass hood trim, both from HFF. I also painted all the door handles in white.




I decided to change the rims, I wanted something sportier and less dark. EVO Corse DakarZero 15x7” et 0 were the right choice.

With this configuration the car performed very well on the road: it felt stable and precise, far far away from the average Jimny. Even when driving fast, adopting a rally-style, the car doesn't appear to be an off-road vehicle.
BUT there is a but: 85 horsepower can't make miracles.
Something was needed to overcome the lethargy.
The solution would have come from Japan.

Looks nice 😉

Very nice!

How do Americans say? There's no better replacement than displacement.
Usually I do not agree, I'm an oldschool boy: wanna power? ITBs, high rpm and aggressive cams. No turbos or superchargers.

But, honestly, what's the sense for 8000 rpm on a Jimny?
So I decided to go for cubic centmeters.
Swapping a M16 is mainstream and M18 is uneconomical for me, since I live far from Oceania.
I choose the third way.

I bought a Swift Sport M16 block (that has oil squirters, differently from the standard M16), a Monster Sport M19 Bore-Up Piston Kit and I put them togheter with a M13 ported head with oem camshafts.






I also used blue injectors from Swift Sport and a Ecumaster DET3 piggyback ECU.


With this blend I made an engine pleasant for everyday driving, strong for offroad and fast for fun.
I didn't had a dyno test yet but I estimate to be around 150 horsepower and 20 Kgm of torque.

I also bought from Australia a Liana M18 intake manifold with its big throttle body but I still have to install it for two reasons:
first a proper map is needed (or, better, a standalone ECU because DET3 is inadequate and seems to be very fragile: the first has burned in a week, the second now is not working properly, limiting the engine at 5100 rpm for no apparent reason); secondly it has a throttle position sensor that works at a different angle and position than what was originally fitted to the M13, so I have to 3D print an adapter and use that.


At the moment I consider myself pretty satisfied.