Suzuki Jimny "Expedition" Build

[krl81]

Thanks guys!
Ooooh! Flip-pac....:drool: don't think I could get it approved but as you said, interesting project.
I had an RTT in mind. Almost like a pop up roof but instead of a hinge in front some kind of fitting, looks like a non centered X, I've seen them on VW campers with pop up roof. That way I would get some more room for the feet without having to make the rtt more than 2 meters long.
But I will definitively think of the slide idea, this is why I love this place. Lots of crazy thoughts and ideas.
Yes my beloved trangia, not the best for making large dinners but that's what the bbq is for.

 

[krl81]

Not much of an update of this thread but it's a small one anyway.

I found out the mods I've made to the Jimny is illegal. Appearantly you are not allowed to take out the back seat and mount an interior like I did using the factory points for bolts...
So to make the mod legal I have to make something like a box and tie it down with ratchet straps. Because it have to be cargo and to be cargo you have to be able to take it out of the car "without major effort", i.e. no tools. :smilies27

But I have been thinking and plannning how to solve that and the other previous mentioned update of making room for two persons. I've ditched the idea of an RTT and doing almost like Godfather's idea with the slide out. It will not slide but fold out, twice. There is still lots of thinking left before it's time to start the build and I need to make some scetches or mock ups (or both ) to see if it will work.
I will post pics or scetches as soon as I have the ideas on "paper".

//K-Robin

 

[Herbie]

Where would a turnbuckle fall on that scale?

It requires no tools (technically), but would be more rigid than ratchet straps, IMHO. Also it works better over "short" distances.

 

[krl81]

That will fall into the very gray area according to the engineer (who works with approving vehicles). If connected like on your pic I would say OK, he said when I asked it have to be connected to a wire or something like that and not "directly bolted" to the car... But I think I would want go for turnbuckles. Would like to find ones like on your pic with a "handle", the ones I've seen here in sweden are metal and more or less requires tools.

 

[krl81]

Haha!
I found the exact one on the pic, backtracking the URL adress.
Nice price, two of them 60 dollar. Shipping is another thing though, 142 dollars + tax and customs fees... Doh!
Have to find something else instead.

 

[Herbie]

You might try boating supply companies. Searching "Tool-less Turnbuckle" or the like may yield results. I know there are tool-free versions that get used in yacht rigging. If they can be found locally it would be cheaper even if the parts are more expensive!

 

[krl81]

Thank you for the tip!
Will try that.

 

[155mm]

Or if you can find metal ones, perhaps you could have someone weld a "handle" on there to make it effectively tool-less.

 

[krl81]

Another good idea. Thank you!

 

[Omar Brannstrom]

Howdy from Sweden

Nice build thread

I also had a Suzuki Jimny and loved it. I bought mine 2000 and sold it 2012. I had my Jimny published in the Swedish magazine 4 WHEEL DRIVE year 2003#5 at page 50.

Year 2000 I made this Jimny page

http://omar.sydnet.net/jimny.htm

The South Africans got the Jimny very late, maybe in Year 2008 and they love it for overlanding, You might get some tip there

http://www.4x4community.co.za/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=151

Some pictures of my former Jimny

 

[krl81]

My dad needed some help on his house so I decided to make the trip to him a little road trip with a night in the car.
Started my Gps app in my phone (yes I know the way to him ) and ticked the box Avoid highways. It was a really nice trip 450 or so km. I stopped at a lookout point overlooking a lime quarry and set up camp.



Woke up early to get back on the road



A little something to eat



My company at the parking/camp, old "buckets" for transporting lime from the quarry to the factory by ropes.



And this is what I managed to take a photo of regarding the views.

 

[oktyunus]

Any updates ? I like the post very much & read the whole 8 pages without a break . Congrats, very nice & creative built you have.

 

[krl81]

Sorry but no fun update. This weekend some will be done, change tires to winter tires (the Jimny will look pathetic ) and try to fix the heating problem. And I will in a few weeks put the sway bar back on. It may sound weird but mostly the car is used as a DD, usually 300 km/week and I would like the ride to be a little smoother. When I go off roading I can disconnect it instead.
And as I said in an earlier post I have to take it all out due to regulations in Sweden. So I will take it out, save all fittings and hinges and start to plan the new build. Hopefully I can get out on one more short trip before I take it all out.
Thank you for the kind words! Nice to hear you liked the write up!

 

[mike morrison]

Howling moon www.howlingmoon.co.za make some neat roof top tents with an annex below and internal ladder access to the tent.

 

[krl81]

Some progress in the last days, even if it's not all in a good way.

First thing on the to do list: Winter tires on



Not the same aggressive look this time of year.

Second thing: Took the interior out. It needed to be done though, would never pass the yearly check up/MOT. So now I'm back to where I started.



But I have a few ideas on how to continue this build. One of them is to register the car as a two seater instead of four and therefor be able to build a little more as I like and keep the interior for next years check.

Started to replace the holes in the body with fresh metal today... To bad we just kept finding more and more rust and on some places pretty severe but still manageble, just need to find at least two more days where my welding friend has the possibility to help.







These were the two places we fixed today. Don't know if it shows but behind the headlight it was kind of bad.

On the good side. My heating has been crap, as close to non existing as possible. I got a newish heater core but had no way to check if it was better than the one in the car so I could only remove the old one and change it. 4,5 hours later, instrument panel out, heater out, heater in, instrument panel back in it worked. It works really well, even had to turn it down.
One less thing on the list. A huge one!
I started to mount my Hellas, well finished mounting as well just didn't connect them yet.

//K-Robin