Hi there,

I've been looking on your site for a while on and off so thought I'd join up and say hello!

I've got a Suzuki Jimny. Am I right in thinking you don't have them in the US?

I had an SJ410 but updated it with the Jimny.

I hope to have attached a picture of my Jimny.

Kirkynut

Welcome Kirkynut !  Nope, we don't get the Jimny here, not normally. Hope you can hang out anyway, there is plenty of good info to share.

Thanks. It's a shame you don't get the Jimny. It's starting to take over from the Samurai here as they are getting hard to find. People bought rusty old ones that wouldn't pass our annual government test and used them as off road toys, trashing them for so long there aren't many nice ones left.

The UK never has warmed to the Sidekick/Tracker or Vitara as we call them due to the independent front suspension and that aluminium front diff housing. They are seen as a bit soft. You guys seem to modify them well though and prove this wrong!

There are a few people in the UK that have built nice Vitaras but It's all been about the Samurai till lately and the hardcore think the Jimny is too soft too.

They all have their weak points and the Jimny's are the cvs, axles that can bend and weak kingpins along with a liking for eating kingpin and rear wheel bearings.

Most people over here offroad in Landrovers as I guess you have Jeeps but I find the Suzuki crowd far more friendly and inventive.

Kirkynut

Why are there CV's if it is a solid axle?  What engine is in yours?  Are most of them diesels are gas?  Are they only making hardtops now?  On the manufacturer websites I haven't seen a softop for a couple years.  I really like the softtop models.

There are many people driving modified Vits in the UK. I have had mine since 2000, at that time there were only six or seven people in the UK with modded Vits, now the forums are full of them. I had a Jimny for a few years too and an SJ410 many years ago.
Haven't I seen your name before, Bigjimny.com maybe?

Why are there CV's if it is a solid axle?  What engine is in yours?  Are most of them diesels are gas?  Are they only making hardtops now?  On the manufacturer websites I haven't seen a softop for a couple years.  I really like the softtop models.

CVs are needed because the front wheels steer.
All petrol/gas in the UK, diesels are available in mainland Europe though
No soft tops anymore, I think that there are problems with the latest crash test regs. The Jimny is an old design now, its been around since 1998.

There are many people driving modified Vits in the UK. I have had mine since 2000, at that time there were only six or seven people in the UK with modded Vits, now the forums are full of them. I had a Jimny for a few years too and an SJ410 many years ago.
Haven't I seen your name before, Bigjimny.com maybe?

I suppose there must be a few Vits about but I've only really seen them on the Shropshire Suzuki site. Yes, you have seen my name on Bigjimny, I'm a regular on there! Thought I'd have a closer look at what's going on across the pond!

I do like Vitaras/Sidekicks/Trackers whatever you want to call them. I like the cheap fun they can provide and if I had one wouldn't be afraid of damaging it as much as my Jimny as there are far more in junkyards and on eBay cheap.

I make you right about the crash regs but why did they not release them in 98, unless they didn't meet US regs then?

Kirkynut

I'm originally from Manchester, now in the US.  I'm looking for a samurai here and there hard to find in unabused condition.  I checked out pistonheads and there are a lot of samurais and jimnys on there.

For a country as big as the US there's only 50 suzuki's for sale on ebay, on the other hand UK ebay has 2500 suzukis for sale.

Welcome and I am jealous of your jimny I like those.