New user, and inspecting a Jimny!

Hi all.

I'm in Bristol, and am looking at getting a Jimny to accompany my aged Porsche!

I'm inspecting one this weekend, and am wondering what problem areas I should look out for? It's a 2000 reg model (lower tax band ) soft top and has full service history, apparently. The cam belt was changed earlier this year. The clutch was changed at the same time - approx 32,000 miles, which seems quite low to me. Is this a sign of a Jimny that's been thrashed? I'll look out for rust under the rear seats, under the boot carpet and in the wheel arches, and obviously I'll check that all the gears, hi / low / 2wd / 4wd etc. work. Is there anything else I should be looking out for? I hear the king pin bearings can go, and that this can be checked by wobbling the wheels? I did have a look at new king pin bearings on hear and elsewhere, and they seem to be around £20. This seems to be way cheaper than any part I've had to get for my Porsche, bargain!

Oh, and the car will mainly be used on road, maybe 20% (gentle-ish) off road, or more if I can manage it. I don't intend to do major modification, but that might change!

TIA for any suggestions.

I've got a 2001 Jimny on 79000 miles, I've had it just over a year now & have had to do the king pin bearings but don't fret over them there quite easy. I would suggest a good look underneath for rust, mines pretty bad but passes the MOT Also check that the Vacuum system works the 4WD as it should. check the brake & fuel lines underneath too, I had to replace a brake pipe due to corrosion & the fuel line had already be replace with plastic pipe when I got it.

Other than that its been very reliable & just used on the road.

Oh and one more thing, Jimnys of that age rattle like hell, or at least mine does & ya may be better off getting a 2001 jimny with the chain driven twin cam M13A DOHC engine.

Thanks Mala

I'll look at all those areas.

I thought the chain driven engines (VVT) weren't available in the lower tax band Jimnies...? VVT from 2002 I think? I'd prefer the £125 tax rather than £250 odd!

ATB,

Giles

Hi Sandspider welcome to the Big Jimny forum most soft top come with low mileage my one has 44500 miles on it from new and it's an 02 reg two lady owners so it's was only used to do the school runs and to go to asda so 32000 might be right still finding sweet and toys down the side of the seats.

Thanks DD.

Is that because the soft tops are less popular / less comfy to drive, I wonder? (I've only tried a soft top so far). The one I'm viewing tomorrow has had 3 owners, most recent one for about 6 months, and he's selling it as he doesn't like to rev it to get up to speed on the motorway!

I've managed to make the search function work on here, and figured out the SOHC / DOHC thing. It would seem that hard top Jimnys had DOHC from 2000, but soft tops got them later, maybe 2004. (And VVT came later still). It also seems that the hard top Jimnys are better built than the soft tops built in Spain. I did fancy a soft top (or ideally perhaps removeable hard top), but maybe a fixed hard top 2000 MY DOHC would be a better option.

Well, I'll look at the soft top tomorrow and if it's really good I might make an offer anyway. But if not, I'll cool my jets a bit and try and look at some hard tops too... Come to think of it, I'm in no drastic hurry (as long as the Porsche keeps going ) and could wait until hard top prices drop again after winter!

I got my soft top in 2009 and all I've had to replace is the gearbox that was knackered when I got it and two track rod end, and as for the jap jimny being better built than the Spain jimny it's a loud of rubbish they both have there bad faults, as you will read on this forum, it's a bit like me saying the jap jimny is not well built when I've never owned one.
sorry for getting on my soapbox.
DIRTYDOGZ.

I'll agree with the softtop isnt badly built.

mines been just about fine, only things have gone due to my fault/off roading.

and even then its been a gearbox mount, exhaust repairs and a wheel bearing.

also i dont know if this is true but i believe the softops have a galvinised body therefor protection from the dreaded rust. (from what i've read on here) but my car is 12 years old and practically rust free, where ase the hardtops tend to have no boot floor remianing by now.

in some repects i wish i'd bought a hardtop in others i love my soft top, but have plans for it to come which is a little different.

Thank you ne-crock my floor has one little rust spot, and we all know were that is in tool tray.

Sandspider wrote: I thought the chain driven engines (VVT) weren't available in the lower tax band Jimnies...? VVT from 2002 I think? I'd prefer the £125 tax rather than £250 odd!

mine is a 2001 X reg and it has the M13A engine, its a jap built hard top.

The jap built jimnys are better built as the soft tops made in Spain had a lot of problems. The jap made jimnys got the M13A engine before the Spanish.

Have they got more problems, I must have one of the good ones made on a Monday when the jap owner visited the Spain factory

Thanks for the tips, one and all.

Viewed the car, and it was in very good nick, well looked after, no death wobble, decent owner etc. However, he wants top money for it so I'm holding off for now. I'll also try and look at a hard top Jimny, as the soft top isn't exactly secure, and I tend to leave stuff in the backs of my cars...

Mala43B wrote: The jap built jimnys are better built as the soft tops made in Spain had a lot of problems. The jap made jimnys got the M13A engine before the Spanish.

Sorry, but I can't help responding to this. I have seen absolutely no truth in the rumour Spanish Jimnys have more problems than the Jap built ones.

Also it gets quoted quite a lot that the softtops rust quicker than the hardtops which also is unfounded.

Sure they got the newer engine later on but that doesn't mean it has more problems.