bad news

I just took my jimny to see about getting a bit of welding done and found it to be worse than we thought.

The front and rear body mounts are rotten, headlight panels rotten, sills rotten!

Im just on weighing up my options so was thinking, Is there anyone breaking a jimny who has a half decent body shell for sale? or, Do i cut my losses and buy a new one.

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Cheers

Paul

[quote="jewi" post=173811Do i cut my losses and buy a new one.

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Cheers

Paul[/quote]
If you like the Jimny as a vehicle then get another. If brand new you would be able to keep it for 20 years or more given you treat it. Or buy used and knowing what you now know you can look for a really sound one.

this is the first 4x4 and jimny i have owned and must admit its a car i really like but i won't let my heart rule my head where money is concerned

had same issues in the end i just got another
i found a really good one for the price
also knowing what you know now like John said helps loads
the guy i bought mine from could not believe that i was under neath
for around a hour in the rain

Jack

How common is this? Any areas to be concerned about? I'm looking for my first 4x4, have considered a discovery, grand Cherokee, pajero, trooper etc but the jimmy seems like a good entry with plenty of mods available.

very sorry to say but there are good one's to be found
take a look through here
www.bigjimny.com/index.php/forum?view=to...d=58109&limitstart=0

p.s don't be fooled by a good under sealing job ask for before photos

Jack

jewi wrote: i won't let my heart rule my head where money is concerned

Sounds to me like the same thing as I had with my Pajero iO. I just got put off with all the faults (including rust) that I kept finding or cropped up. I really very much like the iO (Pinin in the UK) but would not get another.........the experience dampened my enthusiasm. Maybe you should leave getting another for a while or try another motor - see what happens. I notice that a good few who part with their Jimny eventually get another even if it is a few years later. It is partly why I got my Junior, I wanted a replacement for the Jimny.

Yeliaba wrote: How common is this? Any areas to be concerned about? I'm looking for my first 4x4, have considered a discovery, grand Cherokee, pajero, trooper etc but the jimmy seems like a good entry with plenty of mods available.

Apart from mechanical desirability (like low ratio etc.) one good reason for having a Jimny is size and another is road tax if it is pre 2001. I've never had a Frontera or Maverick but I really fancied them. One of the best smaller softroaders I have had was the Rav 4 but it too had its drawbacks. if you want to mod a motor then a Jimny is as good as it gets.

Thanks, I shall thread jack no more!

I suppose the repair cost is going to be the main factor but if rust sets in probably nothing short of a full body resto is going to halt it. Buy another, move your parts onto the new one and stick the old on eBay with an honest description.

Yeliaba wrote: if rust sets in probably nothing short of a full body resto is going to halt it. Buy another, move your parts onto the new one and stick the old on eBay with an honest description.

I bought my SJ admittedly from new..........it was a demo car TBH.............and kept it well over 20 years. When I sold it the body was a bit ropey in places but 90& of it was fine. Underneath chassis etc. it was all superb. Get a good one and it should last if you make it last.

If you have to pay someone to weld the Jim for you I'd look out for a new shell or a new Jim. I don't think that you could repair the body mounts without lifting the shell. If you're paying for labour I think that the cost would be prohibitive so if I were you I,d be looking for another.

I can't weld so would be paying someone to do it, i have found someone with a shell so am weighing up my options. I might just run it until the mot runs out it July and then break it for parts and buy a new one