This is a story of passion and dedication. It is woven into the cult status of the Suzuki Jimny 4WD.

It started, as so many Jimny builds do, with a stock truck bought new in 2019.

In fact, owner Adam Crouchley was very clear: the Jimny would be his daily driver and would remain stock.

“As soon as I saw these Jimnys come available, I thought they were pretty cool. So, I ordered one, sight unseen. I planned to just use it as a daily driver, and I promised myself I wouldn’t modify it.”

That didn’t last long. The Jimny was so much fun in stock form that dedicated off-road enthusiast Adam couldn’t help wondering how much more fun it would be if…

“I’ve slowly chipped away at it since new, but it went through a big birthday late 2021 when my son was born. I figured I wouldn’t get out for a few weeks with the new baby in the house, so I did the suspension upgrades, turbo conversion, lockers and gear reduction all at the same time,” says Adam.

And that, folks, is usually how it all starts.

In Adam’s case the build took about a year – from some basic modifications to “a micro beast”.

In terms of off-road capability, key milestones in the project were a 6” (150mm) body lift, and a set of 33” x 12.5” Maxxis Razr tyres. The lift was an opportunity to add aftermarket shock absorbers to better deal with rough track shock loadings. Then there are twin locker diffs, diff head protectors and super low gearing to help the truck climb anything the South Island can throw at it (except perhaps the Southern Alps themselves).

A turbo conversion has literally boosted the Jimny’s engine so that it can handle the bigger tyres and the gear added to the wee truck for weekend adventuring.

The stock Jimny arrives on highway treads, so an upgrade to all-terrain or mud-terrain tyres is often the first step in these builds, though it is also important to avoid ‘over-tyring’ the wee trucks. Unlike most proper 4WDs these days, the Jimny is small, light and agile.

So, is it finished?

“It’ll probably never be finished, there will always be things to improve, and lots of ongoing maintenance! One day I might go through the certification process, but what a mission that’ll be!”

Most of the build has been DIY, but Adam went to Flame Performance for the turbo conversion. It’s a good idea to get expert help and advice when undertaking something as sophisticated as a turbo, its plumbing, cooling and fitment.

“Our mates at Opposite Lock in Rangiora have also been awesome through the build.”

In the years since, the Jimny has been on some big trips.”

Laster gear additions included roof rack, light bar, external gear storage boxes, sturdy off-road-style front and rear bumpers.
“We’ve done lots of big trips in this wee truck, up most of the major rivers and valleys in Canterbury, down around Otago, and we’ve just done a great trip through the West Coast. She’s never let me down.”

Owner Adam reckons he hadn’t done a lot of ‘traditional’ 4WDing before he bought the Jimny.

“But I grew up on the farm, so there were years of trying not to get stuck in Daihatsu Rockys and Rav4s!”

In sharp contrast to wannabe products and urban SUVs, the Jimny was built to ‘go bush’, and that is what it does. In all kinds of weather. Up gnarly flinty tracks, through mud bogs and high into the South Island’s interior. And as is usually the case with the Jimny mob, Adam’s truck is often in the thick of a mob of eight or ten similar builds.

The Jimny’s overland adventure build certainly seems to fit Adam’s personality.

He reckons there could be an exo-cage in the Jimny’s future to help protect the panels, “but apart from that I think the build’s about complete”.