[dougies_tx5turbo]

Well I am looking at chopping the back off the jimny and making a ute.
Where would be the best place to stretch it?
1. Behind the TC but before the axle arms?
2. At the top where the coil brackets are?
3. Just extend the back like a ute with an added long chassis?
Im looking at doing up a 99 model jimny and im using a hilux dual cab tray or even a d22 or nivara tray i havent decided yet.
I am preferably wanting to keep it style side but alloy or a tube style side tray. At the end of this i will be selling the car to make a profit.

[striker99]

Subscribed...Sounds good, think I'd prefer an alloy tray to style side as more flexible for adding accessories.

[dougies_tx5turbo]

That's what makes me want an alloy tray as it would be easier to make it work.

[striker99]

Only issue is the Jimnys very low gvm, can only add about 350kg to the car including people.

[alien]

For the effort of stretching the chassis (and wheelbase) it's almost worth addressing the diffs in order to up the GVM and strength in general?

[BlueSuzy]

I'd extend the back end of the chassis and extend wheelbase by moving the link mounts or fit longer arms with original mounts/ convert to 3/4link. Extending chassis anywhere around the transfer is going to be a headache. Its a triple plated/welded and bent chassis, Not just box/rhs. I've cut one up for scrap.

[Gwagensteve]

You won't make a profit. Nobody wants a ute with a load capacity of 400kg.

Let the idea go.

[vet 180]

Gwagensteve wrote:

You won't make a profit. Nobody wants a ute with a load capacity of 400kg.

Let the idea go.

This

[Samurai81]

Dan Cowper of Cowper Trucks, near Whanganui, NZ does this to new Jimnys. They are quite popular with the farmers over here - get 4-6 sheep on the back. Once modded they sell for $NZ27,000 which now equals $AUS27000

Steve

[SierraDan]

[Marko_SJ]

Gwagensteve wrote:

You won't make a profit. Nobody wants a ute with a load capacity of 400kg.

Let the idea go.

Actually, It could work for spraying herbicide, lugging tools such as the chainsaw, fencing wire etc.

Lots of people are buying side by side buggies.... you cant even register those.

[tanshi]

can see it being worth any more. but sierra utes were highly in demand and had similar shit cpacities

[dougies_tx5turbo]

As it sits now its worth about $1,600. with a motor and tidied up paint work about $2,500. Ute chop, mod plated easy $7,000.
Who else is selling a modern day, good, reliable 4wd ute with good supply of reliable quality parts.

[alien]

You're not taking into account the cost of engineering certs / inspections and rego though. Let alone time to do such a thing... be lucky to break even?

[vet 180]

dougies_tx5turbo wrote:

As it sits now its worth about $1,600. with a motor and tidied up paint work about $2,500. Ute chop, mod plated easy $7,000.
Who else is selling a modern day, good, reliable 4wd ute with good supply of reliable quality parts.

Toyota?

The tray back in the pics above looked awesome.

I say do it so I can follow the build.

[Marko_SJ]

vet 180 wrote:

dougies_tx5turbo wrote:

As it sits now its worth about $1,600. with a motor and tidied up paint work about $2,500. Ute chop, mod plated easy $7,000.
Who else is selling a modern day, good, reliable 4wd ute with good supply of reliable quality parts.

Toyota?

The tray back in the pics above looked awesome.

I say do it so I can follow the build.

Pffft. You need one of these to carry your hand tools in.

[Gwagensteve]

A $2500 jimny with the back cut off is worth $2500.

[BlueSuzy]

I didn't see the profit part.

There is no profit in Suzuki's, only money and time lost.

[Bucket]

Marko_SJ wrote:

Gwagensteve wrote:

You won't make a profit. Nobody wants a ute with a load capacity of 400kg.

Let the idea go.

Actually, It could work for spraying herbicide, lugging tools such as the chainsaw, fencing wire etc.

Lots of people are buying side by side buggies.... you cant even register those.

From memory, most of those buggies can be ag registered and used on farm properties.

And all that stuff can be done easily from a quad bike let alone spending $27,000 on a side-by-side.

[Marko_SJ]

Bucket wrote:

Marko_SJ wrote:

Gwagensteve wrote:

You won't make a profit. Nobody wants a ute with a load capacity of 400kg.

Let the idea go.

Actually, It could work for spraying herbicide, lugging tools such as the chainsaw, fencing wire etc.

Lots of people are buying side by side buggies.... you cant even register those.

From memory, most of those buggies can be ag registered and used on farm properties.

And all that stuff can be done easily from a quad bike let alone spending $27,000 on a side-by-side.

Yes that is true. Doesn't mean I didn't see a SxS with a sprayer in the back next door though.

Sure beats the lawn tractor and trailer.

[Bucket]

Lawn tractor?

And I meant 27 grand on a chopped jimny. Those buggies are less and purpose built

[Gwagensteve]

OK, sitting at my computer.

There's three separate issues here.

One is the feasibility and function of a Jimny with a stretched chassis and tray.

Second, is the complexity of approving this vehicle for road use.

Third is the market for this vehicle.

1) Feasibility and function

Jimny's have a tiny load area relative to their wheelbase. (wheelbase is the same as a LWB Sierra, load area is about 1/2 as large) have a look at Dan's photo - for a 2 seat car, the headboard is MILES from the driver's head. That's a very inefficient ute, requiring a large stretch to end up with a small tray. Standard Jimmy's with any sort of setup are all driving around over GVM. Add a chassis stretch and tray, and payload will be tiny. As the builder, you might understand this and live with it, but the next owner might not. All up, I'd suggest a jimny is a bad candidate for a Ute chop.

Approval

In Victoria, a wheelbase extension involving cutting the chassis requires the car to meet current ADR's, regardless of the age of the car that's being stretched. I'm not sure if that's the case in every state, but if that's the case its clearly not feasible for a old jimny which lacks ESC, Airbags etc. If you are able to successfully certify the car in QLD, It won't be saleable in any other state, which will significantly limit saleability. In victoria (and I would suggest most other states) approval will cost around $2500 and the engineer will need to be involved though the whole process.

Market.

Chopped Sierras are worth nothing. Factory tray back 1.3 sierras might be worth $5K (although plenty of owners think they are worth a million dollars) The conversion might be worth around $7K if it's approved and done professionally, but you'l'l go nowhere near getting that for an old Jimny with a recent conversion - it's still an old jimny Old jimmy's are worth stuff all. You won't make a profit. I guarantee it. Nobody can sell modified car on here or anywhere for a profit.

If you want a Jimny ute, go ahead and build one. I think it's a bit of a silly idea, bit more power to you - my car is silly too. However, the big issue is the "selling it for a profit" bit.

PS - people will tell you they'll pay anything for a jimny ute... until you try and sell it.

[Marko_SJ]

Bucket wrote:

Lawn tractor?

And I meant 27 grand on a chopped jimny. Those buggies are less and purpose built

Ride on mower.

My original point was that there are people out there who wouldn't mind a small easy to maintain tray back 4wd ute, the tray sierra did reasonably well? You can no longer buy such a thing easily (well not here anyway) , however quads as well as buggies like the Kawasaki Mule are selling well. Showing a there is use for small offroad vehicles that can bear a load, AFAIK, the Mule is still a 20K proposition.

I do agree that converting Jimnys for a profit is going to be difficult to make feasible, esp because of what is around now (ATV, UTV). Although there are businesses that thrive on doing likewise to land cruisers and patrols (I suspect quite a different demographic to the tray sierra buyer).

[cooo]

http://www.kapsuzuki.co.uk/suzuki/agri-utility.php

This seems relevant. Like a side by side except, probably cheaper, can drive on road, sealed cabin. I dont think one could make a profit but would cool to do one for yourself. Do you think the green one on that site had a chassis extension? Would be relatively easy if u didnt have to do that wouldnt it? Sierra utes seem to be quite rare now and sellers seem to think theyre worth 8k

[dougies_tx5turbo]

Its funny that this came up. few days back was helping a mate we were very busy and in a rush and the I saw a stretch ute jimny at qld Beachmere off side road with a man fishing next to it. When I see the jimny next I will stop and have to check it out no matter what I'm doing.
And have sold jimny so not doing it anymore

[jamiec]

I have driven a Jimny that was converted into a tray back ute. It was blue and for sale at a car dealers
in Kallangur QLD north of Brisbane. That's not far from were dougies spotted the Jimny ute he had seen.
This Was over ten years ago though. The dealer said some one had converted a couple of these utes in QLD.

[Rhinoman]

http://www.theinformer.co.nz/car-talk/s ... f-road-use

[lost]

there is a couple of places in new Zealand making jimny utes $28.000 for a brand new one

[Scrawny]

I saw a number of these in Rotorua when I was there over Christmas. Forgot to look into them but assumed they were factory, obviously not

[BenT]

Here's a couple of pics of Jimny ute conversions done in NZ: