[Andygoodbloke]

Hi all from 4wd heaven of the South Island of New Zealand.

I'm Andy and worked as a mechanic for years when young. I'm not now. I had a SJ410 with a 1300 motor in it and loved it and it ignited my love of 4wd adventures. I started by getting a vehicle it was harder to speed in and carry white water kayaks up the rivers easily, then turned into a sport of its own.

I want to recapture my youth and get another Suzuki 4wd, the likes of what I had and the closest I have found is the Jimny. They cost a big packet here, or they are better off left to rust being so bad. I have been looking at the Japanese market and they cost about $500 to $200 nzd plus around $6000 to get it here and get it legal. To Purchase the likes it would cost $15 to $20 000 nzd. Our emission laws say they ones under 20 years old cannot be brought into NZ because they don't have ABS, traction control and or too much CO2, so 20 year old versions work for me.

There is 1300cc motors and 660cc turbo 3 cylinder motors.
How different are they in running gear?
Is the transfer case, diff ratios, gear boxes, axels all strong enough to handle a 1300 or 1600 motor - a big jump from a 660cc?

I thought about purchasing a wrecked Vitara/Escado with a 1600 in it and changing it over, but where do you start and stop, is the radiator big enough, how different are the diff heads and axels - do the have to be changed, is it the same transfer case and manual gear boxes with each motor size?

Has anyone transplanted out of the 660cc to either a 1300 or 1600 motor - what did you change, what needed to be changed.

Am I better off just saving more and getting one here?

Thanks Andy
From the home of the better rugby and league players

[BlazeOrbit]

Jimny’s definitely a great pick, but yeah, they come with a hefty price tag here in NZ. About that engine swap from the 660cc to a 1300 or 1600—yep, you’ll have to give the running gear some thought. The 660cc is lighter and more compact, so upgrading to a bigger engine like a 1300 or 1600 would probably mean you’ll need to tweak things like the diff, transfer case, and axles to handle the extra power. Vitara swaps are doable but can quickly become a bit of a rabbit hole, especially when it comes to cooling and getting the gear ratios right. If you're up for a challenge, it could be a fun project, but honestly, you might find it easier to just save up and grab one locally. Really just depends on how much you want to dive into the mechanical side of things.