The students at Japan’s Nihon Automotive College (NATS) in Narita, Chiba, Japan have turned out some pretty cool vehicles. The vehicle you see here started life as a 2019 Suzuki Jimny Sierra 3-door before the students stretched it and added 2-more doors.

To accommodate the longer body, the ladder frame was cut and lengthened 400mm (15-3/4 inches). The fuel filler neck had to be relocated as well.

With the body cut, it was repositioned back on the frame using a 6-inch body spacer.

With the body back on the frame, they cut part of the rear quarter side panel above the body line (under the window) and slid it forward. They then used an aftermarket body panel to fill in the opening beneath it, and more panels to rebuild what was cut out of the rear windows to create two windows instead of just the one. Of course, a door handle had to be added and the rest of the rear door had to be constructed likely using factory pieces. Salvaging another Jimny door for its Sheetmetal, hinges, and handle mechanism would probably have been the easiest solution.

The rear cargo space did not increase though and it remains similar to the standard three-door Jimny Sierra since the rear seat mounts were kept in the original location. If anything, it has more leg room and is now easier to access the rear seats. The interior now features an Alpine X9NXL multimedia system, GReddy Sirius vision gauges, and leather seat upholstery.

The 6-inch body lift gave enough room for 35-inch Toyo Open Country all-terrain tires mounted on Black Rhino Riot 17-Inch Beadlock wheels. Bolt on fender flares help cover the larger tires.

A custom rear and front bumper were built with the front bumper now housing a winch. An integrated roll cage/roof rack was also built and topped off with a Feldon Shelter rooftop tent. A LED lightbar is mounted over the windshield.

As for the performance, the standard 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine gets a new turbo kit from GReddy along with a tuned ECU and fv2 Blow Off Value. With these upgrades, the engine now develops 122 hp and 179 Nm of peak torque – 21 hp and 49 Nm more than stock.

With the Jimny complete, the students named it “Kimun Kamui” which means Mountain God.

Features:

• Extended frame 15.7-inches (400mm)
• “Kimun Kamui” meaning Mountain God
• Black Rhino Riot 17-Inch Beadlock wheels
• GReddy Turbo
• Feldon Shelter rooftop tent
• Alpine X9NXL multimedia unit
• Diecock audio system
• GReddy Sirius vision gauges
• Leather upholstery
• Blach headliner

Photo Gallery:

The 1.3L 13B rotary engine is one of the most incredible feats of modern engineering, with Mazda staying loyal to the masterpiece for over thirty years.

There’s no question that the 13B was at the forefront of Mazda’s rotary loyalty, and we’re going to explore everything you could need to know about the insane powerplant.

Thanks to the rotary’s design, these compact engines can fit into the smallest engine bays and are capable of producing a mighty punch, making them immensely popular with tuners across the globe.

This particular rotary engine was swapped into this Suzuki Samurai and puts out 450-horsepower. To reach that sort of horsepower, a Precision Turbo 76/75 unit with a 66-mm wastegate to regulate boost was used. The large turbo hangs off of a custom manifold which he created himself and further tested his fabrication skills—something he’d been looking forward to ever since convincing himself to tackle this project.

Calling the shots as this reimagined Samurai belts out seven times its original output is a programmable FuelTech FT400 EFI system. A do-it-all management system that includes the touchscreen digital dash you see covering the stock gauge cluster, the FT400 offers active traction control, data logging, sequential injection and much more. The modern addition calls the shots as a set of 1,000- and 2,000-cc injectors from Injector Dynamics are tasked with delivering 450 horsepower worth of fuel.

The Samurai also uses the Mazda RX7’s manual transmission. An aggressive 6-puck clutch is enlisted and has successfully held the massive power increase.

The exterior is as simple as it gets, sporting a custom fiberglass grille cover that adds an angry unibrow just above the headlights and a rear seat delete. Take a step around to the passenger side, however, and you’re met by a massive 4-inch exhaust exit and you quickly realize that things between Marvin and his Suzuki got pretty serious.

Video:

Photos:

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Dave Chappelle and Fred Williams from Dirt Every Day set out to take a Suzuki Samurai and turn it in to a rock crawling pickup.

They started with a Suzuki Samurai that already had Toyota axles swapped in, Jeep leaf springs, and lower transfer case gears.

They cut the back half of the body off, lengthened the frame, and built a custom 4-foot bed.

They also welded together a pre-cut bumper kit for the front of the Samurai, and added a Mile Marker winch.

Links:

(20+) Dirt Every Day | Facebook

Auto TV Shows on MotorTrend (motortrendondemand.com)

Video:

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This is an old build, but it’s still pretty cool. The owner of this rig was looking to use his Suzuki Samurai for a camping and adventure vehicle, not as an off-road trail rig.

He cut the entire body off behind the seats….

And then made a ‘tub’ out of fiberglass. The walls of the camper are made out of 2-inch foam panels sandwiched in fiberglass/epoxy. A lot of fiberglass, Bondo, and sanding went in to making the body and fender flares.

The passenger side of the camper received a 15″ x 24″ slider window, and there’s a 15″ x 24″ non-slider in the back door.

The inside uses some leftover Pergo flooring and even has a porta-potty. The walls are covered in carpeting. The roof is designed to pop up for more room like shown in the diagram in the photos below.

A trip to Low Range Offroad was made to pick up new shackles, leaf springs, and a pan hard bar. It all makes room for the Samurai’s 31-inch tires. It also gets a boost in performance thanks to 4.56 gears and 4:1 transfer case gears.

The owner found some 1999 Vitara hubs at a pick and pull, and used the low profile hubs to keep the axle/hub locked all the times. The lower profile also allows you to fit the track over the hub.

Speaking of tracks, it has a set of Tatou tracks to get it through the snow in the winter time.

The owner has since moved up to a full-size truck with a slide in truck camper, but this old Samurai is still pretty cool. It would be cool to see other examples of Samurai campers.

More Photos:

Click to enlarge.

Resource:

See the Suzuki Samurai Custom Camper Build thread.

I love these Suzuki Jimny’s. Their small size and agility give them the ability to go about anywhere. Add the proper camping gear, and they can become an excellent adventure and overlanding vehicle.

Here are some of the modifications:

• Trekfinder Fender Flares
• Trekfiner Wheel Spacers
• BF Goodrich All Terrain Tires
• 10″ LED Rear Work Lights
• 40″ LED Light Bar
• Front Runner Roof Rack
• Front Runner Roof Top Tent

The little Jimny likes the snow too.

Check Out:

https://www.freundship.de/suzuki-jimny-diy-offroad-camper

More Photos:

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The Suzuki SX4 is a compact car and crossover developed jointly by Japanese automaker Suzuki and Italian automaker Fiat. The North American market model arrived in 2006 as a 2007 model year, as Suzuki’s entry level AWD vehicle. Differences from the European model are the offering of AWD as standard and only with the 2.0 litre J20A 143 hp (107 kW; 145 PS) inline-four gasoline engine with timing chain instead of timing belt.

As you can see, this Suzuki SX4 has been modified in to an off-road capable adventure vehicle.

Specifications:

RRO (Rocky Road Outfitters) 2.125″ Lift Kit (Link)
Unique 15″ Steel Rims
Yokohama Geolander 235/70/R15 I/T Tires
Curt 41″ x 37″ Roof Rack (Link)
MICTUNING 32″ Curved LED Lightbar (Link)
iJDMTOY Bull Bar Style Front Bumper License Plate Mount (Link)
TURBOSII 4″ Inch 27W Round LEDs (Link)
Draw-tite Sportframe Trailer Hitch Receiver (Link)

(Rocky Road Outfitters SX4 Lift Kit)

I’ve looked at numerous overlanding vehicles online, as well as in person at the Overland Expo in Flagstaff Arizona. Some of these vehicles can be quite large, but they don’t have to be. The Suzuki Jimny shown here is proof of that, and can be found exploring South Africa with its owner Adrian Abrahams.

ROAM stands for Rugged Overlanding Adventure Movement. I’ll let Adrian explain how he started ROAM:

The Suzuki Jimny is a great vehicle for exploring. It’s small size and light weight enables it to get to a lot of places. The 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine (75kW/100Hp) is backed by a 6-speed manual transmission, and manual transfer case.

The Jimny also features ALLGRIP PRO. The ALLGRIP comes with Auto Mode, Sport Mode, Snow Mode, and Lock Mode.

In order to transform the Jimny in to an overlanding vehicle, it received a:

• Eezi Awn K9 Roof Rack
• Eezi Awn Series 3 Roof Top Tent
• Eezi Awn 270 Batwing
• Wildog custom front & rear bumpers
• Wildog rocksliders
• Osram LED lights
• Del Sol 4×4 50mm (1.969-inches) lift springs
• Gabriel Safari HDP shocks
• 32mm (1.26-inch) wheel spacers
• 215/75/15 (27.7″/8″/15″) BFG KO2 tires

The 50mm lift springs make room for the taller BFG KO2 tires, and the 32mm wheel spacers give the Jimny a wider track for more stability. Adrian says that he has to shift down in to 5th gear to keep the power at a comfortable level due to the increase in tire size.

Gear Carried:

The North Face Camp Duffel: Medium: https://amzn.to/2MB9d0J
National Luna DC25 Box http://bit.ly/NLDC25
National Luna 50L Legacy Fridge http://bit.ly/NL50LEG
FlexoPower 150W Solar Panel http://bit.ly/FlexoPanel
Frontrunner Expander Chair: https://amzn.to/2ZuWPVq
Frontunner Strachit: https://amzn.to/39n72rk
Frontrunner Flat Pack: https://amzn.to/2MDBDHz
National Luna 12V Clip Light http://bit.ly/NLClipLED
RAM Mount M8 Ball: https://amzn.to/2ZwHx2l
RAM Cellphone Mount: https://amzn.to/37lilyr
Generic Air Compressor: https://amzn.to/2Q6NZdA
Blueridge Overland Water Bottle Pouch: https://amzn.to/2t9MSk6
Blueridge Overlanding Personal First Aid Kit: https://amzn.to/39lCzKz
SUV Doorstep: http://bit.ly/IROAMDoorStep
Tire Pressure Gauge: https://amzn.to/357oWv0

Vehicle Equipment:

Tires: 215/75/15 BF Goodrich KO2’s on Stock Rims
Suspenion: http://bit.ly/DesSol4x4
Roofrack: http://bit.ly/EeziAwn
Awning: http://bit.ly/EeziAwn
Rooftop Tent: http://bit.ly/EeziAwn
Front & Rear Bumpers: http://bit.ly/Wildog4x4
Rock Sliders: http://bit.ly/Wildog4x4

Links

RoamOverlanding.com

ROAM Overlanding – Facebook

ROAM Overlaning – YouTube

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It’s great to see women active in the sport of off-roading. Especially when they have the skills to build and maintain their own rigs. Amber Turner is one of those women.

“Learning to wrench, wheel and weld are three skills most women don’t have, and women who have this knowledge are in demand, especially in the skilled trades” says Amber. Amber caught the off-road bug in 2011 after her father took the family to the Marlin Crawler Roundup in his mildly built Toyota Pickup. She bought her Samurai the next year, and started building it with her fiance’ (now husband). She took a welding class at a community college in order to fabricate her first set of rock sliders, which evolved into a welding career.

Amber’s Samurai isn’t the biggest, but it makes it places that vehicles with more modifications and bigger tires struggle on. And she’s by no means afraid to wheel it.

Amber has been a volunteer at every King of the Hammers since 2014, and volunteered or competed in several other events over the years such as W.E. Rock, Supercrawl, and Nor Cal Rock Races. Because she’s not happy sitting on the side lines, participation is the only option. In fact, she earned second place in her first-ever rock crawling competition, at the Team Series Rock Crawl & Mud Drags, in Oroville, California.

As her experience has grown, she has competed in the 4600 stock class in the Every Man Challenge, as well as the grueling King of The Hammers.

Amber also coordinates a small event called Zukicon on the Rubicon, a 3-day trail ride that encourages Suzuki owners from all over North America to experience the legendary Rubicon Trail for themselves.

Amber had the opportunity to meet Jessie Combs in 2014 and says that “I wouldn’t have ever even considered entering the Every Man Challenge if it hadn’t been for her. So, if there’s ever doubt in your mind that you can’t do something, I want you to know that you absolutely can.”

Samurai Specs:

• 1988 Suzuki Samurai
• Stock Axles
• Stock Engine & Transmission
• 6.5:1 Gears In Stock Transfer Case
• Bilstein 5125 Shocks
• 31-Inch Mickey Thompson Baja Claw TTC Tires
• Free Aluminum Wheels
• Beard Seat

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/daburrs/

https://www.facebook.com/TwoStoneRacing/

More Photos:

Click the photos to enlarge.

There’s a lot of great areas to explore around Medford, Oregon. It only makes sense that Brent would turn this Suzuki Vitara in to the ultimate adventure vehicle.

The Vitara features a 2.3 Aerio SX engine conversion, 4.5-inch Altered Ego suspension lift, 32×17″ tires, Walker Evans wheels, beadlocks, front and rear ARB air lockers, steel front differential and housing, 4.24:1 transfer case gears, 5.13 gears, Trail Tough custom bumpers and swing away tire rack & gas can carrier, nerf bars, full skid plates, and 16-inch Vitara front brakes. The 16-inch brakes are a simple bolt on Grand Vitara or Sidekick Sport rotors and calipers. No modification or kit is required. The rear was updated with a disc brake kit as well. The kit – which is not released yet – uses a Samurai front caliper in conjunction with a cable operated Wilwood ebrake caliper.

Specifications:

• Suzuki Vitara
• 2.3 Aerio SX Engine
• 4.5-Inch Altered Ego Suspension Lift
• Walker Evans Wheels
• 32×17 Hancook Dynapro MT
• 4.24:1 Transfer Case Gears
• 5.13 Gears
• ARB Air Lockers
• Trail Tough Custom Bumpers
• Swing Away Tire & Gas Can Carrier
• Nerf Bars
• Skid Plates

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This awesome Samurai was built by Joshua Hardy and competed in the 2014 Top Truck Challenge.

The first Four Wheeler Top Truck Challenge took place in 1993, and the event, also called TTC, was held annually at the Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area near Hollister, California. The last Top Truck Challenge was held in June, 2015. The original concept was to test the engineering capabilities of 4×4 vehicles, and it remained that way through its 23-year history, inviting readers “who own ‘the world’s best four wheeler’ to put up or shut up.

Joshua built the rig’s frame using 2×4-inch steel tubing, and the rig has a 121-inch wheelbase. He also built the exocage with the support of House of Diesel owner Chris Smith. Joshua reports he used 160 feet of DOM tubing to construct the exocage. One of the many unique features of the rig is a trick mounting system that allows a cradle-mounted winch to be mounted on the front of the rig at the same time as the permanently mounted 8,000-pound front winch. The result is that Joshua has an easily accessible backup winch. A set of 46-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Claw TTC tires are mounted to homebuilt 20×11 beadlock wheels. Joshua procured the Hunter Green paint from his local hardware store and painted the rig himself.

Keeping with his low-buck, do-it-yourself theme, Joshua installed a “swap meet” three-spoke steering wheel with quick release, a custom center console (with help from friend Jared Bishop), and some O’Reilly gauges. Interior door panels? Don’t need ‘em. Steering column cover? Nope. The cargo area of the rig holds a variety of things including the battery, a Kenwood head unit, Jensen speakers, Off Road Recovery-supplied recovery rope, and a compressed air tank that is charged by a converted engine-driven A/C compressor.

Nestled under the hood is a TBI Chevy 350ci V-8 with a Comp Cams camshaft. A custom air intake helps the engine inhale freely, and a pair of headers feeding a single exhaust (bent by Hollister Muffler) helps the engine exhale. A Griffin radiator with three electric fans (two pull and one pushes) keep the powerplant cool most of the time (more on that next month). Joshua used a wiring harness from a 1989 Chevy 1500 and a Caterpillar battery to handle electrical duties. Power is transferred through a TH400 transmission with custom valving. The tranny is helped by a custom cooler with electric fan and a Pontiac Firebird shifter to select gearing.

The rig’s 3.8:1 Atlas T-case is well protected by a custom skidplate, and power is carried to the axles via a pair of South Bay Driveline-made driveshafts. Out back is a 2-1/2 ton Rockwell axle and it sports a Mudpro Metalworks Mohawk pan, welded spider gears, and a pinion brake that uses the same components as the front brake. The rear suspension links are made from DOM tubing and each link is fitted with a pair of spherical rod ends. Knight Stalker 18-inch-travel remote-reservoir nitrogen shocks and 4-inch-travel F-O-A 2.5 bumpstops round out the suspension mods.

A beefy Rockwell 2-1/2 ton axle resides up front and sports a Mudpro Metalworks Mohawk pan, hardened axleshafts, and welded spider gears. Braking is handled by a pinion brake that includes a Mazda rotor, Toyota caliper, custom Rossie’s-bent brake lines, and Mudpro Metalworks Horseshoe pinion brake bracket. The pinion brake is protected by a custom three-point cage that is welded to the axlehousing. Joshua fabbed up the steering system and it includes a Mudpro Metalworks steering reinforcement kit, Trail-Gear double-ended ram and hoses, orbiter valve “from an old forklift,” custom cooler, and a large-capacity reservoir. The front suspension began life as a Trail-Gear three-link system, but Joshua converted it to a four-link system, and it has mostly Trail-Gear spherical rod ends. Other suspension components include 18-inch-travel F-O-A remote-reservoir coilovers and 4-inch-travel F-O-A 2.5 bumpstops. A center-mounted chain and a pair of limit straps are used to control suspension downtravel.

The Details:

Owner: Joshua Hardy/Hollister, California
Vehicle model: 1988 Suzuki Samurai
Engine: Chevy 350ci V-8
Transmission: TH400
Transfer case(s): Advance Adapters Atlas II, 3.8:1
Suspension (f/r): Four-link, F-O-A 18-in-travel remote-reservoir coilovers, 4-in-travel F-O-A 2.5 bumpstops, limit straps/four-link, Knight Stalker remote-reservoir nitrogen shocks, 4-in-travel F-O-A 2.5 bumpstops
Axles (f/r): 2-1/2 ton Rockwell, Mudpro Metalworks Mohawk pan and steering reinforcement kit, welded spider gears/2-1/2 ton Rockwell, Mudpro Metalworks Mohawk pan, welded spider gears
Axle ratio: 6.72:1
Wheels: 20×11 homebuilt beadlock
Tires: 19.5/46-20LT Mickey Thompson Baja Claw

Photos:

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