4x4 of the best
go with the pros
T
here can be a fine line between modifying a vehicle and turning it into something it’s not. Whatever Chris Simpson’s buggy might be, for example, it clearly wasn’t alwa s that wa tho gh with the chassis, bulkhead and body of a Suzuki Jimny, there’s no doubting that that’s what it still is.
Words: Gary Noskill Pics: Harry Hamm
Sort of. That body doesn’t look much like it once did, for example. And while ‘chassis, bulkhead and body’ does cover a lot of the big stuff, there’s quite a lot of other big stuff missing. Engine, gearbox, transfer case, props, axles, you know… Chris’ vehicle does have all of these things. But in each case, they’ve been cherry picked from other vehicles. So what we have here is a bitsa, or if you prefer a hybrid. Hybrids, we know about those. Normally there’s going to be a Land Rover badge somewhere. And Chris used to have something with a Land Rover badge on it, though it was made in Solihull rather than somebody’s lock-up.
‘I soon realised they’re more of a farm vehicle,’ is Chris’ view of his old Defender. ‘I got sick of breaking it all the time.’ If you want a 4x4 that doesn’t break all the time, it won’t be long before you start wondering if you might be able to help that Toyota Land Cruiser over there find its way home. Before you even get to that stage, however, you’ll almost certainly have noticed how very light Jimnys are – and perhaps even done some logicbased thinking about how people who own them almost never seem to wander off to own anything else instead. Chris clearly thought about both these things. At the same time. Because what he’s ended up with is a truck that blends Suzuki and Toyota into one winning hybrid that very much comprises the best of both worlds.
4x4 10pp 4x4 of the Best Mar 23.indd 60
13/02/2023 23:13
