4WD Partshop

You never know what’s hiding under a 30 year old hose…

What started out as a simple service on an SJ80 turned into a full can of worms 🐛

After pressure testing for leaks and pulling the hoses off, we not only found heavily corroded fittings on the inlet manifold - the whole system needed an overhaul.

So off came the manifold so we could drill and tap for new brass fittings. Replaced the corroded water pipe, joiner pipe and all the 30 year old hoses.

And that’s the thing with older Zooks, sometimes you just don’t know how bad it is until you take a proper look.

If your Zook is getting up there in age, it might be worth having a closer look at those coolant fittings before you loose your cool too 😅

Time Capsule Series | LJ

Most manufacturers in the ‘70s were busy making vehicles bigger.
But Suzuki had other ideas. A pretty radical idea to take a 4WD and make it tiny.

They shrunk a 4WD down to around 600kg, bolted in a 359cc two-stroke engine, added proper part-time 4WD, and sent it off into the wilderness. It wasn’t trying to be the biggest, toughest thing on the track - it was actually the complete opposite. This was the vehicle that started it all, the Suzuki LJ.

Launched in Japan in 1970, the LJ10 was Suzuki’s first-ever 4WD and just two years later, the LJ20 refined the formula with a water-cooled engine and improved reliability, helping pave the way for Suzuki’s expansion into export markets.

In 1975, Australians would get their first taste of the LJ series with the arrival of the LJ50.
The small but capable 4WD came powered by a 539cc three-cylinder two-stroke that gave it some extra grunt — and helped make it particularly well suited to Australia.

Then, in 1977, came the LJ80. The two-stroke engine was gone, replaced by a 797cc four-cylinder four-stroke. It was a significant step forward in performance and drivability, while still sticking to the lightweight, compact 4WD formula that made the LJ so different in the first place.

For its time, there really wasn’t much else quite like it.

More than 50 years later, this tiny yet quirky, and surprisingly capable 4WD, would become the grandfather of Suzuki’s legendary off-road lineup. The LJ series was the beginning of what would become one of Suzuki’s most important formulas: keep it small, keep it simple, and give it four-wheel drive.

It challenged the idea that adventure required a big vehicle, proving that a lightweight 4WD could take you almost anywhere. A lot of people admired this about the tiny Zook and what it represented: simplicity, capability and a sense of adventure. Along the way, it brought together a like-minded community, and some might say this is where it all began — behind the wheel of a little Suzuki.

🚙 Meet the Car - Sean’s Grand Vitara

Brian bought this two door Grandy second hand with a few problems… nothing Sean couldn’t fix🔧 It sat around patiently waiting, and as of November last year, Sean finally had it registered and ready to hit the road 🚗💨

Sean, being a man of few words - I asked what was your favourite thing about it? “It’s fun.” 😂

He’s not wrong 🤷🏻‍♂️

She might not look like much now, but Steve is committed to bringing her back.

This SJ70 came in with a dead battery, stale fuel, no choke and rust in every bore of the cylinder… so no, not in great condition.

That didn’t deter Steve in the slightest; in his mind, he was already committed restoring the old girl to her former glory. So out with the old and in with a recon motor, new radiator and hoses, Corolla carby conversion, flywheel, clutch.
You know… just the usual 🤷🏻‍♂️

Thats right Dolly, here its come again ⚡️
Superchargers are back, undoubtably the best mod for power for your Jimny

Anthony already had a full Manta Performance exhaust system on his Jimny XL so when it hit the dyno it produced 94.2hp

Add Harrop Engineering TVS900 Supercharger and that jumped to 153hp - 62.4% increase in power 🤯

But it’s not just about numbers.
Say you have a bull bar, bigger tyres, a roof rack, maybe even touring gear, that little 1.5L K15B engine has a lot more work to do.

An exhaust can help the engine breathe, and a throttle controller can make it feel more responsive. But nothing is going to give the engine the torque and power it’s missing like a Supercharger.

So while 153hp looks great on paper 📈
Feeling it behind the wheel is even better.

We supply and install right here in our Midland workshop. We even give you a free joy ride in Bazooki 🚙 Just so you know what power the mighty Jimny is capable of ⚡️

We’ve never seen a Sierra look so happy ^-^
Probably because they’ve got 20/20 vision now with STEDI LED Driving Lights 7” carbon black LED headlights

P.s We’re loving that Brett’s rocking our sticker

‼️STORE CLOSED THIS SATURDAY ‼️
We’ll be out cruisin’ 🌼🌼🌼

Who’s ready to get out of the garage? 🌾

We get it, we all want to do 4WDing again and we will soon…

In the meantime, we are getting excited to grab a coffee & cruise with all you zookers out towards York next week 🌼

📸 Nikki • Corrupt Crew

Will we see you there?