We found a Mitsubishi Pajero Junior at a scrapyard in Wales!

But should we buy it? Join us as we take a look around this JDM Oddity - a proper, miniaturised 4x4 aimed, we suspect, very much at the Suzuki Vitara. We found it at Tanygroes Car Dismantlers in West Wales (tcdsalvage.co.uk) where we also recently found the very, very rusty Triumph Herald of the previous video.
Calendars, mugs, model TWCs and super-warm beanie hats can be purchased by visiting HubNut.org - thank you.
#scrapyard #jdm #mitsubishi

[@darrellbrain829]

I am picturing Lewis from whiteland screaming “ NO !!!” Into his laptop or phone screen 😱😱

[@SPEEDTER601]

Probably NOOOOOOOOO

[@jonreid7957]

Having owned one I can testify to their incredible ability to rust. Worse than a Jimny and that’s saying something…

[@bentullett6068]

The Japanese don't understand rust protection on their own cars sold in Japan as they don't tend to use salt on their roads in the winter. They tend to pump hot water continuously on their roads and pavements to clear ice and snow.

[@GlennPowell-ls3lg]

@@bentullett6068 Japan do get snow but if you look at how they deal with the white stuff on "The Bullit" railway it makes the UK look like a country from the dark ages nowadays sadly.If you also consider that railway it was built in the 60,s when we were still converting from steam to diesel electric / overhead full electric and now HS2 has been abandoned north of birmingham which our victorian cousins would have built in the blink of an eye without issue.

[@bobmirdiff2043]

My local garage (Philippines) gave me the Gypsy's Warning about them - As others have said, you can 'Hear them Rust' - Even in Asia with no Salted Roads! Another issue is the Name! - Pajeros are branded as Shoguns in Europe and some other markets, due to its meaning in Spanish!

[@robscafidi4070]

@@bentullett6068 they also don't keep cars on the road as long, generally, the average age of cars on the road in Japan is 9.2 years, cars over 13 years old cost a bit more to register and new cars are exempt from the (very rigorous) safety inspections for the first 3 years, so there's some incentive to trade up

[@darrengray2309]

Any vehicle used in the UK will end up being a Rust bucket

[@RikMcCloud]

I like the way the recyclers call you as it not only gives you interesting content but also gets more eyes on interesting stuff they have for sale!

[@PaulBaker85]

I don't see why not. Buy it; take it straight 'round to Whiteland to get the sills patched up, bit of tweaking, and MOT. Would be great for rural Wales.

[@terryatkinson3182]

Are you trying to get him banned from whiteland forever 😮

[@kruleworld]

If Ian was going to weld it up himself, i'd say yes, but since he's likely needing to farm it out, not the project for hubnut. too expensive to repair. probably more than its worth, so that will double the cost.

[@RWBHere]

They are paradise for rust maggots. Best to leave the car and let them feast. In rural Wales they would feed even more quickly. It's damp and has roads which are salted in Winter.

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

Yes Ian, you should buy it

[@jeffhughes1318]

Clickbait title thumbnail though.

[@RWBHere]

No. It would cost him far too much to try to slow down the galloping rust maggots.

[@worldofrandometry6912]

That looks fairly recoverable and would be a handy little 4 wheeler for those snowy Welsh roads.

[@theobster]

Definitely buy it, take it straight to the welders to sort the inner sills and few other crusty bits, clean the underside as much as possible and give a good dose of rust proofing. 54k, plenty of life left in her!!

[@garethseymour2788]

Get it...!! These are seriously cool cars....!!!!

[@nigelh4617]

Well. If it's still got a floor... It's tempting. And it's got more labels on it than Alan Whicker's luggage.

[@Ivorbiggin]

Lol…..😂

[@siwynjones]

Haha, one for the teenagers…

[@darkwaterblue]

Now thats actually worth welding up and saving, great little thing.

[@nickis_speedshop]

Buy buy buy! Love quirky old 4WDs. Perfect for some HubNut greenlaning, although stiff competition from the 2CV

[@volvo480]

I've heard from a Volkswagen salesperson back in the day that the upright resting position of the Mk2 Golf wiper was designed because of snow. The first wipe would be downwards and thus clears the rear window by pushing all the snow down and off the car; going up might only compress the snow and possibly block the wiper. I don't know if Mitsubishi thought the same but it wouldn't surprise me.

[@peterlarkin762]

That is some exquisite wiper trivia!

[@danielrussell446]

Now that’s interesting as the Vauxhall Astra mk1 and cavalier mk2 had a similar wiper design of rear wiper resting in upwards position

[@richardshaw1919]

Get it bought Ian it's amazing. Miss Hubnut and the Hublets will love it.

[@TrevorBuick]

Ideal car for miss hubnut around Wales, grab it 👍🙏

[@robertsmelt6638]

I think that in Japan these small 4wd cars are very much more likely to find genuine use in snow. Mountain regions of Japan are a great challenge.

[@HubNut]

A fair point, but don't forget the 1990s was the era of urban 4x4s. We know not why but they were seen as cool.

[@robertsmelt6638]

@@HubNut True, but don't tar the poor Japanese with the same brush as the Chelsea tractor owners. Viewing a JDM car from a British perspective is wrong in so many ways. Funnily enough, we had really severe winters in the 90's so that might also have skewed some perceptions. I ran Metros for a few years and with proper rally tyres on the front I scaled roads in hilly Yorkshire where Land rovers struggled.

[@alansmith1770]

A lovely little motor Ian. It would be a fairly good project to get it road ready.

[@Garffey]

I had one of these a good few years ago in the same colour (Perfect for me and the dog)....Better than a Suzuki Jimny, cheaper to tax and a more powerful engine....And with good chunky tyres went anywhere! Sadly parts weren't cheap (if you could get them)....I had to have a radiator built for mine (£400) and a new stainless exhaust (£325) but it never let me down....Mine eventually turned a bit crispy underneath too, but I was offered a cheap 1.6 Vitara 3 door so bought that and sold the Pajero mini on....would be a perfect winter car for Wales Ian....😉😉

[@davidflamee]

I hope someone takes her on, if only as a spares car. So many spares, not least the engine, low miles and a runner too. The interior looks to be in very good shape.

[@spainter1985]

Not beyond saving but sod that, it'll need completely cleaning up and repainting/sealing underneath to make it last more than a couple of winters in the UK

[@hectorshouse7348]

I thought it looked very smart

[@markf4720]

I reckon there will be more holes than anticipated under that! 😮

[@johncrichton4341]

Definitely get it - best thing you've had on the channel for ages!

[@daniellee9015]

Absaloutly brilliant video ian miss hubnut ❤👍what a lovely 4x4 needs to be saved brilliant

[@user-kg7bx7xd5d]

Looking forward to seeing this vehicle in a future video!

[@HubNut]

Never...

[@carllawrence787]

Yes we will@@HubNut

[@Gary-Seven-and-Isis-in-1968]

@@HubNut Hmm, interesting reaction.....🤔

[@grrfy]

What a GREAT mini truck ,with actual off road performance! I think you really should, I am very tempted myself ,as a little offroad brother to my stepwgn, a step brother even!

[@jmdoutdoors5729]

Awesome little 4X4, thank You for another great video.

[@giulianomarco]

If you've had a spot of bad luck, Ian - at least you didn't get a meteorite through your roof, like a Renault Clio in Strasbourg recently! 😁👍

[@compo308]

What a neat little truck. Haven’t seen one of these in a while here in NZ

[@rhys_thomss7013]

We had a Mitsubishi shogun but it was a 3.2 td but Mitsubishi are good cars just gotta keep an eye out for rust

[@thrasher7625]

Very cool indeed, I would imagine you'd regret not buying it. 😊

[@phillipevans9414]

The Pajero iO was also sold (I am presuming in pretty small numbers) for a while in Australia. My first car was a 1981 Suzuki LJ81 (hardtop), which was a precursor to the Sierra/Jimny models that would follow, and it was great fun - so this is also very interesting viewing. Lovin' your work Hubnutters. Cheers!

[@hectorshouse7348]

Excellent winter project, good money to be made I suspect

[@bentullett6068]

These were very quirky little 4x4's. I remember going to the Firs Garage Mitsubishi dealership when my dad had his Mitsubishi Shoguns (one of which replaced a 'reliable' Land Rover Discovery 2) and there used to be on occasions a Shogun Pinnin which I thought looked interesting but also cool.

[@Codzilla71]

I like the way he talks himself into the purchase as the video goes on.

[@andyarmstrong1493]

Top half looked so good!

[@wxcferdts]

Even without doing anything to it, Ian, this little car seems to have more things functioning than does your entire fleet ...

[@HubNut]

Accurate...

[@trevatkin4869]

I think that would be a really cool little project. What surprises me is how clean the external bodywork is. Really clean under the bonnet too.

[@katkylekim]

That looks very original up to the paint !! Still fetching €2K for a well used one here in Malta ,surprised the flare is still stuck in the passenger foot well.

[@TheDarkxs]

Perfect little 4x4 for winter and some fun camping trips.

[@michaelwright2986]

Unspeakably cute and I want one, but I'm glad you seem to have passed on it. A great project for someone with a lift or a pit, but there's going to be many hours spent getting at the undersides.

[@shaun30-3-mg9zs]

Hi you two hope your both well, what a little gem, that would make a good car for some one and winter on the way hand for those short hilly run's in the snow and being a little petrol engine should be cheep to run, none of those diesel issue's short run's exhaust clogging up no ad blue. A great little car, great video Take care🚗👍

[@danielrussell446]

Definitely worth saving Ian they must be super rare over here looks a lovely little car be good content on the channel to see it restored

[@67tomcat]

I prefer cars, but this little Mitsu is neat! Hope you decide to purchase it. Plus, it announces to the world all of its capacities with the various graphics.

[@thomasfrancis5747]

Loving the typical JDM nearside front wing mirror. Worth saving, even if only to end up as a farm hack one level up from an ATV - nice dry warm interior and fold the back seats down so the sheepdog can ride in the back.

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

I had forgotten about the decals with the specs on the side. Used to be quite common on Japanese market cars.

[@MINIMOTOMADNESS]

dude buy it,would make a great snow machine,

[@tony-yp6qk]

another great video has always Ian and miss hubnut and hublets and hubmutts 👍

[@mcmcolm]

The Pajero Pinin were sold in GB as the Shogun Pinin, they were called the Montero iO in Spain. They were also sold in Ireland, Portugal, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, and Switzerland. Interestingly (?) the bodyshells were welded and painted in one factory, then transported to another factory an hour away for final assembly.

[@HubNut]

No, the Pinin/iO were a little larger again. There are four sizes of Pajero/Shogun!

[@mcmcolm]

@@HubNutyes, brain fart here, I meant the Pinin. Did a ninja edit there to correct it 😂

[@TheCounty90]

What great trucks people are scrapping. Love the Mitsi, and that L322 next to it! What a throw away society.

[@quarterlight]

Not sure if this is the right project for you but would love to watch a new series of you getting a car back on the road. They are always my favourite episodes.

[@roxieloot]

Cool car, never seen one before. Would love to own one of these.

[@danpeters5028]

What a great little 4x4 well worth buying

[@fredscratchet1355]

What a lovely little thing.

[@skyll4141]

get Mickey blackely mobile sandblaster to do the underside then weld it up and spray it. Could be an interesting one that.

[@adrianmclean9195]

In Australia, we had the Pajero iO, for a while - competed with the Vitara, earlier Rav 4, Honda Civic Shuttle AWD and possibly Daihatsu Rocky?. Didn't know they had all these other smaller versions. Pajero still sells well in Australia, because of much cheaper than a Patrol and Land cruiser. Pajero Sport, I read, was basically a wagon version of the Triton Ute, like the Fortuner and Isuzu Mux etc ?

[@sixandtwothrees]

I bought a Pinin auto for my then student daughter. I thought it was a fantastic car and drove wonderfully and for a man of a certain age, very accessible! Sadly the 22mpg proved to be an obstacle. I wish I had kept it, but like that one it was getting a tad crispy below. Great video, as always. Best.

[@user-io9cc7mi7r]

I’ve got 2 of these already!! I hope I can secure this one too before is too late

[@davidlawrence9091]

That metal bracket, might be the inside handle. Heh,heh! I love those seats.

[@James-ld2jc]

I hope someone takes it on as a project. Probably worth saving as it's so unusual. Like it

[@tylaranderson8559]

We have the Mitsubishi Pajero Mini at our shop. with 660 cc's of raw power, it's a blast to drive and a very capable off-roader, but more often than not, it is used to pick up parts for other cars or run errands.

[@peterlawrence3152]

Love the wee Mitsi. Shame its rough as a badger's posterior underneath. Engine looks good.

[@NEILB1989]

Love it

[@SAM-zt2uy]

That’s pretty cool and never even knew of the until now.

[@johnscarsandstuff]

It's one of those cars that you don't want, until you see one. I now feel like I need one in my life. But probably not that one. I wondered if it had been used as a farm vehicle, exclusively off road, given the lack of MoT history. But the condition is more in line with it just being parked up.

[@joelcarterramadge183]

I've been wanting you to get back in a 4 wheel drive, so this may seem like the perfect thing!

[@Phil-1969]

It hasn’t had a mot for 10 years , it’s a complete lemon 🍋, am I watching the same video as everyone else

[@mmcfuso]

I had a ZR1 (power nothing version) manual one of these for over 12 years. Sold it about a year ago to a good friend who takes it all over NZ behind his house bus on an A-frame I had fitted early on in my ownership for the same reason. No rust at all and everything worked. The manual sat at 3500 rpm at 100kph so a bit revy but that's where the power band started. Wasn't as cheap to run as you might expect as your driving it hard just keep up with traffic. Anywhere between 9 and 11L/100ks , worse off road. Only issues I had was worn suspension bushs in the rear linkage and an oil leak in the engine bay just as this one has. Turned out to be an O-ring on the camshaft sensor, easy fix. Have done some off roading and managed to impress the 'big boys' enough to stop them from laughing and have a good look at the toy. (I did have proper mud tyres on slightly wider rims though). Would I buy another one? Not an auto but that's only my preference. Why keep it for so long? I just loved driving it, smile on your face stuff. Like driving a classic Mini, bare bones motoring with modern reliability. (It was my daily commute).

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

In Ian's next video.... 'I may have a new fleet member" great looking little Mitsibishi Ian and Carly.

[@Zerofightervi]

Mitsubishi UK imported one of these in this exact colour, I remember sitting in one on a visit to the UK headquarters (now unfortunately closed) when my Dad worked there.

[@deanevans5346]

And thanks for the subtitles.❤️

[@tomoreilly9932]

Great little project for someone, even tyre tread looks decent. A wire brush bit of welding,find source of transmission leak and get the brakes done, and protection spray underneath, could be saved quite easily.

[@fulwell1]

I'd take that on myself! What a cracking wee car! ]

[@onenoodles]

Had a Shogun and everything from the chassis upwards was great, engine ran like a swiss watch, super comfy, looked amazing ... everything from the floorpan down may as well been made of cardboard.

[@franksmith4254]

Great project to practice your welding

[@Mike.Howard]

YES! It'd be perfect for Miss Hubnut!👍👍

[@firsteerr]

my pal had a Mitsubishi truck (by truck i mean a 4WD with only front seats and no windows a sort of van )and it was great i would say they are very under rated makers with good solid products

[@JakobKsGarage]

I made myself an "MOT hammer" by grinding one end of a regular small hammer pointy. Very useful tool for finding soft spots where the rust have eaten everything, and trying to estimate how much welding is needed. Only use it on my own cars though 😉

[@stevebrewer5037]

I had a 2.8 swb 96 pajero bit larger than that had it 6 years best vehicle I've had wish I still had it

[@michaelstaunton1632]

Oh yes this would be a Hubnut fleet contender indeed 👍👍👍

[@s1914]

Personally I think you’d be extremely brave to take that on. I had a Suzuki of similar age, the chassis, engine and running gear were perfect, all the bodywork, sills, floors, wings, were incredibly rusty. It didn’t look too bad until you took a wire wheel to it, then the holes started appearing… Scrapped it in the end 😞

[@dglcomputers1498]

Buy it, it's just your kind of quirky thing and probably great for rural wales, plus for an SUV the MPG is probably not that bad. Though saying that a three speed auto on a 1.1L engine can't be fun! I do like the fact that it advertises it's huge 1.1L engine! Good chance to get some welding experience, don't necessarily need to fix it up really quickly it can be an ongoing "learner" project, and it doesn't need to be pretty on such a utilitarian vehicle. Is it a similar size to a Jimny?

[@HubNut]

Yes, very similar to Jimny size.

[@iandennis7836]

1100cc......can you IMAGINE how Ernest Thrasher would drive that? It deserves a leeetle more mechanical sympathy than I think Ian would put it's way. Sorry Ian but you know it's true😁

[@noisemunga7845]

Wow, I always wanted one of these. That one definitely deserves saving! Shame I lack the time or resources to do it 😢. Someone please restore it and when you're finished having fun with it I'll buy it 😂.

[@roseybut]

As a resident of Pembrokeshire, many years ago as a younger man, I used to get all my spares from Tanygroes. Back then you had to remove the parts you wanted yourself!!

[@Jasonhughes258]

Steer well clear of that can of worms and money pit. You’ve got enough to do on rest of your fleet. Concentrate on getting some of the jobs done on them.

[@HubNut]

I mean, that is the sensible answer...

[@SPEEDTER601]

You went for a GSA. I mean……

[@alansimpson835]

What an intriguing little thing. It definitely has lots of life in it yet. Hopefully the plastic sill covers are not hiding horrors. Very impressed you managed to resist its happy wee face and not buy it

[@gmpltd114]

It looks and sounds very Hubnut, of course you should buy it. 😃 Greg, New Zealand.

[@Low760]

Benny custom works in Sydney has the mini. Didn't know they existed. We did get that io in Australia too.

[@HubNut]

Yes, have been watching Benny's antics for some time. Love that he owns a Pajero Mini and an MG Metro!

[@craigmclean8260]

Looks like that would be a nifty little transport, once patched up...great for the Winter season, and "green-laning" (is that the proper term?)...

[@JR90.]

Yes, yes you should! Wales, winter weather 4x4... absolutely!

[@pit_stop77]

What a cute car, ive never seen one before, I'll buy it vicariously through you 😂 ❤

[@leeedwards9994]

if you love it and can do any required work and have room to keep it you got all the reasons there ..... i once brought an [ austin cambridge a 60 ] from the scrappers running but needed brakes manifold gasket wiring e.t.c was a great car very reliable and a looker to .....

[@DavstrWrexham]

yes, defo buy it. It would be great for video purposes as well.

[@IndianaPwnz]

i had a pajero jr and it was brilliant! more capable than it ever had a right being off road , fun on road , quirky , i wish i never sold it :(

[@Bucharestguidedtours]

Its a maybe from me, its definitely got some work in it, brakes , some welding, how are the brake and fuel lines etc, but interesting car. A few dings, but the body and interior looks good. Probably never undersealed since on import. Best wishes.

[@briandamaged323]

Get it bought, mate. I've bought a T shirt and stickers this last week, that'll go some way towards it! SO Hubnut!

[@HubNut]

Cheers! We'll be packing those tomorrow.

[@mcba]

Love these. I came close to buying a Pajero Mini (the full kei version) a couple of years ago but chickened out because I didn't want to do battle with potential rust, although it was in far better shape than this one. Ended up with a 169 Panda 4x4 which was half the money and has four doors, but definitely isn't as special. (And it rusts like mad too, or at least the subframes and suspension bits do...)

[@terryatkinson3182]

You'd need plenty of space for the repairs on this in your shed and bits might be hard to get.... when your 2 post ramp and welder arrival, you're sorted 😊

[@biker_dan]

Good cars the Pajero, very popular here in Australia. I think you should get it, then come better weather get a hoist that you can run off a generator in to your shed, then get to work restoring it. Great for towing and as a two person traveller for pulling the caravan.. you would never look back...

[@HubNut]

This is a Pajero Junior. It's tiny! Not a great tow vehicle.

[@stuartmcdonald5772]

Theres a guy at my local rubbish tip aka recycling centre has one.he loves it.

[@bigdude101ohyeah]

You'll be kicking yourself if you don't give it a go. The Pinin was called the Pajero iO in Australia too. Wasn't anywhere near as popular as its polar opposite successor, but I've seen quite a few around recently.

[@SiCrewe]

I love quirky cars, and I'd love to see this back on the road, but if I was looking for a small 4x4 (even a "project") I'd only be looking at Jimnys.