…AND FINALLY
You can expect to see all manner of SUVs, bakkies and pipe cars in any remote region where off-roaders thrive, but nobody expects to see Jeff Palma’s uppity Honda Jazz trading punches with ‘legit’ 4x4 vehicles.
The Honda Jazz is one of the more expensive little hatchbacks on sale locally, but it makes up for its premium price tag by being loaded with clever packaging and tech features. It makes a lot of sense for the school run and grabbing groceries on the weekend, but you don’t buy one of these to go bundu-bashing – unless you’re a YouTuber from California called Jefferson Palma.
After purchasing his used 2015 base model Jazz (called a Fit in most other markets) in December 2017, Jeff decided to go the route most people who modify little hatchbacks go by lowering his suspension slightly and adding minor cosmetic details, including a front spoiler and side skirts to make it look a little racier.
After a fender bender, he removed a few panels and added flares so that the aftermarket alloys fit snugly in the wheel arches, but he soon added a bike and a roof rack and thought it would be a good idea to lift his suspension so that he could also go exploring off the beaten track.
And that’s what he did, along with fitting a set of all-terrain tyres – these modifications alone were enough for Jeff’s camping and trail riding. But the bug had bitten, and soon he started fabricating and fitting his own parts. The Honda soon started featuring donor items – the first being a snorkel from a Toyota Tacoma, followed by a Jeep Cherokee’s fender flares. The terrain got rougher and Jeff ordered a set of 31” mud tyres as well.
Interestingly, Jeffs’s Jazz (like any model) is just a regular old front-wheel drive model, but he seems to have no issue with sand, mud and snow, thanks to his car’s low mass and the extra footprint by way of the big rubber.
The modifications haven’t stopped, and Jeff recently changed his roof rack for a sleeker unit and made his own rock sliders for when the going gets rough. The 1,5-litre VTEC engine can deliver outstanding fuel consumption, but Jeff pays a penalty at the pumps of between 10,6 and 15,6 litres/100 km because of his modifications – also depending on his driving.
So far, Jeff’s been to several state parks across the United States as well as in Canada and Mexico. It doesn’t look as though Jeff’s adventuring is going to end any time soon because he has made it his personal goal to clock up a million miles with his Honda Jazz (1,6 million km) and he will continue to document his travels on his YouTube channel: Whatz Production. Nice one, Jeff.
Have you spotted any whacky wheels on your travels? Tell us about it and send a photo to go! Drive & Camp, PO Box 740, Cape Town 8000 or drivecamp@gomag.co.za