Filipino car enthusiast DIY-ed his hatchback to FIT the off-road

MANILA:  If you want to go off-roading, a hatchback will not be the first vehicle in mind. You’d want a vehicle with more engine power and muscle like maybe a Jeep Cherokee, Toyota FJ Cruiser, Nissan Terra, or even a Suzuki Jimny. But not a compact car that even gets bullied in EDSA traffic.

But for car enthusiast Jeff Palma, his tricked out Honda Fit (or Jazz) does the job just as well. Palma, who grew up in the Philippines and now residing in California, used to fix cars with his dad when he was growing up in Quezon Province. He recalled hating it back then. But when he got his first car upon moving in the US, a Hyundai Veloster, he started modifying it in his spare time. So, when his 2015 Honda Fit base model got into an accident, he decided to modify it as well.

In one of his videos on his YouTube channel, he gave a detailed walkaround of his upgraded Honda Fit.

To make his compact sedan off-road worthy, Palma first lifted his hatchback by 2.5” in the front and 4.5” plus 2” shock extension at the rear and installed Kenda Klever 245/75/R16 mud tires. To make it look more muscular, he added a fender flare from Cherokee which he customized to fit. A snorkel from a Toyota Land Cruiser, a steel bumper, winch, and rock slider was also added. To compensate for the lack of load space, Palma added a bike rack and an aluminum roof rack basket.

At the rear of the car, he extended the fuel tank by 3 gallons by adding two 1.5 containers for those long trips where gasoline stations are hard to come by. For safety, he has a signal booster, rear tow hitch for towing small trailer/camper, and an extra tire mounted at the rear. Since the tire covers most of the back windshield, he installed a back camera for safety.

Under the hood, Palma did not make much modification. Palma clarified that his Honda Fit is not a 4-wheel drive but a “strong will” drive.

With all the modifications, Palma estimates that he spent about US$1,500 for all the modifications. He said he was able to save much on his modification because he got the parts he needs on eBay or in junk shops. His most important advice for those who also want to trick out their cars is to be committed to the project.

You can follow Palma’s adventure on Instagram as he and his Honda Fit off-road around the US.

Also Read: Honda Jazz to take the centre stage at 2019 Tokyo Motor Show