Pick-up and play: Proton Jumbuck GTI
Asked to assemble a Proton two-car dream garage, the chances are you’d fill it with a Jumbuck and a Satria GTI.
If, on the other hand, the idea of a Proton dream sounds like a contradiction in terms – or indeed an atomic-based fantasy movie – the Proton Jumbuck GTI for sale on eBay might not be for you. But it exists, and PETROLBLOG is a little bit in love.
It shouldn’t work, but it does. By combining the Proton Wira-based pick-up with Hethel’s most okay hot hatch of the new millennium, its creator has built a masterpiece. A touch redneck in its vibe, perhaps, but the Jumbuck you always promised yourself, all the same.
The Jumbuck GTI began life as a basic GL, featuring PVC seats, rubber mats, manual windows and mirrors and steel wheels. It was the workhorse of the Jumbuck range, although it did feature Lotus ride and handling. No, really, it did.
There was a more lavish GLS version, which offered a two-tone paint job, carpet mats, cloth seats, electric windows,a Clarion CD player (a Clarion cassette player was optional on the GL), 14-inch alloys and, wait for it… a mirror on the passenger side visor and a dimming instrument panel.
Engineered to deliver
It was stuck between two audiences. A 645kg payload and a 1.5-litre petrol engine couldn’t really cut it in the commercial sector, while a lack of rear seats and an absence of brand image meant that it never really stood a chance in the lifestyle segment.
Sales were steady: a decade ago there were around 1,700 on the roads of Britain, but today that number has fallen to fewer than a thousand. None are as cool as this Jumbuck GTI, which is available for £2,650 or your best offer.
PETROLBLOG’s love of the Proton Satria GTI has been well documented – you can read about it here – and although a defenceless hot hatch has lost its life to create a redneck and red-hot pick-up, the results are so damn good, the sacrifice was worth it.
The front end is pure Satria GTI, albeit without the foglights, towing cover and Proton badge. Be proud of the Malaysian heritage, stick the badge back on. Obviously, there are no bits from the hatchback on the back – it’s a pick-up, after all – but you’ll note the Powerflow exhaust system.
Other modifications include 17-inch Wolfrace alloys – it would be fun to stick a set of 14-inch black steelies on it – along with the Recaro seats and white dials from the Satria. Naturally, it’s powered by the Mitsubishi-sourced 1.8-litre 16v engine.
Engineered to excite
In standard form, the 133bhp Satria GTI could hit 60mph in 7.8 seconds, and such was the handling, you wouldn’t have to slow down when you reached a corner. At 1,035kg in GL guise, the Jumbuck is a tad lighter than the Satria, so the pick-up GTI should be a tad quicker.
By combining two of Proton’s finest vehicles, the Jumbuck GTI is a little like the best of both worlds. Having your cake and eating it. Dating a pair of Swedish blondes. Winning the lottery and the World Cup on the same day.
OK, this might be a stretch, but PETROLBLOG is mighty glad the Proton Jumbuck GTI exists.
Check out the advert on eBay. Thanks to the seller for permission to use the pics.
