Suzuki Samurai

A while ago we used to have a couple of done up Escudo's in the family we used for offroading. I did a bit in my Hilux recently but didn't want to bugger the thing as it's my main ride. I had a V6 terrano at my old mans work I was gonna use as a offroader, but this little Suzuki came up so I jumped on it.

The old man's built me a trailer for it so I can tow it behind the Hilux (it's not road legal). A whopping 1.3L manual from the 80's. Should be good fun. Getting a new winch for it and finishing up the roll cage with the old man. Needs a new clutch too, but getting close to having the first trip out to woodhill for a bit of fun one day.

I got my hilux stuck last time I was out there and I god pulled out by a little suzuki with road tyres... embarrasing.

http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/...eNZ/truck2.png

http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/...eNZ/truck1.png

It's a good alternative to a quad bike which I can't afford... and it aint really that much bigger when you get down to it. It's a tiny little thing.

Mint, those things are awesome! Apparently the Swift GTI motor is a straight bolt-in swap for more power, buts its all up higher in the revs.

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Originally Posted by GravelBen

Mint, those things are awesome! Apparently the Swift GTI motor is a straight bolt-in swap for more power, buts its all up higher in the revs.

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Yeah he's got a Toyota 4AGE there as well which is supposed to go in fairly easy. The old Escudo had a 3.8 commodore engine in it :D

Someone said the head of those swift engines being bolted to them really helps... but I don't know where I'll find half of a swift engine. I'll see how the piddly little thing will do on its own for now. Don't have the cash to pour thousands of dollars into another truck at the moment (still saving for a lever action 22 and a 17 hornet).

Your better off just grabbing a 1600 and throwing it in.
I think Ben is still selling the simple adapter on trademe to do the job.
Selling the 4age should pay for everything you need.
Cheap parts forever.

Well I finally got the Suzuki back with a new clutch in it. I was up at my dads for Christmas and brought it back with me. The trailer weighs more than the truck and you definitely know you've got it behind the truck.

So today after I changed the oil and some filters we decided to take it out on the farm and have some fun with it. It's been raining a lot lately so the ground was really muddy.

First thing I noticed is how bloody bumpy it is, and how underpowered. Who would have guessed a 1.3L wouldn't have much poke :P

I went cruising up a really steep hill with the hilux and it just cruised up. The rugged mud tyres and powerful turbo diesel engine just powers you on up anything really smoothly... but this suzuki bounced and banged and I had to drop down into first gear to get up the hill. Even then (as it has no mud tyres yet) it just spun up all the wheels trying to get up the hill. It's so little and it's stripped out and bare, it weighs nothing so it just bounces.

She's gonna need a bit of work before she'll even come close to the hilux in offroad ability. I'll take it out to the woodhill forest in the next few days and put it through it's paces.

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Sell it and use the money to modify the surf for off-road

Nice buggy ;)

I used to do quite a lot of 4wding in Suzuki's. A few of us got together and started up the Suzuki 4x4 club here in CHCH. There was at least 1 trip to the coast every month, then 3 weeks fixing the trucks once we got back.
My favourite truck was a Sammy I went silly with. The 1.3 got worked as much as it could be without adding a blower or hairdryer but it went well. Could really scream its tit's off when pushed. Suspension was real trick with lots of money spent on it.

I'm now after another just for farm tracks and hunting.

looks like its modest lift has been acheived solely with longer hangers,Get springs reset and new shocks with more stroke.

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Originally Posted by gimp

Sell it and use the money to modify the surf for off-road

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Nah mate I'm doing both :P after a snorkel, a winch bar and a winch for my surf eventually. I have some raised springs In the garage I'm thinking of using too.

But i'm not afraid to hack away at at crash the Suzuki. The thing is pretty rough and it's not road legal. So that's going to get all the rough treatment. The surf is for daily driving and hunting trips.

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Originally Posted by veitnamcam

looks like its modest lift has been acheived solely with longer hangers,Get springs reset and new shocks with more stroke.

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All the extra lift is from is the huge tyres its got... But they're only road tyres at the moment. My old man might be getting me a set through work. There's a crashed truck there with 15" mud tyres so, may have lucked out.

Just drop the pressure in those tyres. If its over 10psi offroad in a suzi its too much! Even 5psi may be too much.

That thing looks the bizzo! Mini Mud Bug.

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Originally Posted by Barefoot

Just drop the pressure in those tyres. If its over 10psi offroad in a suzi its too much! Even 5psi may be too much.

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They'll pop off the rims at 5psi :P

But good point, I have no idea what the pressure is at at the moment. I'm about to put a new set of tyres on it. I'd bought a compressor for it online too... but they cancelled it so I have to go get myself sorted with another. Gotta get another winch and some mud tyres too (as I've got a set of semis). More $$'s :(

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Originally Posted by RimfireNZ

They'll pop off the rims at 5psi :P

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Don't count on it.

Don't fuck around modifying the surf they are rubbish like the new hilux, just stick a arb air locker in the rear (better yet - the front) and be done with it. Lift kit wont do shit really.

Only buy a snorkel if you do river crossings.

This thing was frikken useless today (paired with a useless muppet behind the wheel). Went out with the Manukau 4x4 club and when I put it through some actual strenous 4x4ing it turned out that the wheels are too big (and the thing has no power) and road tyres are useless as hell in the mud. Combined with it conking out all the time, having no power steering (so it'd smash your hand if you held onto the wheel when you shouldn't), having leaf springs all around that bounced the hell out of me, I ended up not managing to complete many of the events.

So next on the list, some slightly smaller mud tyres. After that, maybe I'll figure out if I can drop a corolla engine in it or something with a bit more poke... because that 1980's 1.3L is absolutely gutless (even in low range). So much so that you basically can't get out of 1st.

put the 3.8 back in if you still have it

Small turbo diesel! I'm sure you can get kits to put a VW or something one in there

Yeah but you go broke buying the VW motor

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Originally Posted by gimp

Small turbo diesel! I'm sure you can get kits to put a VW or something one in there

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quick somebody get this man some soap to wash his mouth out

Get a twin turbo out of a VW Amarok they're only 2 litres be better in the suzi than the original 3 tonne ute

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Originally Posted by longrange308

quick somebody get this man some soap to wash his mouth out

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Yeah. You're right. Put a 1UZ in it.

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Originally Posted by Timmay

Don't fuck around modifying the surf they are rubbish like the new hilux, just stick a arb air locker in the rear (better yet - the front) and be done with it. Lift kit wont do shit really.

Only buy a snorkel if you do river crossings.

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A good reason NOT to buy a snorkel kit, people get way over confident with them then trouble begins ;)

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Originally Posted by RimfireNZ

road tyres are useless as hell in the mud

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Sounds like this is your main problem, try it with the right tyres.

We used a set of old snow chains in the mud worked OK but not at hi speed

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Originally Posted by Wirehunt

A good reason NOT to buy a snorkel kit, people get way over confident with them then trouble begins ;)

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I put one on my Hi Lux . We sealed it all up properly but main difference was fuel economy was heaps better and there was also way more grunt down low.
It made a huge difference and would be first thing I d do to a vehicle .The savings in gas money were great. It was probably 50 to 60 kms further per tank.
Dont ask me why I have no idea but it worked... Actually probably better air flow as the under guard connector you throw away was pretty pathetic.
Common sense in rivers prevails of course (usually not !!)
Be chopping a hole in that FJ front guard very soon ....

Im in the procces of doing up an old 253 v8 with a few added bits (I know they aint much chop) just looking for a real cheap land rover to sink it into. What i gain in weight i should have the hp to back it up and a big ass winch. Should be a good hack!! so if any one know of a old landy in the north island going real cheap im keen??

Was one in the buy sell section.
Might want to upgrade axles ;)

Sent from my GT-S5360T using Tapatalk 2

I have got a Suzuki SJ. With the right tyres it will go places that most other 4wd won't go.

http://i545.photobucket.com/albums/h...10415-0628.jpg

Great car, I have just fitted a rigid removable hard top. I can remove the front section of the roof and fold down the windscreen safari style. I lamp rabbits and foxes from the relative comfort of the cab.

Cheers

I've just replaced my own hunting wagon vitara jlx with a 2009 Jimny VVT I will gear it up as finances allow - tyres, snorkel & nudge bar are on the immediate list.
We are a suzuki family through & through, Samurai, Grand Vitara TD x 2, Vitara 1.6 JLX & now the Jimny have passed through our garage.
My daughter has inherited my JLX, wife's drive is a 2005 Grand Vitara TD and my Jimny come mobile dog kennel

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Originally Posted by RimfireNZ

It's a good alternative to a quad bike which I can't afford... and it aint really that much bigger when you get down to it. It's a tiny little thing.

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These are great fun by all accounts and the best thing is if you prang it you dont reall care....

use tubes and holders to keep the tyre rims in place....but 5 does sound a bit low....Normally I'd run at full pressure and only drop to 10~15psi to increase the foot print if stuck/desperate...

Look for an old air con compressor so you can run it off the engine directly they work well as do exhaust driven gas bags.

Your poor experience is probably all in your tyres: 1. bumpy = tyres way too hard go 10-12 psi or down to 8 (or less) with extreme style tyres, 2. getting stuck = they are road tyres ffs, get some extremes on there, even so called "mud tyres" are pretty much shit, 3. cars got no power = your tyres are too tall without lowering your ratios

a sorted suzi is 9/10's of unstoppable