Suzuki Samurai?

[dieselscout80]

I have a 91 Geo Tracker and have built a "box" on the back that I can carry up to eight 5 gal. buckets or lots of junk around the farm. It is crazy where you can go in a "stock" tracker, including town and with heat in winter. I have only ever been stuck in really sloppy stuff where my frame is sitting on the ground and my tires can't get down to anything. Stay off the snow and ice unless you just want to play as it can get interesting in a hurry and it is very flat footed in over 8 inches of snow or even 2 inches if you have drifts.

Do you have a pic of your Tracker?

 

[ultrarunner]

I made some modifications to our Zuzuki's. Added a toolbox under the hood. It held stuff for the winch.

There was one annoying thing about it. On the highway the vibration made it difficult to properly see things in the rear view mirror.

I noticed a much improved drive experience when I switched to passenger car tires instead of the oversize I bought it with.

 

[PapaPerk]

Thank you for all the info guys! Sounds like I'm not the only one that likes the little rigs! I think they would make a perfect farm vehicle and take wear off my tractor. Plus I can ride to town with the heat on and grab a burger!

 

[Egon]

I noticed a much improved drive experience when I switched to passenger car tires instead of the oversize I bought it with.

Mine had some Bridgestone car tires on it.

 

[Bird]

I noticed a much improved drive experience when I switched to passenger car tires instead of the oversize I bought it with.

I once bought a used Ford Courier pickup (I think it was a 1979 model) on which some idiot had put big oversized tires. The steering and handling were terrible and I expected to have to replace some front end parts, but the price was right on the little truck (maybe the dealer had driven it:laughing, and I found it didn't even need a front end alignment after I put the right sized tires on it.

 

[5030]

I once bought a used Ford Courier pickup (I think it was a 1979 model) on which some idiot had put big oversized tires. The steering and handling were terrible and I expected to have to replace some front end parts, but the price was right on the little truck (maybe the dealer had driven it:laughing, and I found it didn't even need a front end alignment after I put the right sized tires on it.

Hey Bird, how you doing? I'm back after a 4 or 5 year vacation.

 

[Bigturk]

Here is a pic of my 84 SJ410. The 4 stands for 4 wheel drive and the 10 stands for 1.0 litre engine. It's a Tin top and needs some rust repair. I'm going to give it a Rustolium paint job soon. Like others have said it is not fast but sure is a lot of fun. I have a ATV for the woods but the SJ410 is great for hunting, fishing, geocaching etc. They are very hard to find in decent shape, so if you have one, hang onto it.

 

[Bird]

Here is a pic of my 84 SJ410. The 4 stands for 4 wheel drive and the 10 stands for 1.0 litre engine. It's a Tin top and needs some rust repair. I'm going to give it a Rustolium paint job soon. Like others have said it is not fast but sure is a lot of fun. I have a ATV for the woods but the SJ410 is great for hunting, fishing, geocaching etc. They are very hard to find in decent shape, so if you have one, hang onto it.

I'm glad you explained that because I didn't know what those numbers meant, but I reckon I also had a 410.:laughing: When I bought mine, my wife thought she wanted a ragtop, but right away changed her mind. So I ordered a fiberglass hardtop from J.C. Whitney and it was actually a very good one, but I don't remember what I paid for it and I don't think they have them anymore.

 

[rd_macgregor]

Back in the early 70's, when I was dreaming about a back-country hunting vehicle, I drooled over the Suzuki Brute IV. Would you consider that an ancestor, or prototype, for the Samurai?

BOB

 

[RobertN]

Isn't the SJ410 the non-US pre-Samurai...???

That is what my buddy had; he made one out of two imports. They were a bit smaller than a Samurai, and the tiny 1.0 litre engine...

I'm glad you explained that because I didn't know what those numbers meant, but I reckon I also had a 410.:laughing:

 

[yme]

I will try and get a pic up of my tracker. It is not really an attractive thing, as someone before me tried to paint it camo over a bright yellow but my cows don't seem to mind.

 

[mwb]

Isn't the SJ410 the non-US pre-Samurai...???

That is what my buddy had; he made one out of two imports. They were a bit smaller than a Samurai, and the tiny 1.0 litre engine...

I believe the SJ410 was initially introduced to N/A in Canada only in '84, then in the US in '85. They were prebuilt and imported.

The SJ (and then the Samauri) are know to the State of California to cause headaches:laughing: (re rollover)

 

[ovrszd]

Here's a poor picture of my '88.5. I swapped in a 16v 1.6L Tracker motor, 5:1 t-case gears, Jeep YJ springs, diff lockers, etc. She ain't much to look at, but I've driven it all over Colorado and Moab.

Those mods are what my buddy did. Very capable machine.

I like your tube fenders, did you build those?? Do you happen to have better pictures of them??

 

[ovrszd]

The best modification I ever did to my Samurai was adding the Weber carb and a Strictly Suzuki intake - it probably added 10 hp or so (and when you're going from 60 hp to 70 hp, that's a big jump!).

The coolest engine mod I ever saw was a modified manifold with a Harley Davidson motorcyle carb. It worked every bit as good as FI. And was a great conversation topic when standing around sniffing butts and looking at everyone's junk.

 

[mwb]

The coolest engine mod I ever saw was a modified manifold with a Harley Davidson motorcyle carb. It worked every bit as good as FI. And was a great conversation topic when standing around sniffing butts and looking at everyone's junk.

:laughing::laughing:

I considered changing the side draught in mine; I think the carb was the only real weakness in that machine. I think the conversion I was going to do used a Hyundia side-draught.

 

[Hughman]

Great little ute. Bought one new in '86 for $6800, ran it for 150k miles and sold it 10 years later for $1200 with the original clutch in it. They make great pull-toys behind the RV. They are kind of a gateway drug though. The zuki was my first 4x4. Now I have a sidekick, bronco and a couple of jeeps. The only problem I ever had with the sammy was when it got hot once and warped the head. (alum. head over a cast block) I had the head shaved and replaced the cam. Never had any other problems with it.

 

[ovrszd]

They are kind of a gateway drug though. The zuki was my first 4x4. Now I have a sidekick, bronco and a couple of jeeps.

I hear ya my friend. We now own seven 4x4 vehicles, only one 2x4 and that's the wifey's car. I even mow my lawn with a 4x4 CUT. :laughing:

 

[OKnewguy]

Here is a comparison between a Rhino and a built Sami
Suzuki Samurai Vs. Yamaha Rhino - 4Wheel & Off-Road Magazine
Dave

 

[dieselscout80]

There was a thread/post here on TB about the Sammy/Trackers and one guy built a dump bed on the back of his tracker, but I can't find that post/thread. I really wanted to look at it and copy it.

I found it on another board.
Viewing a thread - Homemade Gator?

 

[Dr_Zinj]

What is a query about a car versus UTV doing in a tractor forum in the first place?

Depends on if you know the history of what tractors are, and what people have used as agricultural vehicles.

At its most basic, a tractor is an engine used to pull things. The first tractors where just engines mounted on skids with a pulley arrangement that were used to drag a plow across a field. Plow a row, skid the tractor down a foot or two, plow the next row. Thing is, tractors weren't originally vehicles at all, just an engine with what amounted to a PTO.

Then some bright guy realized that if you put wheels on the thing, it was easier to drag itself around. At that point, the tractor became a vehicle.

Now things got interesting. If tractors can be vehicles, then why can't other vehicles be used as tractors? Easy to put a hitch on Stanley steamer or Model A and drag stuff around. And just jack up the rear end, put a pulley the wheel and use it as a PTO to run your sawmill, shaker bed, thresher, what have you. The old jeeps from WWII made great little agricultural/forestry tractors, and the Suzuki Samurai merely continues that use.