How do you know when a vehicle has become a classic? Is it when it shows up on Cars ‘n Bids? Is it when it starts rising in price? Is it when some guy spends way too much restoring an example of said vehicle, and suddenly it sells for real money? Is it when you bring yours to Cars ‘n Coffee and people won’t leave it alone? The Suzuki Sidekick – substantially the same as a Geo Tracker – is on the verge of collectible. Prices have broken out of “used car” orbit and are ticking into five figures now and then. This first-year Sidekick is available here on craigslist for $2900; drive it home from Joplin, Missouri. Those wheels are aftermarket, and there are no engine photos, but it runs great and is fitted with a five-speed manual, so it’s worth a look. We have Barney to thank for the tip!
Under that tiny hood is a 1.6-liter fuel-injected alloy four-cylinder good for 80 hp. The five-speed makes everything better, though an automatic was available. Gas mileage ratings ranged around 21 – 24 mpg – not great, but many owners report higher figures. The Sidekick offered a part-time 4wd system, putting its two-speed transfer case in the driver’s control. Independent suspension at all four corners made this little guy a much better off-road prospect than its predecessor, the Samurai. That said, the Sidekick is a compact with a very short wheelbase, which has its disadvantages on the trails.
The three-door configuration adds utility to the Sidekick; every other competitor was a full-size vehicle back in the day, providing a lot more storage space – but at higher price points. Ok, this example is not cosmetically wonderful, but an enterprising new owner could bring the condition up a couple of notches in a weekend. That might require minor rust repair and a deft hand with the paint gun.
The interior could use new upholstery and carpets, and yes! both are available on eBay or at specialty shops. This example has AC, which is said to work. The hard top above your head – targa style – can be removed, and so can the rear cab cover. The Sidekick is like a Transformer toy, but better, because you can drive it around.
Not even the spare is original, but if you’re a stickler for stock, you can pick up a set of the steelie rims piece by piece on eBay for about $100 per. Or just leave well enough alone for the time being. Overall, this Sidekick offers a lot of scope for improvement, while the entry price is easy on the wallet. What do you think of this Sidekick – is it worth the seller’s ask?
In the late 90s, I had a co-worker that had a car just like this. Got him to work through thick and thin, it did. One Sunday( we started Sun. evenings), he has a different car. I said, where’s the Tracker( Sidekick)? He said, what started out as a routine wheel rotation, turned into an all day nightmare. Seems the lugnuts were on so tight, no tool he or any neighbor had could loosen them. He even ruined a wheel trying. He ended up having it towed, and the dealer cut the wheels off! It was a costly venture. Something about shipping across the ocean, my friend had a Kia, similar, went to get tires, the lugs came off, but the wheel was almost welded to the hub.
These were okay vehicles, this particular one was surely towed for who knows how many times ’round, but was a stark improvement over the Samari. Production numbers aren’t available, which indicate nobody cares, but I think there were more Geos sold, and hundreds of thousands of miles were common. Once again, our nemesis Mr. Rust took many away WAY too soon. My nephew had a Vitara, and liked it, except, he had to dismantle the front end to replace a headlight bulb. Regardless of miles, why isn’t this gone?
These were very popular where I lived. And unfortunately, due to the road salt, rust is about all that could kill these. We had a 2000 Tracker 4 door that, sadly, the frame rotted out. At 180,000 miles it was still with the original clutch, water pump, and everything else. Literally all I did to it was tires, brakes, oil, and exhaust work. Maybe an O2 sensor but I’m not quite sure. When our family was about to grow by one more and we needed something bigger, I told my wife they make something like our Tracker but a little bigger and with 7 seats, and we decided we wanted one. We had the Same great experience with that ’01 as well. Except the frame didn’t rot on that one. But parts were getting hard to come by. These are great little 4X4s I’d be happy to have it.
I was working as a deckhand on a small cruise ship in the summer of ’96. We were docked in Nantucket right next to a yacht. They had a Sidekick astern on the top deck, painted white with chrome accents to match the yacht. And what I was told was a $25,000 crane to lower it down when they were docked where they could do so. Aspirations.