Custom paint will always divide opinion. Some people will love it, while others won’t give it the time of day. The Brown color that graces the panels of this 1996 Geo Tracker is a custom mix that is sure to have people sitting on one side of the fence or the other. Apart from the paint, this little Geo has a couple of positive attributes to consider. The first is that it has just under 38,000 genuine miles on the clock, while the other is the owner’s decision to offer it for sale with No Reserve. The Geo is located in White Marsh, Maryland, and is listed for sale here on eBay. Strong bidding has pushed the price to $4,050, and with No Reserve in play, a new home is mere days away for this classic.
Evidence suggests that when this classic rolled off the production line, it wore White paint. If I’m brutally honest here, I can admit that I fall on the “don’t like” side of the fence regarding the paint scheme. I have no issues with the shade in general, but the color-coded wheels may take it a step too far. I’m sure that if they were silver or white, they would lighten the overall appearance of the little Tracker. The paint holds a fairly good shine, but there are some dings and dents for the buyer to tackle. These seem to be predominantly on the Tracker’s passenger side, impacting the door and front fender. That could prove to be a headache because if the paint is a genuine custom mix, obtaining a perfect match on any repairs might be difficult. The remaining panels look good, as does the soft-top. The owner doesn’t mention any issues with rust, but a couple of surface corrosion spots would motivate me to perform an in-person inspection to confirm that the vehicle is in a sound state. The glass seems to be in good order, and it looks like the Tracker rolls on reasonably new tires.
Powering this Geo is a 1,590cc four-cylinder engine that should be producing 95hp. The rest of the drivetrain includes the desirable five-speed manual transmission and a dual-range transfer case. The mechanical components in this generation of Tracker were essentially bulletproof because (no surprise) they were drawn from the Suzuki parts bin. Years of real-life R & D by owners in harsh terrains had allowed Suzuki to reach the point where their components could withstand some pretty incredible abuse. That doesn’t mean that our feature Geo has led a hard life. The owner indicates that it has a genuine 37,800 miles showing on its odometer, although it isn’t clear whether there is evidence to back this claim. The seller also doesn’t provide any information on how this classic runs or drives. Potential buyers will need to hope that the seller is willing to answer questions or entertain the notion of an in-person inspection.
The interior is a bit of a surprise because its overall condition looks pretty impressive. There is some minor wear on the outer edges of the front seats, but it is so insignificant that it is hard to spot in the supplied photos. The remaining upholstered surfaces look flawless, while the carpet shows no evidence of significant wear or stains. Perhaps the best news is that none of the plastic shows signs of deterioration or cracking. The dash is in excellent order, and the interior is equipped with just enough optional extras to make the Geo a safe and comfortable daily driver. They include dual airbags, air conditioning, intermittent wipers, and an AM/FM radio/cassette player.
I’ve openly admitted that I’m not a fan of the color that graces the panels of this ’96 Geo Tracker, but I like the vehicle itself. It seems to tick the right boxes with enough people to receive thirty-eight bids at the time of writing. There are generally no right or wrong answers on anything within the classic scene. I’m not too fond of the color scheme of this car, and there will be people who agree with my stance. However, the bidding history indicates that there are plenty who feel differently. Would you be tempted to bid, or would you rather pass on this little Tracker?
I kinda dig the brown on this lil’ off roader. Color matched wheels add to the effect instead of calling attention to spot colors or Brightwood.
If the wheels were a lighter shade of brown or tan, that could work too.
Custom paint? That has so much orange peel it doesn’t pick up reflections. The rear wheel lips are rusted through, and those are dents not dings. Total pile.
Can’t stand any self respecting painter who paints over a dent.. Maacco job or not..
That shade of brown…
perfect color for a sh*tbox.
If Rims were black,I think it would look pretty Mean , who cares about dents. Or dings , it’s cheap low miles and stick, just drive on/off road.
I just wish there was ONE more picture of the shifter….
I had considered a vehicle like this before I got my Jeep. A local car dealer, known for inflated prices, had one, it had an astonishing 230K miles, new tires is about all they did, and were asking a whopping ( to me) $7,995!! They are great units, but I wouldn’t pay twice what I paid for the Jeep, with 1/3 the miles, but some ding-a-ling bought it. A shame it could never outlive the Samauri junk that preceded it, these were actually great little trucks.
My brother’s 98 was tight at 98,000 miles when he bought it. No rattles, thumps, wobbles.
Removable fiberglass top and teal green metallic paint.
He still has it and loves it.
Plus it gets great gas mileage actually.
There are some beautiful shades of brown. This isn’t one of them.
And can we drop this monochromatic crap already ? It’s been done to death.
My first new car was a 1992 Geo Tracker 4×4 with an auto transmission and manual locking hubs. It was a great little car but really needed a 4th gear on the expressways.
Its a clean interior but I think the mileage is suspect, when you zoom in on the frame pictures that’s a lot of painted over rust for a vehicle with this low of mileage so if it is true mileage its hard miles, but my nephew lives in Pa and they are looking for something for his first car I will send him a link
Looking back over all the vehicles I’ve owned and let go, the one that really bothers me a bit is the 1998 Chevrolet Tracker, 4-door, 4WD. That thing was awesome and I think that was the last year before they started making them a little more wimpy…. suspension wise. Should’ve kept it.
PS- Also miss my 1998 Toyota Corolla, a $465 car which wouldn’t die no matter how many miles I drove or how many bushes I pulled out with it or how many tons of topsoil I made it pull around on a trailer. My boss told me to sell it because it was an embarrassment. I think he was an embarrassment.
‘The interior is a bit of a surprise because its overall condition looks pretty impressive.’
Why would it not with 38,000 miles on the odometer.
Backs up the seller’s claim actually.
But then, my brother’s 98 Tracker with the same interior looked just as good at 98,000 miles when he bought his.
I bought a new 4WD Tracker in 1994 and drove it for six almost trouble-free years. Tropical Green Metallic with a white top. It had a lot of beach duty and made it to several coasts from my location in the middle of the country. The only thing I wish I would have done was to add cruise control for the long trips. Other than that and the noise level because of the convertible top it was a perfect ride.