Old-school 4WD rigs are loaded with character, as every bump and battle scar tells a story about a boulder that bumped it or a trail that it triumphed over. The Suzuki Samurai is a case of an underdog that has consistently shown itself time and again to be a very capable rock hopper, and this 1988 example listed here on eBay appears to have already been set up with some period modifications that will make it a hoot off-road. The lift kit, tube bumpers, and aftermarket wheels with upsized tires create a vibe that’s pretty much spot on. Bidding sits at $2,600 with no reserve.
The Samurai is one of those rigs that can look surprisingly tough despite its humble stature. While many off-road rigs by today’s standards are comparably huge, the Samurai proved that a short wheelbase and narrow proportions can prove quite capable when the trail turns tough. This Suzuki has clearly seen some bumps and bruises in its day, but its location in Jacksonville, Florida may suggest it has avoided the rust-ravaged fate that ended many Samurais up north. In my many years of junkyard exploration in New England, I saw countless Samurais in otherwise good shape with fenders and other body panels ravaged by rust.
Despite outward appearances suggesting a truck that had been absolutely ruined by years of neglect, the interior is complete – just a bit tired, but normal for the age. What’s interesting about this truck (and hard to tell by outward appearances alone) is the model year: 1988 marked a year of big improvements for the Samurai, but it was technically called the 1988.5 Samurai. The truck benefitted from numerous enhancements ranging from manually-locking front hubs to an aluminum radiator. Other meaningful changes included a lower fifth-gear ratio (as these were pretty miserable on the highway) and a beefier transfer case.
Other 88.5 changes included a revised interior, a rear sway bar to address some unfortunate body roll that led to a disastrous PR campaign, and more supportive bucket seats. The seller notes that this truck is being sold as-is, and while it cranks, it does not currently run. However, Suzuki sold a ton of these not only for its 4×4 capabilities but also because it was a very reliable rig, so chances are it will run again with a tune-up and some fuel system work. As long as it’s not hiding rust anywhere, it should come back to life.
The wifey and I tore one of these (RHD) around in St. Lucia years ago and it was fun as…very capable.
I had a chance to drive one in the late 80s. I had a blast running around town with it. Back then we had the Double Nickel speed limit on the highways so it wasn’t impossible to run on the highways but it was bouncy. But for a young guy, I couldn’t care less, I was having fun.
In 1990 I was on my honeymoon in Rhodes Greece. I rented a silver one no radio because they on disappearing from the vehicle. Didn’t need one. Had too much fun 0ff roading in the mountains. And me and my bride had fun not tipping it over!😂 ahhh miss those days. 🐻🇺🇲
Back in those days, I had an ’85 CJ-7. A guy I worked with was constantly singing the praises of the Samurai & putting my Jeep down. So one day, I finally told him: ” Well, when you finally buy one, then you can brag about it. Until then, put a sock in it!”. That put a stop to that noise. As a final note: He never did end up buying one!
Back when we did durability testing on these they were as capable as any T-truck or K-truck. We exposed them to a lot of grit, salt and water. Axle seals were the Achilles heal. Always tied up until parts arrived. Otherwise mostly indestructible.
I have been driving these late 1980’s Suzuki rigs for at least ten or twelve years now, have had two of them, one a hardtop. We are way out in the middle of nowhere, the big highway is very far away, and all the roads are quite OK for a rig which can barely go 50 MPH, but will also go anywhere any wheeled vehicle can manage. Reliable, old school mechanicals just about anyone can figure out, cheap to run, slow and not very comfortable. They seem to be worth about $4,000 in running condition. Good little truck.
These are very popular amongst the Latino crowd, I never saw so many of them in one spot all jacked up until I went to one of their car shows. They are cute looking.
Living in 4×4 country. (Northern Nevada) you see alit of these. Also because of our long, smooth, low traffic highways. The engines tend to get used up. Other than the weak engines the rest of the drive train is great! While being a service manager at a BMW, VOLVO, OLDSMOBILE dealership. Oneof my Volvo techs bought a hard top version. The engine was tired, so I convinced him to install a turbo Volvo engine and 5 speed gear box in his. Worst part of the conversion was moving the exhaust back to the right side. Which really wasn’t tough at all. Since these use a divorced transfer case it was easy to mate the Volvo gearbox to the Suzuki transfer case. Reliable vehicle with one of the most reliable engines on the planet was a no trainer. The extra power was great also.
There is a company that makes a kit to install the 1.9 turbo diesel VW engine into these. A guy that lives in the next town over did his. It’s not as easy as a Volvo swap. And it is not as fast either. But very economical to drive and tons of torque. Which the original engine lacked in spades.
The original interiors (first edition) fell apart in no time. Later issues held up better.
Like the ole Suzuki Sideflips ! Goodtimes !
Looks like the lift kit is homemade. Steering linkage was cut and a plate welded between the rods. Not a great looking weld either. Looks like rust holes in the hood. Add says it turns over but doesn’t start.
Could be broken timing belt and bent valves