Shiny black paint and white wagon wheels have this rugged 4WD mini-truck looking ready for adventure. The 1982 Suzuki SJ410K was never imported by Suzuki dealers, and this one even pre-dates the Samurai that appeared in model year 1986. America only got the soft top or hard top, and despite overblown rollover fears, the Samurai competed well for a time against small off-roaders like the Jeep CJ and Wrangler. This specimen in Knotts Island, North Carolina comes for sale here on Facebook Marketplace where $15,000 puts the title in your name. Thanks to Mitchell G. for spotting this well-kept mini-truck.
Open doors reveal faced original black and what the seller describes as a respray from the 1990s. Left-hand-drive suggests this unit was built for export and not for Japan or other RHD destinations.
That heavy rear bumper should protect the Suzuki’s backside from minor spankings. If your load won’t fit the completely flat bed, simply drop the sides and tailgate for more room. Thanks to Wikipedia for some details.
While this SJ “runs and drives,” according to the listing, it sat for “a long time” and should be gone through with care before blasting down the highways or byways. At first I thought it might be turbocharged, but I’m guessing that’s a Thermactor-style warming hose connecting the exhaust to the air cleaner housing to ease first-start warming. The longitudinal inline four-cylinder should be the 1.0 L (970 cc) four-stroke F10A making 59 HP in the sub one-ton four-wheeler. For reference, the 1982 Jeep CJ weighs about 1000 pounds more and its GM-based I4 made 84 HP. Check out that ammo can turned storage box!
While most American cars had moved on from this Suzuki’s four wheel non-power assisted drum brakes, they will work just fine when properly maintained and adjusted. Interestingly, the hand brake acts on the transmission rear output, a handy feature when descending slippery slopes. In fact this SJ’s small size and weight help in many off-road situations that might leave drivers of larger rigs needing a chain saw or winch. Would you drive this tiny truck into the woods or give it a well-earned retirement with light duty work?
Interesting vehicle,but might need z fair amount of work
from sitting.And then there’s that high price.It should be all
gone through for that price.
Wonder how well it would keep up with modern traffic
with a 1 Litre engine?
Have always appreciated the ability to drop the bed sides to make it load like a flatbed, though in this case ONE bail of hay may be the limit.
Neat and unique but in its present state it needs more work to be priced as it is.
SWOON!!
I owned two Samuraii in the 1980s, and loved ’em. Not tippy at all, and I drove ‘vigorously’ (not all that fast, but I took all turns and curves with verve). I’ve often said that out of all the cars I’ve owned, there are a couple I’d readily drive again if I could get them in “factory new” condition. The Samurai is one of them.
While the featured trucklet no longer fits my use case, it sure would be a fun “second truck” for bopping around town our out in public hunting grounds.
Sorting the trucklet might be challenging, given the time it sat, and I suspect parts availability is limited, unfortunately. But someone surely will get some more fun out of it!