The Geo Tracker and Suzuki Sidekick were once common sights on local roads, a cheerful, light-weight SUV that came with a convertible roof and optional hardtop, or a “tin top” setup if you wanted more structural rigidity. They proved to be popular, and in four-door form, the model was a precursor to the modern-day crossover vehicle, with the main difference being the Suzuki and Geo both had decent off-road capabilities for a light-duty SUV. The modern Honda CR-V wouldn’t be able to keep up with a Tracker or Sidekick in the dirt, in my opinion, which is why this pair of Trackers here on craigslist should absolutely be rescued and made ready for road-use.
The white Tracker above is a non-runner and features a five-speed manual gearbox. The seller is asking just $400 for that one, which has clearly been sitting for some time. Even so, these have gotten increasingly harder to find over time, lost to low-budget owners who either drove them into the ground or used them as off-road beaters. Either way, the attrition rate has been high for these capable trucks, and with the increased appreciation for iconic vehicles from the early 90s, it’s becoming increasingly common for these rigs to be preserved for long-term use. That said, the market hasn’t turned the corner on them to the point that beaters are being restored, but well-preserved examples are fetching good money. This purple Tracker features the optional automatic transmission and is a runner with an asking price of $800.
The color palette for the Tracker was quite vivid, with Chevy offering the model in a wide range of era-appropriate shades. Turquoise, magenta, cherry red – the Tracker was a great choice for someone who didn’t want to be a wallflower. The Tracker in this case may seem like a dog with a slushbox, but some might say the automatic gearbox makes this one more appealing for an off-road build. The white-line radial tires don’t look right at all, and some new rubber with aggressive off-road treads would give this project-grade Tracker some instant eyeball appeal. The seller says it needs injectors to run better than it currently does, and I’m willing to bet the white one will come back to life with minimal investment as well. Hopefully, someone rescues these Samurai descendants as a project pair.
I had one of these (really wanted a jeep but couldn’t afford it). Was a champ in a blizzard one year.
Proven good little 4wd. Manual hubs, lever 2 spd transfer case. The 16 valve engine makes a much nicer drive. The 4 door hardtop was a favorite for many.
Of all the vehicles I have had and later sold, my 1998 Chevrolet Tracker 4 x 4 was probably the one I wish I’d have hung onto. In 2WD, it got ok gas mileage and in 4WD, it was great in the snow, especially at slower speeds It was reliable as all get out and being a 4-door, I could easily haul around 3-4 friends. The short wheelbase made parallel parking easy. It was a real 4WD with a real transfer case, not like the modern AWDs. It wasn’t very powerful (1.6 L 4 banger) but still pulled my trailers around fine and when you folded the back seats, you could haul a bunch of stuff or in my case, dogs.
We used to have a saying that you could tell when a Suzuki Samurai was coming by listening for the booming bass from the massive sound system folks would put in them. I think they had more power in the sound system than they had under the hood.
Don’t waste money on injectors just yet. Try cleaning the wiring first. A little bit of corrosion even on just one wire will make this ‘David’ seem like he lost his whole sling. My brother bought one of these because the owner thought the engine was blown. So after paying $50.00 Canadian and having the registration signed over he cleaned and rewired the injectors and that little suv sprung to life like brand new. So. Clean the injector wires before buying new injectors. You’ll be glad you did.
I believe there is a RALLY event once a year for these mighty vehicles and they get a pretty good turnout.
Located in Chesapeake, VA
Considered trying to make one a plow truck. Fairly beefy construction and a tight turning radius for my troublesome driveway.
Jonathan Q.- There was an older guy here in Oshkosh WI who made a plow truck w/ a 2-door Tracker. He said it worked well and that he was actually able to plow some of the wider sidewalks with it as well. I plow w/ a Dakota and with my 7.5 ‘ plow, it is a little large for some of the residential driveways I tackle. A Tracker w/ a smaller plow would probably work well if things didn’t break. I assume if you want something new, you end up w/ a “homeowner” plow if you go smaller than 7 ‘ wide… not sure if they are durable like my Western Mid Weight.
Lothar, I just worry more about having to counterweight it if I put a heavy plow on it.
There are 2 identical white convertibles of these just down the road from me, sitting in the driveway. I think they work, at least one does. I’ll have to pay attention next time I drive by.
here was 2 of these a year and a half ago in the Greater Victoria B.C. when i was looking for a replacement for my 91 Jetta with 460000km on it and found 2 in about the same shape or a bit worse with high KM. One for $3200 CDN and the other for 3500 CDN. I couldn’t see putting a lot more money in a pair of almost beaters. They sold. There is good demand for them here on the west coast.
Purple one didn’t last long. As expected. :-) My uncle has several of these, some spares behind the shop and 3 drivers that he runs around in.
I bought a Tropical Green convertible with a white top brand new in ’94. What a fun car to drive. Took it all over the country for six years with virtually no trouble. It was 4WD with a manual transmission. It was a great beach car because you could drive way past the signs that said 4WD Only.
I still see it around town once in a while. Now I have a Metro convertible, so I’ve been a GEO guy for a long time.
These are popular Toads or “Towed” ehicles for RVs. Very light and durable with many standard durable parts.
is the magenta tracker still available? i know this post was from 2 years ago but figured id ask. thanks!