Vehicle Description
It might seem strange to see a Suzuki Samurai in a collector car
dealership's inventory, but that's dated thinking. These incredibly
fun compact 4x4s have catapulted themselves out of the 'cult
favorite' category and into the mainstream, with super-cool
examples frequently popping up on the market. Take this 1993 Suzuki
Samurai 4x4, with wicked-cool trim dimensions, a rugged lift
sitting on oversized wheels, a swapped-in 1.6L Tracker motor backed
by a 5-speed transmission, and an awesome green-and-black color
combination found inside-and-out. Samurai's have always been
incredibly respected out on the trails, and in the last few years
they've become bonafide collector pieces in the vintage 4x4 hobby,
with clean units like this leading the way.
In short, this is Japan's Jeep, offered in both convertible and
'tin top' iterations since 1970. All the rugged superlatives and
'go-anywhere' attributes used to describe the Jeep CJ can be
applied here, and although they're diminutive statures may not
appeal to everyone, Samurais have always been practical tools found
in all corners of the world. SJ413s are exceptionally fun little
vehicles, durable, maneuverable, and extremely competent off-road,
and they have a classic look that didn't change much through the
decades. The Samurai was imported into the US in 1986 and was
instantly popular, but because they were so affordable (you could
get a new one for $5-6k) they were also disposable, and most of
them were pushed to the limits, sunk in mud, and faced the crusher
before the turn of the century. So, finding one this clean, with a
3-owner, accident-free history spent in warm and sunny Texas is a
rare find, and by the looks of things this baby didn't need any
major surgery before it was restored. Wearing a shade that can only
be called Olive Drab or Army Green, the paintjob looks more
contemporary than you'd expect, and it's perfectly off-set by the
blacked-out exterior accessories. It's not a show-quality job but
it's really quite nice, especially at this price point, with a
smooth, uniform application of a higher-end deep, glossy finish.
Black powder-coated bumpers fore and aft are very butch, as are the
custom-made step rails at the flanks, and with that 'stinger' push
bar and Smittybuilt winch up front there's not much this Suzuki
can't handle. Other nice features include a pair of PIAA fog lights
mounted on either side of the cowl, a matching rear-mounted spare
tire, and integrated LEDs inside the custom rear bumper. That black
Rally hard top and the matching green doors are easily removable,
which means this 4x4 is always just a couple minutes away from
open-air cruising.
With sporty Corbeau bucket seats up front and a matching Corbeau
Safari seat out back, this Suzuki is a sporter and bit more
up-to-date than you might expect, but the rest of the interior is
still very much Suzuki. Black diamond plate panels on the doors and
interior of the car provide an extra layer of protection and look
super-tough, while the black rhino-liner protects the tub, wears
like iron, and is easy to clean up after a day out on the trail.
The original Samurai gauges are still ahead of the driver just like
stock, as is the original dash, although a new Grant GT steering
wheel was mounted at the helm to upgrade the feel of the road for
the driver. An original shifter between the seats manages a
reliable, rugged 5-speed manual, and a new roll bar with a fresh
Targa pad was installed to stiffen the body and protect the
passengers when the top is off.
Mechanically, however, all traces of the original wheezing Samurai
powerplant are long gone, replaced by rugged, more reliable
American Geo Tracker 1.6L 16V 4-cylinder motor - a common swap in
modern Samurai builds that was also used in later-year Suzuki
Sidekicks. That extra capacity provides more than adequate power
and torque to make this Samurai a champion of the stop light grand
prix, and gives it plenty of bravo off-road. A cold air intake
system with a cone-filter set-up works in tandem with a set of
Thorley headers to give this little bruiser even more pop, and even
though the exhaust system sounds nice and throaty it still comes
equipped with a catalytic convertor. The engine is rather neatly
stuffed into the engine bay with not a lot of room to spare but
everything works well and it actually looks like something that
should have come this way originally. There's a custom aluminum
radiator up front and power brakes give it eyeball-popping stopping
power. The lift underneath is substantial enough to traverse just
about any task ahead of it, and the blacked-out Rockstar II wheels
look awesome wrapped in 35x12x.5x17 BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain tires
with plenty of tread left.
Look at this killer 4x4, how can you lose with a vintage ride like
this on the rise? Call today!
