1988 Suzuki Samurai

Manual

JS4JC51C0J4217153

Those of you who follow my auctions know that I'm a physical therapist here in the Tucson area and I have a love for all original and unmolested cars. I have a unique opportunity to tap into some of the cleanest, low mile and original cars in the nation as many of my patients are elderly and do not drive much. About six years ago I began to notice that there were many of these Suzuki Samurais available out here as they are the preferred tow vehicle for many of the retired population. I purchased a few and they sold almost immediately here on eBay. Since then I have sold over a dozen of these Samurais and I now have regular contact from eBay members asking me to keep an eye open for any clean Samurais out this way. When this Samurai came available I immediately purchased it for two reasons. First of all most of the Samurais I sell here on eBay end up going to the east coast where finding a rust-free Samurai is nearly impossible and they are used for hunting. I knew when I saw this color combination that it would be ideal for the hunter because it already looks camouflaged in it's stock paint. Secondly, I could tell that this was a very well kept Samurai which are getting harder and harder to find. I had never seen one with this color combination and graphics. It looks very rugged and almost military. It is not perfect, but in very good shape and would be a great buy for anyone looking for a Samurai. I will outline the car below in more detail. HISTORY: I did not pull a carfax on this when I bought it so the details I have are from the owner that I purchased it from. From what he told me this Samurai was bought new in Colorado and used as a tow vehicle for the original owner for many years. The car was stored at the original owners winter home in the Phoenix area and stayed in the garage when not being towed. It has the brackets for the tow bar but there is no tow bar included. Many of the miles recorded on the odometer are towed miles and not driven miles. It has never been in an accident and all of the paint is the original paint. It was bought new with no radio or AC. An aftermarket stereo/CD was installed by the original owner and an antenna was put in on the right front fender and not in the factory location. That is the only modification from original. Speakers were added in the factory locations. The Samurai was then sold to the person I purchased it from who had bought it for his daugher to drive to school. Apparently the daughter did not think it had enough power for her and so that is why they had decided to sell the Samurai and I was able to purchase it. EXTERIOR: All original paint and graphics that are in excellent condition. The body is very straight. The pictures tend to make the paint look faded, but that is not the case. The paint shines very good. It is rust free throughout the Samurai. All lights work as they should. Front and rear bumpers are perfectly straight. Tires have good tread remaining. Wheels were sandblasted and repainted recently by the previous owners and look very nice. It was missing the original spare which was replaced by the newer style Samurai wheel. The top is a Bestop which is in fair condition. All glass is in excellent condition. All windows roll up and doors lock as they should. INTERIOR: The interior is very clean on this Samurai. A new carpet kit apparently made by a company that does Porsche interiors was installed several months ago. It uses the factory snaps and is made of light weight carpet which will dry quickly if it ever gets wet. Seats have no rips and no major stains and are very comfortable. The dash has one small crack in the right corner (see pic). Everything works as it should including the horn, turnsignals, heater, all dash lights and buzzers. All gauges work as well. Door panels have been recovered at some point and are clean and functional. All seatbelts are in place and work well. MECHANICAL: The Samurai seems to run and drive great. I drove it from Phoenix to Tucson (just over 100 mles) in 105 degree heat and it ran cool and strong. I just changed the oil/filter. All 4WD components work well and the transfer case shifter bushing was just replaced. A sway bar was added to this Samurai which is a nice add on. There is a slight exhaust leak that completely goes away after about 5 minutes of driving. I will be looking into this and it should be fixed before the end of the auction. Stearing is tight and there are no shakes or shimmies while driving. This Samurai, unlike some that I have owned, drives at 65-70 mph on the highway with no problem. The stock carb has no flat spots or issues. The transmission shifts fine in all 5 gears as it should and no issues with clutch. Just a good running little Samurai. Does not smoke or leak any fluids. SUMMARY: This Samurai is not perfect, but it is very good condition. It runs and drives fine and would make an excellent daily driver, rockcrawler or hunting rig. These are no frills little rigs so there is not much that can go wrong with them. This one has low miles, many of which have been towed miles. These are getting harder and harder to find in this condition and this Samurai is priced to sell quickly. As always, I will be glad to store the Samurai for a reasonable amount of time for the winning bidder and will also assist with loading the Samurai if you are having it shipped. A $500 deposit is due within 24 hours of the end of the auction via Paypal with balance due within 7 days of the end of the auction. I do reserve the right to end this auction at any time as the Samurai may be advertised in different local media as well and it may sell locally before the auction is over. Check the pictures, check my feedback and bid with confidence! Don't hesitate to ask questions.