1988 Suzuki

Samurai Other

4 - Cyl.

Manual

JS4JC51C1J4253868

Diesel

NO RESERVE AUCTION!! This has been my favorite toy for awhile now, but I have recently lost my storage / warehouse space so I need to sacrifice some toys..... I bought this Samurai from a guy that worked as an engineer for GM and he did the diesel conversion. He purchased the rust free Sammi from a man in indiania who took extremely good care of it and kept it in a garage most of its life. He then found a VW Jetta 1.6 turbo diesel and had it rebuilt before installed it. He used ACME adapters for the diesel swap and did a great job. (The ACME guys are great to work with if you ever have any questions. http://acmeadapters.com/index.php?sound=Y) He used the original trans and transfer case. Painted the block and engine compartment. Painted the bed and floor with a rhino-like water proof paint. This is probably one of the cleaner Samurai's in the country. Also, he came up with a great solution to remove the rear drum brakes and installed disc brakes. Thats right, this puppy has four wheel disc brakes. When he was completed with the vehicle purchase and upgrades, he had over $7000 invested! This conversion was done right. There are a lot of guys that have completed these swaps and there is quite a bit of info on the net. Be leary of guys using small tractor diesel engines for their donor engine. These engines typically only put out about 30 HP. The VW 1.6 turbo is rated at 69 HP and about 98 ft lbs of torque! Not bad considering you are pushing a light little 2000 pounds down the road. I purchased this Samurai because I love everything DIESEL and was looking for something functional both as a daily drive with great gas mileage (30 mpg!) and a great trail rider. I also used this to promote my military surplus business. (Some of the decals are still on the vehicle. The vinyl removes easily with a heat gun). I drove this truck for a couple of months until the timing belt broke and since then it has been sitting in my warehouse. I never took it trail riding, just screwed around on my property a few times. This has not been abused. I recently replaced the timing belt and re-timed the engine. Due to the fact that I'm losing my warehouse space, I decided to sell it. I just can't bear to have it sit outside. There's very little rust on it except maybe some little surface stuff on the suspension and other hardware, which is normal. Trust me, there is no major rotting or peeling of the frame due to rust. Only minor surface rusting in certain spots. I pressure washed the frame and under panels last year and then coated them with the black spray can undercoating. It looked great, but after a year some of the orange is starting to bleed through again. Remember this Samurai is 24 years old so anything you can do to prevent rust from getting a foot hold should be done. I don't have the time or space to take care of it so I would rather see it go to someone who does. Since I have owned the Samurai, I have: Installed (4) new Sky-jacker shocks $165.00 Upgraded the Clutch with a heavy duty clutch $180.00 Installed a new steering shock stabilizer (helps with the 'Bump steer') $65.00 Added a New Pioneer CD/MP3 Player $120.00 Painted the whole rig custom camo $200.00 Installed 4 new 31 inch off road tires (Less then 800 miles on them!) $650.00 Added two fog/off road lights $45.00 Installed a removable gas can on the tail gate $38.00 Replaced the timing belt and tensioner pully $40.00 Installed new glow plugs $45.00 Replaced the rear Rotors, calipers and pads (all new) $130.00 Added 6 inch shackle lift to the rear $75.00 Installed New Gauges (exhaust temp, boost pressure, coolant temp and oil pressure) $120.00 All of these upgrades within the last 2000 miles!! Little stuff wrong- Dent and paint chipping on the hood because the hood came unlatched at 40 MPH because I forgot to latch it (I was Pi$$ed) Minor surface rust bleeding through certain bolts, frame parts, door hinges, etc. Nothing structural Hates cold weather, Rattles, Smokes Black when you Mash the throttle, and leaks oil (But I just described every diesel) Stock gas and temp gauge do not work Drives like a 24 year old tin can. But you can't get the smile off from your face. I called it my "go cart on crack." Minor chipping and scrathes in the paint. Great thing about this is that its painted in Flat Camo (no gloss here). 15 minutes with a couple of cans and any scratch or chip will disappear and you can get back to ridin. Back window hinges are a little weak. Should be replaced. The run down: 1988 Suzuki Samurai Original 5 speed Trans and Transfer case 4 wheel disc brakes New clutch 1991 VW Jetta turbo 1.6 diesel (rebuilt within the last 5000 miles) Starts right up on the first crank (except when its really cold) New Shocks New 31 inch Tires New Timing belt and pully New rear brakes Upgraded Chevy S-10 alternator CD/MP3 player Fog/Trail lights Rear and Front trailer ball reciever All lights and signals work as they should No cracks in any of the glass All doors and windows work Back up fuel can Camo door interiors Both VW and Suzuki Repair Manuals included So, if you are looking for a functional, fun and eye catching ride, then this is it. Or if you are looking for something like a UTV such as a ranger or gator, but don't want to spend $10,000 on basicly an ATV, then this is for you. Remember this thing is small, street legal, fun in the mudd and will climb a tree. Oh, by the way it gets 30 MPG. Nothing electronic to mess with ya. This vehicle has No ABS, No Automatic tranny, push button four wheel drive, power windows, fuel injection or plugs. This bad boy is simple, mecanical and small. Easy to work on and tons of parts for both the samurai's and the VW engines. I also have the VW and the Suzuki repair manuals and a few parts I'll throw in. If you used the Buy it Now feature, I'll throw in an xtra set of tires and rims and the military storage box seen in the last photo. I have tried to describe this to the best of my ability. Buyer beware that they are buying an older modified vehicle. This will not drive like anything you have ever driven. Some people are uncomfortable driving it because of the way is steers, bumps, vibrates and rides. Me personally, I LOVED IT. Please feel free to ask any further questions before bidding. WARNING: This vehicle is 24 years old and a custom truck. The winning bidder should be prepared to address minor and or major quirks/problems and be fully comfortable working on a diesel. This is not a vehicle that you take to the local Suzuki dealership for problems. Parts are easy and cheap enough to get, but the labor should fall upon the owner. (That's half the fun of owning somthing like this). Sold as is, with no warranty. I prefer a local buyer but if not, you will need to arrange your own transport. I will only sell to US. Within a few hrs of closing (you winning the auction) I will need a $500 non refundable deposit sent through paypal preferably to hold the vehicle or the sale is void and I will re-list!! I will not release the vehicle or title until monies are paid in full! Any payments with a cashiers check will need to clear before I can release the vehicle. I reserve the right to end the auction early if the reserve hasn't been met yet. Please if you don't have the money, don't bid. It wastes my time and yours!! Non paying bidders will be reported to Ebay. Thank you and happy bidding!! :) US currency only please. Buyer pays any fees associated with title transfer, taxes, and license Thanks for looking