What are the Pros and cons for a 1988 Suzuki Samurai?

Answer 1

At one time my son and I owned 4 Samurais between us...2 runners, 2 parts cars. two '86's, an 87, and an 88. You didn't say if you were looking for pros and cons of an 88 compared to other Samurai's, or of Samurai's in general...

88 compared to other years: There were only minor changes in most of the years that Samurai's were imported, and I have found almost anything from one year fit another. In later years they switched to fuel injection, but they are rare to find. I believe by the 88 they made some changes in how the anti-sway bar was connected to make the car more stable than earlier models. (earlier ones the swaybar attached inside leaf springs, later the swaybar was wider and attached outside leaf springs, I think.)

Samurai pros and cons in general: The "rollover danger" is highly overstated...ANY short wheelbase vehicle , especially if lifted, is more prone to rolling over than a car. I told my kid and others, "If you don't drive it on the street like it was a 'vette you'll be fine. And if you don't drive a 'vette offroad like it was a Samurai you'll be fine then too. Two different designs with two different functions, don't try to interchange them."

The more I used and modified my Samurai the more I appreciated the initial engineering. Mine would go places jeeps wouldn't go...once I changed gear ratios and did some other customizing.

The bad:

Factory setup is overgeared...you have to rev the engine up too high to have the torque for steep climbs, which meant you have to drive up steep inclines too fast for safety so it won't stall. The carbs tend to run rich, which can ruin your catalytic converter and cause trouble passing smog. I replaced my carb with rebuilts a couple times, seemed to happen again anyway. I did replumb my exhaust so I could use a cheap (~$80) flanged catalytic converter rather than the $600 stock catalytic converter. Parts used to be plentiful but most of the teen-age girl Samurai's are long gone, and most that remain are 4-wheelers, so you can no longer buy axles and transmissions for <$100 at local "pick your parts" junkyards.

the good:

With some modifications it can be a VERY capable off roader while also being street legal. I had well under $8000 invested and the only other vehicles that came close on the trail were $20K and up Rubicon Jeeps. Most fun for the buck of any vehicle I've owned. I had over 250K miles, and my kid had over 180K miles, on ours when we finally got tired of fighting the carbs and catalytic converters to keep them smog legal in CA. And I did lots of week long hardcore off-road and back trail sojourns through Death Valley, Panamint Valley, the Mojave Trail, and central NV...besides using it as my daily commuter.

Had I kept it, I would have investigated putting in a VW Diesal engine.