ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Build Diaries, How-To, DIY => Topic started by: bentparts on January 03, 2011, 04:40:15 PM
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Picked up a 93 4 door Sidekick for pretty cheap, so I've decided to rebuild it as necessary as a gift for my daughter. I'm going to try and build her a reliable, capable and frugal little backroad-er and sometimes no road er.
The good news: no rust, straight body panels and bumpers, glass is good, even has a nice Hidden Hitch class 1 hitch. Radio ( not stock) works! has aux inputs of the standard size for ipod or whatever. Heat, fans, vent controls all work, has ac but who knows it's too damn cold outside to test it. light and compressor do engage when switch is pushed though.
Bad: looks like someone tried to clean it with a scotch bright, and as expected most of the clear has peeled off the hood and roof. Normal amount of dings and branch marks but surprisingly not many. Going to need a paint job but at least it will be easy to prep. Lights and lenses all there and work with the exception of 1 marker, lf.
Trans seems good, tcase good,4wd and both ranges good. Auto hubs gotta go. rear diff questionable, power steering not working. Got a good pump if it needs it.
Interior, the good. it's got seats.
The bad:
Looks like a family of mud hens lived in it. It's going to be a real challenge to just clean it. Upholstery is filthy carpet stinks and is filthy, headliner is even nasty. I think the best thing to do is gut it , rip out the carpet and herculine the tub, and clean every thing outside the cabin.
Engine? The good Thing starts right up and runs, idles fine. Alternator is a bit funny but is putting out the correct voltage. Was supposed to be a sometimes smoker, but I haven't seen any yet.
no knocks rattles or strange sounds other than the typical cracked exhaust and several air leaks due to dried up hoses.
The bad, it leaks out of every upper end gasket, oring and probably casting, hoping the head is ok. Had to clean the whole engine just to be able to do some tests, it was so oil and dirt encrusted. Haven't tested compression but it runs decent. Exhaust system should be replaced so I'm going to go with a 2 ".
The rest of the bad: it didn't have any brakes, to the floor almost immediately. A couple of quick pumps would produce pressure but it fell right back off. Needs total brake job. Tossed some shoes and used wheel cylinders in it and stopped the leaks and brought the pedal back to normal after a good bleeding. The front rotors look shot too so there gonna need the whole thing, rotors , pads. Going to clean and repack the front bearings and hope there in good enough shape to keep.
Steering is a bit loose, but the tires are 3 different brands in various stages of decrepitude so I'm hopeing some good balanced rubber will help, then a good alignment.
Drive shaft was about to fall out, front joints had no bearings in at least two sides. R and r'd that with one I had that was just a bit used, and it tightened the driveshaft up great.
Engine should be rebuilt, and that's probably the easiest way to replace all the leaking gaskets anyway. Going to use as many OEM engine parts as I can get my hands on.
Hoping to reuse crank and pistons, especially since it doesn't seem to smoke or knock, a valve job, again reusing as many of the stock parts as possible.
Suspension need a good freshening at least. Good shocks and struts, I've got a set of very good low milage stockers, air bag the rear, got some of them too. Plan on putting a mild 2" suspension lift via spacers and run 225 at's, no bigger. trying to go for economy.
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Where's the pics!!!! What color is it?
Auto? How many miles?
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Forgive the brain fart please, was tired and forgot! Pics later today.
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everyday I try and get home from work before it's dark to take some pics, but haven't made it yet. Probably have to wait for the weekend. Some basics:
1993 4 door sidekick, 200000+ miles, auto trans w OD, in dark green ( whats left of the paint! :laugh:)
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so with no brakes, what was "pretty cheep"? looks like you got a project ahead of you.
you might be able to find an interior pretty cheep, might be better than trying to get odors out.
good luck and have fun!
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Almost free, I did some bartering and the actual cost would be around $400. The big draw was again I was able to barter for it, the body, chassis and anything metal is straight with no rust anywhere, and it runs and drives. everything else I can work with. Great idea about the interior, anyone parting out a 4 door with good seats? ???
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I believe the statement I was thrown one upon a time on this forum was;
PIC'S OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN!!!! :P :D :laugh:
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I'd like to see this beast before AND after!
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Yeah, yeah I know wise guys :laugh: Photos coming this weekend, too dark by the time I get home from work, too dark when I leave too! I am going to do a complete before and after series pf pics, including the engine rebuild.
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Snowed again so I still haven't got pics. Spent last weekend rebuilding the engine for my buddies Harley, so I hope to get photos this SAT.
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are you going to post pics of your unicorn and pet Bigfoot also? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
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are you going to post pics of your unicorn and pet Bigfoot also? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
You bet! Them and my pile of hundred dollar bills! :laugh:
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Thing is still buried in snow from the last storm but it may not matter. Found another 4 door down in NC only a couple of hours from them, belonging to a guy on the Zuwharrie forum. This one is actually ready to go, great paint, great interior, runs great with a replacement engine, all belts and seals, water pump and fuel pump replaced at the exchange of engines. 2" spacer lift with slightly larger tires. Other than that all stock 1995 4 speed auto 4wd. Good price too, probably about the same as I would spend getting the other one up to speed without a paint job, and saving me many, many hours of labor. We are currently waitiing on baby to be born, overdue at this point, and then we'll pull the trigger on this one. Already got a buyer for the beater. Should work out great.
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Thing is still buried in snow from the last storm but it may not matter. Found another 4 door down in NC only a couple of hours from them, belonging to a guy on the Zuwharrie forum. This one is actually ready to go, great paint, great interior, runs great with a replacement engine, all belts and seals, water pump and fuel pump replaced at the exchange of engines. 2" spacer lift with slightly larger tires. Other than that all stock 1995 4 speed auto 4wd. Good price too, probably about the same as I would spend getting the other one up to speed without a paint job, and saving me many, many hours of labor. We are currently waitiing on baby to be born, overdue at this point, and then we'll pull the trigger on this one. Already got a buyer for the beater. Should work out great.
uh huh sure it is.........
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Really, would I lie to you? >:D
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So tired of shoveling snow, you just replace the vehicle instead of digging it out?
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Yeah, that's it LilRed. :laugh: Actually, when I saw the one for sale in NC near where they live, and saw how good of condition it's in, then talked to the owner, I realized for about the same money I'd have to spend to make this one acceptable ( well, to my standards anyway :P ) they could have that one and save me a whole bunch of work and headache. Now we just have to wait for the baby to arrive ( quite overdue ) so my son in law can take a day off to go over and look at it and make the deal.
The one I have would make a great candidate for a dedicated wheeler with a toy axle swap and some 36/37's. Gut the rest of it and make it a trail only rig. Ah, it's just money ( that I don't have! :laugh: )
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I know a guy on here who's pretty savvy with that turbo stuff, I'm sure he could hook you up nicely with a setup on that engine for more power.
But I can't remember his name at all...shoot...
:laugh:
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Yeah, hmmmm, at my age it's hard to remember what I had for breakfast! :laugh: All kidding aside I really want to fix up a CLEAN stocker just to have a super economical everyday ride. No turbos or big ass tires, no lift or suspension mods, just a clean cheap driver.
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here you go:
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Damn, that's a good looking rig! A bit a paint here, a shine there, 50 gal drum of cheap oil in the back to keep in lubrication ! :laugh: That thing leaks more fluids than the exxon valdez but it never did smoke out the tailpipe. Only smoke i did notice was oil burning off the exhaust manifold from the valve cover and dist. Hard to tell what else leaks too damn much grunge on it! Thing is I have to sell it to give the kids the money to get the other one or I'd probably keep it and make a trail only rig out of it.
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So tired of shoveling snow, you just replace the vehicle instead of digging it out?
It's gettin that way, another foot + of the heavy wet coastal snow fell and is falling right now. I need a plow!
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I thought about ya when I saw the snowfall weather map this morning! Wow!
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It wouldn't be so bad if I could head out to the woods to do some trailing in it, but damn, it took Rita and I 4 hours with the snow blower and shovels to clear the drive and clean off 3 vehicles, and that snow was HEAVY. Total accumulation just over 14". If you tried to just push it off the roof of the van, it just packed up and turned almost solid. I'm beat. But got some good news today, my daughter made the deal for the four door down in NC, got the title in her purse! 8) and in a couple weeks she'll be driving it up here with my new grandaughter. Then I'll be able to give it some real personal attention and make her a rig she can be proud of. She loves the 2" lift and 235 tires too, even though she knows she's gonna drop some milage for them. But hey, what can I say, she's an adventurer and vagabond, a chip off the old block. ;D