hey, im new to 4wheeling, suzukis, and this forum. im checking out a couple samurais in my area this weekend and was wondering what problems to look for. one is basically stock which is preferable, but another is built up just the perfect amount and I'm really leaning towards that one so far. im just afraid of wheeling damage. are there any common problems with samurais that I should look for or ask the guy about? or maybe just any questions to ask, as i'm even new to buying a  car. sorry if these are dumb questions but i'm quite the rookie.

if it has for wheels and runs......your golden!

 if it will pass a mechanical inspection or close buy it up and hammer down

Samurai's are very easy to repair and common enough for cheap parts. So if there might be anything (allmost) wrong with it you could repair it with a decent wrench   I'd say if you want it easy, go for the built one if you want to have fun wrenching go for the standard one   good luck

thanks for the input. the built one's (86) got 125k miles and the stock's (87) got 108k. how reliable are sammy engines? i always hear about old yotas and subarus lasting forever, and other makes that like to break down early. is there any rule of thumb for milage on a samurai when it starts going downhill fast? i definently want the majority of the little money i have going into making it a beast instead of keeping it running.

Well, while SOME Suzuki motors fail early (150,000 miles), most go well beyond that.  If you change the oil and filters on a regular basis, the things are like Timex watches - they take a lickin, and keep on tickin!

u can pick up another sami 1.3 for less than $200. or u can get an tracker 1.6 8 valve for around $500 shipped to ur front door. have u worked on cars before. repaires like brake pads, oil change, plugs and wires. if u can do these things then it want be hard to keep ur sammi in top running condition. when u offroad u r eventually going to break something. so get handy with wrenches sami parts r cheep its the labor at the shop that will eat into ur pocket.

ive rolled mine once an had it on its side, each time it started right up and continued on!!!!!!!

how preferable are getting wider axles like toyotas on samurias? I heard the wheelbase is really narrow and tipping is a problem. does it get to the point where you feel you cant do as much because your afraid of rolling?

you can tip them if your being stupid on a trail, but all around driving its not to bad they dont really go that fast anyway! but if you want stability go toyota, its not eazy or cheap but it works great, also a thing u can do is get a wheel with a back spacing with wheel spacers that will help toooo!

Check this out.! http://www.justruns.com/gallery/album146

I've seen stock Sammy's do a lot of crazy stuff, without being 'tippy'.  The 'roll-over prone' idea that a lot of people have about Suzukis is a myth and a fabrication of lies by some publisher.  

If you want to learn more about it, do a search on here and I'm sure you see all of the threads related to it.

Good luck in your decision!

~Nate

There is some good info in this thread for you.  The sammys are generally reliable and good little vehicles.  

Check the vehicle out like any other used vehicle you would look at.  Common engine problems that you may find include carb problems which can be corrected with a rebuild kit and leaking oil from the distributor ( a really easy fix with an o-ring).  If you can, do a compression test on it.  Also take it out and try 4 wheel drive.  Pay attention to the clutch on the built sammy as they can overheat in a built truck and become glazed pretty easily.  Check for smooth shifting of the tcase, needing a new shifter sheet bushing is common.  Listen for noise in the tranny the bearings sometimes need replacement.    

Now the biggest thing that I would be looking for besides general mechanical is the rust.  Check all of the floor boards particularily in the back.  Pull up the carpet if it has any.  Check the rear wheel wells behind the fender flares.  You will need to pull back the interior panel and look from the inside.  Check the front wheel wells behind the flares from inside the engine compartment.  The other spot to look is in the rockers but this is not easy to check without removing the plastic covers that are on them.  

Hope this helps.  

I thought that I would get more comments about that link than that  

I thought that I would get more comments about that link than that  

Theres probley not much more that can be said.