The beauty with the Samurai, and the principal reason why it's my fave, is its super-short wheelbase. At only 2 metres (80 inches) it's a full metre (35 inches) shorter than that of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. What this does is allow the diminutive Samurai to rock climb like a champ and leap over sharp peaks as though they were flat.
And then, there was price. A decent, used, 6- to 7-year-old Sammy, 15 years ago, went for $4,000 to $6,000 depending on the condition. Given the uber-simple nature of its mechanics, relatively underpowered engine and light weight, few things (if any at all) could go wrong. The only real issue that plagued the Samurai was rust, lots and lots of rust. However, it was nothing that a little putty, fibreglass, an oxyacetylene torch and some steel plates couldn't fix.
With $5k in hand, you could get a decent Sammy, slap Sidekick wheels and tires on and conquer most off-road trails that a far older or expensive CJ/TJ/YJ would have a hard time crossing without some level of attention before the attempt.
About that Hummer H1from earlier: The differencesbetween the two vehicles could not be more obvious. And it's those monumental dimensions that render the Hummer useless in many wooded, unkempt trails. The Samurai easily snaked between trees, crested rocks without breaking a sweat, and U-turned without changing the surrounding topography. On this faithful day, we lost the H1 in the woods and my appreciation for the diminutive off-road ninja was cemented forever.
Maybe I need a new project “truck”. Oy, I need help.
And then, there was price. A decent, used, 6- to 7-year-old Sammy, 15 years ago, went for $4,000 to $6,000 depending on the condition. Given the uber-simple nature of its mechanics, relatively underpowered engine and light weight, few things (if any at all) could go wrong. The only real issue that plagued the Samurai was rust, lots and lots of rust. However, it was nothing that a little putty, fibreglass, an oxyacetylene torch and some steel plates couldn't fix.
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| Photo: Suzuki |
With $5k in hand, you could get a decent Sammy, slap Sidekick wheels and tires on and conquer most off-road trails that a far older or expensive CJ/TJ/YJ would have a hard time crossing without some level of attention before the attempt.
About that Hummer H1from earlier: The differencesbetween the two vehicles could not be more obvious. And it's those monumental dimensions that render the Hummer useless in many wooded, unkempt trails. The Samurai easily snaked between trees, crested rocks without breaking a sweat, and U-turned without changing the surrounding topography. On this faithful day, we lost the H1 in the woods and my appreciation for the diminutive off-road ninja was cemented forever.
Maybe I need a new project “truck”. Oy, I need help.
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