ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Build Diaries, How-To, DIY => Topic started by: rmack898 on August 03, 2011, 06:17:50 PM
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My name's Mac, I used to have an '86 Sammi when I lived in the Caribbean but I left it there when I moved back to the states 15 years ago. I was looking for an economical daily driver for my 8 mile commute to work everyday. When I remembered how much fun the Sammi was, the search was on. While I was looking for a Sammi I learned that a diesel swap was pretty common and I intensified my search. I found an '88 that was advertised as rust free but it wasn't but I bought it anyway after a little price negotiation.
I started driving it right away and it's the perfect little commuter for the shore town that I live in. I ordered the diesel swap kit from Acme, a 3-1/2" suspension lift, and 31" tires. I have the Acme kit but still don't have the 1.6NA motor that I want to put in, the lift parts are back ordered and I can't put the new tires on till I get the lift done. I was all revved up with no parts to go. The goal of this Sammi is to be a Diesel Daily Driver with mileage and road manners being at the top of the list. The only off road use this will see is on the beach after all the shoobies leave for the summer.
Every time I hit a bump in the road, the front end is all over the place, so I ordered knuckle rebuild parts from Low Range and did the front axle last night. Holy crap what a night and day difference in handling, I can only iimagine what it will be like with new shocks, springs, and rubber.
So I have time to kill waiting for parts and a motor so I decided to do some cosmetic things to the interior. When I bought it the thing had cheap folding seats from a bass boat screwed to plywood that was screwed to the original seat tracks. A trip to the junk yard got me a set of seats out of a '90s vintage Grand Am that were just right and they replaced the boat seats. Then I decided that I didn't like the black spray on liner in the tub. After way too many paper templates and way too many beers, I had the beginning of a one piece, diamond plate tub liner. 2 nights of cutting, fitting, re-cutting and re-fitting, I had it all tacked up as one piece and ready to finish weld. Once it was all welded up it dropped right in by I had to take it in and out about a dozen times to cut and grind a little to make the factory roll bar fit. Than I cut a diamond plate cover for the inside of the tailgate and mounted some speakers in the gate. I'm happy with it so far but there is more interior work like door panels to do yet.
I found a diesel donor motor and it will be here on Friday and I will go completely through it before it goes into the Sammi so I will probably do some more interior work while I am waiting for motor parts. The more I look at this thing the more I see that I want to do to it. I'll continue this as parts arrive and work progresses.
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Very nice, and welcome to ZukiWorld
Wild
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Well the the motor showed up as promised from Michigan on Friday afternoon. I tore it down this afternoon and will measure everything up on Monday and order new parts to put the motor back together. I did install a new steering wheel in the Samm today but it was too dark to get a pic of it. It's motor work for next week while I'm waiting for suspension parts to show up.
The last pic shows the motor with it's new home in the background
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I'm looking at your pics and thinking, that's not a Suzuki engine, so I re read your
original post :) Diesel swap
Look forward to seeing your progress on this buildup, and nice shop BTW
Wild
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Well the Sami project is moving forward at a slow bell. I have not been able to do anything with the motor yet as my ex is at it again and the lawyers have eaten up all of my fun money so I am working on things that don't cost anything other than time.
I wanted to replace the crappy light gauge stamped steel bumper with something a little better. I have access to free drops of aluminum diamond plate that had new bumper written allover them. I wanted to re-use the original tail lights so that's where I started. I measured the tail light fixture and made up a jig to make aluminum buckets to accept the tail lights. Once I had the buckets made, I made another jig that that bolted to my layout table to bend the radius for the new bumper and bent the first piece of plate.
I cut off all of the old bumper mounts from the car and started from scratch. I used 1/2X3" aluminum flat bar as a frame for the bumper that bolted up to the frame of the car (I thought I took pictures of the frame but I didn't). I tacked the first piece of diamond plate with the cut outs for the tail lights to the frame and just kept adding on until I had it the way I wanted it. I don't know how many times I had the bumper bolted on and off the car but it was a butt load of times.
I finally finished it tonight after about a week of evenings of messing with it. I'm happy with how it came out and have to repeat the whole process on the front bumper. I did a 3.5" calmini lift and I am very happy with the way it handles on the street, I haven't had it on the beach yet.
I should have some $$ for motor parts soon and hope to have the diesel installed by the end of October.
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A few more pics.
I also picked up some new to me rolling stock.
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Looks good. Are you going to do the same for the front?
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Wow man, sweet build, this thing is gonna be beast when your done, btw your work is very professional, kudos to you.
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Wow...nice work
Really like the diamond plate bed area............ever thought of making some and selling them? Or even have the diamond plate pieces cut for a diy kit? The could help with some of the $$$$$ issues. Just a thought.
Keep us posted on the progress
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Wow...nice work
Really like the diamond plate bed area............ever thought of making some and selling them? Or even have the diamond plate pieces cut for a diy kit? The could help with some of the $$$$$ issues. Just a thought.
Keep us posted on the progress
I was gonna ask the same thing.
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Wow...nice work
Really like the diamond plate bed area............ever thought of making some and selling them? Or even have the diamond plate pieces cut for a diy kit? The could help with some of the $$$$$ issues. Just a thought.
Keep us posted on the progress
I was gonna ask the same thing.
x3 Ive sold my samurai now but I know a few guys in utah here that would buy this if you were to market it. I would really like to do something like this for my 4door sidekick maybe too. great looking build so far man.
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Thanks for the compliments guys.
I was going to start on the front bumper right after I finished installing the lift, but I came across a really cool looking piece of extruded aluminum would make a unique running board step kind of thing, so that's what I'm working on now. I should have them done and installed this coming weekend. I know running boards wouldn't work on a trail rig but this is going to be a beach cruiser and I think they will look cool.
I hadn't thought about making diamond plate tubs and I just got rid of the cardboard templates, but my son has a Sami and I think he wants a DP tub. So I will probably make a better set of templates with lessons learned from the first go round. If I like the way his comes out I could probably make a few of them once I start cutting material. I post it up if anyone's interested when I get to it but right now getting my Sami done is my first priority.
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So I got a little bit more done on the sami. The first pic is a piece of the aluminum extrusion that I came across. I cut two pieces 24" long and then cut the ends with a 6" radius. I bent some 1-1/2" flat bar to the same radius and then welded it to the ends of the running boards to cap the ends. I drilled the frame of the car and trough bolted a piece of 3/8"x4" flat bar to the frame. Then I layed out the legs to support the running boards on some 1/2"x6" flat bar and cut them to about a 15*angle to give me a 6" drop from the door sill. Welded it all together and bolted it to the frame and called it done.
It's still a little awkward for me to get into the car using the step but my girlfriend who is much shorter than me seems to like it. Like I said, it wouldn't work on a trail rig but since this is a daily driver/beach cruiser, it works just fine for my use.
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Nice looking work.
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Was hoping for some updates!!
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A few more pics.
I also picked up some new to me rolling stock.
On that front end, you have the shackle reverse tower brace in upside down. If you flip it over, you'll have a lot more clearance.
Hope that helps.
-Eric