As mine sits now i have somewhere in the neighborhood of $2500 bucks in it. With another 7500 dollars I would def do an engine swap. Probably do a better lift after that. I have a shackle lift which I am not happy with at all. Maybe some lockers, armor and winch from there and honestly I would probably be happy at that point. I think with a 1.6 16V swap with about 3 inches of lift or so and locked up with good tires you would have a very capable performer that still makes a decent daily driver.

$2500. now
$849    OME 2 inch lift
$300    1.6 16V from salvage(guesstimate)
$300    Performance Clutch from trail tough
$580    Trail tough 1.6 conversion kit
$500    Lockers from Trail tough
$599    4.6:1 T Case kit from trail tough
$400    Winch
$400    Fabrication money for bumpers(Probably a lot more than i will need)
$200    Fabrication money for rock sliders(again, probably high estimate
$1000  five superswamper 29/10.50 or 9.50 not sure which i would go with. And a matching rim for the four i have

That would total about $7700 bucks. So i would have a 2300 dollar cushion for stuff i may have left out. If i had 7500 dollars on top of my 2500 that i have invested now, i think i could have a kick ass rig that was still useable as a daily driver. I think set up like this you could do some decent trails but still have a somewhat civil rig on the roads.

So the big question is this: Who is going to pony up the 7.5 Gs for me to start ordering parts

Edit: I forgot I am in desperate need of different seats. Mine are shot. Not tore up they just dont give any support. I have seen a lot of people swap in neon seats. So probably would go that route.

I think your estimate price for a good 16valve engine is off.

It probably is. I have no clue on that. What are people paying for them?

Most likely $1,000 up unless you can score one at a u-pull-it yard where they are very hard to find in running condition.  Most I have seen are high mileage (toast) and the reason why the vehicle was dumped in the first place.

it really depends on the engines, a place here in utah has motors for around $125 on wednesdays with wednesdays being half off days.

Yep, I've pulled quite a few Suzuki 1300 and 1600 8-vavle longblocks at the local pull it yard for $100.  Its a lot of work in a muddy field though-especially moving the large A frame across the yard.  No cherry picker on the Metros either.  I did pull a 16-valve from an Esteem-that was a lot of work.

Doesn't the 1.6 16v gasser get pretty crappy mileage?

This guy lives 4 hours south of me and sells vw engines

http://www.qualitygermanautoparts.com/index.php?p=p1281760817&navt=1900cc%20Turbo%20Diesel

here is a motor he has listed on eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/VW-1900-Diesel-NA-Complete-Engine-Rabbit-Jetta-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZalgoQ3dLVIQ26ituQ3dUCIQ26otnQ3d3Q26poQ3dLVIQ26psQ3d63Q26clkidQ3d75653564943938737QQ_trksidZp5197Q2em7QQitemZ290559915553


And he uploads youtube videos if you want to hear/look at the difference between the motors.

Here's a video of the motor from that auction:

435 1900 NA.MOV

Seems like a pretty good deal.

That's exactly what I had for my sidekick. The mileage was negligibly any better than the 16v. If you end up doing this, I still have my turbo if you are interested. It's a new rebuild by the master turbo builders at bell turbo.

I think the VW diesel is hands down the winner for overall best swap. The money and ability involved to do the swap scare me. The VW engines around here go for stupid money.

Gas mileage is not at the top of my list. I have a deal working for a daily driver diesel truck that will be running on fryer oil. My daily driving cost will be minimal. Plus if i want to take the sammy some where to wheel, i can trailer it even if i have to rent the trailer and come out on top. The GMC truck is already converted and the guy who owns it is a close personal friend. It was his DD till he upgraded to a 2003 Dodge diesel. The truck has over 200K on it. However, it was a fleet truck so had regular maintenance done and my friend has taken good care of it. It is mechanically very sound. It is ugly as sin but i am not buying it for looks.

I would love the VW swap and then convert the sammy to fryer oil but I am leery of the cost and the technical skill required to pull of the swap. I think the 1.6 swap is much simpler. I will be having the guys at trail tough do the wiring so that part of it is taken out.

I would love to turbo a 1.6 16v motor. That should put hp to around 140 or so? That would make a screaming sammy!! I love turbo engines. My Audi was a friggin blast to drive.

The 16v gets decent mileage, the issue is it's pushing a brick through the air.  The 1.3l 16v gets 35 or so in the Swift GTI, drops down to 25 in a Samurai.  You can only get so good of mileage pushing a solid wall of air at 60 mph. 

I'd just buy two nice stock Sammis' and a decent Tracker, put 235's on all of them, and go out wheelin' (and I'd probably still have money left over)

I'd just buy two nice stock Sammis' and a decent Tracker, put 235's on all of them, and go out wheelin' (and I'd probably still have money left over)

Thats excactly the way to go. If one craps out you have plenty of parts. Then when you are through fartin around, build one.