1987 Samurai.  Owned it since 1990,  Been all over the country with it.  Climbed "fourteeners" in Colorado, snaked along backwoods forest trails in Maine, traversed swamps in Florida, and threw sand in the Texas desert.. Over the years, there have been fewer and fewer Samurais on the road and on the trail.  I  used to have friends with Zooks, but it's been a decade or two since I've been 'wheeling with another Sammy.  Lately I've been having a lot of people start conversations with me at gas stations "I learned to drive in one of those" or "I remember my dad had one when I was little" sort of conversations.  I don't want to get gas anymore because I'm tired of people offering to buy it.  These conversations were reminiscent of the interactions I always seemed to have back when I drove antique cars (Falcons, Rancheros, etc).  GOOD GRIEF!  Is the 1980s Samurai considered an ANTIQUE CAR now?  I'm still using mine to get down off the ridge, out of the woods, and into town to run errands and get groceries.  An I'm using it around the trails on my property (riding the fence line to make repairs and whatnot).  The many forums, DIY folks, and annual Zook party trips seem to have dried up for good now.  so where do Samurai owners congregate these days (online or otherwise)? .
- ZM

1987 Samurai
Free-flow air intake
Free-flow exhaust
Tuned manifold
The biggest tires I could fit without a lift
1979 Toyota Corolla carb
Fibergalss 2-pc top
Folding windshield kit
Heavy duty steel front bumper w/tow hooks
Otherwise it's stock.

You have a great story and experience with your Suzuki. Hope to see you in the trail someday.  Eric

I've only been driving a Samurai for about 3 years, but everywhere I take it, I get thumbs up and a story about having one in the '80s, and wishing they still had it, a story about a friend that had one, or that they always wanted one... Does that make it a classic?... In some states it qualifies as a antique.... What ever it is, I love driving it...
Butch

I have not had a 'group' drive with the Sammy in years. Usually what happens is, I am outside of Phoenix somewhere on a trail or small town, and run into two or three others, and we have lunch together, and then drive away... LOL. I do join up with other trail rides though, and occasionally there is one or two Samurai's... my LR group seems more active, but lots of times I take the Sammy instead of my LR2. Depends where we are going... if sand is too deep, my 2wd Sammy can't handle it, but it does most everything else. My old '87 tin top went anywhere... but, I am continually surprised by what just 2wd can do in these little buggys. 

It’s been a long time since I last visited Zukiworld. I guess you could say that I’ve had quite a few life changes over the last 10 years. Positive ones-marriage and kids.  It was about time.  I still have all of my Suzukis too. 

To this day I occasionally see Samurais on the road here in northeast Oklahoma. . Probably about the same as I did 10 years ago. No more, no less. However, I’ve seen a very sharp drop off in Trackers and Sidekicks. They appear to be almost as rare as Samurais now.  Even Jeep YJs are a very rare sight.

As far as Suzukis now being antiques…20 years ago I had people chatting me up about their Samurai experiences. They have always been that kind of vehicle.  They always left a deep impression. 

Currently, I am building up my own Samurai club, one enthusiast at a time.    My wife and I have three young boys and a fourth son due in about 30 days. All those little hands to help me repair, modify, and resurrect our Suzukis.

In the upcoming years I hope to put an annual Suzuki get together/run in northeast Oklahoma. Probably a spring or fall run. I am just waiting for more of my kids to get a little older and out of the diaper phase. I’ll be happy when the current middle one is out.  Hopefully this spring.