It's on my list of cars I'd like to own someday. Not very high on the list, but there's a really really really clean one FS locally, so I've got to edumacate myself fast. Anybody know of their problems / issues?
It's on my list of cars I'd like to own someday. Not very high on the list, but there's a really really really clean one FS locally, so I've got to edumacate myself fast. Anybody know of their problems / issues?
They do sweet jumps.
A lot.
Seriously.
They sure seem to be durable.
what year? Engine? It's similar to a Suzuki Sidekick, just a "leftover" car.
What year are you looking at? There was a model change in 95(IIRC).
Having just picked up an 89 Sidekick a couple weeks ago, I can tell you rust is certainly a weak spot. 
Look for hidden rust in the frame, rockers, body mounts, floorpan/rocker joint, firewall, inner fenders, strut mounts....you get the picture. Mine had/has rust in all of those areas, yet looked really good from outside & in.
The ECM's seem to have issues with leaky capacitors. There's a couple people who repair them for reasonable money though.
Replacement soft tops are cheap. I just picked up a decent quality one off ebay for $160-shipped.
NAPA has a good selection of parts for them, and they typically have the lowest prices. Though, as I've found, they have more listings for the Tracker than the Sidekick, even though they're identical.
They have a strong following with the 4x4 guys, who do some pretty extreme things to/with them, which can be a good resource for ideas & tips.
I haven't actually driven mine more than a couple miles yet, but since the vehicle was basically free to me, for the ~$1500 I'll have invested in steel, parts, top & tires, I should have a good winter toy that hopefully will last a couple years. And I can always just weld in new steel to replace whatever rusts away next! 
I've sold cars for over ten years. While they're definitely not for everyone, the people that buy them are almost never disappointed. I wouldn't scare you off.
Its a 95. A 2 door with the soft top. 50 k miles. One young female owner, religiously maintianed at the corner gas station since new.
White, wihte top. Real pretty, in an evil mind sot of way.
IIRC, the 95 should have the 16v engine, so that's a plus. You might check www.zuwharrie.com for some general off-road related & other technical info.
I used to have one. I would echo the rust issues. Also they use a very short final drive ratio so they rev a lot. I wouldn't want one as a daily driver again since they rev like crazy at 65mph, but other than that, it was a great truck. I used it to tow my rx7's with a tow bar and had no problems doing 60mph with one in tow. Mine was a 2wd and was still better than my friend's lifed 87 4wd chev on the trails 
The body panels are not very thick and while offroading I did have a tree branch go right through the fender. I never had any issues with the drivetrain, although my friend who had one went through a couple fuel pumps.
The ZU is THE site for Zuk's. I have had more than my fair share of the little buggers. petegossett summed it up pretty well though, rust is the big issue. If it is a 1995, is it an 8-valve or 16-valve? 16-valve is an interference engine, the 8 valve is not. Not much difference power wise. I have daily driven one off and on for 10 years, they aren't the smoothest riding thing, nor the fastest, but they are tough as nails, and parts are cheap. Sounds like a nice low mile one you are looking at, if the price is right grab it, if you don't like it stick it on eBay and make a buck, they have quite a following.
http://bbs.zuwharrie.com/content
Gonna bring this post back up a bit.
I found a really cheap 92' tracker for sale near me, $200. Its got 125k, 4wd, automatic 
, and a new water pump but has a crack in the block. I'm trying to figure out whether the 92' came with an over drive transmission or not and whether I should give it a go or not. I'd bet another used engine can be had for next to nothing and it would make a good daily beater and trail rig. I'd like a stick shift tracker but I'd settle for an auto if it makes it easier for a novice on the trails.
Ours is great. We put big wheels and tires, a 1" lift kit, and a brush bar on it, and take out to the trails almost every weekend. It will go through almost anything.
Auto on the trails is good, you can left-foot brake over an obstacle. I put a late model 1.6 in my Samurai that came with a 1.3' shoud have grabbed the fuel injection also. Float bowls off camber bite.
For a top, check out Bestop. For a simple lift, do an axle SOA swap; that is put the axle under the springs instead of on top. It's just nuts & bolts and it's free.
Dan
A few 2 door soft tops were on my short list back in may, but for me it had too much body roll with in town driving
I loved my Sidekick 4-Door and have my eye out for another one as a toy.
derekshannon wrote: I only wish I could make it AWD not part-time 4x4.
Why the hell would you want to do that?
(<-- hates AWD with a passion...)
A good friend of mine went through two Trackers, both purchased new, both died premature deaths via contact. First a 2 dr then a 4 dr. It was his daily driver that he commuted into Philly with, along with his father. Both are/were very large people. His main complaint was he went through brake pads rather often... I tried to explain to him that he and his father represented more than those little motorcycle-sized pads were designed to take... especially in rush-hour city driving.
I just stumbled across this one: http://www.zuki-r.com/
I went from an E36 M3 vert as my daily driver to a '99 Chevy Tracker 1.6. Seriously. (I wanted a cheap lightweight 4 seat conv runabout to pull behind a motorhome)
Now around town it's a great little ride. Fun to drive, economical, and enough power to get out of its own way. Barely.
On the highway though it's not nearly as nice... the wind noise is less than you might think (especially if you're comparing to a Jeep) but the short wheelbase means anything above 65mph requires some effort to stay in the lane... so not a good trip car.... or maybe I'm just getting old. (I much prefer the Bentley on the interstate!) ;-)
Parts costs have been unexpectedly high (steering rack, AC, alternator... some surprising failures on a well-kept 65k mile vehicle...)
Bill
petegossett wrote: IIRC, the 95 should have the 16v engine, so that's a plus. You might check www.zuwharrie.com for some general off-road related & other technical info.
GRM1964 wrote: If it is a 1995, is it an 8-valve or 16-valve?
In '95 the 2 doors had the 8v and the 4 doors had the 16v. As far as problems go, if they sit for any length of time, the fuel pumps don't care much for it. And the 8v's often loose rod bearings out of nowhere after about 150k. It's not a big deal though, since they usually don't usually damage the crank or rod of you change the bearing as soon as it starts knocking. I've done a couple of them that are sill on the road with no issues.
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