Today's post is about a really capable little offroader, which is very cheap to run and buy. It is made a Japanese manufacture, it is very basic and reliable. It is the Suzuki SJ410 Samurai.
Source
Photographer: Mike McBey
The SJ410 was had many names, but it was the UK that called it the SJ410. It was released in the early 80's after the success of the original version.
It was available in a few body styles, such as the soft top, a LWB pick up, a van, and so on.
What did Mike buy?
A standard 1985 Suzuki SJ40, white soft stop.
Source
Photograpther: Rutger van der Maar
How much did he pay?
£250!
How much budget did he have?
The budget was £2000 (including buying the car.
What did he do to the car?
As well as bringing the car up to safety standards, he also wanted to mod it.
They changed the colour of the car, by spraying it black.
They wanted to increase the ride heart, so gave it upgraded offroading and stuck massive wheels. I believe it gave an extra 8" of clearance.
They added wider arches to accommodate the bigger wheels, and to make it look bigger.
New set of brakes all round (pads and discs)
Replacement Engine
Sort out the rust
A roll cage
and other little jobs
** How much (including the car) did they spend? **
£1270, which seems like a very small amount these days.
What did they sell the car for?
£500! A (loss of £770) It was the first loss they made on the series. Mike said the production team said he had to buy something quick, due to lack of time.
How much does an average SJ sell for now?
Modded ones advertised on eBay today range from £2500-£5500