"New" Beater

[SilverGt]

Picked up a '96 Suzuki Sidekick Sport 1.8 Had great luck in the past with a few Suzuki/ geos . Planning to do the following :
Plugs
Air Filter
Fuel Filter
Oil and Filter (10-30 Maxlife)
Trans drain and fill ( Thinking maxlife What do you think ?)
Rad Cap
Thermostat
Hoses
Coolant
Drive Belts
Timing Chain Kit
Water pump

Sound good ? Anything else I'm missing ?

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Maxlife oil and ATF are both great stuff. Your maintenance plan sounds good

Bando belts, any oil filter that's NOT Purolator, You may also want to do the spark plugs. NGK and Denso are good brands to get.

Is yours the convertible?

 

[SilverGt]

It a 4 door hardtop. Gonna use NGK plugs . I use NAPA Gold Oilfilters.

 

[eljefino]

Not rusty?

 

[daves87rs]

Very cool!

 

[andyd]

BIL had a Tracker. His was older, I think. He drove it to the boat to commute. Tiny I-4, 3 speed auto. 4.xx ? gears. 225 15 p tires. Best little beach buggy ever made. BIL liked it better than his '79 Cj7. Thing was a tin can like my Datsun pick up. Did OK . They tended to be tippy as well.

 

[csandste]

The nineties had a number of interesting subcompact suv's. Then things got bigger and bigger during the aughts. Then a whole new segment of subcompact suvs arrived in the tens. Came sort of close to buying one of those (few years old) more than twenty years ago. Always looked like an interesting ride. That was before GM moved in on Suzuki and loaded them with Daewoo products, they never recovered.

 

[SilverGt]

Yes there is some rust but nothing serious that I can't handle. The Samurai I had years ago was said to be prone to tipping but I never felt uncomfortable driving it. Guess I drove it sensibly unlike I drove the Mustang I had then lol. The Tracker,Grand Vitara and XL-7 I had later all had larger wheel bases but didn't have near the off road capability or confidence in deep snow that the Samurai did.

 

[SilverGt]

The Trax I have isn't a full frame and doesn't have 4x4.It's awd though. Not the same. First saw the Trax in the Philippines (visiting wife's family)several years before it was available here. It was called the Chevrolet Tracker just like the Suzuki Sidekicks were here years ago.My wife and I like the Trax but it's just not the same lol

 

[Kira]

How many miles on it?

 

[SilverGt]

196000

 

[SilverGt]

I should change the fluids in transfer case and differentials ? Any recommendations?

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted by csandste
The nineties had a number of interesting subcompact suv's. Then things got bigger and bigger during the aughts. Then a whole new segment of subcompact suvs arrived in the tens. Came sort of close to buying one of those (few years old) more than twenty years ago. Always looked like an interesting ride. That was before GM moved in on Suzuki and loaded them with Daewoo products, they never recovered.
One of those things is not like the others. The 90s subcompacts were legitimate offroad vehicles, the "subcompact SUVs" made this decade are milquetoast Crossovers.

I would LOVE a 90s style subcompact SUV with offroad capabilities. I wish we could import Lada Nivas or other Russians, they really know how to make small 4x4s!
I know that they have some awesome ones in Latin America, too.

 

[SirTanon]

This thread is lacking without pictures!

 

[SatinSilver]

Here it is:

 

[SilverGt]

Ain't it beautiful! Lol