At $10,000, Would You Toy With This Tiny 1988 Suzuki Jimny Turbo?

The seller of today's Nice Price aliases No Dice Suzuki says this is NOT a Samurai. They declare that this imported JDM Jimny is SO overmuch amended owing to nan turbo connected its mini motor. Let's spot if we work together connected that and connected their pricing acumen.

Have you ever parted your hairsbreadth connected nan other broadside of your caput only to find that moreover those adjacent to you proved oblivious to nan change? Subtle differences—even erstwhile they are correct successful beforehand of you—are oftentimes difficult to discern.

In nan lawsuit of nan 2004 Harley-Davidson V-ROD we looked astatine yesterday, location were galore differences successful its motor from nan motorcycle builder's erstwhile efforts—water cooling, overhead cams, etc. Those were somewhat masked by nan still accepted V-twin shape facet and nan subtle, mostly ornamental finning connected nan cylinder jugs. Nothing other astir yesterday's Harley was, successful immoderate way, subtle, pinch an aftermarket exhaust and dropped bars adding to nan bike's hair-chest appearance. The seller's $9,500 asking value proved conscionable arsenic aggressive, but for astir of you, it was aggressively excessively high. In nan end, that resulted successful a 76% 'No Dice' loss.

One of nan challenges Harley-Davidson faces is competition, chiefly from its Japanese rivals. Each of nan large 3 Asian motorcycle makers—Honda, Yamaha, and Suzuki—offers V-twin powerfulness paired pinch low-slung cruiser-style frames, ala Harley. A speedy perusal of nan Suzuki U.S.A. website shows that nan institution calls its Harley competitor nan Boulevard. Delving deeper into nan Suzuki USA tract reveals thing else, though: a sad backwater titled Suzuki Automotive. It promotes resources for owners of nan marque's four-wheel products, past sold present successful nan States each nan measurement backmost successful 2012. Kudos to nan institution for still showing those owners immoderate love, but boy, is that depressing.

Considering that Suzuki's automobile products person agelong since fallen from grace connected nan new-car side, it's small astonishment that personification has sought to import 1 of nan company's astir emblematic products from its location marketplace successful Japan. It's a small surprising, however, that they went to nan problem of building it retired pinch a immense turbocharger and are now offering it up for sale.

The first conveyance Suzuki Automotive sold successful nan U.S. was a type of its Jimny 4X4, dubbed present nan Samurai. The seller of today's 1988 Suzuki goes to awesome lengths to statement that their trucklet is NOT a Samurai, but a JDM Jimny. That's made evident by nan truck's badging, right-hand drive, and speedo that sounds successful kph. They besides tout nan hood scoop arsenic an indicator, thing added to nan exemplary for nan turbocharged motor successful residence beneath.

This is nan afloat enclosed cab type of nan Jimny, thing that was rarer successful nan U.S. erstwhile nan Samurai was sold here, arsenic buyers tended to gravitate toward nan open-top exemplary much than this style. Notable updates present see LED headlamps and taillights, brand-new Atturo tires connected handsome alloy wheels, and what appears to beryllium a reasonably caller overgarment job. Both beforehand and rear bumpers person been removed, pinch nan erstwhile replaced by a mini bull bar. Nowhere successful nan ad's pictures is nan motortruck shown pinch its spare, but nan spare's mounting is evident connected nan swinging backmost gate. The jack sits nether nan hood correct adjacent to nan truck's four-pot statement piece.

While nan seller doesn't springiness america immoderate info connected nan displacement of this Jimny's engine, it's apt nan 1298cc G13 four. The advertisement does show america that nan mill has been afloat built, and now features forged internals, a caller substance system, a Hondata tune, and, sitting proudly adjacent to nan OHC head, a monster turbocharger to provender nan beast. It's a tidy install, but lacking immoderate evident aerial select aliases emissions control, 1 has to wonderment really agelong it would past connected a dusty way aliases really it mightiness really get registration successful definite areas.

Backing up nan turbo 4 is simply a five-speed manual and Suzuki's crude but tin 4WD system, comprising unrecorded axles astatine some ends held successful spot by cart springs. The levers for some nan gearbox and nan transportation lawsuit beryllium astatine nan halfway of a compartment that looks cleanable but a spot hit up. In nan dash, nan Japanese-market power has been removed, replaced by a trio of gauges to show nan turbo engine's vitals. Leather upholstery spiffs up nan space, but looks a small retired of spot connected an off-roader. The motortruck has a claimed 25,000 miles connected nan timepiece (the odometer sounds 41,540 kilometers), and will travel pinch a cleanable title and a car cover.

If you are not up to velocity connected nan aged Samurai market, beryllium prepared for a shock. These formerly throwaway trucks person entered immoderate benignant of an alternate beingness wherever their past lawsuits complete on-road instability are forgotten, and group clamor to salary apical dollar for bully examples.

This Jimny has its issues, notably that it's RHD and has that large turbo, which is simply a stone's propulsion distant from self-destruction owing to nan deficiency of protection. That being said, it does person its appeal, and nan turbo could beryllium capped pinch a select to destruct that problem.

With each that successful mind, we each request to now see this Jimny's $10,000 asking price. That gets a unsocial type of a celebrated classical motortruck pinch a rebuilt centrifugal and, apparently, successful coagulated moving condition.

How does that beryllium pinch you? Is $10K a adjacent value for this JDM expat? Or is that excessively overmuch for truthful mini a favor?

You decide!

Nice Price aliases No Dice:

Phoenix, Arizona, Craigslist, aliases spell here if nan advertisement disappears.

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