I almost bought a jeep

Fltjer

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Oct 25, 2016
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After six months of shopping around for a decent jeep I could not find the "right" one. Kept coming across these little samurai's and usually a fraction of the jeep prices. This 88' is all stock except for a weber carb. 4x4 + everything works great and it fits the same trails as my Polaris ranger! It won't see any interstate driving, that's for sure.

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I had one of those in high school back in the day. It was really capable in the mud. Light weight and small. Could go through just about anything. Only problem was I couldn't pull my buddies out when theyou stuck their big trucks and jeepsee! Have fun with it!
 
How do you like it so far? Are these things solid axles?
 
I really like it so far, it's a blast to drive. Solid axles and manual locking hubs. Love the simplicity of this thing.
My brother in-law had one before his Scrambler. He built it into a rock crawler and it was a beast. However a tiny little beast but very capable.
 
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My brother in-law had one before his Scrambler. He built it into a rock crawler and it was a beast. However a tiny little beast but very capable.
They are a little beast. There are a fair number of them around here and some are built to the hilt. The folks that have them, tend to have more than one, and thrash the crap out of them. Have fun with it!
 
Hoping to find one for $2000 that was in this good of shape but those are not easy to find. Paid $3500 with 108000 miles. Cylinders checked by me at 202-210 pounds compression, timing belt has been replaced, timing is spot on, no smoke. Plan on checking/adjusting valves soon. Drives straight at 55-60 mph with no vibrations at all. Over all I plan on keeping it close to stock for now.
I can see why some people own more than one.
 
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And the last question... Are these unibody or body-on-frame?
 
Mine came with a backseat which I removed and stored, along with a Nice white 2 piece hard top. I park it in a totally enclosed garage so it's been topless since I bought it late December. Planning on a soft top soon. It is also a body-on-frame, like a YJ.
It also came with a matching spare rim with tire that I keep where the rear seat was. I don't like hanging the extra weight on the tailgate stressing out the hinges.
 
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Will probably keep it in stock form for a while. If I find another samurai for a really good price I will buy it and go all out with a lift etc...
Some that have been lifted with big tires only top out around 45 mph and they are sketchy drivers on road but great trail rigs. You have to realize that these little beasts only have a 1.3 litre engine with about 70hp.
 
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