Suzuki 4WD Club of Victoria

There wasn't always the range of aftermarket parts available but it is quite good now and far superior to something like a Rocky. The prices aren't too bad now either. You can fit front and rear lockers (auto, manual & mini spools), some diff gear options depending on model, transfer case gears (auto only), snorkels, a number of suspension options, body lifts, etc.

The auto is fine offroad. Remember that offroad on onroad are two different driving environments. This is also not a sports car nor a large engine so don't expect superior on road performance anyway. In my mind the only downside offroad potentially is on on steep descents where a petrol engined auto doesn't have superior engine braking. This is where crawler gears in the transfer case improve the low range and solve this issue. The other way is to learn a technique where you drive through the brakes to lock up the torque converter to generate an engine braking effect. This needs a little practice but is effective although I wouldn't want to do this on some of the really long steep descents in the high country as the brakes will take a bit of a hammering.

so... what do you do in such a car on those longer descents?

Well my budget might now have gone back to a bare minimum so I might actually have to consider a Sierra after all.

Not that its a bad thing, I love most things about them (minus space and safety)...

How are the Sierras 1.3L engines after 200,000kms or so assuming they have been looked after?

Besides rust, anything else to look for?

I might even have to get something thats not roadworthy and get it to spec myself which is not what I wanted to do but I have my heart set on a small 4wd so I will do what I have to!

They can run over 200km - I've heard of some with high 200's on them, but generally, they seem to get too loose to live with before 200km - it's often valve stem seals, but can be ovalised bores too. Stem seals will go first though.

I've fitted an EFI 1.6 baleno motor with 210k on it into a sierra. It could do with some stem seals but it's a good sound motor- no nasty noises or anything.

The good thing is that 1.3 and 1.6 donor engines aren't hard to find in wreckers because the same basic motor is used in the swift/baleno, so it's not very expensive to put a fresher engine ( and maybe even do a 1.6 conversion at the same time) in a sierra.

Steve.

Hey Steve,

Thats definitely comforting to know (how easy it is to find and replace parts on the Sierra).

Im sort of refining my search for a Sierra or a Vitara (not a GV, which might be too far out of my budget)...

Not much about at the moment in the way of hard top sierras but there are a few nice hard top Vitaras with well under 200 on the clock that look pretty fine to me.