Samurai

[Ricky B]

Well got a 88 samurai couple weeks ago, its got a 3" body lift and Calmini Shackle kit on it. The motor is blown but everything else is pretty much good. This is gonna be my new project rig, and I've already started by gutting the interior, Got big plans for this thing. Here's some pics of it.

 

[Elliott]

looks like a nice little project, those can be made into stout little rigs pretty easily.

 

[BlueRidgeRunner]

Looks good. I am a Ford guy so I can't wait to see the 302 install. Here is for being original.

 

[Ricky B]

Got it striped to nothin but body and an empty dash now, pulled all the running gear and motor, except the axles so I can still roll it around. Ripped out everything that wasnt body, nowhere to go but up now, will post some pics of it all striped soon.

 

[Ricky B]

Aight got some new pics.

Here's me towing the Samurai to wash it out after I gutted it a while ago (like late march):

And here's ti after being guted and sprayed out (also late march):

 

[Ricky B]

Ok here's the recent stuff I got

Here are a pair of Dodge Neon Seats I'm gonna put in it that are actually in very good condition:

 

[Ricky B]

Here's a good working Cj Dana 300 Transfer Case I got plus an extra set of internals that went with the deal:

I also have the qiuck disconnect door straps and Mirror relocators to do a removable door conversion on the Samurai. Now that I'm home for the summer I can start getting stuff done!!!

 

[SSWaters]

SWEEET! Hey, how 'bout mount'n that 302 in the rear with dragboat headers and run it through a reverse cut SCS gear/drop box!!! Looks like a fun project.

 

[Ricky B]

SWEEET! Hey, how 'bout mount'n that 302 in the rear with dragboat headers and run it through a reverse cut SCS gear/drop box!!! Looks like a fun project.

Engine in the back? lol, I guess it would work, but I'd rather store my stuff back there, but yea its comin together.

i mean dude....dont be a pussy... just hack the Z71 fenders and run those 44's. thats about how much clearance i have with my 39's

The Z71 is a street queen that gets to se mud like maybe twice a year, so I aint about to hack them fenders, besides thats what the samurai is gonna be for, an off roading beast

 

[fryedaddy]

I've seen a zuki engine on the board for cheap. Have you got the 302 in place with trans or still deciding?

 

[Ricky B]

I've seen a zuki engine on the board for cheap. Have you got the 302 in place with trans or still deciding?

Well the 302 isnt in place yet but I'm definitly gonna put a V8 in I just mentioned that I dont really feel like rebuilding an engine I'd rather just buy a complete 302 from a junkyard or something that I can just drop in and run. But we'll see.

 

[bronc'nBK]

rather than runnin a AOD, try findin a C6. If its an offroad-only vehicle, you dont need the OD. C6 has lower gears, is much stronger, and better in my opinion.

 

[Ricky B]

Yea the C6 probably is a little stronger, but I do want the OD cause I want to be able to drive it onthe road, plus I dont have a trailer to be towing to the trail.

 

[Ricky B]

Well made a little progress on the samurai

I finnaly got around to doing the doorless conversion where i can take the doors off and on like a jeep and relocated the mirrors. Tell you what, whoever decided to use screws to hold everything together on a samurai was an idiot so I replaced all the door srews with bolts.

I cut out the one rusted spot where the battery ate away the inner fender.

I let my little bro go through using a wire brush and spraying some rustolem anti rust primer over the random surface rust spots while I was working on the doors but he went crazy with the spraypaint so my bed is now brown. Only did the bed but i will do the rest later

Here are some pics of the doorles conv stuff, and my new brown bed.

 

[TheGeneral]

Looks pretty good..Is there a way to get those threads on the mirror facing inward instead of sticking out like that?..thatd look way cleaner. Have you got a definate plan on how your gana cram forties on this thing yet? Lookin forward to see what you come up with.

 

[Ricky B]

Thats a good idea about those threads, i didn't even think about it but I will probably go change em later. As far as my plan I actually have a little something brewing at the moment , I'll let you know if it comes through.

 

[Ricky B]

Finally finished wire brushing and primering the random surface rust spots, and put on the most important and awsomest upgrade that the samurai will ever have, the Beast Inc sticker

 

[fryedaddy]

Why are you worrying about surface rust when you plan on wheeling that crap.

 

[Trebissky]

Why let it rot out any sooner than it has to? Besides, maybe he wants to change the color?

 

[jeepeater2003]

not trying to be mean here but, you have the axles,sus... and your putting some mirrors and sanding the body on it??? WHY
i would have wanted to put the axles under it, chop it up and get it rolling!
tyler

 

[Ricky B]

I'm with trebissky, the only reason i did it is to prevent the further spread of rust to the point of where it comprimises the metal and no i dont care about the body color otherwise why would i be spray painting random splotches of brown primer all over it. That way if i scratch or ding it off roading all i have to do is bust out the spray can, I dont think it gets more getto than that. Besides it took me a total of like 2 hours do it all.

 

[Cperry]

Um................you may want to extend the wheelbase like a 100in or w/ 44's it is just going to be one big tire. And it seems like those axles and V8, dana 300, C6 or whatever is going to make your driveshafts like 2in. long, not to mention the frame will most likely break in two with all the weight. But i am ready to see it.

 

[fryedaddy]

He plans on making it road worthy with 40s as well. I hope the best for ya I really do but the axles you have are a little small to be running 40s the rig itself will have to be cut all to shit and the frame will most certainly have to be boxed. the rust on it now and compromissing any part of the body don't matter. Those parts wont be there when you finish. Have you even taken the engine and just sat it in the engine bay or the trans and tried to figure out where it sits yet? Most of the body will have to be cut and you will be left with the suzuki look. I'd still recomend keeping it zuk and find a geo or zuk engine with toyota axles and maybe 35s.

 

[TheGeneral]

You aughta do waht fryedaddy is sayin and try to determin how long your ganna have to stretch it to get decent drive shaft angles. What kind of shop facilities do you have access to? It looks like your pretty good at bolt on stuff..judging from your cardomain site, but how much fabrication time have you had? This is gannabe one hell of a serias learning curve if its your first time building anything. But if you want any help once you get started my shopps pretty well setup if you wanna bring it by.

 

[Ricky B]

SSWATERS is gonna help me with all the fabrication because he has all the tools, knowhow, and lives pretty close to me. Figure I can also learn alot from him in the process.

Today I took the roof rack of my old daily driver Buick Century and made a few modifications and put it on the samurai. I also put a new head unit in my Z71 friday and here's also a random pic of my truck and samurai beside a 28 footer I riged and demo'd on friday at work.