Hey all you experts or anyone with an oppinion, I am in the process of buying a new toy (actually Zuk) and I was looking for some advice. What should I look for or stay away from? I've been looking allover the web, here craigslist ebay ect. I found a few pretty good deals but, like I said I know nothing about sammys other than that they look cool and I see some savage rigs out there. again just looken for your $.02
thanks Chris

Buy a stocker then build it.

Ya I would look for a good running, not to rusty stock zuk, and build it. Depending on what u want to do with it, the cost of building one wont break the bank.

I would buy a Samurai already built. Save a assload of money and end up at the same spot years sooner. Just do a lot of reasearch to make sure whatever you buy is built right and you should end up with years of happiness and not years of building shit.

If you buy one built, you'll just end up doing it again. find a clean preferably fuel injected( 1990 +) zuk and start learning with it. I'm on my third now and I started with the same question.

thanks for all the imput guys I wasn't real spacific was I. lets try that again.
I currently drive an 03 taco that I have abused pretty good (tough truck though) but, out of the goodness of my heart Im actually going to be selling it to my parents one of there cares (actually a ford exploder) did just that the best part about that is I won't have to make the payments any more and I'll still be able to use it if I need but, I want to be able to go right out and hit the trails when I get it. Im in nor cal not sure how many of you guys are fermiliar with Cow Mt. OHV but, thats the closest place to me and I,ve taken my taco through every rought spot out there that I could find how will a stock zuk do in comparison? or a ligltly modded one sitting on somewhere between 31-33's (i realize thats kinda vague) most of the zuks I've found for sale have been re geared and have a locker or 2. ive been amazed by the prices Ive actually seen some bone stock zuks trying to sell for more than a few of the built one's.
again just looken for some zuk noob advice.
Thanks again Chris

ps to last post how much is involved in a toy axle swap? I know there stronger and if I understand it right I'll be able to run bigger rubbers with less breakage.
thanks again Chris

, I want to be able to go right out and hit the trails when I get it.

Precisely why I bought mine built. I have built two other offroad vehicles and didn't want to wait this time. I took it wheeling and beat the snot out of it the weekend I got it. I couldn't be happier with my decision. Find out what works and what doesnt then buy a semi built Samurai to meet your needs now and into the future.

I would look for a Zuk with a SOA done right with nice welds, tcase gearing, diff gears, and decent mud tires 31-33". That put's you on a great upgrade path and won't leave you pissing around on dirt roads until you have the time and money to do the SOA yourself. Any accessories you score with the purchase are bonus! Look for rust everywhere. Don't leave one inch of the body un-investigated. Check the wiring to make sure it isn't cobbled together by the Keebler elves. Check the fuses to make sure they are all the right amperage for the slot they are in. Check all the other basic crap. Remebmer, once you buy it it's yours. Do as thorough of an inspection as you can so you don't end up with a rusty hunk of shit with mice in the seats.

Once you get it change ALL of the fluids, grease everything, check the torque on all the suspension stuff, rotate the tires, check the brakes, etc.

Good luck!

The best answer depends on how you will be using the zuk. Daily driver? Weekend beater? Unless you have mad fab skills I would buy one already built. Do this easy excercise to help you decide - write down the cost of a stock zuk that you're going to buy (probably at least $1500 for a decent smoggable zuk), now add tires/wheels, SPOA pads, highsteer, driveshaft modifications, longer shocks, longer brake lines, shock towers, cage, bumpers, sliders, gears, lockers, tcase gears, tcase strengthened arms, power steering, cage, motor swap (?) etc. You'll be in it $6k before you blink if you have to buy all the parts. Oh yea, sammy's are notorius for not passing smog so keep that in mind when buying one if you need it streetable. Make sure there's no back fees as well from the DMV.

Yea, I know some of you are going to say "I built my rig for $300 with welded diffs a spoa with trailer axle pads and a cage with a Harbor Freight pipe bender" :rolleyes: Whatever. But like I said, if you can't build it yourself and do all the fab work for everything you will lose your ass on it. What kind of tools do you have? Do you have access to a welder? A bender, grinder, drill etc? Factor that into your budget as well. This is often overlooked when people are considering the cost of a project.

Add the toy axles and it gets even more expensive and could create some issues for a daily driver if not done right. Remember that "bigger rubber" means bigger lift which equals bigger dollars, plus the tires cost more too. I don't know if this is going to be your daily driver or not. If so, you will need to make sure it's somewhat road friendly - which sammy's aren't too good at to begin with.

Also, it sounds like you may be younger and possibly living at home (sorry if I'm wrong about that). If you start tearing apart a zuk and don't really know what your doing you could piss off mom and dad with a big ugly hulk in their garage for weeks or months on end. You need to be honest with yourself as to whether or not you have what it takes to do a long term project. I can't tell you how many abandoned projects show up here for sale in the classified section at a fraction of what they have invested because it's torn apart and not running. I know because I buy a lot of them! A good project with good intentions gone bad due to lack of interest, lack of funds or both. Understand what your skills, budget and abilities are before taking something on. I'm not trying to discourage you, you just need to keep it real.

Find a nice built one for $3k and go have fun. If your one of those guys that has to build it yourself in order to like it, then go for it. Just understand what you're getting into. That's my .02 plus .01 FWIW :D

You need to do what i call a 'Classic Smaurai Build'

Spoa with 4.xx gears in the t-case, 31" tires and someones X-over steering.
Then add a locker/spool/welded rear diff.
Add some longer shocks, brakelines and a driveshaft spacer (or extended slip yoke) in the rear, and put breather tubes on all the divetrain parts.
If you have the money add an antiwrap bar to the rear axle as well.
Last: a roll cage

Thats it. Done. Finished. :D

You will be suprised how much fun you'll have like that.
Drive it till you bust it then, fix it, and go do it again! :smokin:

After you run like that awhile, well then you can really tear into it and build it up more! :D


Note:

Zuki wheelers are notriously cheep, that why we wheel Sammy's :D

I agree with trucktrader if you can do the work an have the tool's buy a stocker and have it your way if not buy a built truck.

Thanks again every one for breaken it down. again i wasn't really spacific enough. probly cause mosta the time i don't even know what my plan is but, i think i have it figured out. I found a pretty decent built zuk that about fits traders description, lifted, locked, caged, geared ect for 3g's deffinately not a dd and no i currently have zero fab skills but no time like the present to learn and sence ill finaly be able to go balls out wheeling sence it won't be my dd im lible to break something sooner than later so ill probly get that chance.
trader your very intuative i am some what of a youngen by comparison (23) and currently moved back in with my parents (last room mate situation went south and rent in the bay area is a biach) but im looken for new living quarters so im sure ill be posting looking for some cheap fix ideas when i finaly get a chance to break something.:evil:
any way thanks again for all the help.

Buy a stocker then build it.That's the expensive way to go.:shaking:

very true on many counts here.. building a rig will ( in no paticular order)
a. cost more then you ever planned
b. take longer then planned
c. in ever part you take off to add some trick new art you will break somthing stock putting it in
d. see a/b/c and you won't be able to find that part in d when you break it
e. your parents wife or gf will be unhappy cause its eating up all your time

this is not ment to discorage you in fact some time I love the "hunt" for strange parts it make the build an adventure just be sure what your jumping into ... research everthing ( yep teachers in school were right you will have homework in reallife!)
most important make sure to have fun with it .. once its no longer fun the build gets old and you most likly will abandon it .. try not to get in over your head ( very easy to do even with fab skills space and money) some times you jsut get overwelmed with life!

very true on many counts here.. building a rig will ( in no paticular order)
a. cost more then you ever planned
b. take longer then planned
c. in ever part you take off to add some trick new art you will break somthing stock putting it in
d. see a/b/c and you won't be able to find that part in d when you break it
e. your parents wife or gf will be unhappy cause its eating up all your time

this is not ment to discorage you in fact some time I love the "hunt" for strange parts it make the build an adventure just be sure what your jumping into ... research everthing ( yep teachers in school were right you will have homework in reallife!)
most important make sure to have fun with it .. once its no longer fun the build gets old and you most likly will abandon it .. try not to get in over your head ( very easy to do even with fab skills space and money) some times you jsut get overwelmed with life!

very true on many counts here.. building a rig will ( in no paticular order)
a. cost more then you ever planned
b. take longer then planned
c. in ever part you take off to add some trick new art you will break somthing stock putting it in
d. see a/b/c and you won't be able to find that part in d when you break it
e. your parents wife or gf will be unhappy cause its eating up all your time

this is not ment to discorage you in fact some time I love the "hunt" for strange parts it make the build an adventure just be sure what your jumping into ... research everthing ( yep teachers in school were right you will have homework in reallife!)
most important make sure to have fun with it .. once its no longer fun the build gets old and you most likly will abandon it .. try not to get in over your head ( very easy to do even with fab skills space and money) some times you jsut get overwelmed with life!