Suzuki SJ413 - Buying Advice

[Spinal]

Greetings! I just got back from my Easter vacation; and fuelled by jetlag, I prodded ebay. I saw an Sj413 which might serve my needs (i.e. cross the desert and end up in Gambia, alive preferrably).

I do realise that the general advice I got was to get an old merc; but the Sj looks so pretty... and I drove one around Senegal a while back, and its light construction makes it quite nice for the sand. (and the price tag atm makes it even more attractive).

The one I'm specifically looking at is this one:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/A-SUZUKI-SJ-4...ryZ18283QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

which has a problem with the exhaust (I haven't had time to look at it yet - might try this afternoon or tomorrow).

Questions:
-What should I be looking out for? Does anyone own one (or ever owned one) and know of any specific issues?
-The seller wants £1200, which seems roughly 300 more than the current going price on eBay; what should I offer him? Does £800 sound "offensive"?(with the intention to go to £900)?

Thanks in advance!
Michele

 

[Will]

duplicate!

 

[Will]

Looks tidy, don't know a great amount about them (except that they are meant to be pretty capable little 4x4s - 'tread lightly' )

However, if it's on eBay, and for £500 at this moment in time, try bidding for it once you have viewed it. If you *really* want it and don't like the risk of being outbid/missing out etc then you'll probably have to pay what the seller has asked for (or there abouts, '£1000' sounds a lot more tempting than £800/900 btw )

Seller seems quite straightforward with his description and the work he has done/needs doing etc, certainly one of the better listings I have seen for a car.

Good luck,

Will

 

[janner]

It's an absolutely horrible car to drive. No way could I drive one every day.
That said, its Japanese so should be reliable and the 4x4 system is crude but effective (mainly due to the light weight).
Parts are expensive so price them up before you buy.

 

[ADY1983]

A friend of mine has had 3 of these, pretty good but as said parts can be expensive and definatly not a daily driver

The other thing to look for is rust, as with any older car all my friends had gone in the boot floor, arches and rust hides under the roof/cover just check everywhere...

 

[MBManInKen]

cross the desert and end up in Gambia, alive preferrably.

You see an awful lot of Toyota 4x4s over there. Incredibly reliable and because it's a common car in that region, should be relatively easy to find spare parts and expert help should anything go wrong.

 

[Sp!ke]

I've had one of these... cheap but fun ragtops.

Horrible to drive with the roof on, real heavy steering, hard suspension and absolutely no soundproofing means you need to carry headache tablets in the glove box. Taking the roof off actually makes it a quieter drive as the noise can escape the cabin.

Watch out for rust... Looks like that chequer plate is hiding something nasty there - be careful. Me, if I was to drive to Gambia, I'd be looking to spend a little more on something more solid like a Nissan or Toyota.

 

[jaymanek]

We had one for ages, i hated it, it was the worst car ive ever driven, very agricultural, no refinement whatsoever...

you would be better finding an old land rover or g-wagen for that price...

 

[ADY1983]

We had one for ages, i hated it, it was the worst car ive ever driven, very agricultural, no refinement whatsoever...

you would be better finding an old land rover or g-wagen for that price...

True my mate just picked up a Range Rover LPG converted with MOT for £600 Obviously not perfect but has been reliable so far..

 

[Spinal]

I guess the seller chose for me; the auction ended early and the seller hasn't responded to my email asking to see the car.

I guess its back to searching for me; a landie would be (very) nice, but I'm a little concerned about their larger/thirstier engines and their weight (soft sand and heavy vehicles do not mix - we almost lost a landie driving on the beach). As for the toyota pickups, my first car was one and I do have fond memories, though the front bench seats were absolute torture!

Its off to the great hunting ground for me (read ebay )

Michele