This Tiny 1987 Suzuki Samurai EMBARRASSES Most Modern SUV's Up Tombstone Hill!

( www.TFLcar.com )
The Suzuki Samurai is the best off-roader you may have forgotten about. These slow, tiny, and cramped 4x4's have an insane amount of 4x4 capability and can take you to places you wouldn't believe for not much money. Check out how it performs on our off-road test!
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#Suzuki #Samurai #TombstoneHill

[@salvador_mano4x4]

Could be the suzuki samurái one of the most loved cars of TFL fleet by the TFL viewers???

[@TFLclassics]

Could be, how do we tell?

[@goitsumoto]

it is!

[@yamen857]

@@TFLclassics its an amazing car,still holds the record for highest altitude and they passed the jeep parking only sign lmao.its a shame the consumer union did what they did,

[@salvador_mano4x4]

@@TFLclassics Could you do a survey "which is the most loved car in our fleet?" think on it, you can do wranglers, ford F150, etc..... But all of those use to be mainly from usa You can do internacional models like disco 2, touareg & ML, but those are expensive in some places, not as simple to repair, and doesn't have "That amount of fans behind" (except disco 2) Then, you have That piece of japanese engineering, made and sold almost everywhere in the world, with absurd amount of tractions and bodys, is cheap, simple as a hammer, and hits the trails and the driver spine with the same forcé Is like the hero of the people, That car you dream, and you can actually buy Able to fight against those who are "bigger and better" How you cannot love it?? I got to say, maybe your driver needs to sell it, because reasons, but i think TFL should keep it someway, and start making some "David vs goliath" series of vids, if you know what i mean

[@J.W.W.]

Yes! Next for me are the beetle and Tommy’s old Mercedes.

[@jameswu9363]

Still daily driving my 1987 Samurai. Its never let me down and still runs strong.

[@suzysuzuki8865]

I daily my 88!

[@jamestown12345]

Scary, my knee still has nightmares from the travel of my friend's samurai clutch. It's like raise your knee to the sky and double clutch. it just seems like days of travel and for me at least awkward angle knee grinding. Which carb you running?

[@mromatic17]

you must stay off of the freeway ask me how i know!

[@teeess9551]

@@mromatic17 how!

[@Hughesburner]

My 99 Metro brought me here and growing up with a dirt bike in the rural Midwest, a Samurai has always been on my list next to a late 80's subaru, which I had in high school briefly in the mid 90's.

[@1leggeddog]

TFL: Look at this new 100k$ truck with the latest technology!!! Viewers: No we want to see affordable, fun cars and trucks. TFLClassics: I got you fam!

[@txvet7738]

Keep the Samurai until the mash-up is done with the Rocky, we all would love to see that mash-up!!

[@nielsdebakker3283]

I think that sell has something to do with taxes and a certain date...

[@jacklandismcgowan1413]

I paid 750.00 for mine back in 2002 and still drive it every day . Great vehicle.😎

[@globalcitizen8321]

You are a smart guy. Well done !

[@subarufanboy1250]

How does it do on the highway?

[@jacklandismcgowan1413]

@@subarufanboy1250 It’s not a speed demon. I use it around town for running errands. I’ve driven once on I-95 here in Florida. Will not be doing that again. Basic transportation…😎

[@chadwells7562]

In the western US these days it’d probably go for $10m 😂

[@andmicbro1]

I knew a guy who had a Samurai. It was so light we could pick it up and move it with like 6 people. And yeah, the guy who owned it was seriously confused how his car got parked elsewhere without keys. Haha 😂

[@nutz13_]

omg my friends did this with my chevette in auto class in highschool. 2 door 87, we were able to fit 15 people inside of it (very uncomfortably)

[@nutz13_]

getting a tracker tomorrow so i'm prepping my brain for project ideas 🤓

[@ronmckenna5962]

That Suzuki is a virtual mountain goat...goes anywhere...wishing l could buy it when Nathan puts it up for sale.

[@keithhart3689]

I had 1987 Samurai Tin Top in 1993 I was going of US 24 in Illinois headed to Mt. Sterling at 55 mph and a 3/4 ton Chevy pickup pulled right in front of me from a side road I Tbone it destroyed the Sami bent my coyote rifles barrel and broke the Chevy's frame in half I didn't get a scratch

[@wendycity99]

My 1988 Samurai rode rough never got stuck and had the same starter. I put 190,000 miles on it.

[@arielfernandez6303]

I loved my 87 samurai, lots of fun. At that time Discount Tires had the tires for it @ 4 for $100 😆

[@paulspeakman551]

80's music with an 80's vehicle - perfect.

[@bruceallen6016]

I owned an 88 Samurai around 8 years back. Had a 2" lift and BFG TA's. That thing could go anywhere. Thumb up here.

[@Prestonesfpv]

I had one of those for a few years, it had Old man emu suspension and some good winter tires, that little thing could go anywhere

[@soccerslus]

"people use to modern cars may find this a little uncomfortable" smashes head off every interior panel. Haha understatement of the day.

[@totesmagotes3688]

I read this RIGHT AS it happened in the video 🤣

[@shankarbalan3813]

This is one of the most versatile little 4x4s out there. It’s called the Gypsy in India. The Indian Army and Police and Forest Services all use it because it is lightweight and immensely capable. It will take you anywhere.

[@robedmund9948]

What a kidney-puncher!! My roommate from Maryland bought one of these in '88 after I took him wheeling in a '82 F250 4x4. I laughed when he drove it home, but agreed to take him to a local off-road park. When we showed up, everyone had the same reaction I had until I dropped it into to 4 low and walked up the hill no one else could climb. Impressed the heck out of everyone. I still refused to buy one, though. And Nathan is right - they sucked on the highway. Took it over some mountains in Pennsylvania on the way to Cleveland and suffered multiple kidney and back issues after the drive. ;-)

[@herbie53opf]

Finally it's back!

[@neilmurphy845]

Ya if missed it

[@rubiconwhiskey7135]

Had a wonderful Samuri in Arizona in the 80’s and it only got stopped by boulders bigger than the tires on Hells Gate on the rim. It ran beautiful and never needed anything more than regular maintenance.

[@danesderelicts]

A weber carb is a great modification

[@sts3427]

Had one (Jimny) when I lived in Japan with the 3 cylinder 2 stoke in it. Unstoppable in the mountains and on the beach.

[@TheDisBeat]

I thought Nathan was going to fly out of the window a few times there

[@underscr0e]

I had an 88 samurai, I could out climb most of the jacked up 4bys out there forwards and backwards, fit under and around the trees easy. All on third of the fuel at worst....as for mud or deep snow...no way.

[@eurobeatmachinist732]

A modded samurai is really good on mud because they are so light.

[@smartacus88]

@@eurobeatmachinist732 what kind of mods?

[@petset77]

Mine (also an 88), not lifted but with great tires, doesn't get stuck in two feet of snow on the road. It NEVER gets stuck in mud on the dirt roads after heavy rains here in the Rockies. I bottomed it out ONCE, over a grader berm. I shoveled down the loose caliche until the right side tires could grip, and I was moving again. I thought I might pull off the exhaust as I dragged belly, but I luckily didn't. It's my go to truck when things get tough. I went and got my wife when she slid off the roar in my 4x4 Tacoma, and another time in her Subaru Crosstrek. I've given rides to town or back to their place to many city folk who think they can make it up here with a Cherokee or whatever. Yes, I've done the good deed with the reliable old 4x4 Tacoma and even older Samurai, but the Sami has been the good Samaritan more often.

[@majorcalvary6515]

This is not a surprise to me. I read automobile magazine almost 3 decades ago, a Suzuki Sidekick XL humiliated Ford Explorer and Chevy Blazer. A mere v ditch got the explorer and blazers stuck. Explorer and blazer were heavy and had soft suspension. Sidekick just like a ballet dancer danced over the obstacles. There also is a video of Sabine Schmitt demonstrated a rear drive VW Thing humiliates a Land Rover Discovery. A mere mud ditch got the disco stuck. Thing just slowly roved over them. The weight on the disco stuck. The type 181 Kubelwagens, or the Thing as US got to know was very capable. British used to trade 2 Jeeps for 1 Kubelwagen. NATO and West German used Kubelwagen all the way to 1979. They called it the Europa Jeep. Ferdinand Porsche and Kharman Ghia should be proud of their creation.

[@aaronbritt2025]

There's a reason why excellent condition Samurai's sell for the same price as new.

[@istp1967]

Said it before and I'll say it again; those little Suzis were TOUGH 😀👍👍👍👍 How much? ?😍

[@abhinandanb]

Recambering the leaf springs on the Samurai will get you some extra ground clearance and and stabilize your head at the same time.

[@TheTubaMan2]

Halfway expected the Samurai to go up on cars and bids.

[@R.Nelson]

The SAMURAI!!!...Cool lil truck...I'd say it's better than a Jeep in some ways ☺️ Awesome truck!! Thanks Tommy and Nathan!!.. enjoy the day.☺

[@jaketurner6188]

I've got the 3rd generation of the samurai(suzuki Jimny) and I can safely say, these are still amazing 4x4s

[@wubaru]

Why would you sell? You are living the dream with that car!

[@darkpepsi]

Nathan’s wife is my guess. He did mention his wife was not having it when he was spending money on the upgrades that could cost a house mortgage payment.

[@wubaru]

darkpepsi Eject!!

[@lincolnshirepoacher894]

One mans dream is another mans nightmare lol.

[@thelakebar]

Thank you for updating Sami .

[@samurai4x483]

Seriously, before you sell it, just go for the biggest hill you can find, that thing will do it, no problem.

[@tubadude905]

I had an 88 (I think) and that little buggy always shocked Jeepers, Land Cruisers, etc. when I'd do tough trails in stock condition. I eventually put a Weber twin-draft carb on it and a Doug Thoroughly exhaust...it would chirp the tires going from 2-3rd gear even wt 8600 feet elevation where I lived in Woodland Park, CO. It got killed by a minivan in a parking lot - RIP.

[@NateDawg0007]

Its crazy how capable it is with such sub par tires. I can't imagine how great it would be if you swapped out the wheels to fit some KO2s or equivalent.

[@Oddman1980]

I have a 1988 Samurai... this video doesn't surprise me in the least. A Samurai will go anywhere you point it, eventually. Mine has crawler gears, 4" lift, and a rear locker, of course what that means is if I get it stuck it's REALLY bad.

[@cortonolver5276]

Auction the samurai off on the channel. So many of us want it!

[@brysonkuhn3290]

And possibly put a percentage of it to charity so it can be a tax write-off. And it will go to someone who will give it a good home!

[@TommyboyGTP]

There were lots of these sold here in Florida. Great beach vehicle and it would go in sandy spots in 2wd whereas others needed 4wd lol

[@jayesh5131]

Samurai, Gypsy and Jimny are 3 of my fav 4x4

[@lincolnshirepoacher894]

Suzuki poked the American consumer in the eye, when they decided not to introduce the Jimny to the states. They wouldn't be able to keep them in the show rooms they would sell out so fast.

[@jayesh5131]

@@lincolnshirepoacher894 The car is very cheap for Americans

[@danstirm4333]

I took and added 1/4 inch flat plate under seat drilled holes and moved seat back a couple inches made it a lot more enjoyable to drive.

[@keithmceuen8775]

People use to swap the Suzuki sidekick motor into the samurai for 20 more hp and efi

[@wolf-bv6lg]

I had one of these. Bought it brand new in 87. 2” lift and mud terrain t/a’s. This was an AWESOME ride. I really miss it

[@dalephillips8250]

Looked like he was riding a Bucking Stallion inside that suzuki LOL

[@steve1506]

I rented a Samurai for a week during Hawaiian vacation years ago and loved it.

[@Pathetique.]

My Father had one of this when I was younger... So much cool memories!

[@amberematos]

I really do like the music choice for this video. It helps put it in a different time. Good job editor!

[@_ClayMorey_]

I love small and slow manual cars 😍

[@coreybatorski9626]

Great video guys. Love the music! Brings you back to the era.

[@ShowseeTravels]

I loved mine, I wish that I would''ve kept it. It was awesome at everything but going fast.

[@danielmaybee68]

my first car in 2001...kept up just fine w my friend's Gators & Mules on the xmas tree farm...

[@momchilyordanov8190]

I have one of these Suzuki rascals! If you go at 1:04 you will see/hear how the bendix does not match the flywheel gears when you try to start it. Mine does the same 9 years already. Not a biggie :) In terms of performance though, do not get fooled by the looks of it. Looks like a toy car, but once you put it in the low gears, it GOES, man!

[@billjcanada]

I ran a 1986 tin top Samurai for many years. It went anywhere I pointed it. It had a 3" suspension lift, lunchbox lockers, 5:88 gears with 31" tires. I enjoyed making Jeep look silly. I wish I had never sold it.

[@geoffburrill9850]

Learned to drive in a 413, great off road not so comfortable on tarmac. Amazing 4x4.

[@Eyes0penNoFear]

I put slightly bigger tires on my 86 Samurai, and it completely changed the ride for the better. It used to beat me up real bad, but now it's not a bad ride at all off-road.

[@salami99]

Im thinking yokohama 205s, do 215's make that huge of a ride difference?

[@harrisonfarnsworth4739]

The holy trinity... Samurai vs Rocky vs Frank Cliffhanger 2.0 as a send off!!!

[@richardfelix6317]

I had one of these in a hardtop, loved it.

[@MHix63]

Good to see Nathan!! It feels like he hasn't been involved with TFL as much lately, which is a miss.

[@HoosierDaddy_]

This has been my favorite suv TFL has ever owned. Go little Sami!

[@miloskujovic]

Love the fact that you put 80s music in this video :)

[@jdmcarandmotorcycle]

In Japan they change against 16 valve 80-88hp!! And VTEC !!! Coils and still solid axles 😊

[@damondavis842]

Time to bring back the smaller trucks with less power.

[@bobforpples]

Less weight and more power.

[@armoredp]

Less weight and enough power.

[@mizinoinovermyhead.7523]

@TFLclassics in the 80's either car and driver or road and track took a group of SUV's out to see how they were off road. It was the bronco, blazer, the wrangler, tracer, and a couple of others. The wrangler and tracer kept having to pull the heavier less capable vehicles out of the mud and other places they got stuck. Its a good review you should go have a look.

[@paradiseroad6405]

...bought one new in '87...still have it...over 300,000 miles with one engine rebuild... ...we live at 9500 feet...have driven it over Engineer Pass...12,800 feet elevation... ...have made TEN trips to the west coast from Colorado with full camping gear...my wife...and up to three Basset Hounds... ...last vehicle in my fleet I will ever sell...

[@anthonysourdiff1835]

I love the samurai

[@kyleh4557]

Nothing is better than starting the day with TFL

[@MysteicVoltronus]

This makes me miss my old '91 Suzuki Sidekick which is just a bigger Samurai.

[@davidlusk4350]

NATHAN getting his TRX or power wagon finally!!! Congratulations!!!!! 😁😁😁😁

[@johnbearjunkyard]

87 Hardtop with that same paint job was my first car. Now I have a lifted H2 on 40's 🤣 I still love those Sammies though.

[@blipsmann1985]

I had a 75 Honda Civic CVCC. 1488 cc 4 cylinder. 53 hp. Used to follow my buddies in there jeeps up hills and thru mud. It would go almost anywhere. With mud tires on front and 32 mpg’s.

[@lionhead25]

Best offroader ever ! Maybe not the most comfy, but man it keeps going !

[@poppyneese1811]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooiooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!! DON’T SALE IT!!! COVID, riots, economy, murder hornets, no sports and now Nathan discards the Samurai, 2020 worst year ever!!!😫 Lord take me now

[@Jackmerius_Tacktheretrix]

*sell. Sorry lol, I had to. Ive been thinking about getting one of these for the deer lease because these side by sides are god awful expensive, and for thel the price I could get one of these and do some really good upgrades all while having A/C and being road legal.

[@poppyneese1811]

rochab77 I was so upset I couldn’t spell a lick

[@Jackmerius_Tacktheretrix]

@@poppyneese1811 lol I feel you brother.

[@officialusmanawan]

Grear little rig, i got an 89 goes everywhere

[@Bdub1952]

TFL needs to find a Sidekick/Tracker/Vitara 4WD to test. Would love to see how they fare in your tests.

[@anibalbabilonia1867]

Those samurai's are little monster's offroading! Do the mash up first before you sell it! Its gonna be interesting how it will turn out!😎👍

[@GATORADDAM]

Cool little puddle jumper. My daughter had one years ago. She loved it until the frame rusted and broke. But I welded in some braces and it ran until we sold it.

[@toddcoon1730]

Frame rusted????? Sure it was not a Tracker?

[@GATORADDAM]

@@toddcoon1730 Nope Suki.

[@micahsamuelmyers2691]

This exact model, right down to the pinstripe, was my first car.

[@chriskelvin248]

I bought the two '86 Sami's I owned in the mid to late 90's. They both cost $800 each....both street-legal, inspected, road-worthy. I combined the two because one came with tires and a lift, the other had a nice paint job and better condition engine, lol. I added one of those extra-low transfer cases and off road bumpers and had the neatest little off roader I ever owned! Sadly, long gone. Sold off to someone else to start their own offroad adventures!

[@Trueno1600]

Man I miss Suzuki... Too bad we missed out on the cool models from the last decades like the Jimny and Swift Sport; I'm sure Suzuki would still be here otherwise. Instead, it got tarnished with garbage like rebadged Daewoos. The Sx4, Kizashi and Vitaras were cool but a bit late to the show. Having owned an '89 Swift GTi and how I loved this car, I would have snatched the latest Swift Sport in a heartbeat if it was possible. Or even the latest Jimny; it's cool as heck!!! Anything else on the new car market doesn't interest me, so I guess I'll continue buying and running hoopties for a good while! :(

[@armaniquintas]

I own a 2010 Swift Sport and 2018 Jimny (not the new one). I don’t think I could ever sell either. I love them both too much. Fantastic cars. I would only sell them for the latest models.

[@kronkwarburton2562]

Your viewers want more cheap, capable trucks. I humbly submit the MK 1 Montero/Dodge Raider. BIG 4cyl, limited slip rear, proper transfer case. Would love to see one on your channel.

[@joesm7]

Drove a Suzuki Samurai from Ny to Key West n back in the 90s boy that was fun! Off Roaded and Mudded like crazy w it only got stuck once in a huge puddle where the mud came into the interior took it out w a jeep nearby on a winch and drove it home hosed it out good as new ..greatly underestimated 4x4 loved it till i bent the frame ...:(

[@shmehfleh3115]

The only trail my old Sammy couldn't hack was Hancock pass. It just didn't have the ground clearance to tackle the rocks at the top near the lake. It was so rocky up there, and I was getting slammed around so much, the engine kept getting starved by the carb and stalling. Other than that, it made it up and over everything I threw at it.

[@Gator1699]

I had a Rocky/Feroza in oz.I had it for 16 years 1.6 fuel injected all I did in repairs was a clutch cable speedo cable water pump and a set of rotor pads.

[@greathornedowl3644]

I owned an 89 Sidekick, think the 1.3L was the same engine, loved it. Great first car for high-schoolers, easy to work on, 5-sp prevents thefts, can not sit for more than 30 mins without getting sore behind, or go very fast. Great for snow and has a ladder rack frame.

[@mromatic17]

Sidekicks have a 1.6L engine. its a really common engine swap for samurais as well as VW TDi’s and GM 4.3’s. The 1.6 swap makes it actually useful as a daily driver and usable on the highway!

[@danesderelicts]

​@@mromatic171.3 with a weber and header wake them up

[@timewithtofu]

It’d be entertaining to compare these with a modern vehicle similar in size, like the renegade. Fun stuff!

[@jeninjeans]

Kind of figured they were going to show it "embarrassing" modern suv's.

[@five_star_images3019]

my dad always kept a sumari in the yard. He has about 3 of them now. He is die hard fan of them Jeep’s. No other car exists in his eyes.

[@jakobsdal4100]

Please retry félix offroad! This time with the carburetor adjusted for the altitude. I miss the VW Bug videos!

[@ronboe6325]

I had the blue hard top version, a vendor I dealt with had a white convertible. He got rear ended by a big Chevy sedan (not really sure of the car model that hit him, this was 20+ years ago). Totaled the car. He had a small ding in the rear bumper. It went from a folding beer can to a tank in my eyes. They are way tougher than they look. But once they raised the freeway speed limits over 55mph I was toast. Sold it. Suspension was stiffer than a teenage woody and the A/C barely kept the elbo's cool. But I kinda miss it. Felt it could use a small diesel.

[@johnog8358]

Did you guys sell the samurai? It's what brought me to your channel ☺️

[@Dreamweaver17]

Looks like such a fun little vehicle to drive!

[@harbirnain]

They just stopped making these (lwb version) in India after 35 years of continuous production and I picked up one of the last ones made. A new 1981 samurai in 2019. Woo hoo. It got FI and a 16 valve head at some point. 80 hp.

[@kc0lif]

nice vehicle why sell it.

[@lettersandnumbersuc]

ying yang... These are so fun to drive too!

[@stuartstuart866]

A buddy had a Suzuki samurai in the 1980’s. It was a dog on the freeway but it was a little mountain goat in the mountains around Los Angeles

[@garyarbogast6703]

The tires look very tight. Airing down a little could make a huge difference in traction and trail comfort as well.

[@nutz13_]

always air down!! also cheapo smittybilt compressor hooks up to the battery for a quick air up when youre back on paved road 👍🏻

[@armoredp]

Used to drive one of those small Mitsubishi Pajero's fully stock in Africa, overtaking modded Landrover defenders left and right. Especially when things got muddy and rocky. Having no weight can really benefit you off-roading.

[@latebloomer2]

I learnt driving and working on car on the cheapest varian of Jimny, a 1997 Katana (not the sport bike😂). It has F10A engine (970 cc sohc carburettor), 5MT, 2WD, no power steering, no brake booster means I literally must pray in every sudden braking😂, the floor had rust holes and rain water was coming inside from the pilar A. I really miss that piece of tech🤣.

[@humbertorubi2735]

Nathan... you know you will regret to sell this car right? I just bought a 2020 Suzuki Jimny and probably will keep it forever.

[@gschimbeck]

I wish they were able to purchase in the states. Unless that has changed.

[@VoltTackle11]

@@gschimbeck You can import Suzuki Jimnys up to the 1995 model year due to the 25-year Import Rule. Aside from that, I would love to see Suzuki make a comeback with the Samurai (Jimny) as part of it's lineup. The JDM Turbocharged 660cc Engine is just as potent as the original Samurai's 1.3L (63hp/73lb-ft), though I can see most here will go for the 1.5L NA engine (100hp/95lb-ft) from the "Global" Spec Jimny (aka JImny Sierra in Japan).

[@clooperman3745]

Missed my chance to buy a brand new SJ 413 Commercial in 1989 but I did get a second hand SJ 413 LWB a bit later, that little truck was amazing offroad due to the mods, front and rear ARB lockers, 6.5 to 1 low range transfer gear, 2" suspension lift with 30" all terrain tires, some of the body panels had a bit of rust but the chassis was perfect having been wax injected from new, sold it after somebody made me a crazy offer but still regretted it, ended up with a 2020 Jimny, not as rugged as the SJ 413 but a bit more civilised and I have got air con!!!!!

[@humbertorubi2735]

clooper man great buy! If you check carefully the undercarriage you will notice the new model on my opinion is even more rugged than the old one, the major change is they removed the leafs springs and now it got coils, the control arms are casted and in general all components looks pretty much like a 70 series Toyota. Also did you noticed the kinda stainless steel exhaust? It looks like will last long and strong 💪. Hope you enjoy a lot your little beast.

[@clooperman3745]

@@humbertorubi2735 Time will tell how rugged the new Jimny is, have ordered some protection plates for the radius arm mounts on mine, can't do to much at the moment otherwise it will invalidate the vehicle warranty.

[@TheGreazmonky]

Should have no problem finding a home for the samurai. I would love to have it as many others.

[@schmojo33]

So why is the Samurai being sold? Going to replace it with something else? I thought this was going to be Nathan's pride and joy trail rig for years to come.

[@samleeroy5638]

Id love yo see you guys build a 3rd gen ranger into an overland cheap rig!

[@adriandejesus2945]

We need suzuki back in the US! Rte new jimny is fantastic! I love that little truck.