I pulled the trigger on this the other day, so of course it's time to start a build thread. I won't really be building anything, per say, but maybe some of you will find the updates interesting. I have no experience with Suzuki's, so if you do please feel free to give me some pointers!
The car is a 2000 Esteem GL 1.8. 5 speed, one owner, 61k miles, all for $1500. Seemed like a great deal, so I couldn't pass it up. I had to replace the battery, and I need to either clean or replace the IAC Valve (P0505 code, tries to stall when it's cold). Other than that, it runs great and is pretty fun! I would like to lower it and replace the tires, maybe do some junkyard hop-ups, but other than that it will be mostly stock. It helps that there's not much available for this in the aftermarket. Anyway, here are some pics.
I was warned to check for rust on the subframe and the unibody mounting points. It has some surface rust, but nothing looked very bad. I can probably clean this up and prevent it from getting any worse.
That's pretty clean for it's age! I remember seeing those in 2003 and they looked worse than that!
Looks good. The interior looks a lot like my 2000 Swift
http://www.streetbeatcustoms.com/B&G-Suspension/Suspension/Suzuki-Esteem-B&G-S2-Sport-Lowering-Suspension-Springs-_-88.1.010/643377/
Thanks guys! I really like it so far, it's actually pretty fun! And man do I miss rowing through the gears! Drove it a lot more today...sounds like I might have a wheel bearing starting to make some noise, and I could use an alignment. Other than that, it's good. Oh, and my 3 year old has given it his seal of approval, and that makes it all the better. 
great cars i'm looking to buy one my self
check this link
http://www.redlinegti.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=36766
Cleaned out the IACV the other day...unfortunately it looked pretty clean, and my P0505 code came right back. My guess is that the electrical portion is fried. Oddly enough, a new one of these is CRAZY expensive, so I'll be hunting the junkyard for one. It stalls sometimes when cold, but other than that it still runs fine, so I'm not too worried about it.
I'm really enjoying the car, it's not fast but it's a hoot to drive! And I've only used 1/2 a tank of gas!
That was the thing I never liked about the GV and the Swift. Normal replacement parts were crazy "Japanese car from the motherland" expensive. Likely because they were all made in the motherland and so were the parts.
it might be the mass air, i went through that with my tracker
Just got back from an 11 day vacation, and it was good to drive this thing again today doing a few errands. Still haven't put gas in it, so not sure of MPG yet. Its fun to flog, pretty comfortable, and so clean it still blows me away.
I'm trying to figure out some junkyard mods, and it looks like the J20a (SX4) exhaust manifold is a little free-er flowing. Not sure if it will fit, but I'm gonna do some research. Still need to source another IAC valve, but for now she runs fine.
I'm not sure if those are so crappy that I like them, or so crappy that I don't. Either way, it will be fun following along.
About time to cut a coil at each end don't you think? 
In reply to mazdeuce:
You like them cuz they're awesome! It's not a crappy Daewoo-Suzuki, so it's pretty decent. Definitely an econo car, but built well. And yes, it's tall, but I'm gonna hunt for some springs instead of cutting. Not sure why the front sits so much higher than the rear, but no worries.
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check out http://www.suzitech.com/ for bits
Awesome dude! I was looking at these in Estate form before I got my Insight. But I couldn't find one with the power windows/5 speed combo with the Speedline alloys. Just needs a GXE spoiler on it to finish the look. I wanted one because they are so light (2271 lbs.) and look like a Subaru Legacy if you squint your eyes.
Didn't even remember that I had started this thread! The car has been great, I've got a new/used IAC valve in it and she's running like a champ! The car is now for sale, check out the $2015 Classifieds or PM me for details.
