1996 Suzuki Sidekick Sport, $800, not currently drivable due to clutch hydraulics issue I believe.
This is the car discussed here:
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/what-have-i-done-car-5-suzuki-sidekick-sport/136705/page1/
I have tons of topside and underside pics on there. This car is what I described as "Ohio rust free." There's rust on the leading and trailing edges of the underside, but none in the frame or floor pans and none in the body that I can find.
The current issue keeping it from being drivable is that I can not get the clutch hydraulics to work. The master and slave were completely locked up when I got it, so I replaced both and couldn't get the new ones bled. I've removed everything and bench bled everything as an assembly and still can't get enough pedal to actuate the clutch. It's possible the new parts are bad, it's possible I'm doing something wrong, but I just don't care at this point.
The car runs but the engine is noisy. It might be an exhaust leak, or it might be a top end noise. There's copious oil all over the engine so it's obviously got some leaks. The interior is in good shape - one open seam on the driver's seat and a couple small holes in the carpet under the driver's feet but otherwise it's intact and decent. I got the tailgate working and replaced the driver's interior door handle so all doors work now.
I have a replacement headlight for the broken passenger headlight. It's not perfect, with one little chunk out of the glass, but it's decent.
I have a set of General Altimax Arctic snow tires I bought to put on the thing. They're used but in decent shape and are on a set of Sport Edition wheels that aren't right for the car. My plan was to have them moved over to the Suzuki wheels. They're yours if you pay asking price, wheels and all. (Recoup, they're 5x114.3 aftermarket wheels that will fit a half a billion cars out there.)
I'll take $800 cash, and will consider any and all trades. Trades need not be cars or even functional. Something I can sell on eBay? A wrecked modern car I can part out? I'll throw cash your way if needed or it can flow the other way, I'm flexible. Just get this bullE36 M3 out of my garage. Make me a good cash offer and I'm likely to take it. Just do it soon because it's going on Craigslist in the next few days, and I'm not a dallier when it comes to offloading vehicles once I'm done with them.
Two kids quads or a Honda CT70, that's my final offer, pending agreement from the kids.
Just preparing you for craigslist.
So it sounds like it may have a bad pressure plate. Is the engine ticking a top end like valve train or timing chain, probably hard to tell with an exhaust leak.
Five hours away and no room for projects right now, that's too bad, this would make a great first project for my boys. They are only twelve and not interested in cars yet but it won't be long.
Craigslisters more like “i got a thing that goes bang with the serial numbers ground off and a half drank 30 pack of natty light” then show up with their toothless meth girl and expect to drive it home
Lets not get of topic here, we need to find a good home for this gem. It won't fit in my garage with the quads and CT in the way.
I hate you so much right now....
akylekoz said:
Two kids quads or a Honda CT70, that's my final offer, pending agreement from the kids.
What kind of shape is the CT70 in? I assume the kids quads are no-name Chinese ones? My two kids are 18 months and 4 years old, might be a little young to put them on quads. Maybe. The CT70 is interesting though.
bobzilla said:
I hate you so much right now....
And I love that this makes you hate me. It means you want it, and I want it gone so badly right now.
@tdrrally: Let's talk! $800 with snow tires, $700 without? Trade me anything of value that's smaller and/or easier to ship.
@everyone: My email is my user name at gmail.com. Feel free to drop me offers of stolen iPhones, "boom sticks" without serial numbers, etc.
WOW, well life sure is strange sometimes. Someone that's not a member of the forum happened to see this post and emailed me that he knew exactly what my problem was. Well, the problem with the Suzuki, I have plenty of other problems he has no idea about. Anyway, he said that the lever arm that connects the clutch pedal jack shaft to the master cylinder is a known weak spot on, get this, only the Sidekick Sport. Because the base Sidekick is a cable clutch. Since they didn't sell many Sidekick Sports, there's not a lot of people that know about this flaw. And when the lever arm bends, you get poor clutch engagement and hard shifting because the pedal is not able to fully engage the master cylinder.
All sorts of bells went off in my head - I realized that the master cylinder had been frozen in its bore, and the person that owned this previously is strong, like ex-boxer strong, and when the clutch wouldn't work for her she probably pressed harder .. and harder. Well, wipe my ass and call me Shirley because I stuck my head up under that dash and the clutch lever arm is bent.
And just like that, an angry swarm of bees left my head. I'm going to order a replacement and I am very optimistic that this will get the Sidekick drivable.
But, it's still for sale, and still $800 for you guys. I won't bother bumping this until it's drivable but if anyone wants to go ahead and get it let me know. Crazy trades are still fine.
P.s. Miles, if you're reading this, you are awesome. Thank you thank you THANK YOU. Also, you should join up, your love of unloved orphan vehicles would fit right in here.
P.p.s. Miles told me that the Suzuki Aerio motor is a drop-in, the stock computer even runs it, and the only difference is more power and better fuel mileage. I'm unlikely to do anything with that knowledge, but one of you should. I bet you could score that motor for about $150 and a bag of chips.
And I hate you even more now.
In reply to bobzilla :
Has the wife asked you what you want for Christmas?
It could be a ghetto version of this. Instead, a non-driving, 23 yr old version.
How about tools? I need to clear out a ton of perfectly good, but totally unused tools. Since we're doing CL level trade offers. 
I don't know man, I think your side-by-side idea for a property runabout is pretty cool...
KyAllroad (Jeremy) said:
How about tools? I need to clear out a ton of perfectly good, but totally unused tools. Since we're doing CL level trade offers.
I love tools. If you’re serious tell me what you got that you wanna trade!
In reply to AxeHealey :
I agree, but I also know that I don’t have indoor storage for it and don’t want my yard to look messy having this thing parked in it so....
i also don’t want to maintain another vehicle just for that..
Great story, I hope to see the screen name "MilestheSuzukiSidekickSportWhisperer" soon.
Anyone that was searching the web for anything that brought up an ad for a Suzuki Sidekick Sport needs to be on this board.
stroker
UltraDork
11/30/18 8:10 a.m.
P.p.s. Miles told me that the Suzuki Aerio motor is a drop-in, the stock computer even runs it, and the only difference is more power and better fuel mileage. I'm unlikely to do anything with that knowledge, but one of you should. I bet you could score that motor for about $150 and a bag of chips.
I'm waiting for the shop to finish the installation of an Aerio engine in my '96 Sidekick Sport right now.
Swap information here
The engine cost me $450 ($350?) and if they get it done soon I'll post a result. Supposedly the 2.3 Aerio has about the same hp as the V6 in my Vitara. The exhaust manifold on the original 1.8 Sidekick engine was cracked so that might have had some affect on the fact it was sluggish.
In reply to John Welsh :
Those pretty wheels still in the box were my birthday and christmas gifts.
I've been trying to ignore this but do you have any interest in a Bobcat walk behind mower as partial trade? It runs but the right side hydro motor is dead so it spins in circles and it has been sitting outside for a year or two.
In reply to EvanB :
I got really excited when I saw “bobcat” but of course a skid steer loader would be an extreme step up in trade value from this. ;) not much use for that mower and it sounds like a tough resale for me being broken. Imma pass for now but I’ll look into it
In reply to KyAllroad (Jeremy) :
Received! And let me digest it and look into it more when I’m not rocking a sleepy baby and typing with one thumb.
