Still Confused

[charger]

Ok this is not really important but is there a difference in the SJ & Samurai? Mine has the sammy badges the log book says SJ 413 JX & the Vin says Suzuki Land Rover. I know some people call theres a Samurai Sport & i have seen the sport on ebay & it looks the same as mine.

[twiss]

First they made the 410, super narrow with the 1.0 engine
Then they made the 413, still the same width, but with a 1.3 engine
410s and 413s were made a) in Japan and b) at the Santana land rover plant in Spain

Next they made the samurai
It's basically a 413 with wider axles, slightly different chassis (spring mounts further out)
Again, they were made in Japan, and in Spain.

They made the samurai up to 1990 I think, and then from 1991 onwards they gave it a facelift and called it the Samurai Sport.
It has a slightly different engine, different grille, different seats and a couple of other small differences

[twiss]

Samurai



Samurai Sport

[ScottieJ]

the Vin says Suzuki Bland rover because yours will be built in Spain in the Land rover Santana Factory

[ScottieJ]

pulled from pirate so it's kinda US/Canada specific but it'll give you a good insight to the changes throughout the SJ series as it was similar worldwide

* 1982. SJ-410 arrives in Canada. Basically the Samurai style vehicle that we have the love/hate relationship with. These beasties have the narrow track frame (front springs inset under frame rails in front), a 1.0 liter 4 cylinder engine (aluminum head, iron block. Want one? No seriously...), 4 speed manual trans with first gear ratio of about 3.15:1, 4th is 1:1. T-case is similar is design to a Samurai case BUT has a different casing, more squared off, no 4x4 switch, small flanges. Body styles are hard top (i.e. V), Pickup (K), LWB and normal soft top. Axles (4.10:1) are narrow to match the frame, differentials are same as LJ-80. Quick ratio upgrade is to get 4.56:1 ratio diffs from an LJ and plug them in. No parts interchange between these axles and the Samurai. T-case ratios are 1.58:1 in high, 2.56:1 (or so, bad memory, sit! stay!) in low.

* 1982/3. Same as above, newer style t-case housing starts to appear - very similar to Sam case with exception of 4x4 switch. Same ratios.

* 1984. Same as above except the t-case uses the same types of gear clusters as a Samurai case but with lower ratios (1.58, 2.5x). These gears are the ones used to make a "rocklobster" t-case (combination of these gears and Samurai gears to make a 1.58 high, 4.16 low t-case - web search for instructions). This may be the first "sanctioned" appearance of the SJ-410 in the US. Not 100% on that though.

* 1985. SJ-413 is introduced in Canada. Differences from a SJ-410: Samurai all aluminum 1300cc engine with Aisin carb and 5 speed transmission (3.652:1 first). Axles are changed to Samurai style diffs but with SJ-410 front brakes and 3.90:1 axle ratios. These diffs are intercahngable between Samurai and SJ-413). New Samurai style dash with no central console (the original style). T-case ratios change to Samurai ratios (1.409:1, 2.2x:1). Last year of pickup in Canada. US still recieves some SJ-410s, but not the SJ-413.

* 1986. First year of what we commonly call a Samurai in US and Canada. Canadian spec kept the Aisin carb (lenient emmisions reqs) while the the US got this fooked up Hitachi carbu-jector thing. Front spring spacing moved outboard of the frame approximately 2-1/8" per side, axles grew also to widen the track. US recieves soft top and hard top but not the pick-up or LWB versions.

* 1987-1988. Last year of LWB in Canada.

* 1988.5. First restyle of Samurai in North American market. New dash with a more car like center to house radio, heater controls, little cubbies, etc. Spring rates change (soften?). Canada gets the Hitachi carbujector.

* 1990. EFI on the 1300cc engine starts to appear (late 1990 I think).

* 1991. Last year for hard top, grille is restyled to two long horzontal slots.

* 1992. Last year of Samurai in Canada.

* 1993. Samurai is sold in US only without rear bench - to get around tighening security regs.

* 1995. Last year of Samurai in US.

[ScottieJ]

The thing is it's easy to swap the front clip and badges so the best way to tell if your sj is a 413 or samurai is the axle width and where the springs are mounted.

Directly under the chassis rails at the front= 413
Offset to the outside of the chassis rails at the front = Samurai

[Tramp]

Samurai Sport

not quite that simple either.....

the one above is the 'late' late samurai and the grill shows it has the SPI (single point injection) so it should also have a CAT

Mine is the samurai sport but is like the earlier samurai grill I think the samurai sport is only the sport because of a selection of dodgy graphics! rather than anything mechanical

[twiss]

Mine's a samurai sport, and has that grille, and is carbed.

All of them from 1991 onwards have that grille, carb or SPI
... and mine doesn't have any graphics on it

[twiss]

As far as insurance companies are concerned:

SUZUKI SAMURAI SPORT 1991 - 1995 1298

SUZUKI SJ 413 JSB 1990 - 1993 1324
SUZUKI SJ 413 JX 1989 - 1995 1324
SUZUKI SJ 413 JX SAMURAI 1989 - 1995 1298
SUZUKI SJ 413 QBJA SAMURAI S/T 1988 - 1995 1324
SUZUKI SJ 413 QBJX 1989 - 1995 1298
SUZUKI SJ 413 QBJX 1990 - 1993 1298
SUZUKI SJ 413 QJX 1988 - 1993 1324
SUZUKI SJ 413 VBJA SAMURAI H/T 1988 - 1993 1324
SUZUKI SJ 413 VJX 1986 - 1988 1324
SUZUKI SJ 413 VJX SAMURAI H/T 1988 - 1993 1324
SUZUKI SJ 413 VSB 1990 - 1993 1324
SUZUKI SJ 413 VX 1985 - 1988 1324
SUZUKI SJ 413 VX 1989 - 1995 1324 P M 3

... and the 410s for good measure

SUZUKI SJ 410 JX 1989 - 1990
SUZUKI SJ 410 Q S/T 1982 - 1984
SUZUKI SJ 410 Q S/T 1984 - 1988
SUZUKI SJ 410 Q SANTANA 1987 - 1990
SUZUKI SJ 410 QB S/T 1985 - 1986
SUZUKI SJ 410 QB SANTANA 1988 - 1990
SUZUKI SJ 410 QBJA 1986 - 1990
SUZUKI SJ 410 QJA S/T 1986 - 1990
SUZUKI SJ 410 V H/T 1982 - 1985
SUZUKI SJ 410 VB SANTANA 1988 - 1990
SUZUKI SJ 410 VBJA 1986 - 1990
SUZUKI SJ 410 VJL 1986 - 1990
SUZUKI SJ 410 VX SANTANA 1988 - 1990
SUZUKI SJ 410 WV 1985 - 1988
SUZUKI SJ 410 WVX 1984 - 1988

[ROBBIE]

SUZUKI SJ 413 JX SAMURAI 1989 - 1995 1298
the model i have built in spain same axles and chassis as the sammy but on the log book its a 413JX mines 91
oh and it dosent have the facelift grill