[Darby]

I just picked up a new project and I’ve got a few questions, it’s a 1984 Sierra Ute. I’ve been out of the Suzuki game for a while and this is a fair bit older then the sj80’s/ coil sprung models I’ve had in the past.

Is the 1.6 efi G16b swap the same for this chassis? / could I throw a 1.3 in without to much drama?

This model has drums all round, what are the best diffs to use to get disks all round?

Can I swap the front clip off a coily / newer Sierra onto the Ute body? (There’s a small amount of rust and I prefer the other front ends)

Are the fuel tanks the same as a normal Sierra ? Are there specific Ute fuel tanks?

Anything I should know about these older models?

Any info is really appreciated.

[Gwagensteve]

If it’s drums all round it’s an Sj410, so a 1.0 litre car.

Engine and gearbox mounts are totally different. Fitting a 1.3/1.6 is a substantially bigger job requiring engine mounts to be fitted that match the 1.3 locations.

You don’t need to change diffs to get disks all round, you can swap to disk brakes in the front using parts from any disk equipped 1.0 or a. 1.3 Sierra.

In the rear a kit suitable for a 1.3 should work.

The best solution though is to swap in Widetrack Sierra axles but this is a fabrication job.

The guards and slam panel /radiator support swap over, but the 1.0 bonnet then doesn’t fit. If you swap the coil bonnet in, it doesn’t match at the 1.0 cowl. The coil and leaf cowl is a different height.

The tank is the same but the filler is in a different spot. You can bolt a SWB tank in but the filler will hit the back of the cab and needs to be moved to suit the ute filler.

[Darby]

Are the body mounts the same on a wide track chassis ? Could I swap the body over to save me the hassle of moving the mounts ect ?

So a coily front end won’t fit but a normal leaf sprung model should bolt on no drama ?

What’s the going price for a 1.6 motor these days? Are they still around $900-$1000?

Thanks for all the help, it’s appreciated

[Gwagensteve]

Four of the six major cab mounts are the same between early 1.0 and 1.3, the inner rear mounts are in a different spot. The other complication is the 1.0 studs on the body are shorter than 1.3 and aren’t long enough for the bush set required for the 1.3 chassis. Anything is possible but it’s a lot of work.

The next issue is there’s no such thing as a WT ute, and even WT LWB stylesides are incredibly uncommon (something like 52 only imported)

Marutis are a blend of 1.0 and 1.3 parts and they’re not a ute chassis either- they’re a cut down styleside. I believe they also run 1.3 body mounts.

Yes any leaf spring front clip will bolt on. If you swap to 1.3 you’ll really need the 1.3 bonnet as the latch is differently aligned between 1.0 and 1.3.

Cant comment on the going rate for 1.6’s in your area- too many variables. Sourcing a complete running Baleno seems to be the cheapest option at $600up.

[Darby]

So the 1.0 Ute chassis is completely different then the normal 1.3 swb chassis and I can’t use one to bolt the Ute cab onto ? (After making the studs longer)
So welding the new engine and gearbox mounts onto the chassis I have now would probably be the better option? Keeping the n/t diffs in the process

[Darby]

Also, do you know of any clubs around Brisbane that I could join so I can get club rego?

[Gwagensteve]

Darby wrote:

So the 1.0 Ute chassis is completely different then the normal 1.3 swb chassis and I can’t use one to bolt the Ute cab onto ? (After making the studs longer)
So welding the new engine and gearbox mounts onto the chassis I have now would probably be the better option? Keeping the n/t diffs in the process

The chassis are similar and as I said, anything is possible, you could probably use a body lift kit to effectively lengthen the studs, and fill and redrill the inner rear holes on the chassis to suit the 1.0 body. If you used a SWB chassis you’d then have a very awkward looking car with a tiny tray and the bottom corners of the cab really close to the rear tyres.

You could find a LWB 1.3 chassis but these are hard to find and will still need the modifications outlined above.

Our you could find a damaged/cheap 1.3 chassis and transfer the gearbox and engine mounts over to your 1.0 chassis.

[Darby]

Yeah I’ll go that rout then, weld on new engine and gearbox mounts. Is there a thread where someone has done this?

Thanks again for all your help, it’s greatly appreciated.