Dave is no stranger to well-modified Suzuki Sierras. His previous SWB has been featured in our sister mag 4WD Custom Guide and ran a host of good gear that made it extremely capable. A spring-over conversion with high steer, twin auto lockers, custom-made rims and 32in Simex Centipedes. Yep. It sure was a neat little jigger and did everything Dave asked of it comfortably. So why did he feel the need to buy this one? Well, as Dave will tell you, it was simply too good to pass up.

This truck was built by its previous owner Heath and his mate Darryl (who's a bit of a gun on the end of the MIG) and is actually well known on the local Newcastle off-roading scene. The boys built it up a few years back to tackle the A-Grade tracks (of which there are plenty) in the area, so it features all of the hallmarks of a well-prepared hardcore rig.

While Sierras are well known for their capability out of the box, this 1996 model is actually a later-model factory coil sprung version. While the coils are a heap more comfortable when driving on the road over the traditional hard-riding leaves, the Suzuki technicians must have been dipping into the sake when they designed the suspension geometry for off-road ability. The trailing arms are too short, the Panhard rods look disturbingly like drinking straws with similar strength properties, and the whole system seems as though it was actually designed to bind up awkwardly under flex. And forget about getting a decent lift under one without significant hurdles to overcome.

Fitting 35s under a shorty Zook is hard at the best of times, let alone one with the difficult to work with stock suspension set-up. Not wanting to go down the dodgy route, Heath sat down and had a good hard think about how to get his stock coily working nicely. After some meditation and talking it over with some knowledgeable mates, he took the rather radical approach of scrapping the entire running gear and suspension and replacing it with a set-up that works a whole lot nicer, as well as looking the part too.

Along with some bodywork that would look at home on a show-winning hot rod and a healthier engine than the asthmatic 1.3 that originally sat in between the chassis rails, Dave is stoked with his purchase. As he says, "The guys who put this package together have done an amazing job. Everything works perfectly, it has a mile of wheel travel and tracks brilliantly over the tricky rock sections".

After looking at the photos, we have to say that if you're ever planning on selling mate, make sure you call us first.

UNDER THE BONNET

Sierras tick a lot of boxes if you're looking for a simple, capable truck that is cheap to buy and modify, and can be hosed out at the end of a trip. They're rugged, dependable and generally just a terrific little truck to own. However, where they have always fallen short is in the power stakes, putting out roughly the same motive force as a faulty hair dryer. Throw a bigger 1.6L injected motor at them, though, and watch them come alive!

That's exactly what's happened to this truck. Gone is the 'barely there' 1.3 hamster wheel and in its place is the G16B from the same Suzuki stable. Most Australian versions of these engines are found under the bonnet of the Sierra's bigger brother, the Vitara. What's unusual about this particular motor is that it originally powered a Suzuki Escudo, which is what our oriental cousins call their Vits, which purportedly punches out a few more horses than the Aus-spec units.