It's hard to believe, but this outrageous '87 Suzuki Samurai was once resting in a salvage yard in Texas. It was rescued by Indiana well driller Brian Nelson, who had a plan to turn the forlorn, engineless shell into a crazy one-of-a-kind machine. It took four years of intensive fabbing and wrenching to create his masterpiece, and the result is an immaculate, unique ride.
 Bright orange and rollin'...  Bright orange and rollin' on 46-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Claws is unquestionably a very unique combination for a Samurai. Other exterior mods include a Roadless Gear poly windshield, Rocky Road Outfitters half doors, and Trail Tough tube bumpers. |  Gear selection is handled...  Gear selection is handled by a TH200 transmission that rests on a custom Rock 4x Fabrication mount. The trans is shifted via a Lokar shifter and cooled by a Hayden cooler. Power is routed to a divorced Suzuki transfer case. |  Keeping the blown V-6 cool...  Keeping the blown V-6 cool is a bed-mounted and rollcage-protected custom aluminum radiator. |
 Inside there's a custom rollcage...  Inside there's a custom rollcage that was designed and built by Rock 4x Fabrication. There's also a custom dash housing Auto Meter Pro-Lite gauges. Other interior mods include PRP seats and safety harnesses, new carpet, and a Grant steering wheel. |  Filling just about every inch...  Filling just about every inch of the engine compartment is the 4.3L V-6 engine. This engine is built-to-the-hilt and includes a Hampton 4-71 blower and Holley 750-cfm double-pumper carb. Nelson says it turns out more than 300 hp. |  The team at Rock 4x Fabrication...  The team at Rock 4x Fabrication designed and built the custom suspension. Up front, it utilizes link bars mounted aft to a custom subframe. The custom suspension also utilizes a custom Panhard bar, drag link, and a pair of Sway-A-Way Racerunner 2.0 14-inch-travel shocks. The front axle is a completely rebuilt unit sourced from a Toyota truck. |
The rear suspension utilizes link bars that are the same 36-inch length as the front link bars, and their forward ends mount to the same custom subframe as the front links. It also sports a custom Panhard bar and a pair of Sway-A-Way shocks. The rear axle is from a Toyota FJ60 and it has been completely rebuilt and fitted with a disc-brake conversion from TSM Manufacturing.
GENERAL
Owner: Brian Nelson/Rochester, Indiana
Vehicle/Model: '97 Suzuki Samurai
Estimated Value: $40,000
ENGINE
Type: 4.3L V-6
Aspiration: Holley 750-cfm carburetor, Hampton intake and 4-71 blower, 2.5-inch dual exhaust, Supertrapp mufflers
Output, hp/torque (estimated): 300/N/A
DRIVETRAIN
Transmission: TH200, Hayden cooler, Lokar shifter
Transfer case: Stock, dropped and rotated in a custom mount
SUSPENSION
Front: Custom Rock 4x Fabrication, Sway-A-Way Racerunner shocks
Rear: Custom Rock 4x Fabrication, Sway-A-Way Racerunner shocks
AXLES/DIFFERENTIALS
Front: Toyota/Open
Rear: Toyota, disc-brake conversion/Open
Ring-and-pinion: 4.10:1
WHEELS/TIRES
Wheels: 15x14 Weld Typhoon
Tires: 46x19.5-15 Mickey Thompson Baja Claws