1991 Suzuki Swift GTi 1.3 Twin-Cam 16v from UK and Ireland
Summary:
Mad mad mad!!!
Faults:
Radiator went (£240 from Suzuki!)
Head went (So bought recon engine (£250)
Heater hose melted?! (DIY job)
Manifold blowing (Janspeed want £180)
Exhaust going (Janspeed want £180)
No speedo (Cable gone?)
No indicators (No clue, it's not a fuse)
No reverse lights (As above)
No heater lights on the dashboard (As above)
General Comments:
Very Very fast!
Even with the manifold blowing (it has a huge hole in it) it left my best mates Saxo VTR for dead!
Really focused and loves being revved. It redlines at 8000rpm!
Good driving position, very sporty.
It has been a very unreliable car, but I think the previous owner had really abused it so the engine was wrecked.
It has a full Janspeed exhaust and sounds great, it pops, screams, gargles, roars and even spits flames now and again!
It is super-chipped so it is dead up until 3500rpm when it gets going and by 4500rpm your're gone!
Second gear wheelspins in the dry are not uncommon!
It feels very edgy round corners and on bumpy roads because the car is so light. Even the smallest of steering or throttle inputs have a big effect on the way it handles.
It is very solid, doesn't roll on the corners and the brakes are very good, discs all round.
I have put in a new recon engine now and it is even better! Faster, more responsive!
Me and my friend went for a quick blast in our cars one night and we ended up on the motorway.
His VTR tops out at 116mph and he said he was doing that and mine was still pulling away!
Don't know how fast it is because the speedo doesn't work, but not much can catch it on the the motorway.
Very nice car and I would recommend one any day, cheap tax, insurance, running costs, will beat most things on the road!
But be warned, it is a no-frills raw machine, it doesn't mess around!
(Neither do Suzuki when it needs fixing! Bear in mind it is a rare car and that means parts have to be ordered specially i.e. very very expensive to fix! (See faults above)
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 22nd April, 2005