buying used Suzuki Carry, what to look for mechanically.

[kekalot]

Okay so I am about to get myself a used Suzuki Carry, I know next to nothing about mechanic stuff even tho my dad is a mechanic by trade. (he left when I was young, hah)

 

looking at something similar to this: https://www.one2car.com/en/for-sale/suzuki-carry-mini-truck-bangkok-metropolitan-sukhaphiban1-2-3/6880402

 

I will go look at some of them in a week or so. so far, all the ones that I selected look great externally and inside including the box but I've also seen the rusty and damaged ones, the ones with the big boxes and "carry boys" etc.

not sure i'm a fan.

 

is there anyone with mechanical knowledge that would be able to tell me what to look at/for?

I am likely bringing a Thai guy with just so he can have a look at paperwork to make sure everything is kosher but idk how much he knows about it.

 

I was thinking maybe an idea would be to ask them to come with us to a Suzuki dealership and ask them to check it out? I'm not sure if that's something they do (assume yes)

 

also, I am interested in what tools I should own so I can possibly do my own maintenance after, changing oil, extra wheel and whatnot..

what parts to upgrade (if any), what kind of stuff to buy to clean the dash, you know .. stuff like that.

 

I also seen that there is a bunch of those trucks that have been converted to LPG only, some have bi-fuel, gasoline and LPG and the originals are gasoline.

I understand that you can switch fuel with a little switch if it's bi-fuel on the right side near the steering wheel but I'm not sure if being bi-fuel is a positive thing or should be avoided.

 

I am sure we would be doing fine alone but any help is appreciated so I go in there knowing more.

 

 

 

 

[ratcatcher]

It's 12 years old and looks in very good condition. The advantage these have over normal pickups is that the sides drop down, so you can side load or unload easily. The price seems reasonable. 1600cc engine is not a powerhouse, but economical. These Suzukis are very reliable and are popular with Thai builders. Check it very carefully.

[alacrity]

Google the vehicle, adding problems to your search. e.g. Suzuki Carry Problems.

[hkt83100]

The biggest problem for me when I had a look at it was the size of the cabin. The seat cannot be adjusted and with 6 feet high I am definitely to tall to fit comfortably behind the wheel. If you fit in, the car is a good choice for transport needs.

[VocalNeal]

I've had two still got 1. Not much to go wrong really. Engine is tried and tested. Suzuki Caribean et al. Nice gearbox. Spares cheap. I'm surprised the one shown doesn't have LPG most of them are converted. They have the aerodynamics of a brick so not super fuel efficient at speeds over 105 kph. But 1.8 to 2 Baht/km on LPG regardless of speed. The one shown has a bed liner or has been sprayed so sides won't fold down. It is also missing the metal frame that protects the cab from loads. (Won't really but it should be there?)

 

Get a rear bumper fitted save the rear light cluster although 250 baht is not much for new lenses if you stop too quickly. 

 

The one shown has been touched up as they didn't replace the small rubber corner pucks when they finished. All 6 of them. 

 

Google luck with the Googling suggestion. The author of that didn't try it first? 

[hansnl]

14 hours ago, ratcatcher said:

It's 12 years old and looks in very good condition. The advantage these have over normal pickups is that the sides drop down, so you can side load or unload easily. The price seems reasonable. 1600cc engine is not a powerhouse, but economical. These Suzukis are very reliable and are popular with Thai builders. Check it very carefully.

Get yourself a Carry on Petrol AND LPG.

Very economical, rather clean burning and the engine needs no alterations to burn LPG.

Very reliable also, cheap to repair.

[kekalot]

4 minutes ago, hansnl said:

Get yourself a Carry on Petrol AND LPG.

Very economical, rather clean burning and the engine needs no alterations to burn LPG.

Very reliable also, cheap to repair.

seen a few/lot of those.. is it possible to run on only one fuel without issues?

asking because where I might be living LPG stations are far between and i would likely only have it on petrol

 

also not sure if its a good idea  to keep a full LPG tank without using it for months?

[pineapple01]

People with them are happy i note. In Macro they allways nod n smile at you.

[thairookie]

14 hours ago, ratcatcher said:

It's 12 years old and looks in very good condition. The advantage these have over normal pickups is that the sides drop down, so you can side load or unload easily. The price seems reasonable. 1600cc engine is not a powerhouse, but economical. These Suzukis are very reliable and are popular with Thai builders. Check it very carefully.

But are you allowed to drive a Suzuki Carry on expressway ?

[sencelebi]

Carrys are very reliable toy trucks. I Use one for the bussiness. I recommend you to take it to the Suzuki service to check it out if you are not familiar with drive train,engine,transmission electrical etc. it's worth to spend few hundred baht to be on the safe side.

[finnsk]

In my opinion it depends on what is your need. The Suzuki carry is a cheap car, good for loading/reloading etc. Good for small trips in the local area. If you take good care of it is a reliable car, with a wellknown and simple tecnique.

If you need a car for longer trips or heavy use I would look for a car with bigger engine and better space in the cabin, then I would suggest a traditional pick up, as an example a toyota 2,5 diesel you can hardly kill it, even if its an old one, here you can get a car without much need of repairment.

[Snackbar]

Suspension is shocking. 

[kekalot]

4 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

I've had two still got 1. Not much to go wrong really. Engine is tried and tested. Suzuki Caribean et al. Nice gearbox. Spares cheap. I'm surprised the one shown doesn't have LPG most of them are converted. They have the aerodynamics of a brick so not super fuel efficient at speeds over 105 kph. But 1.8 to 2 Baht/km on LPG regardless of speed. The one shown has a bed liner or has been sprayed so sides won't fold down. It is also missing the metal frame that protects the cab from loads. (Won't really but it should be there?)

 

Get a rear bumper fitted save the rear light cluster although 250 baht is not much for new lenses if you stop too quickly. 

 

The one shown has been touched up as they didn't replace the small rubber corner pucks when they finished. All 6 of them. 

 

Google luck with the Googling suggestion. The author of that didn't try it first? 

 

yeah I hadn't thought about the Aeroklas liner that they have in there..

the second one I was mostly interested in was about 2 years newer and had a metal frame bolted on top of the bed (which removes the chance to fold down the sides too) but it seems to be removable (not sure how much damage that would do to be honest)

I'm not 100% sure if it bothers me that I can't open the sides but it certainly is something to consider

 

for my use, I will use it to move which very rarely happens but so far all is a big fold-able table, my scooter and a few bins and boxes of assorted stuff

rest of the time only used as a car, very lightly.

 

if the choice was between those three: bi-fuel, just gasoline or just LPGwould you  have preference over an other?

I was kind of wanting to get gasoline because where I want to move LPG isn't all that easy to find but.. if bi-fuel works on only gasoline without issues drawbacks i might consider the ones bi-fuel with the switch.

 

are rubber pucks those little things that look like door stoppers that are on the outside of the bed corners near doors and back end (sorry if my terms are wrong)

Edited June 20, 2020 by kekalot

[kekalot]

I sorted the last question, they are rubber protecting the folding down of the sides (makes sense)

[pineapple01]

The Carry was made to give other Mellon Carts an a Air of Superiority.