This 1987 Suzuki Samurai is for sale outside of Portland, Oregon with an asking price of $2,500. These came from the factory with a 1.3 L inline-four however that was replaced at some point with a 1.2 L 12A rotary from a first gen Mazda RX-7. These engines produce 100 hp (75 kW) fresh so there’s no telling how much this makes after sitting for a while. The owner claims the Samurai needs a few things to drive such as a rear axle work and clutch slave cylinder replacement but the engine runs.
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A rotary seems like a perfect natural fit for the Samurai. Light, powerful and fits with no body alterations. I’d dare say its better than a TDI swap.
ehhhh it depends on what you’re gonna use it for. If you want a cool daily, this rotary could work. But if you are planning to use the Samurai to go off-road or crawling, the TDI (most people go with the 1.9 L) would work best. It may have less HP but the higher torque would significantly help. But like I said, it depends.