TeamSwift

It's a 1993 Canadian-spec Suzuki Swift with the 1.0 G10 engine, 5spd manual, and no options.
It was built at the Hamamatsu Suzuki factory, where the verts, GTi's and Turbo-3 cars were built... and I understand that this makes it quite rare, as the N/A 3-cyl was only offered in Canada as the Suzuki Swift (vs. Geo Metro), and also the vast majority of Canadian-spec N/A 3cyl Swifts were built at CAMI.

My parents bought the car in 1995 from the original owner, and used it to get around in the city. They stopped using it in 2001, and I was lucky enough to get it from them shortly afterwards as my first car. It has seen about a half dozen winters over it's life, and that has taken a bit of a toll on the body, but overall it's quite rust free.

The car now has 175,000 kms on it, and was starting to feel it's age... in 2007 I retired it as my daily driver. For the past two years I have slowly gotten sick of looking at it in the garage unused, so this spring I decided I should either do something with it or get rid of it. Figuring out a simple budget plan, and realizing I still couldn't bring myself to sell it, the project started.

My overall goal is to restore it, make it more fun to drive, and at least be able to handle well enough that I'm not dragging it door-handle to door-handle through autox events that I might enter it in. I'm sticking with the 3-cyl engine, because my #1 goal is to keep it as light as possible (within reason, in terms of interior asthetics). Next post, I'll outline everything I'm going to be doing to it... although some things change day-to-day.

Some photos of the car in stock condition:









And a couple of photos that shows what happens when you combine beer, a camplight, and time elapsed exposure.





There are more pics in my gallery, and I've also started to upload stuff from the teardown... I'll post about those next too.

Just thought I'd create this topic to share the process as I go through it - target completion is June next year, when we have a car show at work. There are lots of unique/rare vehicles that show up, so this'll fit right in

-Evan

Looks like it's in great shape!

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1994 Metro - MPH project (getting a DOHC G13B)
1994 Metro - MPG project (getting an XFi G10)
1992 Swift - Parts car (gone)
1991 Swift - Parts car (gone)
1990 Swift - Parts car
1997 Metro - Parts car (gone)
1993 Metro - Parts car
1989 Swift GTi - Parts car
1998 Metro - Parts car

Okay - a rundown of the whats going to be done to the car:

Engine:
-3Tech cylinder head package, including:
10.7:1 compression ratio
Swirl polished stainless valves
10DEG advance sprocket
218/350 cam regrind
Delete TBI bridge (once the car is done, I'll start working on a ITB setup w/ megasquirt or Performance Electronics stand alone ECU)
Delete resonator
-Rebuilt bottom end, including:
0.5mm overbore, 0.010" decking, full blueprint
crank magnafluxed & polished
JCC pistons
NPR rings
Full build-up by H-R&D engine specialist
Piston oil squirters added to oil main galley
Underdrive Aluminum pulley
Braille lightweight battery
G13 flywheel w/ Exedy clutch kit
(for engine/clutch/transmission: all seals, linkages, bushings, cables, etc. replaced with new OEM parts)

Suspension:
New FR & RR control arms, tie rods, toe links, ball joints
H&R springs
KYB GR2 struts
replacement KYB strut mounts
GTi FR & RR stabi bar (addco RR stabi bar eventually)
GTi Steering rack
Momo 12" steering wheel
Whiteline suspension bushings
ADAMS suspension simulation (everything I'm doing is tried & tested, but I want to have a baseline understanding incase I have problems auto-x, and I need to modify/adjust something in the future)
13x5.5 38mm offset Ultralite 8-spoke wheels
175/50-R13 Sumitomo HTR200 tires

Brakes:
Custom PF compound FR pads (running with stock calipers and Brembo rotors)
Goodrich braided stainless brake lines (replaced RR outboard banjo fitting with compression/flare fitting to suit RR drums)

Body:
Fix the damn rust!! replace RR corners, fix seatbelt anchor brace & floor, replace driver's side floor section & rocker section, POR-15 everything
Murr lower FR x-brace
RR strut tower brace
Delete spare tire & jack
Delete floor & trunk melt sheet
Delete firewall insulation & melt sheet
Delete rear seats
Delete many other small items!

Interior:
Gti FR seats (eventually lightweight Aluminum race seats)

I'll list more items as they come to me... some stuff I haven't decided on yet.

Currently the car is stripped down, engine torn down.
Head is at 3-Tech, block, oversize pistons and crank are at engine builders.
I'm in the middle of fixing the rust, hopefully getting the paint on the floor and underside before winter.

Some pics:

How the car looks currently:


Firewall/frame rails, etc. pretty much rust free:


Close-up of passenger side control arm pick-ups:


Stripped interior:


Melt sheet removed:


Rust in floor cut out (this area is now all back together - have to take new pics)


RR suspension pick-ups (also mostly rust free around here)


Seatbelt anchor with rusty area cut out, sandblasted, patch TIG welded in:


I'll take new pics this week and update the rust repair progress...

I've uploaded a few pics of the front suspension model I built in ADAMS:

3D view:


Post-processor analysis:


I'll update this work once I have a chance to iterate it a bit and compare the OEM setup to the new setup, and determine best tuning practices for the car.

Wow talk about effort. No messing around for you. I would love to do something like this. I cant wait to see the finished car. The thing that's most different between u and most other people that restore cars is that you waste no time and are gettin her done real quick. Good job so far

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Marshall
1994 Geo metro hatchback 1.0 M5. 214,000 miles. 3 Tech 365/222 cam, +10 cam gear, air intake piping to fender delete, tbi bridge delete, exhaust sidepiped before right rear tire, timing at 17 degrees, lowered 1 1/2 coils all around.

Thanks for the comments... but I must admit that the project started at the beginning of the summer.
I was just too busy/lazy to start posting progress on teamswift

Anyway, the total project will take ~ 1 year, so still not too bad.

Evan, talk to the guy who runs maxbore.com, and see if he can bore your throttle body to 42 mm.
I think that's the biggest you can go. You should be able to find a 42 plate from an S10 (can't recall which motor).
It will make a big difference.

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Contact 3tech: [email protected]

i'm pretty sure every 92-94 3cyl. canadian spec suzuki swift rolled out from a japanese factory. I've never seen one from cami. even without any option, every wiring harness is already there to install the rear wiper, electric mirrors, etc. even the rear w/w pump is already installed and unused. you will find that the bolt holes for mounting a 4 cylinder tranny mount already have nuts hidden in the frame rails, etc. they are quite different from the cami cars.


nice to see a canadian specimen with so little rust

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Suzuki Gold Master Tech
'07 Suzuki SX4 JLX AWD 2.0 | Turbine Tech turbo kit @ 7psi
'08 Suzuki SX4 Sport 2.0 , average baby carrier

Hmm for some reason I understood the majority of them were from CAMI... must just be the US market cars.
I don't want any options, and I've already removed the unneeded wiring harness that's been there from the factory! Extra weight!

Progress:

1: 3Tech cylinder head

Advance timing gear


Head, top view


Exhaust view


Bottom view


2: Body work

Floor under parking brake bracket fixed inside


Another view


Underside


Looks kinda ugly with the burnt primer around the plug welds, but I'll clean it up before I POR-15 everything.

More bodywork progress pictures to come (I HOPE!) before winter arrives...

Okay, been a while... not much progress on anything over the winter, other than the engine. It should be done before the spring.

Here's the block's (external) condition after teardown:



And the bottom end:


Nothing too bad... cyl3 had some moderate scoring... needed a 0.5mm overbore (all cyls...).
The stock pistons actually look like they're in really good shape, so I'm thinking one of the rings was to blame.
It's a shame... those pistons could still be put to service:

The connecting rods will be magnafluxed and re-used...

Here's the new JCC pistons:




The underdrive pulley:


New Exedy clutch:


New NPR rings:


New G13 flywheel:

Just a few more pics:

The crank back from being cleaned and polished:


And the block ready to go:






Engine was hot-tanked, then all thru and tapped holes and machined surfaces and internals were sealed off and it was soda-blasted. Then it was bored and decked, and the mains were checked (but were fine).

That's all for now... more pics once it's back from the engine builder.

Not really any progress, just interior bits and my next step:

Momo 12" steering wheel:


With the increased offset and Momo hub adapter, the wheel will finally be as close as I prefer.

Honda shift knob:


Of all the cars I get to drive, these little guys have always felt the best to my hand.

Yamaha Nytro ITB:

Once I have the car finished and on the road, I'm gonna start working on adapting these TB's, I'll likely use either a Performance Electronics or Megasquirt ECU.

Nice Work.

Yes, Evan you seem to be doing exceptionally good work
(and getting it done).
For example, your block looks better than new.
(for one, they don't do a "soda-blasted" finish @factory)

I just love to see someone do top quality work.
Keep it up.... much appreciated and enjoyed.
Pres
fwiw: it's always a good idea to pull the plugs at the ends of
the oil gallerys and pump thru some light engine oil.
It not only flushes them out but primes it as well.
Seems as though no matter how clean it was supposed
to be, some crap comes out with the 1st flow of oil.
One chip, or abrasive granule, can play havoc on a fresh bearing surface.

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'89 -made in Japan

This is why on a freshly rebuilt engine, I always do a first fill of just straight Semi-Synthetic ATF.

I use Valvoline MaxLife but you can use any Semi-Synthetic ATF, and that even includes most Dexron VI atf's.

It's surprising the amount of crap that comes out after just a 5-10 minute run.

Then I refill with a good dino-oil 5w30 and some AC Delco Oil Supplement, and away it goes.

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My cars:

J. McBean: '98 Suzuki Swift 1.3L 16v SOHC 5sp+ "Mk5" Made in Canada
The Mini Rattler: '94 Suzuki Swift .993L 6v SOHC 5sp+ "Mk3" Made in Canada *The Winter Beater*
B. Berry: '90 Chevrolet Turbo Sprint 1.0L 6v SOHC 5sp+ "Mk2" Made in Japan

I got 18MPG in a 3cyl with a 5 speed manual 4dr, '93 Metro!

Thanks guys... I'm pretty damn anal about looking after my cars, and working on them... I know I go overboard all the time (and my wife would be the first one to say I need to be commited because of it!) I get it from my dad... even though we are hardcore enthusiasts (My main hobby is following the professional racecar engineering industry), when I was growing up we always had a stable of mostly ho-hum work-a-day cars... even the swift in it's original form was one for sure! They always look brand-new and could be parked in dealerships today. This also explains why the swift is in such good shape for it's age and KM's.



I agree - although I could do it, we have a guy at work that builds all our center-spec test and race engines... he's gonna be doing the final assembly and everything for me... (free dyno time too!). Anyway, he has an ultrasonic/high pressure cleaner that'll take care of everything. I'll prime it with an aviation external auto-oiler before I fire it up. (hooks up through the oil pressure sensor).



Hmm... honestly, I feel that the block, components and assembly location likely aren't clean enough if you're getting a 'suprising amount of crap' after 5-10 mins. Although the vast majority of engine break-in occurs in the first 20 mins of running, the majority of material should be captured by the oil filter. If you were to fire up a new engine without moly and run it for 5 mins, the oil should drain clean and looking close to new(cutting open the filter will reveal another story...). Even though blow-by will be at it's worst with new rings, it just isn't enough combustion events to contaminate the oil a huge amount. In my mind, the biggest drawback would be removing the moly assembly lube so quickly... I have seen a statistically significant trend of ~5% difference in possible fuel economy (and power) between running a new engine to first oil change with the molly in the engine vs. draining after less than 1000kms... although my experience in this regard isn't with Suzuki engines.

Also, can you clarify, are you actually running the engine with ATF in the crankcase?

You shouldn't run much Moly in the sump on a rebuilt or new engine for atleast in my books 10,000km, some say 25,000km. The reason being the moly is stupid, it doesn't know good wear from bad wear, and will actively block break in. It's like pouring Motul Ester+ or Redline engine oil into a fresh rebuild. It'll work good for awhile but then you'll end up with oil burning. The small amounts that are in rebuild lube, I only use moly on main/rod/cam bearings, I use white grease everywhere else.

I do run ATF in the crank, as a first fill. It's light enough it get's everywhere, and it tends to clean better than most dino oils. It'll also move quickly through the engine, and coat everything in fluid that is very resistant to corrosion. The trick with it is though, don't drive on it. Run it, vary the engine speed. Drain, I've kept my engines spotless, but you can't reach everywhere, and true, if you slice the can open with a big roller blade(sawing just makes iron files).

After the ATF run, I fill it up with a good dino 5w30 and a container of the AC Delco Oil Supplement, then I run it to about 2000km. This is with using good filters, not Fram or Honeywell or 'E-Core' types. Then I run 5000km changes until 20,000km, then I switch to good quality synthetic, and run 10,000km on 0w30 or 5w30.

An aside: I do rag on Castrol for buggering the North American definition of 'Synthetic' but I do tend to use their dino 5w30. Though with newer engine oils(5w20, 5w30, 10w30) they've stripped a lot of the good stuff unless you have rollers and no flat surfaces impacting each other. So the AC Delco oil supplement replaces these additives, and helps with proper breakin as well.

P/N for the AC Delco is: 1 #992869

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My cars:

J. McBean: '98 Suzuki Swift 1.3L 16v SOHC 5sp+ "Mk5" Made in Canada
The Mini Rattler: '94 Suzuki Swift .993L 6v SOHC 5sp+ "Mk3" Made in Canada *The Winter Beater*
B. Berry: '90 Chevrolet Turbo Sprint 1.0L 6v SOHC 5sp+ "Mk2" Made in Japan

I got 18MPG in a 3cyl with a 5 speed manual 4dr, '93 Metro!

Any updates?

I mean it's no Honda... but come on, give the swift some love.

Funny guy!

Now that winter is over, I am getting back to work on it... gotta post some pics.

1) Organized the garage and added some shelves hanging from the ceiling, now I can work on the car without moving anything - big efficiency increase. (BORRRING!)
2) Engine isn't finished yet, but I should add some pics. Should be ready to go before the car is ready for it.
3) Finally tore the old collars off the RR knuckle toe studs, and removed the old bushing sleve from the LCA mount... sandblasted the knuckles and ready for paint this week.

Other than that, progress will hopefully happen very quickly now and I'll have lots to post up soon!

those old corroded crush tubes on the toe bar studs are fun, aren't they?

what type of dyno does your buddy have and what's the chance of me getting some time on it?

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1991 Blue Geo Metro Convertible highly modified 1.0L Turbo3 5 spd. - 1991 Red Geo Metro Convertible customized with a Twincam 5 spd.

My Turbo3 Project
My Cardomain Page -Ol' Blue
My YouTube Channel
My Photo Gallery
SAAB Sonett II

He's got two dynos - a Superflow AutoDyn chassis dyno, and another eddy current engine dyno that I don't know the brand of.

He's moving soon and I don't know when he'll be pulling the superflow apart, but I'll ask him this week for ya.

I'll have progress pics to post soon!

Eager to see progress on this.

Once she's complete you need to set up a track day/auto X. I'll see if you can keep up with my 09 SX4 Crossover. It is mightier than a mini afterall; 2.0L of dohc fury + iawd!

Okay... some boring progress:

1. Threw some plywood up as shelves in the ceiling - with some of the cluter up out of the way, efficiency up!



2. Some painting w/ POR15... apparently even better protection than my favorite - powdercoating. We'll see.

ok, more progress pics... this should be the 2nd last load of sandblasted & POR15'd parts... next is the underside of the car - If I can get that finished by the end of May then I'll be on track to be back on the road by the end of July.

An old oil pan that I bought off T3ragtop... much less rusty than my original, and it cleaned up pretty good!


The collection of parts in this lot.. pretty much everything is self explanatory.

i like the por15. evan, your car will be so clean it'll look like a new one.

uh, there's no rubber in your rear engine mount. you must be up to something.

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1991 Blue Geo Metro Convertible highly modified 1.0L Turbo3 5 spd. - 1991 Red Geo Metro Convertible customized with a Twincam 5 spd.

My Turbo3 Project
My Cardomain Page -Ol' Blue
My YouTube Channel
My Photo Gallery
SAAB Sonett II