Dear Tom and Ray:

I recently bought an '87 Suzuki Samarai. It was a good value, runs well, and looks great. However, it is really under powered for some of the driving I have to do, and quite unstable at times. Is there anything I can do to the engine to add more power? How about wider tires to give it more stability? Hud

Tom: Hud. Where have you been for the last ten years? In the witness protection program? Don't you know these things are known for their instability? And the reason they have such small engines is because they don't want you to go fast. It's dangerous!

Ray: The main problem with these vehicles is that they're too short in the wheelbase and too narrow in stance. That makes them prone to---what most people call---"flipping over." Those of us with legal liability for what we say in print tend to simply refer to them as "very unstable."

Tom: And there's really nothing you can do about either one of your complaints. There's no way to move the front axle forward or the rear axle backwards. And there's no way to widen the track with wider tires to a degree that makes any difference in the car's handling.

Ray: And increasing the engine's power is that last thing you want to do, Hud. In fact, you might want to disconnect one of the spark plugs to slow this baby down a little more.

Tom: And as far as additional equipment is concerned, I'd put "outriggers" and a "Bronko Nagurski football helmet" high on my list. Drive carefully, Hud.

It's amazing how many bad driving habits and wacko theories have been passed down from generation to generation! Tom and Ray set the record straight in their booklet "Ten Ways You May Be Ruining Your Car Without Even Knowing It!" To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1996 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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