I don’t know why I just bought this car; I truly, truly don’t. I just sold my dream Jeep XJ on Sunday as part of a plan to reduce my fleet of cars to something that A: Might let me move to Los Angeles (to do work stuff) and B: Might afford me some amount of social life that isn’t just wrenching at junkyards. And yet, even though I’ve had a strict “No Buying Cars” policy in place for months, this morning I took ownership of a 2000 Chevy Tracker 4×4 five-speed. And while the machine is deeply, deeply flawed, it was also the deal of the century, so maybe it wasn’t a bad call. Just hear me out.
Autopian user “Shop-Teacher,” whom I met six-ish years ago at the Indianapolis 500 and whom I’m quite fond of, has for years been telling me in the comments of my articles to get my shit together and stop hoarding vehicles (my parents and brothers have been beating a similar drum). So to him and my family, I’m just going to say: Sorry about this one. I really had no choice.
But hear me out. This body-on-frame Tracker is rust-free! It’s got a stickshift! It’s 4×4! It was only $700! Seven Hundred smackerie-daiquiris! Those in the “know” understand what I’m saying; this is a Suzuki Vitara re-badged as a Geo Tracker rebadged as a Chevy Tracker. The 2.0-liter “J20A” engine is known for being rather stout, and the off-road capabilities are said to be substantial. Suzuki sold these things all over the world; I’ve had Instagram friends from Brazil and Turkey message me recently, saying they’re familiar with these little SUVs. The Japan-designed, Canada-built, America-branded 4×4 is rugged, maybe a little underpowered, but just generally awesome.
Technically the asking price was $1,600, and my plan was to try to snag it for about $1,200 to $1,400 if the body was as rust-free as the listing indicated. “It’s a 2000 Chevrolet tracker It’s been enough family since we move from Kansas It runs overheats little bit It’s a good car for the price” read the entire Facebook Marketplace listing.
I arrived at the seller’s home and met a kind Albanian man playing with his daughter at his sizable home, with a bunch of vehicles (presumably owned by his family members) out front, including the man’s big Chevy Silverado 2500 work-truck. He showed me to the Tracker. “It won’t start without a jump. I’ll be right back,” he said, before disappearing into his house, and returning with some jumper cables.
He hooked two sets of jumper cables to one another to get some extra length, and attached them to the Tracker’s battery on one end, and to his Pontiac Vibe’s battery on the other. “Pop!” went a spark between the cable and the Vibe’s battery. The man headed to his car, and turned it on, then hopped into the Tracker. No crank, no relay clicking, nothing. I turned to the Vibe, and got nearer, only to see what I’d feared: The man had put the jumper cables on backwards, with black on red and red on black.
I corrected the issue, but it appeared the damage was done. No matter how long we waited, the little 4×4 wouldn’t crank. Nothing — I mean NOTHING — worked. No lights, no hazards, and definitely no starter motor. “Weird, it ran yesterday,” the man said. “Well, I think you may have fried something by reversing the jumper cable polarity. Normally when you hook a jumper cable to a car properly, you see a tiny spark, but I see nothing.” He suggested we wait for the battery to charge; he even pulled up his truck to us it.
“Man, this battery must be completely dead,” he guessed. “Well,” I responded. “We’re basically running this Tracker off your pickup’s battery. There should be some lighting or at least one or two signs of life. I think something’s fried. Maybe the engine computer, maybe some fuses.” I then started to look through some fuses underhood, but I wasn’t familiar with the Tracker, and gave up.
A few minutes later, the man gave up trying to start the thing, and I got ready to head back home. “I’ll let you know when I get it running,” he told me. “Sure,” I responded. “And if you want to sell it non-running, let me know.”
“How much?” he replied. “Oh, I dunno,” I answered, “Throw out a price.” He told me he’d been offered $500 already, so I threw out $700. He immediately went to get the title.
The following day, I had AAA tow the Tracker to my home, where it currently sits, dead. Completely dead. I haven’t done a full assessment of the vehicle’s health, but an initial assessment shows some mouse droppings (it smells like urine in the cabin) and some black and white growth on the carpet:
And of course, there’s this nasty ding in the rear quarter panel:
I can’t seem to get the rear door open, either, plus the tires look a bit old. Anyway, I still have a lot to do on this thing. You could argue that buying a completely-dead Geo (let’s call it what it is) is a terrible idea, but I look at it as a rust-free, five-speed, 4×4, manual transmission, relatively fuel-efficient Japanese SUV for only $700.
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It’s was a responsible choice, really. Well, assuming it’s got any life left in it.
You bought this so you could find a woman. This will be the new (first) date vehicle.
Nothing like the romantic aroma of rodent shit.
Last year I sent DT a gift of Reverse Protected Jumper Cables just so that he wouldn’t do it again. Alas, it doesn’t seem to have helped. More magic smoke…
Thank you for that! I actually had those with me, but he used his own…
It’s just such an easy mistake to make. I’m just as much of a dumb-ass as him on my best days, which is why I have a pair. Shame he didn’t. Nice buy anyway BTW.
On the one hand I am extremely happy you bought something other than a Jeep, the Tracker is a favorite of mine. On the other hand, I feel bad encouraging this purchase because you really do seem like you have a legitimate problem. It’s like you congratulated yourself on a good day on a diet by buying and eating an entire cake. As a fat guy, I get it, I do. But you have to stop eating the cake every time you do good. You want to do all of these cool adventures right? Move to California? How can you legitimately do these things if you keep making the same mistakes that cause the city to censure you and keep making you lose your focus? You want to make the FC jeep into an EV right? You want to build a vehicle to take around the world? Stop worrying about missing a great deal and focus on one of the major projects you do have. You have too many vehicles and too many projects. I love reading your stories. The one I like most is the European trip because you focused on one big project and took it to a completion point. Sometimes you need to resist temptation and focus and use some willpower. Stop. Eating. The. Cake.
Does this mean you now own a car with an OBD II port? Break out Mercedes’ scanner! (Assuming there is anything left of the electrical system)
Mouse shit? It needs a cat! 😀
No really though, the Tracker is awesome and people hate on it for no reason. Suzuki was ahead of its time with the Tracker/Sidekick/Vitara
The 4-door hardtop is the XJ Done Right
The 2-door convertible is the Wrangler Done Right
This is why I’m coming on here. Clicking this is equivalent to rubbernecking at a bad crash. We all know the outcome, but still want to look. It may not be as bad as we think!
Get it running, clean it, fix those crusty lights and flip it. It’s satisfying to resurrect a dead car. And the funds can be used for fixing up the AMC Jeeps. Or saving for a month’s rent in LA.
Great little trucks, really capable off road up to the point you need axle diff locking. They’re geared real low in 4low so that the lack of power isn’t really an issue.
And, they can be lifted quite easily:
https://www.rocky-road.com/rocksteady-tracker-lift.html
I had 2 of them, loved them. Super popular here in Quebec.
So DTs neighbors got to see two cars leave the “Fleet” recently – the Valiant and the Jeep from hell. Probably had their hopes up the herd was thinning. Nope, here comes a flat bed with a 22 year old Chevy Tracker.
I bet as soon as the neighbours heard the flatbed, they had already guessed who’s home it was going to stop outside.
Well…..of course you did.
Are you and Mercedes Streeter involved in some kind of macabre game to see who can own the most ungainly vehicles?
Please David, get help. No, on the other hand, please keep this up. It’s just too much fun watching you torture yourself like this.
Next, someone buys a non-functional K-car with a hole in the floor for $200. But its a manual!
That would most likely be me. But my wife would kill me.
I love the title of the ad calling it a Chevrolet “Tractor”… and I don’t think I can go back to calling it a “Tracker” ever again.
These things are great, very tough and simple little machines. Their biggest nemesis is rust, like most old Japanese 4x4s and this one is rust-free. I think it’ll clean up nice.
Wanna see how tough are these? search for ‘black as web series’ on Youtube, they resurrect (well that’s a bit of an overstatement, maybe make somewhat more operational) a very broken older Vitara with nothing more than a few sticks and a hammer.
I am really worried about you. “I had to buy it!” You sound like a drug addict. “Just one more.” “I can stop at anytime, I’m not addicted.”
You weren’t even trying to get a good deal, he says he had an offer for $500, and so you countered with $700? (offering 140% more! a 40% increase!!). You should have at MOST countered with $500. “I’m here with cash in hand, sell it to me.” So you didn’t get a deal, you got ripped off. But the excitement of the buy was more important. You weren’t buying a car, you were buying a thrill.
I’ll read any future articles of you fixing and selling cars! They’re great!
I won’t read any more buying articles which enable you.
PREACH. Cheap, reliable transportation is getting more scarce every day and two authors here have something like 50 vehicles between them. Save the shitboxes for people who need them, or fix them up and sell them at cost.
I know why you bought it: you have an addiction. It’s as simple as that. Some people are prone to drugs or alcohol, some to caffeine, some to tobacco. Your addiction is crappy, cheap cars. Honestly, the only one you’re potentially hurting is yourself. But if you’re ok with it more power to you.
I also had an older tracker, decent mileage for a 4×4. No power tho. I found that out when i blew the engine trying to tow something. Don’t do that.
Also had to deal with fixing someones reverse polarity debacle. New link fuse and alternator after the regulator was goofy.
Fix it and flip it. call it a win.
Maybe we simply have different standards but I wouldn’t describe that as “filled” with mouse crap. There’s still room.
David, buy an ozone machine. I think you’ll actually get your money’s worth out of it.
Also, what use case were you trying to solve with this vehicle purchase?
Buy? Oh hell no. Next week’s article is gonna be ‘I tried to build my own ozone machine and nearly died’.
He had a brown spot on his lawn that needed covering up.
I know why you bought it. It turns out that the tracker has the answer for a very important automotive question. What question you ask? Which vehicle has stock disk brakes than can be used for a front disc brake conversion on a Willys Jeep, of course!
Exactly!
Had an assistant manager do that once and fried the BCM. This sounds like ECM though.
It just occurred to me that your initials (DT) are a common shorthand for “delirium tremens”. It all makes sense now with the withdrawals from having a smaller junkyard supply. At least this time you changed crack pipe manufacturers!
Also, what the hell is that sticker all about on the rear window?
I was just on the site before lunch enjoying a few articles. After lunch I decided to take another peek.
I then saw the new headline article.
“ I Just Bought A Rust-Free Manual Chevy Tracker 4×4 For $700 But It Doesn’t Run And Is Filled With Mouse Crap”
I must say butt clenched a bit..… I uttered to myself something like “Ow god… not again”..
But of course I clicked on it… and here we go again…
I, like many here, don’t want to be an enabler but it sure does make good reading!
You probably jist need to replace a fusible link (fuse-wire) going from the battery to the fuse box
“Sorry about this one. I really had no choice.”
*blink-blink-blink*
*heavy sigh*
I … I … I just can’t. I tried to can, but I can’t.
Most likely the big main fuse blew when you connect the jumper cables wrong
It was sold everywhere, it was known as Suzuki grand vitara in France and I think it was built in spain by Santana. Not sure about that one.
Mouse droppings and mold in the interior just mean you have a good excuse to pull out the carpet and buy a couple cans of bed liner.