[ Alto Works ] Driving Impressions

Now that the maintenance is out of the way, we can focus on putting the HA11S Alto through some paces and I can give you a more honest review of how it exactly drives by taking it on its first 3-hour road trip to Osaka. First off, the car starts up quickly and smoothly without excessive cranking; good to know the fuel pump, battery, and starter are in good condition. The engine idles and shakes the cabin a bit, somewhat very typical with other unbalanced 3-cylinder engines of this age and mileage. The car accelerates smoothly, with little issues or hesitation between gear shifts.

Power delivery is acceptable, with the turbo spooling up notably around 2500 RPM and trailing off before 6000 RPM. This car only has 63 HP to pull its 670 kg (1477 lbs) listed weight, so it doesn’t pull fast or hard. But it’s not bad at all, actually. The sensation of speed is helped by the relatively low driving position and small roads. If left on “Drive,” the automatic transmission holds the gear until near the redline at around 7000 RPM when the throttle is hammered down. Of course, it chooses to upshift at that point or at the slightest release of the throttle, as to be expected for traditional torque converter boxes. Considering that speeds are legally limited to about 30 km/hr (19 MPH) local roads to 50 km/hr (31 MPH) city roads, this car drives fast enough to be “illegal” within a few seconds.

In comparison to the numerous other kei cars I have driven over the years, this car pulls as well as all of them. While the power-to-weight ratio is less than this Alto, my last HA12S Alto felt a bit peppier, likely due to the 5-speed manual transmission it had. But this is one of the lightest and quickest FWD kei cars that have a plethora of aftermarket support, so it’s perfect as a base car to modify. The small turbo has just enough boost to keep things interesting, but the engine note is harsh when thrashed and the exhaust note is boring. The unknown aftermarket blow-off valve is fun to hear, whooshing and releasing pressure when the throttle is let off. Whenever I get to replacing the exhaust, I’m sure that is when I’ll enjoy this whole experience more.

Unfortunately, the car has a terrible on-center feel, with quite a bit of steering play, quite typical of other kei cars of the 90s. I wish it was a bit crisper and sharper like my last Alto, but it’s far from terrible. The car has a decent feel in slow speed corners, so I took the car out to some curvy roads to see how the car behaves when pushed a bit more. Immediately, I can tell the car does communicate quite a bit through the steering wheel. There is a bit of honestly in an old car that bumps, rattles, and shakes in corners, as every physical sensation is relayed to the driver. Suspension is decently stiff for an older high-mileage car, so I wonder if it has been replaced at some year. It does not bounce, float, or dive on braking or accelerating. The grip, particularly on wet surfaces, is terrible due to the age and quality of the tires, so it has a tendency to understeer. However, the short wheelbase encourages throttle control to rotate the rear and it is quite easy to do so when provoked.

The non-ABS brakes are stiff, necessitating a bit of pressure to push the pedals. While it is better than soft brakes with no feel, as that might indicate air or leaks, hard brakes could indicate a faulty brake booster, though according to a quick preliminary pressure check, it is ok. Maybe it could be problematic rear drums or pistons. No pulsing, noises, or reverberations otherwise.

Speaking of rear drums, sadly the ie and Limited packages have those as standard. Only the RS/Z and R models had rear discs. Of course, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as drums are very low maintenance and more than adequate for most non-sport FWD cars.

So how does it feel sitting in the car? The Sports Limited bucket seats are respectable and do a decent job of holding my lower back in place, but I do wish the side and thigh bolstering were a bit more aggressive. The non-adjustable steering wheel has a terrible, truck-like angle, facing more upwards than I would like, considering my typical seating position. The cabin is typically noisy and lacks much sound deadening like many 90s economy cars, so wind and road noise impede in the cabin, compounded by the age and crumbling seals.

The lack of amenities is a charm for me: no automatic folding mirrors, no power mirrors, basic A/C and front speakers, and power windows. That’s all one really needs in a daily-driven project car. Heck, with the rear seat back folded, there is plenty of room for a set of spare tires and tools!

For my steely-eyed readers, you might be able to catch some modifications already in progress on the car. Next week, I'll start to showcase some of those changes.

[ Alto Works ] Checking it Out

Picking it up in Fukui City, we spent a good two hours driving the Alto Works to the center to handle the confusing paperwork, money then changed hands, and finally, the little kei car was mine. The first thing that I had to do with it, as with any second-hand car, is give it a nice run-through check and determine the condition of the car before we dive into modifications.

The body is in respectable shape. Minor dings and dents are expected, but no major scrapes or deep dents that I could spot easily. The front bumper has “parking lot” scrapes and rock chips and is missing some plastic rivets, sagging the front a bit. The rear bumper has cracking paint and is slightly warped. The door upper frames next to the roof have significant weathered paint damage, so it will probably need to be repainted. (I plan on just vinyl-covering it over later.) The huge side graphics are horrendous and are dried, cracking, and peeling. They definitely harken back the style of 1990s JDM sports cars. I’m hoping they won’t be too difficult to peel off with a heat gun and solvent.

A bit shabby and worse for wear interior-wise. The large steering wheel is airbag-free, so will be an easy change without the need of expensive or hard-to-make airbag resistors. The seats are fairly decent buckets with some bolstering and are tear-free.

Ugh, that transmission lever is hideous. I wonder if I can hide it under a leather boot?

The previous owners had a nice audio system installed: a newish Pioneer Carrozzeria DEH-P650 head unit, rear Pioneer TSX-100 speakers (there are none in the rear panels from the factory), and 2 huge 24 cm (9.4”) subwoofers and tweeters. They’ll be good for waking up the neighborhood. The only way I want to annoy my quiet town is with a fart-can or straight-dump exhaust, not with bumping music. Sorry, Nick, but they have to go, if not for at least freeing up boot space and removing wiring clutter. Adds +1 to lightness.

Here is a shot of the engine bay. So what can we spot here? Dirty, mostly all stock, but overall in fair condition. Some of these hoses will need to be replaced in the future, as they are cracking. There are no obvious signs of significant leakage around the head gasket. The only aftermarket part I can see besides the battery is the recirculating blow-off valve. This would explain why the car has a notable pressure release sound at even 2500 RPM, where my last Alto had little.

The stock all-season tires are in pretty terrible condition, not to mention the rotation is off on two of the wheels. The Taiwanese Nankang Ultra Sport NS-II tires, while not that old, seem to have quite a lot of sun damage and have some cracks, on top of low tread. I will not be able to safely drive on these for very long. Thankfully, the previous owner did include a set of good condition Korean Nexen Winguard winter tires on steel rims, which I might have to switch to using shortly.

The condition of the two sets of wheels are very good and only show minimal curbing. I’m guessing the previous owners took some decent care of the car judging from them. The alloy wheels are the optional Alto Works Limited-upsized and Enkei-made 14x4.5 +45 set. (The stock Alto Works wheels are similar-looking 13x4 +45s.) The steel wheels have no major identifiable markings, but appear to be a 13x4 size. They are thin wheels, basically hilariously the same as some sportbikes. I am definitely looking to lower the offset on them at least or replace them for at least 5” wheels in the future.

Definitely, I have to fix that hideous wheel gap.

Under the car, we can see generally a fair condition car with only minimal surface rust. For a 20 year old car, this is really good in Japan. There is a bit of a leak near the transmission, but it doesn’t appear dire. Other seals and rubber parts seem pretty good. Of course, there are no signs of aftermarket springs, exhaust, or otherwise. The previous owner mentioned a patched exhaust and I was worried it might be the header or catalytic converter. Thankfully, it’s near the resonator, cat-back, so it can be easily replaced with aftermarket when the time comes.

It still needs to be thoroughly cleaned, inside and out. Preliminary check, finished. I have a laundry list of things that need to be done to this car, all on a budget. Follow me along to see how it goes!

[ Alto Works ] It's New to Me

Now that I am in a satisfactory place with the current setup of my Suzuki Swift Sport, the car addiction bug hit me again. I mean, why not? I am in a country where awesome, cheap, and fun little cars can be had quite easily. I am also fortunate to have access to parking spaces where lots would otherwise be pretty limited. Thanks to the encouragement from my friend, Matsuda-san at Rodeo Cars, I went forth to find a fun little second car.

At the same time, my friend Nick was leaving Japan. He couldn’t find a buyer for his admittedly old 1998 Suzuki Alto Works, despite asking for a reasonable price. I don’t blame anyone; a 20 year old car with 130,000 kilometers on the odometer isn’t ideal as a reliable mode of primary transportation. But to me, a turbocharged, cheap kei car with a ton of aftermarket potential is the perfect second car.

A little history on the Alto: The Alto-class car started initially in 1979 as a Fronte, a FWD economy car developed for the kei car class of super compact vehicles. As the mobility market expanded, Suzuki realized the need for growing families for the growing middle-class. By keeping it extremely affordable, the Fronte and then the Alto became outstanding successes. During the next generation in 1984-1988, the “Works” nameplate was introduced with turbocharging and increased performance. Officially in Suzuki nomenclature, that generation is considered the first Alto in the Japanese domestic market. The HA11 third series of Altos were introduced in 1994 as their lowest-end economy car and much of the car reflects this. Simple interior, flat body panels, and basic amenities nonetheless made this generation extremely popular. The Works, as with previous versions, retained its sporty intentions with turbocharging, differentiating alloy wheels, bespoke aero bodywork, and unique seats.

This isn’t my first Alto Works. I owned one based on the fourth generation Alto body for nearly two years, during which I fell in love with its surprising performance. My HA12S Alto Works was a Superior White base-model ie, driven by a 59 HP SOHC F6A turbocharged and intercooled engine. Despite being underpowered, it’s low speed stability, predictable and sharp handling, and well-spaced gears made the car a joy to throw around corners. Sure, it could’ve used ABS and an LSD... Sadly, it’s long and fruitful life at 180,000 km was cut short by a terribly unskilled driver: me. I ended up sliding into a water ditch, severely damaging its undercarriage and front control arm. (Ditch drift fail.) The cost of repairs would’ve well exceeded its current value and with the additional $700 cost of shaken (mandatory maintenance) coming up, I decided to put the proverbial bullet in its head and send it to the scrapyard.

Back to this new (to me) Saturn Black Metallic HA11S Alto Works. It’s powered by an identical F6A to the front wheels, tuned to the surprising government-limited 63 HP. This is the last of the model year of the third generation body style and is also a Limited model, the primary notable differences being the additional upper rear spoiler, sportier bucket seats, and larger 14x4.5 inch wheels. I couldn’t care less about the high kilometers or the overall condition, which is nonetheless quite decent. The body work seems straight on initial inspection. My issue, and this will be a sticking point for me in the upcoming months, is the automatic, 4-speed transmission. Sigh.

New blog!

Hello, everyone!

Just started this webpage to discuss topics relevant to my interests and hopefully to yours, as well!

In the upcoming weeks, look forward to seeing a slice of Japanese life, culture, and, perhaps most importantly, import cars! Although, I suppose when I say "import," they'd be considered "domestic" here, right? So let's slap on the overused moniker "JDM."

Thanks for visiting, and please check back for upcoming content and videos!

—Will