Will a blown head leave me in rotting Daihatsu? :-s

[MontyMoose]

Hello,

I’ve had a Daihatsu Fourtrak now for years; it never lets me down and is mechanically in perfect condition. However the bloke who did suspension at Daihatsu was off sick when they developed the Fourtrak, and not only do you bounce up and down on even the smoothest of roads, but now the body work is beginning to rust away.

So…

I’ve wanted a surf as a replacement for a while, but I hear many scare stories about head’s going, and the surf I buy has got to be ultra-reliable for the job that I do.

Can anyone suggest any tips for A) picking one that’s 100% sound in this respect, (if possible) and B) lowering the chances of the head going after I buy one. Is it as simple as changing the oil and filter regularly?

I assume they’re typical Toyota reliability in every other respect…

Cheers.

[kitesurf_phil]

Hello,

I’ve had a Daihatsu Fourtrak now for years; it never lets me down and is mechanically in perfect condition. However the bloke who did suspension at Daihatsu was off sick when they developed the Fourtrak, and not only do you bounce up and down on even the smoothest of roads, but now the body work is beginning to rust away.

So…

I’ve wanted a surf as a replacement for a while, but I hear many scare stories about head’s going, and the surf I buy has got to be ultra-reliable for the job that I do.

Can anyone suggest any tips for A) picking one that’s 100% sound in this respect, (if possible) and B) lowering the chances of the head going after I buy one. Is it as simple as changing the oil and filter regularly?

I assume they’re typical Toyota reliability in every other respect…

Cheers.

The only way to be really sure is to buy a Surf 2.4 that has had a head replacement and comes with verified reciepts to prove it. Alternatively go for a freshly imported 3.0. The difference in fuel consumption and insurance cost is negligable.
Saying that I have a 2.4L. I have been using it as a daily driver for 18 months and so far so good. This could be because it had the modified head fitted at the factory. It could be because it was recalled and had one retro fitted in Japan. It could go in the next _____ months/weeks. Have a look at the survey in the tech section.
Once all the above is satisfied your Surf will be as reliable as anything that Toyota turn out.
Good luck. I always wanted a fourtrack.................unti l I drove one.

[Linda]

I also had a fourtrak before my surf and agree with everything you say - they bounce like hell, but never let me down til the gearbox bust around 185,000 miles. (Rust wasnt too bad either!)

I bought a 3.0 surf and have never had a single regret. I've had it 18 months now and can highly recommend it. The head issue relates to the 2.4 which had a badly designed head which cracks easily if it overheats (there is tons of info on here about it if you care to search) This issue didnt apply to the 3.0 as it has a different head.

Not sure what fourtrak you have but I had a 2.8 and if you are the same then you would probably prefer the 3.0 as it does have slightly more power than the 3.0 - especially on the motorway (for no discernable difference in mpg, and no diff in insurance etc)