Scared...dazed n confused

[daphet]

Help please.
For a month or more I have been toying with buying a Surf. I have read loads on this website, thankyou all, but I need reassurance and clarity!!
Can anyone briefly explain to me or point me to where I can find out what the difference is between SSRG, V, X etc...I know you all know, but I don't.

And is it almost certain that I will have to have a new head and everything, (thats on the truck !) and what kind of money are we talking about please? The more I read, the more my mind is changing away from Surfs being a solid lump to something rather finicky and tempramental. Am I wrong?

I have up to 4-5k to "waste" (as my wife calls it) on a Surf and there appear to be loads out there. I just don't know where to start. Best model, ones to avoid, what to look for, the differences....can I get it serviced in the UK, where do you all go for parts, does anyone import parts? It goes on.

Sort of terrified and excited, I really want one but I am no mechanic.......

[Slugsie]

Firstly, don't get hung up on model specs. The Japanese have a tendancy to tick as much as they can on the options list, so no two are quite the same. Basically, look at a few, and find the one with the bits you want. However, as a guide it goes (IIRC) SSR-G, SSR-X ltd, SSR-X, SSR ltd, SSR, SSV.

As for the head going, it seems that roughly 20% of the 2.4's have the problem. If you go for a 2.4 get one that has had the job done (and the ~£1500 bill to prove it), or go for the 3.0 (wish I had) which doesn't suffer.

One other thing, the search functionality would have answered all your questions as they have been asked a lot before.

[silvtr1000]

£4-5k should get you a newer ('94 - '95) 2.4 gen2 or an older 3.0 gen2. Maybe even an early gen3 2.4? The UK members will know more about UK prices. None of these seem to have head trouble.

Note that only 20% of 2.4 owners have had head trouble, mostly early '90s, and those that have had have probably been scrapped or put right and are on the road again.

These probably represent no more a risky buy than one without head trouble. You could argue that one with a new head might be a better buy than one without.

But as I said, in your price range, you probably won't need to concern yourself with that.

I love mine. It has needed work and needs still more. It's an involving car - it seems to attract folk who either like, or are not adverse to tinkering.

There's plenty of info on here about what goes wrong (which is really not that much, and bar the head, most things that need attention are minor), but you'd need to be here a while to realise almost everyone here LOVES their Surf, despite what goes wrong.

Go for it!

This might be useful...

http://www.showmesome.info/hilux/info/faq.htm


Mark

[firefly]

daphet
I can completely sympathise with your feelings after all I had the self same ones, I wanted a surf and the wife a Pajero, it didn’t help the matter when I started to read about the head problem, but wait a minuet the pajeros aren’t exactly immune to the same problem and this is the 2.5 and the 2.8, ive had the surf nearly a year and I cannot sing its praises enough, you just have to know what your letting yourself in for and also be sure you can afford the car and servicing, its a simple as that, over the year the car owe me 4 services and 1 steering idler, the overall cost around 300 quid, just to put this in perspective I also have a Citroen xantia which has cost me £150 for the suspension spheres doing alone and then the servicing on top, the 3.0L which I bought was the one I plumped for as I didn’t want the hassle off the head MAYBE going, if you shop around you may get a 3.0L in a private sale for around your budget, and you wont have to fork out for an alarm fitting as it will already have one, and if you ask the relevant questions to the owner you will soon know if they have looked after the truck and know what they are on about, im still learning about the car but can only say if you take the plunge you wont regret it even if a head went because once it is repaired there’s no turning back, good luck mate and let us know how your going on, any questions just ask your mind I assure you will be put at ease.

[andy]

The 2.4 was phased out around Sept/Oct 1993, after that they were all 3.0ltr, so for £5k you should be able to get an early 3.0ltr.

[daphet]

Thanks already, and apologies for not using the search to its full potential, I figured it was all here somewhere but I just couldn't see the wood for the trees (or use the search properly it seems)....Sorry to be a pain.

I can see everyone here loves thier Surfs, and I am getting a "feel" for it all. I am all ears still! Thanks in advance....

[sumo]

Iv'e had my 2.4 for 6 years (ok so its a 1st gen) and dispite lots of abuse and many attempts to drown or bury her in mud she just keeps on going.Iv'e never had any head trouble.
The best way to buy a surf is to find one you like with all the bits you want at the price you can afford then give it a good test drive,if its a 3.0ltr no problem if its a early (91-92) 2.4 make sure the heads been done or at least make sure the warranty covers the head.After that let the grin take over and go play.......

[silvtr1000]

I'm learning every day - the 2.4 was phased out late '93 - in all my reading I hadn't realised that. Thanks Andy.

[TAZMAN]

Thanks already, and apologies for not using the search to its full potential, I figured it was all here somewhere but I just couldn't see the wood for the trees (or use the search properly it seems)....Sorry to be a pain.

I can see everyone here loves thier Surfs, and I am getting a "feel" for it all. I am all ears still! Thanks in advance....

Look at the response you have got. Ban the FAQ's, it spoils the art of forum conversations is what I say.

[marky]

We were all NEWBIES once

[MAD4IT]

The 2.4 was phased out around Sept/Oct 1993, after that they were all 3.0ltr, so for £5k you should be able to get an early 3.0ltr.

All this talk of the 2.4 head going , lets find a common fault on 3ltr and keep on about that !!!!!!

I have had my 2.4 for a year and a half with no problems. If you do the servicing regularly and grease a few nipple's you will have no problems at all.


P.s I bought direct from Japen and had imported cost £3800 for the Surf and £600 import

[kal]

Help please.
For a month or more I have been toying with buying a Surf. I have read loads on this website, thankyou all, but I need reassurance and clarity!!
Can anyone briefly explain to me or point me to where I can find out what the difference is between SSRG, V, X etc...I know you all know, but I don't.

And is it almost certain that I will have to have a new head and everything, (thats on the truck !) and what kind of money are we talking about please? The more I read, the more my mind is changing away from Surfs being a solid lump to something rather finicky and tempramental. Am I wrong?

I have up to 4-5k to "waste" (as my wife calls it) on a Surf and there appear to be loads out there. I just don't know where to start. Best model, ones to avoid, what to look for, the differences....can I get it serviced in the UK, where do you all go for parts, does anyone import parts? It goes on.

Sort of terrified and excited, I really want one but I am no mechanic.......

[kal]

in the same boat.

Hi mate,i was in the same boat as u in deciding but have gone for it, after doing some reseach which is important, but the guys on this site are so great.I have put a deposit on a black ssrx 3.0lt basically with all the toys,looks great £6800 N 95.Maybe i could have got one cheaper but this a very clean one. sometimes its better to pay more for that xtra look.Any i wish luck hope u get what u want.By the way big hello to everyone since i am new.






?

[dirtydog]

'allo 'allo -welcome aboard mate! Where abouts in London?

[Dog_Book]

Well, the garage that recently serviced and modded the suspension said that its the first Surf they'd seen and it was built better than the 4x4 Rovers of this world. And that it went suprisingly well for all the weight its carrying.