new to surfs trying to get some info before buying

[dyte]

hi guys im new to 4x4 but am thinking of buying a 93 surf 2.4td with about 75000miles very clean motor guys asking £2400 which seems to be about what they are selling for.doing some research on the net i have found info on head problems and over heating is this a really bad problem with these how many miles will they do before this starts to happen or is it just luck. the way im thinking is if the car has been going 13 years and is still fine and there are examples still out there with 200000miles plus ,it cant be such a big prob or am i wrong i would buy a 3.0td as i have read they dont suffer any of these problems but insurance will kill me

ps any tips on what i need to be spotting or looking for would be great cheers

dave

p.s.s would it be better to buy one which has already suffered this problem and been sorted with a new head

[mickeyboy]

I found that the difference in insurance between the 2.4 and the 3.0 was hardly anything. Have you already looked into it?

[dyte]

isurance

yeh i did m8 the problem is i have 9 point for speeding and also dont realy have the cash to buy a newer 3.0 model trying to keep to my 3000 that i have saved can only find poor examples of the 3.0td for that money

[MattF]

Rarer though it is, 3L's do occasionally suffer head problems, so it's not only
a 2.4 thing. I'm gonna be making this advice into my sig soon at this rate:
Overhaul the cooling system when you first get it, rad cap, thermostat, coolant
flushed and renewed and check for perished hoses, and the chances of head
problems are vastly diminished.

[joker??]

Rarer though it is, 3L's do occasionally suffer head problems, so it's not only
a 2.4 thing. I'm gonna be making this advice into my sig soon at this rate:
Overhaul the cooling system when you first get it, rad cap, thermostat, coolant
flushed and renewed and check for perished hoses, and the chances of head
problems are vastly diminished.

have to agree with matt on 3.0lheads do go mine did
but i was lucky it went when it was owned by someone else

[dyte]

cheers for that guys can you shed any light on anything else i should be looking for when buying one cheers

[MattF]

I always work on the motto that if the chassis and bodywork are in good
nick, especially the chassis, and the engine has no major faults, everything
else just comes down to basic servicing and maintenance. Check for auto
box changing smoothly and no loud noises, with the engine, again, no out of
place noises or extremely rough running. Check from cold as well as once
warmed up a bit if possible. Check oil for water emulsion, check water for oil.
Just take note of whether there are any bad leaks. Something like oil from the
rocker cover isn't major, whereas one from other places may be more
awkward to sort. Other than that, everything else should be fairly easy to sort.
It will have problems that you'll find over time, but that's only natural with
vehicles of this age. I would, however, recommend having it serviced, both
cooling system and all belts and oils, before giving it serious use. A stitch in
time, so to speak. Never rely on the fact that something should have been
serviced or replaced at a certain time/point. Especially the cam/timing belt.
It's easy for someone to press the reset switch instead of changing the belt.

[dyte]

great stuff m8 cheers is there any owners clubs or events bearing in mind i live dundee scotland