Help needed - tips for buying a surf?

[murphcbr6]

generations

do the generations correspond to the years? - or would i be right in saying that because a lot of them are grey imports, all that goes by the board? - i guess you'll know fom the VIN number though?


also - on a completely different subject - have you ever slept in yours? - I was hoping that the seats go flat enough to be able to get an air mattress in the back?

[joker??]

do the generations correspond to the years? - or would i be right in saying that because a lot of them are grey imports, all that goes by the board? - i guess you'll know fom the VIN number though?


also - on a completely different subject - have you ever slept in yours? - I was hoping that the seats go flat enough to be able to get an air mattress in the back?

not if its like garys lol

[stormforce]

do the generations correspond to the years? - or would i be right in saying that because a lot of them are grey imports, all that goes by the board? - i guess you'll know fom the VIN number though?


also - on a completely different subject - have you ever slept in yours? - I was hoping that the seats go flat enough to be able to get an air mattress in the back?

the 2nd gen 2.4 is a ln130 upto 1993,the 3l is kzn130 is upto 95/96 and i think the 3rd gen is a kzn185 and i think that goes upto 2001 but some in the know will correct me on the years tho.don't know about the 1st gen tho.
you should be able to sleep in it no problem as a few on here have

[Diezel Weazel]

the 2nd gen 2.4 is a ln130 upto 1993,the 3l is kzn130 is upto 95/96 and i think the 3rd gen is a kzn185 and i think that goes upto 2001 but some in the know will correct me on the years tho.don't know about the 1st gen tho.
you should be able to sleep in it no problem as a few on here have

Well Richard & others at the RRTS, you may recall me & the Missus slept in the front seats of the Truck (so we wouldn't wake anybody at 4am when we sneaked away) & yes we've slept in the back o the Truck no Problem !!!

There's Always a Payback.... You just can't see it Comin !!!!

[murphcbr6]

got the answer to one of my questions

I looked at a guy called Steve-O in Stockport (so handy for me ) who advertises on this site and he lists a cylinder head replacement for a 2.4 as £995 + vat (slightly more for 3.0).

anybody got any recent experience with servicing costs? how much am I looking at for a bog-standard 12 month service - and what price for a big service (Im assuming timing belt changes etc at X thousand miles)

[stormforce]

I looked at a guy called Steve-O in Stockport (so handy for me ) who advertises on this site and he lists a cylinder head replacement for a 2.4 as £995 + vat (slightly more for 3.0).

anybody got any recent experience with servicing costs? how much am I looking at for a bog-standard 12 month service - and what price for a big service (Im assuming timing belt changes etc at X thousand miles)

have a look at TonyN's site that will give you an idea of cost
www.4x4toys.co.uk

[murphcbr6]

nice link stromforce - thanks

the pertinent info seems to be as follows - they do two service levels (major and minor)

for the major one £250 gets you....
Change Oil and Oil Filter
Air Filter
Fuel Filter
Fan Belt
Air Con Belt
PAS Belt
Change ATF fluid
Check Brakes
Grease UJ's
Grease Ball Joints
Check Bearings
Change Diff oil
Change Brake & Clutch fluid
Change Radiator Coolant


for the minor one £150 gets you...
Change Oil and Oil Filter
Air Filter
Fuel Filter
Check and top up Brake & Clutch fluid
Check and top up Diff oil
Check Radiator Coolant
Check ATF fluid

hants is a long way for me - but its good to get a ballpark figure of what I should be paying.

[stormforce]

give Stevo a ring and see if he does servicing and if not he will give you a contact.He is well respected on this site so anyone he recomends should be ok too

[murphcbr6]

OK one more post then I'm done (probably)

so I turn up at the geezers house - the VIN matches the V5 - he's got a receipt for the modified cylinder head, MOT and service history....


are there any other documents I should be asking for - import papers/registration papers etc?

anything else I should check? - or any tell tale signs that would start ringing alalrm bells for you?

[stormforce]

so I turn up at the geezers house - the VIN matches the V5 - he's got a receipt for the modified cylinder head, MOT and service history....


are there any other documents I should be asking for - import papers/registration papers etc?

anything else I should check? - or any tell tale signs that would start ringing alalrm bells for you?

as long as you are happy with everything and he has proof of the modified head as you say AND THE PRICE IS RIGHT THEn go for it.As long as everything is working ok ,have you tested the 4wd to make sure it engages and dis-engages ok
sorry about the capital letters the parrot is playing silly buggars on the key board

[Paradis]

Hey there, I'd love to know the answer to the question above as well. I just imported (to canada) a '91 SSX-R LTD with about 100K Kms on it, (56,000 miles?) and its looking like I'm gonna need to some preventative maintenance as well
I got the tanny flushed, thermostat changed and general riff raff like that done, but what else am i looking at? Is modifying the head a major operation?

http://www.jdmconnection.ca/STOCK17003.html

cheers guys

[MattF]

Hey there, I'd love to know the answer to the question above as well. I just imported (to canada) a '91 SSX-R LTD with about 100K Kms on it, (56,000 miles?) and its looking like I'm gonna need to some preventative maintenance as well
I got the tanny flushed, thermostat changed and general riff raff like that done, but what else am i looking at? Is modifying the head a major operation?

See to the main bits. Timing belt and tensioner, coolant, thermostat, rad cap, check all coolant hoses and replace any that may be perishing. (Pay special attention to the ones that feed from the block to the front matrix. They can be quite clogged internally). All oils and fluids, filters and belts. Once those are done, the head going would be merely down to bad luck alone. Also, the rocker cover gasket may well be leaking.

[stormforce]

Hey there, I'd love to know the answer to the question above as well. I just imported (to canada) a '91 SSX-R LTD with about 100K Kms on it, (56,000 miles?) and its looking like I'm gonna need to some preventative maintenance as well
I got the tanny flushed, thermostat changed and general riff raff like that done, but what else am i looking at? Is modifying the head a major operation?

http://www.jdmconnection.ca/STOCK17003.html

cheers guys

Just check everything as you would for any motor.Try it out on some loose ground in order to make sur the 4wd works
you would need to purchaes a new head for the surf if you wanted it modified but as long as you keep up with the servicing etc the head could go on for ages

[Paradis]

Cheers for the tips gentlemen.

I picked it up today, and it really is in fantastic shape (appearence wise). The coolant's been flushed, not the tranny, so i'll need to do that, as well as check the timing belt and tensioner of course. It looks as the the owner in Japan took great care of it on a basic level, but didn't do too much of the large detail work ( like the belts for example.) Gonna have to go try the 4WD tomorrow, but i've never done it before so, gonna have to read up on it first. I know L- is to be used only at super low speeds for extreme conditions and its best to go in reverse to get back into 2Wd so i'll have a go at it tomorrow.

however i did run into a bit of a snag when i realized that being a deisel with no block heater, the entire vehicle will be frozen next time it drops below -20C, this is of course a problem for me in Canada as it usually gets below -20C a few times every winter for atleast a week or two.. suggestions?
Thanks guys

[najobskalf]

Servicing costs

Protech quotes less than half of those figures for major and minor services for a Surf!