Is this the cause of my trouble?

[Sancho]

I think with surfs you just have to accept that the reason they've been sat around in Japan, then shipped over here and sold to us cheap is that they're bangers. All the good ones are still in Japan or have gone to Australia or New Zealand.

You buy it cheap, you sort it out and you have a good reliable motor built exactly how you want it. It does take a lot of faith to keep chucking the money in though.

Thinking that one off the boat is going to be in good nick is folly.

[PDR]

Last month I went through the same dilemma …. Was my Surf worth repairing?
The garage seemed to think it probably was borderline…yes the truck is in remarkable condition for a 13 year old vehicle, but I would not get the repair costs back if I sold it and it would only be worth a few hundred £££’s if I tried to sell it with a blown gasket.

I have only owned this Surf since last October but it had been reliable over the winter and everything seemed to work fine and most importantly I enjoyed driving it!

So, I paid to have it fixed, cost more than I had originally been quoted but at least it has been done properly. Spent £1,073 on engine and just bought 4 tyres £353 and I think I might need a new back box (exhaust) come October for the MOT, as it looks past its best.

I have a slight oil leak at the moment that seems to be around the sump area, but “touch wood” everything else on this truck works as it should.

Anyhow, good luck with the rebuild.

[M35A2]

I think with surfs you just have to accept that the reason they've been sat around in Japan, then shipped over here and sold to us cheap is that they're bangers. All the good ones are still in Japan or have gone to Australia or New Zealand.

You buy it cheap, you sort it out and you have a good reliable motor built exactly how you want it. It does take a lot of faith to keep chucking the money in though.

Thinking that one off the boat is going to be in good nick is folly.

That's the whole point. When I bought mine they weren't cheap. I paid £6,250 for mine and now with the £2,500 I've spent on it that's £8,750. That's a brand new car or a 4 year old pick up. It's a joke.

[M35A2]

Last month I went through the same dilemma …. Was my Surf worth repairing?
The garage seemed to think it probably was borderline…yes the truck is in remarkable condition for a 13 year old vehicle, but I would not get the repair costs back if I sold it and it would only be worth a few hundred £££’s if I tried to sell it with a blown gasket.

I have only owned this Surf since last October but it had been reliable over the winter and everything seemed to work fine and most importantly I enjoyed driving it!

So, I paid to have it fixed, cost more than I had originally been quoted but at least it has been done properly. Spent £1,073 on engine and just bought 4 tyres £353 and I think I might need a new back box (exhaust) come October for the MOT, as it looks past its best.

I have a slight oil leak at the moment that seems to be around the sump area, but “touch wood” everything else on this truck works as it should.

Anyhow, good luck with the rebuild.

Thanks dude.

[coolsv650]

That's the whole point. When I bought mine they weren't cheap. I paid £6,250 for mine and now with the £2,500 I've spent on it that's £8,750. That's a brand new car or a 4 year old pick up. It's a joke.

It's all a case of swings and roundabouts. I bought my surf in January 2005, cost me 3 tyres almost immediately because 1) they were cr@p & 2) they were borderline, and 1 battery as it started to fail. then nothing for nearly 12 months (apart from service items) until I bought the wife a 2.4 with an engine problem (which turned out to be a blown head), then in the last 4 months it's cost me a new head (cracked all over the place), 1 new tyre (cos sum little B@5T@rd slashed it) the other battery went, a radiator, full set of belts & front anti roll bar bushes.

When I looked under for the mot I noticed the exhaust was dropping in bits (it's currently welded up) and now the front shocks are starting to leak.

So i've spent £1600 with stevo for 2 heads, £150 with roughtrax for belts etc for the 2.4, £50 with milners for my belts etc and £150 from some non descript E-bay shop for the radiator. Saying that though I've done 25,000 miles, towed a caravan & a big trailer with another surf on.

BUT..... I'm still happy with it

Oh before I forget, when you replace the head, give the cooling system a good flushing out and replace the thermostat.... and enjoy!

Oh dear, now lunch is over and I have to go back to work

[M35A2]

It's all a case of swings and roundabouts. I bought my surf in January 2005, cost me 3 tyres almost immediately because 1) they were cr@p & 2) they were borderline, and 1 battery as it started to fail. then nothing for nearly 12 months (apart from service items) until I bought the wife a 2.4 with an engine problem (which turned out to be a blown head), then in the last 4 months it's cost me a new head (cracked all over the place), 1 new tyre (cos sum little B@5T@rd slashed it) the other battery went, a radiator, full set of belts & front anti roll bar bushes.

When I looked under for the mot I noticed the exhaust was dropping in bits (it's currently welded up) and now the front shocks are starting to leak.

So i've spent £1600 with stevo for 2 heads, £150 with roughtrax for belts etc for the 2.4, £50 with milners for my belts etc and £150 from some non descript E-bay shop for the radiator. Saying that though I've done 25,000 miles, towed a caravan & a big trailer with another surf on.

BUT..... I'm still happy with it

Oh before I forget, when you replace the head, give the cooling system a good flushing out and replace the thermostat.... and enjoy!

Oh dear, now lunch is over and I have to go back to work

I have already replaced the Thermostat, fitted that the other day, so it's waiting to get wet. I flushed the cooling system when I fitted the new rad last year. How have the heads been, as I have just bought one from stevo. Arrives Thurs.