Yet another keen newbie!!

[JayBee]

G'day guys!
I'm just finishing up an 18 month contract here in Perth, Western Australia, arrive back into the UK next weekend. I'm a Tree Surgeon by trade, and have had some amazing experiences and memories, playing with the BIG aussie trees!

Got a few mates here that absolutely love the Hilux Surf and 4RunnerI've grown quite attached to them too, but never really got around to owning my own. But have had a fair few off road/fishing trips with them in their Utes. A highlight was up in Lancelin, a sleepy town about an hour north of Perth, with some HUGE natural sandunes, had some great fun driving in the dunes, also i have to confess digging some out! Then parked one surf at the top of a dune, and one at the bottom, rigged some climbing gear and ropes in between, hey presto! A big, long zipline! Great times, although I was finding sand in places I did'nt know existed for weeks after, and sand was discovered in the Surfs for months after!

I arrived in Oz and found autos are the norm. Ended up with a V6 Mitsi Magna. Never really thought about owning an auto in the UK, but now have developed a bit of a passion for the 2.4TD auto surf, a really capable all rounder, and from what i have seen on the net etc, fairly reasonably priced too, just what i need to continue with the tree work in the UK

I would really appreciate any info you guys could provide, sorry if its been repeated to newbies before! but i'm new to Car imports into the UK. Had a few Grey imported Mbikes into the UK before though. Basically i'm looking at a '1993 K Reg TOYOTA SURF Hilux 2.4 Diesel Auto SSR-X Turbo Diesel' as it is posted on the dealer website.

Here are a few questions i would love some clarity on:
-Is the 2.4TD the best surf choice, obviously budget permitting?
-What are the best questions should i ask the dealer when I go to view the Surf?
-What are the most important things should i look for when inspecting the vehicle/worth getting it checked professionally?
-I know it wont be fantastic, but what is the sort of fuel consumption i can expect day to day?
-Will insurance on an import be loads more?

I'm sure the answers to all these questions have been answered before! But just be nice and answer them again please!! Come on, i've got to get used to the good ol' UK weather after a summer here of 36 degs!! think i'll shut up now.

Many thanks in advance, absolutely fantastic website and forum, been checking it out for ages, but only just joined in. cant wait to get my hands on a Hilux surf in the UK, and let the fun really begin!

Kind regards
Johnno

[nero279]

Hello and welcome to the nuthouse,

where abouts in kent are you coming back to?

Prices for these things vary wildly, i just paid £350 for a 1992 2.4 admittedly that's a bit of a rare bargain, but the same vehicle on a dealers forecourt could feasibly have been priced(overpriced) at £3500 (after the dealer spent max £200 on pump seals and a straight door or knocking the dent out of the existing one).

What sort of budget are you looking at? For a 2.4 i'd look at spending £1500 max, and for the right 3.0 i'd maybe stretch to £3000 although there has been 3 litre 2nd gens (<96) go for under £2000 and 3rd gens (>96) go for less than £3000 in the last few months so it's worth waiting on the right one and looking around.

[Woodzie]

Have a read on codlords buying guide.......

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

[JayBee]

many thanks for that advice guys. i will definately take that all on board, and at least look a little more clued up when wrestling a car dealer.

one more thing, its plain to see that all on this forum, really are passionate about their Hilux surfs, but straight up, would one actually make a practical day to day vehicle, for the mundane drive to work or the shops, rather than a fun weekend toy/PT off road work horse? and is reliabilty a key issue too?

Obviously the answer to this is in the eye of beholder, or the holder of the ignition keys! but any info on this would be greatly appreciated. I think personally, I would be ###### bored coming home, and buying a little hatchback, so kind of answered my own question I suppose!?

Thanks fellas
Johnno

Ps Hi Nero279, mate i rock and roll back into Tonbidge, Kent. its where i was born and bred, and my folks still live there, plus there's heaps of trees! kind of important in my line of work! are you local mate?

[nero279]

I'm in ashford mate, so not too far away. As long as your happy that the fuel economy ain't gonna be great i think they are one of the most practical vehicles around. It will carry 5 in relative comfort, or drop the back seats and you've got a 6ft long loadspace that will go off the blackstuff if you want it to or tow reasonably well but you know all that anyway from driving them in oz.

Fuel economy wise, don't expect more than 22mpg from a 2.4, maybe a touch more from a 3.0 (diesel). They can require a bit of maintenance, but no more than any similar age vehicle, most parts are readily available and fairly cheap, so if you're happy to do some of the servicing yourself they're not too dear to maintain either. The only major concern really is the heads cracking - i guess if it really worries you then the best bet is either to buy one on the cheap with a known cracked head and get it done yourself or buy one with paperwork and reciepts to show the heads already been done. I see it as one of them things, it might go - it might not, but any car could have something expensive go so it's not worth avoiding surfs because of it.

[plumb bob]

I would say if you're comuting up to about 25 miles (50 m iles round trip) then they ain't too bad to run, I do 100 mile round trip per day, and it costs about £20/day, which in the long run is just too much money ( £400 per month) so it will probably pay to get a small comuter, but then you got to tax and insure two motors.

I'm in the same boat at the moment, just waiting to try and save some money to buy a cheap run about, and prep the surf for the pyrenees expedition.

[JayBee]

once again, thanks guys for the helpful advice. I've never really been one to watch how much i'm spending on fuel, basically if i'm low, i fill the tank. simple as that.

so as long as its not rediculous, which it doesnt appear to be, then thats that box ticked. With regards to the cylinder head probs, is that on a certain vehicle spec/year of manufacture, or just a general issue with the surf's?

is there any tell tale signs that an engine has got early signs of the problems, plus would that sort of thing be likely to be covered under the dealerships warrenty?

thanks fellas
Johnno

[hellmett]

Re

Take your time!

Shop around!

Avoid dealers (too dear!)

Ask many questions on here!

If you find one, I'm sure one of the local lads will go with you to check it out!

There are a few on here for sale that you KNOW are well cared for!

Anyhow, GO FOR IT!

You will never regret it!

I still love mine as much today as I did 4 years (and £2000.00 on mods!) ago!

Pics of my Surf when I bought it in 2003 and now!

Later!

Gary

[tintin]

I am just down the road from tonbridge ( hailsham, east sussex) you're welcome to come see what you can get for £1400 anytime mate!
Alan

[Apache]

Re. the head probs - tell me a make of car that never ever has a head fail?

The most notorious is the 2.4 which had a poorly designed head and I *think* all of them were potential sufferers until they had an updated head fitted.

There has been the odd 3.0 head failure, but no more than any other vehicle of its age.

Go for a 3.0. Price isn't that different these days, but you've then got more power, less of an unknown re. head reliability, and slightly better fuel 'economy'.

[yoshie]

Maybe an age thing mate but I've done the jap 250/300bhp saloon thing and honestly, I've never been happier to work on a car since getting my surf 3yrs ago. Off road these things will surprise you and they are so easy to fix. The help on offer on this forum is second to none. I think if anyone toying with the idea of getting one of these spends 2 to 3 grand on a decent one they will not be sorry.

[jeff.fn02jwa]

hi

hi your a lumber jack would a kingcab pickup be better for you

and then you can put a truck top in it i would not have a chain saw in the back o my surf but its my baby welcome

to our world we are all barking mad