Bit advise needed

[Shalershasker]

Hi peps, am picking up a 3rd gen (1996 auto 3.0) tomorrow from Birmingham and driving it back to Hastings, what would be a good speed to keep to on a distance like that bearing in mind fuel and stress on an uknown engine (to me anyway) have read 55 is good, just don't want it to go bang before even getting it home or am I being to worried about my new baby.
Also since I've never had either a diesel or driven an auto before (other than the test drive) whats the 1 and 2 for if you have D on the auto box, no doubt this is a stupid question but I've never had an dealings with an auto before.
Please feel free to ridicule me becuase I should know this but as I said I've never driven one before.

[mickyd]

just drive it as you normally would, they're not the fastest cars on the road, i normally sit at 70 the car is happy and will drive all day like it, autobox, just stick it in D and sit back an enjoy the drive.
the 1 and 2 are just lower range, in D it will use all appropriate gears, 2 wont go higher than 2nd and 1 it is just really used as a low range gear, wont shift out of first more use if you are off roading.

[Bogus]

The 1 and 2 things, basically hold it in that gear and dont allow further changes up. I suppose you might use it for climbing mountains, or towing a Land Rover out of a muddy field or something. All you need to do is stick it in D and set off.
As regards driving it home, check all your fluids, tyre pressures and stuff like that before you set off. Drive at a speed you are comfy with. Try the brakes a few times, get yourself familiar with its overtaking, cornering and stopping abilities. All the usual " new car" stuff. Once you are comfy, the speed will soon drift up. I drove mine from Stroud to Edinburgh when I first got it, 70mph most of the way and possibly ( allegedly)I even strayed higher. I had however owned two 2nd gens before so was semi familiar with Surf behaviour.

Good Luck and enjoy the drive ( impossible not to)

Bogus

[T1z3R]

as above, just drive it.
and dont ask us what to have to eat when you stop for fuel :P

[Shalershasker]

Cheers peps, it's probably just post new car jitters and am overley worrying about nothing but better to know than not, it's now apparent to me that I've read up on as many of the things that can go wrong and how to prevent/repair them and haven't been concentrating on the fact that I'm getting the vehicle I want and just enjoy it.

[mickyd]

mate, thats an easy trap to fall into, when I bought mine just a few months ago I was reading up on known faults etc.. and I think there is a point when you have read too much and become paranoid about it, I know I did and it was ruining my first experiences of the car.
personally I stopped looking through the problem pages and just drove the thing and forgot about it, lets just say that I love my 2nd gen, the most comfy car I've owned and I did an 800 miles round trip on holiday to cornwall without any issues at all, it has never failed to start and a bit of maintenance that I did, brakes and steering joints were simple.
head off out and enjoy it without worrying, they are tough as old boots!

[MattF]

mate, thats an easy trap to fall into, when I bought mine just a few months ago I was reading up on known faults etc.. and I think there is a point when you have read too much and become paranoid about it, I know I did and it was ruining my first experiences of the car.
personally I stopped looking through the problem pages and just drove the thing and forgot about it, lets just say that I love my 2nd gen, the most comfy car I've owned and I did an 800 miles round trip on holiday to cornwall without any issues at all, it has never failed to start and a bit of maintenance that I did, brakes and steering joints were simple.
head off out and enjoy it without worrying, they are tough as old boots!

That's about the best advice. As with anything, they will have problems, but they're sortable when they happen and worrying about them happening won't change sod all.

Just keep to a good maintenance schedule, make sure everything is serviced well initially and you should be as problem free as humanly possible. Most of the faults which appear are either due to a lack of maintenance or off-road abuse, and both of those are scenarios which will obviously cause problems, so should be expected.

p.s: The only thing to note is the possibility of the original skanky Jap tyres being fitted. Don't know if they will be old enough on a third gen to be a problem, however.

[sv1000spilot]

Search posts re 4WD before you use it on tarmac as if you get it wrong it's expensive.

[Brummie]

As already said check fluid levels, tyre pressures, jump in and go. You'll find it hard to keep a steady speed at first because of the type of engine and transmission but dont worry you'll soon catch on.
As far as cruising speed goes I try to keep around 2500rpm on the motorway this is for my wallets health rather than the engines, at this rpm depending on conditions my speed is anywhere between 60 and 70+.
So jump in and enjoy, after 10mls you'll have the beginnings of a smile on your face and after 30mls a big cheesy grin, and it only gets better
Welcome to the wonderfull world of SURF
cheers Ian

PS what part of Brum are you going to?

[Shalershasker]

Thanks for the reply's everyone, feeling a bit better about the whole thing now, just getting worked up over nothing.

[Shalershasker]

PS what part of Brum are you going to?

It's just a smidge above, Coven, Wolverhampton.

[Paul1566]

Notice you have a celica as well....well for a start when i got out of my celica to drive my surf home nearly pooped meself at the first bend as celica's sit low and stiff and yer surf will sit high and soggy it will roll into a corner..... you get used to it, but first time out was pretty funny chucking it into corners and feeling that rolling sensation.....not as bad as the missuses old 2CV that would roll soo bad you could have scrapped an elbow.....
Now i just chuck it in and wait for the screams to die down from the passengers.....
Enjoy it i am sure you will..........

[PDR]

As already said check fluid levels, tyre pressures, jump in and go. You'll find it hard to keep a steady speed at first because of the type of engine and transmission but dont worry you'll soon catch on.
As far as cruising speed goes I try to keep around 2500rpm on the motorway this is for my wallets health rather than the engines, at this rpm depending on conditions my speed is anywhere between 60 and 70+.
So jump in and enjoy, after 10mls you'll have the beginnings of a smile on your face and after 30mls a big cheesy grin, and it only gets better
Welcome to the wonderfull world of SURF
cheers Ian

PS what part of Brum are you going to?

It is very easy to keep to a steady speed in a Surf......

You just push “set” on the cruise control

[Shalershasker]

Notice you have a celica as well....well for a start when i got out of my celica to drive my surf home nearly pooped meself at the first bend as celica's sit low and stiff and yer surf will sit high and soggy it will roll into a corner..... you get used to it, but first time out was pretty funny chucking it into corners and feeling that rolling sensation.....not as bad as the missuses old 2CV that would roll soo bad you could have scrapped an elbow.....
Now i just chuck it in and wait for the screams to die down from the passengers.....
Enjoy it i am sure you will..........

I found this out on my first test drive, I tried a couple of 2nd gens before this 3rd and did exactly the same, logic dictates that it's taller and so will have more body roll but I still chucked it in the corner anyway, very nearly a brown trouser moment but was funny especially after the salesman peeled his face of the window.

[Brummie]

It is very easy to keep to a steady speed in a Surf......

You just push “set” on the cruise control

No cruise controll. That and the climate controll are the two things I miss.