New to Surfs

[coggie2k]

Hi guys, great site.

I am looking to replace my current car, Honda Civic VTi Estate, only had it 4 months but the dog has out grown it, Akita 7 months old and 28" to the shoulder...

I love the look of the Surf, and I was looking at one in a car park, the owner had a huge mountain dog with loads of room left over...

Having looked at the threads I still have a few questions and need guidance, I realise the final descision is mine but.

Speedo, are the import speedos in Kms or Miles, if in K's can they be changed?

Is the cost of servicing/repairs high, and is it difficult to find places to get parts from or that will service and repair them?

Thanks all, looking forward to your responses.

Is there anything I should look out for and stay away from?

Neil

[Morr]

Hi guys, great site.

I am looking to replace my current car, Honda Civic VTi Estate, only had it 4 months but the dog has out grown it, Akita 7 months old and 28" to the shoulder...

I love the look of the Surf, and I was looking at one in a car park, the owner had a huge mountain dog with loads of room left over...

Having looked at the threads I still have a few questions and need guidance, I realise the final descision is mine but.

Speedo, are the import speedos in Kms or Miles, if in K's can they be changed? Imports arrive with speedos in Km's but should be changed to Mph by the time it's been registered, if not new faces are readily available

Is the cost of servicing/repairs high, and is it difficult to find places to get parts from or that will service and repair them? Parts are not generally a problem, most available from stock and anything else can be ordered earily either thru Toyota stealerships or other specialists
bbb
Thanks all, looking forward to your responses.

Is there anything I should look out for and stay away from? Really depends on your budget at to exactly which models you should look for

Neil

[slydog]

hiya

hiya goggie where in essex are ya m8 il give ya all the help i can im in dagenham and use mine for my dogs excellent motor

[Smurf]

Hi Coggie2k

Another Essex member here, give us a shout if any help required, i have a 2.4 and have just done the head so it is now fully sorted and reliable and doesnt owe me silly money.
If you are looking at early 2.4s do bear the head in mind as it can be a problem, other than that what a fantastic motor, had mine for about 6 weeks now and despite the head trouble i would still buy another.
Sly has a 3.0 so if you wanna compare the two just let us know.
Imports usually have the speedo reading changed to miles but odometer will still clock up KM's.
I do my own servicing and having read some of the stories on here i am glad i do!! Most garages should be able to cope with jobs on a surf, just find a good one.
I have had no trouble getting parts and if you did struggle you would only have to ask on here and someone would point you in the right direction!!
Good luck and dont be afraid to ask.
Ed & Sarah

[Quicka]

Hi Coggie Another Essex Surfer here, got the 3.0 the same as Sly if you want any help theres normally at least one of us on here.

Colin.

[Wheelrepairit]

from one essex owner to another,i reakon he comes from COGGESHALL IN ESSEX

[coggie2k]

Thanks for the replies.

Another question, how different and difficult are they to drive in comparison to a car? higher, heavier etc?

Sorry to sound stupid but never heard of COGGESHALL, only moved here 18months ago.

Neil

[Shish]

having driven mostly supercharged MR2s it was quite a change for me to drive a surf... it felt like a behemoth with no acceleration, wooley steering, sloppy suspension, bad brakes and erm 'interesting' handing

however after driving it for a week i had changed my mind they do actually drive very well, comfortable, quiet and easy to drive. They dont feel much bigger than an estate car (apart from the height)

[Guest]

having driven mostly supercharged MR2s it was quite a change for me to drive a surf... it felt like a behemoth with no acceleration, wooley steering, sloppy suspension, bad brakes and erm 'interesting' handing

however after driving it for a week i had changed my mind they do actually drive very well, comfortable, quiet and easy to drive. They dont feel much bigger than an estate car (apart from the height)

For a 4x4 they drive very well, not as fast as a V8 Disco or a Cherokee but plenty enough power. They also tend to corner a lot better than most other 4x4s apart from the Cherokee.

Wooly steering is generally symptomatic of worn track rod ends or idler arm bushes. Mine is pretty direct even with 31inch mud terrains on (I have changed the idler bushes).

They ain't never gonna drive like a sportscar but they are pretty good for a big old bus.

Cheers

[coggie2k]

Cheers for the replies.

Another question. Airbags. Does the surf have them, if so what year, driver passenger etc.

Probably have to go for a 1992 ish year as budget is minute...

Neil

[Shish]

Wooly steering is generally symptomatic of worn track rod ends or idler arm bushes. Mine is pretty direct even with 31inch mud terrains on (I have changed the idler bushes).
Cheers

rod ends & arm are allready on my list of 'suspect' faults

[andy]

Cheers for the replies.

Another question. Airbags. Does the surf have them, if so what year, driver passenger etc.

Probably have to go for a 1992 ish year as budget is minute...

Neil

Only fitted on the 3rd gen late 1995 onwards.

[coggie2k]

do any surfs have cooll bits like leather and stuff, just not the wooden wheel as I'm not into that.

I have seen ads for wooden dash kits etc, and the obligatory bars for the outside, but have not come across a surf with leather

[Morr]

do any surfs have cooll bits like leather and stuff, just not the wooden wheel as I'm not into that.

I have seen ads for wooden dash kits etc, and the obligatory bars for the outside, but have not come across a surf with leather

Leather seats in a Surf is very rare, except on steering wheel and gearshift gaters altough US 4Runners often have leather. Wooden steering wheels are aftermarket afaik. Fake wooden dash etc is generally standard on SSR-G models and also readily available as aftermarket.