new to the Surf.....and here

[activeviii]

hello all,

My first post here so first a little about me.
My name is Phil, married with 2 kids and live in the gloucestershire area of the UK.
enjoy the carp fishing b but due to a working accident im left with back and knee problems. this has stopped me tinkering around in my workshop and also left me very very forgetful and moody, painkiller abuse has seen to that along with a stomach that cant handle wheat or dairy products.

basically im and messed up 40 year old with empty pockets.hehe
enough about me and more to why i have come here i guess

I have been looking for a 4x4 for a while that i could afford and get into (im just under 7') i found one local so i could drive the distance to go see.

turns out to be in fair condition, no rust, no dents, no leaks and cleanish inside but someone has taken a liking to the stereo wires and surround and set a beaver in to clear the way. also wired a few other things in.

On the whole, for its age, i would say its good condition and over all, worth the money i paid for it.

Toyota Surf (fourrunner) 2.5 TD, 5 door, Auto. 1992/93.
this is what the paperwork said.
J reg. 140k on clock

How much do i know about them? nothing, not a thing.
i can tidy up the inside and do the basics, oils a bit black so i'll change that plus any thing else that you all recommend me do.

but have i dont the right thing or not in buying it? every one that i have spoken to says "oh no! not a surf, ticking time bomb waiting for the head to go, get rid of quick"

i also see all the surfs as spares as the heads gone. so im a little more than worried now

I guess what im asking is there a way of finding out or preventing the head problems, Am i worrying over nothing, is there a certain year/model to watch out for

I couldn't afford this one but i need something higher up of floor so i can get in it so if this one is not a good buy then i need to move it on and find one that will last me like my other car.

i still have my old car for a few weeks as a cant bear to rid it.
Toyota carinaE 18 cdx 1996 (P) 4 door saloon. 56000 on clock. had since new from the show room and don't drive it much, but being so clean i cant bear selling. never had a thing wrong, no accidents. odd set of tyres, a new battery and a few recalls on steering and alarm.


sorry i have rambled on but just trying to give a little info as i honestly don't know what to do.

thanks for you time reading my ramblings.

Kind regards

Phil.

[stormforce]

Hi Phil and welcome.
Don't worry about the rambling on mate as you'll soon see that there is a hell of alot of that on here.
Make sure the truck is well serviced,coolant,oil, atf,filters,belts,diff oils,thermostat and rad cap.
You can get the filter kits fand other parts from here www.milneroffroad.com
or here
www.roughtrax4x4.com

I have recently been made unemployed due to ill health aswell due to accident at work 4 years ago and now have permenant nerve damage in my right leg and i'm restricted on a lot of things but i am able to do a bit more than you by the sounds of it tho.

As long as you regulary service the truck and look after it it should be ok
The other breakers on here like me mainly search for the trucks with blown heads as it cost so much to repair so its better to use these trucks to help others keep theirs going.

[greecysurf]

Hi and welcome Phil, lots of good info on here, as long as you reguarly service them, no problem, bet it was a landbuggeritsbrokeagain owner who told you that.

[Apache]

Some people round here are forgetful and moody *without* an excuse!

Also, many have no stomach for lots of stuff posted here.

Welcome mate.

[evildwarf]

Welcome to the looney bin plenty of help here as long as you got a thick skin

[MattF]

Welcome mate.

A drugged up forgetful sod who rambles. Vaguely seem to recall someone else used to be like that.

As Stormy said, regular maintenance and you should be good. There are some of us who still have 2.4's with an untouched head. Get the coolant system fully serviced and checked and you should be fine.

[Diezel Weazel]

Hi n welcome, Not all stories are sad mate, "Pill popping" yeah done so much I rattle when I walk but at least I'm walkin n not so many pills nowadays tho !!
As for 2.4 heads they are not alone as some 3.0l heads have also been known to go, so ya could be lucky ....
If ya was one of the lucky ones (n I believe I was, my 1990, 6 n half years later & no head issues) I believe its still running around !!!!
There's more informed people on here (those that suffered the Head problems) likely to be more use in terms of what to look out for regarding head/s n trouble/s but I'd say much as others have already ..
Good Luck

There's always a Payback .... Don't know where n ya won't know when tho !!!!

[POPEYE]

Welcome Phil, as said! a good flushing of the system both ways will help, it's worth spending some time on by removeing/flushing the main runs and the smaller ones like the rear heater pipes and the turbo pipes (assumeing the runner's the same or similar to the 2.4 import) replace any hoses that look "crusty", if you do a search on "burping the cooling system" you should find plenty of info on that plus the "drain-cock" burping mod some of us have done, not all surfs are head cases btw, mines the original and still going strong, early models did have a design fault but that in it's self does not crack the head, it just happens to "useually" crack there due to lack of or poor maintinance coolant wise, the fault was a waterway too close to a combustion chamber (not enough meat between em) this fault was rectified on later surfs, later 2.4 and 3lts and of course 3rd gens,

[activeviii]

this has made me feel a little better

i have spent most of the day trying to sort the electrics for the radio . the guy that had it before me should have been an asda butcher

still got that all sorted now. just need an Ariel as the (new one) that the seller supplied was broken inside..

when i started it tonight it was spluttering and needed the revs built slow as it was struggling when trying to rev to fast. white smoke out the back. nothing major and soon disappeared after 10 seconds.

the oil filler cap was stuck solid so took a lump of oak to free it. the cap looked clean with no gunge in the cap but it dose smell burnt and is black.
all other oils look clean and bright.
coolant is dayglo green, looks like it has had something done to it. i did try the fizz thing that was mentioned on the Aus forum about when ticking over look for fizz bubbles in the coolant.


checked with the DVLA web today and the last owner had it since august 19th 2009 DVLA say 4 weeks to get new V5 seams a little suss to me but then im worrying.lol.

In a way im wishing i had held out for a 3ltr but then you say they can be as bad.lol.

Im a panic man tonight.hehe.



thanks all for welcoming me on board.



kind regards
Phil.

[POPEYE]

Aye! it's annoying when someone butchers it like that, normally an ISO lead from halfords will sort it out, was gonna say i have the pinout for the sterio system if ya need it but as you've already sorted it!!!
cant comment on theV5, unless the previous owner never got it reansferred, anyway as long as it aint nicked if you post some pics of it it may well be known to some members !! dunno

[KAD]

Hello and welcome! I'm the same as you mate, know zilch about these things and went and bought one anyway! Sorry I won't be able to help on the tech side but everyone on here seems to know what they're on about (i think!) And as we joined the forum at about the same time I though I'd send a greeting anyway. Maybe we can bounce the dumb questions off each other before bothering the pros!

[POPEYE]

Hello and welcome! I'm the same as you mate, know zilch about these things and went and bought one anyway! Sorry I won't be able to help on the tech side but everyone on here seems to know what they're on about (i think!) And as we joined the forum at about the same time I though I'd send a greeting anyway. Maybe we can bounce the dumb questions off each other before bothering the pros!

Never be afraid of asking "dumb" questions, dispite the pi$$ takeing, there is a search button at the top of each section but it does'nt always give a difinative answer, well worth a look tho but still dont worry about asking, thats what we are all about! also the FAQ's at the top will answer some of the more obvious question like the "red button" etc,

[Webbo]

Forgetfull and Moody thats me is that what painkillers do to you seriously I on 30/500 Co codamol. Any Doctors in the house.

[stormforce]

Forgetfull and Moody thats me is that what painkillers do to you seriously I on 30/500 Co codamol. Any Doctors in the house.

I'm on the same dosage as that aswell.Also on Fluoxetine,Gabapentin and Amitriptyline.After 4 years of all that i surprised i got any brain left

[MudSurfer]

I'm on the same dosage as that aswell.Also on Fluoxetine,Gabapentin and Amitriptyline.After 4 years of all that i surprised i got any brain left

Who? Auntie Mildred.....

thankfully, that's all behind me now, it's onwards and upwards, in a kind of stumbling way.....

And leave Brian out of this, he's done nothing to you....