New user looking to buy his first Surf

[darkdezigns]

Ouch lol!

Did see a couple of nice lloks truck appear on ebay yesterday:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Though i'm eyeing up Shoguns as my mate turned up in his new one last night lol.

2 of those are 2.4s,one is a 4 runner with lots of miles?

[gwh200]

At present I would quite willingly have my shed of a 2.4 back in place of my all singing, all dancing 3.0 litre. My 2.4 took me places you could hardly walk..
My 3.0 litre , although very cheap needs £1000 spent on it... Nuff said

[gwh200]

A member on here, tintin, has a really nice 2.4. Don't disregard them at all... Mine was a brilliant motor... Till stormforce killed it...

[MattF]

Mine was a brilliant motor... Till stormforce killed it...

That's the spirit. Major guilt trip.

[stormforce]

A member on here, tintin, has a really nice 2.4. Don't disregard them at all... Mine was a brilliant motor... Till stormforce killed it...

You know something G.Whats really p155ed me off is that it was the wrong engine in the end so i broke up a perfectly decent truck

[gwh200]

That's the spirit. Major guilt trip.

Well I wouldn't want him to feel any guilt. All he did was lead her to her final resting place, surrounded by the hulks of his previous homicidal efforts, sat,ad it were, in judgement.. Adding a Stygian frenzy to the proceedings, with the land around, ready to receive it's sacrifice of surf...
But I wouldn't want him to feel any guilt, as he watched the lifeforce flow from her,performing an automotive drawing. And quartering... The feeding frenzy ready to start anew.
No don't feel any guilt Richard... Someone has to lead the sacrificial lambs to the slaughter....and of course cars have no feelings, being an inert mass of metal and plastic. But she drove you home in a fine manner, she was only pleading for her life... And you cruelly snuffed it out.. But don't fell guilty

[stormforce]

don't worry G i will never feel guilty about sending her to the surf heaven just down the road from me

Well I wouldn't want him to feel any guilt. All he did was lead her to her final resting place, surrounded by the hulks of his previous homicidal efforts, sat,ad it were, in judgement.. Adding a Stygian frenzy to the proceedings, with the land around, ready to receive it's sacrifice of surf...
But I wouldn't want him to feel any guilt, as he watched the lifeforce flow from her,performing an automotive drawing. And quartering... The feeding frenzy ready to start anew.
No don't feel any guilt Richard... Someone has to lead the sacrificial lambs to the slaughter....and of course cars have no feelings, being an inert mass of metal and plastic. But she drove you home in a fine manner, she was only pleading for her life... And you cruelly snuffed it out.. But don't fell guilty

[gwh200]

don't worry G i will never feel guilty about sending her to the surf heaven just down the road from me

[Co-Pang-Yang]

A poorly maintained coolant system is one possible cause of head failures, but there are others too. General overall maintenance has an effect, not just the coolant system, though that does tend to get the brunt of the neglect. All of the following, (whether 2.4L or 3.0L), can contribute to head failure:

Coolant, rad cap and thermostat.
Radiator being clogged internally or externally.
Coolant system or hoses being clogged internally.
Faulty water pump.
Incorrectly functioning viscous hub.
Worn or low A.T.F or low engine oil.
Poor combustion.
Poor maintenance on the drivetrain in general.

The list pretty much goes on. If the vehicles have had 15+ years of neglect, you can imagine what effect it can have. Even now you still see pics with Surf's which have the original Jap rad cap on, for example, so they obviously haven't been serviced thoroughly.

Whether you get a 3.0 or a 2.4, you're taking a leap of faith once you have checked for the obvious basics, unless they can produce a piece of paper proving they've had a new/uprated head fitted. Ignore the doomsayers advice that one is better than the other. The same advice applies to both.

For example, at the moment on here, we have one member with a 2.4 and a dodgy head and two members with a 3.0 and a dodgy head. Those numbers speak for themselves. Neither engine is immune.

Good and regular maintenance is the key. Period.

Thanks for the info fella.
So really its no different to any other 2nd vehicle, if its been neglected it'll break eventually.
hmmmm, just don't know what to go for lol.

[Co-Pang-Yang]

A member on here, tintin, has a really nice 2.4. Don't disregard them at all... Mine was a brilliant motor... Till stormforce killed it...

Just had a look at a pic of his, does look really nice.

[MattF]

So really its no different to any other 2nd vehicle, if its been neglected it'll break eventually.
hmmmm, just don't know what to go for lol.

Best thing to do is just find some you like, follow the general rules for checking what parts you can with regards to condition and then just go from there. It's unlikely you'll ever find one which doesn't need at least some remedial work doing, but worrying about what may go wrong will ne'er lead to you getting anything. Anything which may break, (may being the operative word), can easily enough be repaired or replaced.

Service it thoroughly when you get it and you are then in the hands of fate alone as to what happens. At least that way, any *possible* problems won't have been easily preventable and caused by mere neglect.