Slightly paranoid newbie!

[General Banter]

Hi Guys,

I've registered prior to buying to try and glean some info on my potential new car.

I'm looking at an 'N' plate 3.0 Surf SSR-X with approx 150k on the clock and it's up for £2k and looks rather nice! I just have a few questions first though..


1. Is the head gasket blowing/head cracking an inevitability?
2. How much to fix if it goes?
3. Are these good for towing? I have a 600kg car trailer with a 1200kg race car on the back.

I don't want to buy another car and be utterly paranoid about expensive engine failures all the time, is this the wrong truck for me?


Thanks in advance!

GB

[Koi]

b

Hi Guys,

I've registered prior to buying to try and glean some info on my potential new car.

I'm looking at an 'N' plate 3.0 Surf SSR-X with approx 150k on the clock and it's up for £2k and looks rather nice! I just have a few questions first though..
a tad expensive

1. Is the head gasket blowing/head cracking an inevitability?
No not at all, just check it thoroughly before buying
2. How much to fix if it goes?
if doing it yourself around £800, in a garage £1500 give or take a few hundred
3. Are these good for towing? I have a 600kg car trailer with a 1200kg race car on the back.
very good in deed

I don't want to buy another car and be utterly paranoid about expensive engine failures all the time, is this the wrong truck for me?

cant comment on that particular one but a good one wont be the wrong one


Thanks in advance!

GB

[KERRSURF]

I would fit an inline transmission cooler before doing any towing and make sure the cooling system is properly maintained and use Toyota red coolant.

Giving your new truck a full service is cheap and easy and recommended too.

[yoshie]

What's the race car? What series do run in?

[MWS]

Hi Guys,

I've registered prior to buying to try and glean some info on my potential new car.

I'm looking at an 'N' plate 3.0 Surf SSR-X with approx 150k on the clock and it's up for £2k and looks rather nice! I just have a few questions first though..


1. Is the head gasket blowing/head cracking an inevitability?
2. How much to fix if it goes?
3. Are these good for towing? I have a 600kg car trailer with a 1200kg race car on the back.

I don't want to buy another car and be utterly paranoid about expensive engine failures all the time, is this the wrong truck for me?


Thanks in advance!

GB

Welcome, Chris. If you're "slightly paranoid" now, just wait til you've been a member for a while, (There's conspiracies on here, CONSPIRACIES I tell you. And everybody talks about you when you're not on line, and then deletes it! That way you never know who the people who are calling you paranoid really are!......gibber gibber gibber......whimper )............................. ..........only kidding.....All the best....Mick.

[Calos]

Welcome, Chris. If you're "slightly paranoid" now, just wait til you've been a member for a while, (There's conspiracies on here, CONSPIRACIES I tell you. And everybody talks about you when you're not on line, and then deletes it! That way you never know who the people who are calling you paranoid really are!......gibber gibber gibber......whimper )............................. ..........only kidding.....All the best....Mick.

LOL, started on the xmas baileys early ? I know I have hehe.

peace
cal

[MWS]

LOL, started on the xmas baileys early ? I know I have hehe.

peace
cal

Ho Yesh!.........Shider aschully....All the best, Cal....Cheers....Misch.

[Ben_D]

Get it checked over if you are not confident doing it yourself but if you run a race car I'm sure this won't be an issue.

This place will make you paranoid but is also the very best place to get advice (and parts) if anything does go wrong. Had my 3rd Gen about 2 & a half years and have had very few issues, it is a 14 year old truck with nearly 170,000km on the clock. May be worth checking around with local garages if you are not happpy to undertake work yourself as there are very few mechanics in my area that know anything about these trucks, a few including the local Toyota dealer won't even work on it.

Best things about the truck.....

Starts first time every time no matter (regardless of temp now I have new batteries & plugs)
Will get you anywhere with sensible tyres
Easy to work on
Fun to drive, great on long jouneys, very comfortable
I smile every time I get into it & turn the key.

Bad things....
Fuel consumption
Paranoia about expensive repairs.
Lack of ability to get you anywhere FAST on road.

Buy it, I don't think 2K is too much if it is in good nick.

Cheers

Ben

[soramad]

"Lack of ability to get you anywhere fast on the road " try pressing on the right hand foot pedal harder with your foot you will then find that your surf will go faster and you get to places quicker, mine will go above the maximum legal speed limit quite easily.

[BUSHWHACKER]

You should try the 2.7 petrol!

[Ben_D]

"Lack of ability to get you anywhere fast on the road " try pressing on the right hand foot pedal harder with your foot you will then find that your surf will go faster and you get to places quicker, mine will go above the maximum legal speed limit quite easily.

Yes, it will break the speed limit quite well but it does not do corners very well, yes it moves in a straight line but it is not really a car for someone who likes to clog it on A roads

Cheers

Ben

[soramad]

as mine is usually full of carpentry tools I carry quite a lot of weight all the while and I tend to drive my surf how I drive my soarer going round corners is never a problem , however the extra weight might be an asset as far as road holding is concerned also mine is standard as far as height is concerned I would think a raised body would make cornering at speed a bit hair raising.

[Apache]

You should try the 2.7 petrol!

Indeed

[gwh200]

And if that doesn't float your boat, try tbd 4.0 litre petrol.

[General Banter]

Thanks for the replies peeps, turns out it was a bad 'un!

Went to view it that very afternoon (23rd) but sadly this thread never got approved in time to get replied to, apart from some tatty spots on the chrome it was a nice clean motor, solid as you like underneath. I went through my usual checks as gladly I do know one end of a spanner from the other and can get most things done eventually, I took the rad cap off while still cold and not running to check for anything untowards and it was clean as a whistle. After a few more checks it was time to fire her up, started nicely first time and idled well, I left it running while I tried voice displeasure at the chrome and lay the foundations for a haggle . All went well so now was the time for a small test drive but I hadn't replaced the rad cap yet so I popped back round to the front to be confronted with this:



Oh dear.

Needless to say it never came home with me