94 3LTD SSRX - About to take the plunge...but can it off-road?

[Sylux]

Hi all,

Can't think of a better place to ask about my soon to be purchase than a forum about the very vehicle

I have 1001 questions so expect to see me around. I will also try and use the forum search function, of course

Anywho...the 94 SSRX 3L TD is the one I'm pondering. I'll be using it for day to day (not the best idea for fuel costs) but I DO want to get into some off-roading.

Small steps, and all that, but I love the 2nd Gen model and would like to get it dirty.

However, there's no diff lock as opposed to the 3rd gen which I believe has a diff lock? Not sure if the 2nd gen even has LSD? Maybe some might have. I'd have to check once I bought it.

Do any of you 2nd gen off-roaders find this a big disability?

I'm so excited to be buying something I'm going to be able to love, enjoy and get dirty with. Rather than use as an instrument to get from a to b (my current family estate).

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read

[Black Sheep]

I found my old 2nd gen very capable of road running it on BFG all terrains. I have a jeep for off roading and took the surf through some sections the jeep got stuck in. It was more than capable of keeping up with my land rover driving friends. Search the forum as there is a way to id if it has a lsd from the vehicle number. Oh welcome and have fun

[yoshie]

Hi all,

Can't think of a better place to ask about my soon to be purchase than a forum about the very vehicle

I have 1001 questions so expect to see me around. I will also try and use the forum search function, of course

Anywho...the 94 SSRX 3L TD is the one I'm pondering. I'll be using it for day to day (not the best idea for fuel costs) but I DO want to get into some off-roading.

Small steps, and all that, but I love the 2nd Gen model and would like to get it dirty.

However, there's no diff lock as opposed to the 3rd gen which I believe has a diff lock? Not sure if the 2nd gen even has LSD? Maybe some might have. I'd have to check once I bought it.

Do any of you 2nd gen off-roaders find this a big disability?

I'm so excited to be buying something I'm going to be able to love, enjoy and get dirty with. Rather than use as an instrument to get from a to b (my current family estate).

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read

A center diff is not the same as a front or rear locking diff. Simply put the 2nd gen is always locked front to rear when 4wd is selected the 3rd gen can be locked or open. Makes no difference to off road ability. A locker that people reference is the ability to lock a differential to provided drive to both rear or front wheels and stop the differential from doing what it is routinely designed for.
Diff code on the 3.0 2nd gen:
G295 is the factory LSD found on the bulk head tag
G294 is the open diff

Buy good mud three and stop worrying about diffs for now and enjoy.

[TonyN]

Do any of you 2nd gen off-roaders find this a big disability?

Not in the slightest, Yoshie covered the tech side of it, so won't repeat him to much.

Its all about the tyres, good A/T's will make the perfect daily driver and weekend offroader, M/T's if you want to get a little more serious about offroad, and don't mind a bit more road noise and quicker wear if you're still using it daily.

Surfs are the perfect all round SUV, not overly big externally, loads or room inside and very comfy to drive, and excellent offroad manners for 95% of any terrain you'll find around the UK.

[Sylux]

Thanks guys

Yep, tyres are something I've been thinking heavily about.

And yeh, I was referring to the usual diff lock. Forgot 3rd Gen is a central. Means it can go on hard in 4wd.

Didn't realise the 2nd gen had locked front and rear in 4wd. Learned something new

Going to pour over this site for tips on places to buy etc etc. I will have a little left in the budget to spoil her.

[yoshie]

Thanks guys

Yep, tyres are something I've been thinking heavily about.

And yeh, I was referring to the usual diff lock. Forgot 3rd Gen is a central. Means it can go on hard in 4wd.

Didn't realise the 2nd gen had locked front and rear in 4wd. Learned something new

Going to pour over this site for tips on places to buy etc etc. I will have a little left in the budget to spoil her.

It doesn't have locked front and rear diff I think you have misunderstood my post.

[BioHazard]

Can a Surf off road ....... Yes look in the off road sections there are pics from runs all over the country ....How well it does it.... well most standard surfs do the plain runs , but you can mod to your budget and create some awesome trucks.

[Sylux]

Thanks, man

The modding possibilities are what really turn me on to this model.

I want it to look the mutt's but also be for a reason.

Initially I'll only have £500-£600 to spend on it and some of that may be eaten by sensible things to do with a newly bought car (fluids, belts etc).

Anyway, you lot will have to excuse my enthusiasm and child like excitement for the time being

[MWS]

Hello Sy. Welcome to the forum. You have picked a good vehicle to be enthusiastic about. Every vehicle has its limits, and those limits can be extended with the right modifications. You'll find that the Surf is a great all rounder. There's loads of info on here about modifications, so as long as you do your homework, you'll be able to decide how far you want to take things. If you're looking for mud tyres at a reasonable price, I can recommend Maxxis Bighorns. Not too much road noise, decent wear rate, and good off road. I've had mine on for three years. Here are some gratuitous dirty pictures..

[Sylux]

Looks awesome

Amazing how old these are yet how current they look.

Cheers for the rubber tip

Think about using the current ones for the day to day and having a set ready for off-roading.

Plenty of time to prep and I think initially I'll be dolling her up

I've spent that past few nights living in thread after thread after thread, on here.

Some of the mods are really cool...some really practical...some down-right outrageous

Just waiting for a PayPal to release a handy £15 refund so I can subscribe

[BioHazard]

Here is a few random pics of surfs on the plain











And mine

[Sylux]

I noticed this one has a winch fitted. Would love to go down that road but for some reason thought I'd need a full-on boxed bumper.

This looks great!

[gwh200]

That first picture has given me a semi.

[BioHazard]

That first picture has given me a semi.

This might help you finish you off then......

[gwh200]

What a stunning surf . The owner must have huge genitalia.