Should The 2.4 Surf Be Avoided ?

[smallzoo]

I have seen quite a lot of comments on the web saying avoid the 2.4.. ALWAYS go for the 3.0 ?

Is this good advice ?

I have seen the following

K reg 2.4 Surf, 148k miles, Auto, 12 months mot, cambelt in Nov 2011, excellent condition.. £1400

Advice ?

[outerlimit]

main issues with the ln130.

heat. they love the cold and they really need serious attention to the cooling system if your going to feed them fuel in 30+ c conditions. a 4 core radiator fixes the issues. when that temp needle starts moving over standard temps you have already likely blowen the head gasket/ cracked the head.

auto box: again heat. they will make the rocks and the mud so breezy to control but you start drag racing in the sand you will likely find yourself looking at the A/T oil temp light faster than you can turn around. an aftermarket V8 auto trans cooler will fix that issue. better with a piggyback thermo fan than sticking it in front of the radiator.

front diff: in most cases this wont be an issue unless your really looking to show off your underside to your mates. and that usually requires you to giveit a good kick to mount the rock, dirt shelf, tree thats conveniently nearby off road, that is where you will likely try to rev it and thats when it will send your airborne tyre straight back to earth and snap it. just keep an eye on your rpm and throttle when you need to make it dance and youll be fine. if your a lead foot i would suggest investing in a manually switching or an auto diff locker.

all the scary problems relating to the surf is just a lack of maintainance or skill really. the surf clubs in australia all drive em hard even when temps exceed 40 and they run typically fine if feeling a little underpowered and gutless because of the hot air being sucked in. they all keep their cooling systems in peak condition and even install intercoolers to give them the extra kick needed.