Getting back into the 90 series scene!

[Treebeard]

Hi all,

I've been away for a long time...I bought a 2002 Colorado back in 2011, but as it was my only vehicle at the time, I couldn't stomach paying the fuel costs! I sold it with a very heavy heart in 2013.

But now i'm back in the market! I've now got a pretty efficient octavia as my daily driver, so looking at a 1997 GX TD Auto.

What are the main things I need to be checking over on the TD engine? I've read a lot about the notorious overheating and cracking of the head, and with this being an auto, i'll definitely be looking out for that, though how would one do that if they're trying to mask it?

The vehicle i'm looking at seems to have a pretty good MOT history, and only has 150k on it, so i'm fairly confident it will be a good one.

Thanks for reading!

 

[Shayne]

I've heard much about the notorious cracked head as well but in my maybe 8 years on this forum i can remember only one or two it actually happened to .

Probably because here the first advice given is to overhaul your cooling system . Radiators in the auto also cool the gearbox so when they rot internally it mixes coolant with gear oil .

Auto and manual have an A/C condenser almost as big as the radiator and set very close to it , I was astonished to find crap built up as thick as a carpet sandwiched between mine when i removed the rad for cleaning despite it looking fine and the truck having no problems .

Mechanically the 90 series are usually good but serious rust at the rear chassis and axle is at this age common .

Steering rack will likely leak , brake calipers could do with an overhaul and suspension bushes that haven't been changed already are likely due to be even if they look ok .

They all polish up well inside and out so get under it with a torch to gauge its condition .

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

Good advice from Shayne, covered most things. Personally I'd go for the D4D auto every time, having had one. No issues with cylinder heads, far more poke, better economy, quieter at cruising speed etc etc ( and can retro fit cruise control easily).
Tread carefully though, as Shayne said rust in the rear half of the chassis and the rear axle case can be the biggest issues. Also front wings can be lace behind the plastic arches.

Good luck with your search.

 

[Lancashire Cruiser]

I have a 97 GX Auto. The first thing I did was put in a new radiator, hoses, viscous fan and thermostat just as a safety measure as I had no record of these items being changed. Because the chassis was in perfect condition due to it living in Portugal for a lot of its life I also had it professionally rustproofed as I intend to keep it for a long time. The other thing which gets mentioned is the front lower ball joints which apparently can let go without warning. I had mine checked by my trusted MOT guy and he was happy there was no play in them although some have said that that isn’t a guarantee they won’t fail.

 

[Shayne]

Having read my own comment again I'm thinking the 90 series is a victim of its own success inasmuch as it will go on and on with little or no maintenance until the mot man eventually says no .

Hence awareness of the issues that should be addressed is the key which should i think make a forum members truck worth more .

Certainly i have a truck here which would come with receipts adding up to greater than its market value had i bothered to keep them .

Buying the best you can afford always works out cheaper in the long term .

 

[Treebeard]

Thanks everyone, good info there. I'm thinking rust/corrosion will probably be my main issue with it, though the mot history is pretty good, but we all know friendly mot places exist...
Going tonight with a very bright torch, my lying down rug, a big screwdriver and a hammer! The reg is r614jwy if interested. It did fail on rear suspension mount in 2017, but nothing since then.

You've made me think though about the cruise control! I had assumed a retro fit would be possible on this, same as I put on my previous d4d, but if that's not possible I might have to reconsider, I'm very used to that now on my Octavia, would be hard to regress!

I think you're right though, buying the best possible, rather than the nice cheap one

 

[Beastrider]

I would add to check the rear heater pipes/hoses, 4wd functions (centre diff lock and rear diff lock), heater function and cam belt.

I had thought about cruise control too but I read it’s much harder to do on the 1KZ engine because it’s mechanical throttle. I think you only need to add a switch on the D4D. Others will have direct experience.

 

[Treebeard]

Well, I let my heart rule my head!

Went to look at the 1998 GX Auto last night, and bought it! Was fully expecting to find it rotten underneath and walking away, but 95% of it was in really good condition. A few of the outlying brackets were no good, but all the main stuff, body mounts, rear diff, rear heater pipes, brake lines etc etc were all good. The rear diff actuator was covered in denzo tape (hate that stuff!) but a bit haphazardly, so that looked poor when I peeled it off, and didn't engage.

The rad looked pretty new, though the guy I bought it off didn't know when it was replaced. He'd only had it since Feb, but couldn't stand the fuel cost. He did say the previous owner was very handy, which seems to be the case with most of the vehicle. Only stamps in the service book up to 60k in 2005 then a folder full of receipts every year for oil and filters etc that he fitted and lots of other stuff, but no rad. It's on 160k now, so just getting worn in.

It's had a front end bump at some point, the front bumper brackets are bent in a bit, and the front bodywork just behind the lights is slightly creased and rusty, but I'm not bothered by that, easy fix and brought the price down even more!

Was very surprised to find the plastic cover still in place on the back door lock, so no clunky door, and the hinges hadn't dropped. The middle and rear seats look like they've never been sat on.

I really don't think the guy I got it off knew how much it was worth, so I feel I got an absolute bargain at 1.8k.

Whether I'll regret the lack of cruise control in the long run, only time will tell.

Plan is to take the rear diff actuator off to see if its an easy fix, then run it as is over the winter while I work on my Octavia, then I'll give it some tlc once the weather warms up (can't fit it in my garage, only under the lean to!) Thinking I'll replace the rad, pump, stat, hoses and viscous fan as Lancashire Cruiser has done, then just do stuff as it comes up.

 

[Shayne]

You know the centre needs to be locked and the truck moving a little for the rear difflock to engage don't you ?

 

[Treebeard]

Yeah, was crawling up and down the guys street for ages in low range locked getting to get the rear diff locked, light just stayed flashing.

 

[Beastrider]

You can park it with centre locked, in low range, neutral obviously, step outside and listen when you try the rear difflock switch. You’ll hear a short whirring sound from the actuator for a second or so, if it’s trying to engage. If you don’t hear it, you may be lucky and have an electrical fault but the actuators are often corroded internally and need replacement.

From what you describe, you got a good deal even if you spend a bit more on parts. Welcome to the forum.

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

Good one. Certainly wasn't robbed. Rear diff lock mechanism is same as an 80 front if you can find a working one |S/H and change 2 wires round in the plug.
looking forward to pics.

 

[Treebeard]

Here it is just after getting it home, a little bit rough around the edges body wise, but everything else is grand. A big delivery from Milner is on route!
Somehow didn't even noticed it didn't have side steps! The base model really is the base model!

 

[Shayne]

I'd say steps were removed because base spec doesn't even have wheel arch flares .

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

I think GX wasn't base spec Shayne, FX was, that didn't have the arches. 99% the sidestep brackets had rotted away and been removed. When I had the D4D 3 out of the six were virtually brand new,( having been replaced) the V6 ones were still like new but the sidesteps I bought off a breaker ( to get straight sidesteps) were like lace. I guess they are in the firing line for all the crap coming up from the front wheels.

 

[Treebeard]

Yep, that sounds likely without having looked closer yet. A lot of the smaller brackets underneath are looking a bit papery. Easily fixed, though I can't decide if I like the no sidestep look better!

 

[Shayne]

Original steps are not worth what you would pay for them from a breaker so you'd be better off looking to have some sliders made .

 

[Mick W]

Mines an FX but I did take the steps off. Finding sliders for a 90 is like finding rocking horse do do so look at getting some made up. The only thing I really miss is a sunroof!

 

[Treebeard]

I've only ever had a sunroof once, and to be honest, I found the sun shining on my head annoying! So don't miss that.

I'll look into rock sliders next year, though after a quick look just now, they don't seem very hard to make. I have a friend with a metal fabricating business, I'll see if he can knock me some up.

 

[Shayne]

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