SJ Buying advice

[JimP]

Am gonig to look at an SJ toinght with a mate as he wants to get into offraoding and fancies an SJ.

I've not got any experience of SJ's at all, so can any one tell me what to look for? where potential problems might be?? is there a buying guide anywhere??

Thanks

Jim

[andyb]

The 413 is the better and stronger engine than the 410. One of the 410 weak points is a very small bore oil return pipe from the head which can be blocked if oil changes are neglected. Valve guides can wear in the heads; this is usually obvious if there is puffing from the oil filler cap with the engine running, or the breather to the air filter box has been disconnected.

Fuel lift pump also spring an internal leak and pump out the engine oil thru a breather hole on the bottom.

Look out for rust in the rear floor, front footwells, the front inner wings and aroung the headlights.

Otherwise they are cheap and robust off roading.

[JimP]

Thanks bud, appreciate it  :thumbup:

[V8MoneyPit]

The 410's seem to use softer springs which would account for better off road ability, but at the expence of on road handling..... but road handling was never a strong point of the SJ anyway  :lol: