General Advice- buying maverick/gq

[manda2290]

Hey guys,
Just after some general advice on 88 gq/maverick.
I am hoping to get my first 4x4 this week and am inspecting a 88 ford maverick from a dealer. I am a COMPLETE newbie-- my previous car 2002 Toyota echo
After something to learn on and take out with friends and set up as a camper- i just want to have some fun, nothing too serious.
Details:
Maverick XLT SWB
Petrol
4.2 6
5 speed manual
370945 KM
comes with snorkel, bull bar, winch, lights, rear diff, UHF, power steering and central locking.
RW and 6m rego and 3yr warranty---

They are asking $8,990

Is this a good first 4x4?
is this a good deal or am i getting ripped?
Anything in particular i should make sure i check when inspecting and on test drive.

Any advice or tips completely welcome!

Thanks in advance! cheers

[mudnut]

Hello and welcome to the forum. That is a lot of cash for an old model. It would have to be in absolutely pristine condition.

Check around the roof gutters for rust and the third row windows for bubbling under the rubber, which indicates rust.

The rear tower springs are a weak point. They bend and crack at the welds on the chassis. There are strengthening kits available.

The radiators crack in the corners and weep coolant. Sometimes you get a wiff of glycol after driving.

Body mount rubbers go hard and can cause weird noises when braking and turning, especially when wet.

Check the body for cracking near the mounts.

Drive it at 80 to a 100 Kmh and check that there are no steering wobbles, which is a common problem.

[manda2290]

Thanks heaps mudnut, I think I'll try and get the price a bit lower and have a look at those thing