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Im looking at purchasing a GQ once i sell my other car and was just wondering what common problems to look for and any helpful advice on what to look for.
Depending on what motor you get, not many probs with them! Well none that arnt repairable. Check normal stuff like brakes etc. Service history is good to know! Rust!! like any car with age, my 89 is starting to show a little in the roof gutter,Iv'e slowly replaced worn parts like suspension bushes,springs,clutch at 200.000 ks,Mines a TD42 so engine wise its great, no sign of major wear at 300 thousand, All round iv'e been wraped with mine, had it from new and never want to let it go. Good Luck, and welcome to the forum. Theres alot of great info on here.
Rust-check roof gutters, wheel arches, rear quarter panels and rear sliding window frames, they're the most common spots.
Door hinges-check to see if the doors drop when you open them indicating worn hinges.
Gearboxes-check for whining or clunking noises on road test. The top seal on the gearboxes around the main gear lever can split allowing dirt, dust, water etc into the gearbox. Also check to see if the gearbox jumps out of gear on decelleration. The gearboxes themselves, especially the big boxes fitted behind the 4.2 litre engines, are very strong.
Gearbox crossmember-check the condition of the gearbox crossmember, if the vehicle has been used for heavy off roading the crossmember will be badly knocked around. The damage to the crossmember is no big deal-they are replacable, but it is an indicator of how the vehicle has been used.
Diffs-check for oil leaking onto the brake backing plates indicating worn axle seals. The diffs themselves are fairly bullet proof.
Suspension-check all the bushes for wear or splitting.
Check rear lower control arms for bends.
Electric windows (if fitted)-make sure they all work.
That's all I can think of for now.
Tony
Last edited by YNOT; 10th October 2010 at 10:26 PM.
Also lift the carpet in the rear under the middle row of seats and check the floor for cracking aroung the latches. Another common issue is cracking in the front door frames around the hinges
I am not sure how true this advice holds for Patrols, but in building a VW Beetle and a Corvette and learning from my own and others' mistakes: if nothing else, get a car with a straight and solid body.
Engines can be rebuilt stronger and better than factory. Suspensions beg to be beefed up. Transmissions can be had at a junkyard. An interior costs about the same to restore whether it "needs a little TLC" or whether it was used as a henhouse for ten years.
Bodywork is different. Bodywork is expensive. Bodywork is difficult. Once a car needs serious bodywork, it is very difficult ever to bring it back to factory quality.
i have found that the rear windows in every patrol i look at have some level of rust in them. yes i know this is bad but it never seems to travel any further than the windows.
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