Hi

These are very reliable and strong 4x4's.. They are very cheap at the moment because of trend changes but they are certainly recognised as better then the Vitara and their replacement the Terious. Off road and for road use they are excellent and as long as you don't thrash it you should average about 32 + MPG.

I have owned a 1991 since 1994 and it has been the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned costing no more than £500 in bits other than Tyres and servicing over that period and 100K miles.I also have a 1996 Anjou but the finish and trim on the older car are far superior.

Parts to check are:- for rust, the rear body floor in the boot along the seams of the floor and inner wing joint and around the seat belt mount on the rear wheel arch. If the car has the plastic extended arches then the bolts used to secure them can cause rust to form beneath the extentions. Not a majotr problem but worth being aware of before it extends and is visible. Early detection can be repaired and then covered by the extensions. Replace the rust bolt screws with stainless steel bolts with lock washers to prevent further problems. Daihatsu Nut heads are notthat strong and tend to corrode badly. Used copper slip on all those you replace. The lower rear part of the rear wing can rust due to water getting trapped as the drainage is very poor. The false lights up the rear wings often allow water in and are wort removing, drying, waxing and then sealing with silicone.

The chassis is quite strong but can rust around the rear shackles and the areas around the rear shocks. There are plenty of access pints which should be regularly used to waxoyl a good chassis. The chassis can also rot at the front ends around the steering and suspension mounts. If the vehicle has side steps or bars then check the points where these are clamped for corrosion. Check also the cross tube at the rear which can rot. Rear springs can flatten or break. The early cars had 5 leaves whilst my 1996 Anjou has just 3 which gives a lower softer ride. Adjustible shock, 3 stage dampers are not that good and when they give up then replace them with H/D Gas ones from Milners. The 3 stage ones are hardlyever available and expensive and as I say not that great in the first place.

Auto Hubs can cease so makesure they work when engaged and disengage correctly. To dissengage place into 2H and reverse fpr 3 meters to disengage. If Manual ubs are fitted they appear to be more reliable but have to be locked manually using the centre bar on the hub and then unlocked manually. Make sure these turn from "lock" to "free" freely and completely

The interiors are better on the older ones with wider seatsand more robust materials and foam than the later cars but generally they are quite robust. Check for damp carpets infront of the rear seats. Water can get in along the rear Plastic roof seams and runs down behind the internal trim unoticed, Agai silicone these seams if the problems exists or the rear floors may rust .

Beneath the bonnet, the engines are good for many miles as long as servicing is carried out every 6000 miles. The cam belt need to be replaced every 60K miles or 6 years and you should have proof of it being done from the owner. If unsure get it done or do it and at the same time have the Power steering and alternator belt changed. The belts are cheap, the Engines are not. The Sportraks can suffer from head gasket failure but to date neither of mine have had that poblem. Check the Alloy cam cover for cracks on the corners caused by overtightening. The Cat can rattle upto 2500RPM+/- and both of mine rattle but the older has rattled for more than 10 years and I have removed an outer pan to try ad stop it but to no success. It still passes it's MOT.

Ignition , if efi then these are pretty bomb proof but change the Leads regular and watch the coil. If you have problems starting then the coil can fail and I have had two fail and in the end the car just stops. A coil is about £45 and I carry a spare, sod's law it hasn't failed since. Ifthe leads look old then replace. MILNER OFF ROAD are good for spares. Much the same replace the plugs regular. Because they are deep down in the engine and not visible they often become ignored. The disi. although most are electronic from 1991 on they still have a traditional rota arm and the electrodes in the cap. The centre and the 4 outer ones do burn and wear so don't ignorealso the rota itself can fail

The radiators can fail on the seams and around the neck. Older ones suffer fin break up at the bottom. Replacement short knecks are available from Aaron Rads (Ebay) for £108 and are well worth it.

I have K&N on both of mine just to give betteraccess to the engine and in particular the gearbox filler/level plug (24mm). Performance, well not really better just more induction noise. I used 57ikits fro a Mini and a Metro which I had hanging about. The EMU will adjust the mixture automatically on the EFI for the increased and colder air flow. Colder air is densor and in theory increases the amount of fuel/air mix when ignited thus providing more power. I would say that this is true by the law of Physics but you will be hard pushed to notice it. You may find the car a bit more hesitant on cold mornings. Ignore all the gimmicks on Ebay to fool the EMUinto giving more powerand MPG... all rubbish!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally a common sound when coming off a kerb on lock is a frightening noise from the steering. It is caused by the steering stop on the wheel moving against stop on the lower suspension. A dollop of grease on the stops, stops this terrible noise. Whenservicing makesure all the greasing points are done on the steering,suspension and prop shaft UJ's.
And finally,Finally, Low miles is not always a sign of a good car. If a car is used for short journeys more damage is cused until it reaches operating temperature. A car that does long motorway miles is far better than one doing the school run of say 2 miles each way every day.
OLDMINIMAN