General question from a newbie

[Amarok88]

Hi guys,
Having just purchased a 2.8td and being the type of guy that likes to fix his own cars I just want to check the ease of getting parts for these old beasts, also the ease of the repairs?

I did hear that clutches are quite and expensive job, is this the case on the 1996 early models too.

Just after the usual to ensure I can have some enjoyable years to come

Cheers
Ash

[jellybaby]

Welcome to the forum. Parts are not too bad to find first port of call is these guys viewtopic.php?f=26&t=56207 you are buying an older car though so sometime an ingenious fix is need and thats what were here for plenty of ideas.

[Wilberforce]

Depends on the parts...
Service stuff (filters, brakes, bearings, etc) is very easy with a quick search online. A lot of things are shared across the range too, so can be obtained from breakers without too much difficulty.

Repairs aren't too bad either, the 2.8 is quite easy to work on I think, and I'm not the most mechanically minded bod out there.
Clutches just require patience, but can be done on the drive with a second pair of hands and a jack or two - a new clutch kit should cost you around £160 or so I think. I've done two myself, and while it's a pain, it's not anything to be scared of.

[Amarok88]

great thanks guys,
dont plan on doing to much through the cold months other than running it.

there is a bit of bodywork in the (im guessing) usual places, the bonnet lip, the rear passanger door has 2 small blister holes and a little surface rust on the sill.

the brakes seem a little spongy but the car has only covered 1000 miles a year over the past 3-4 years so this is probably why.

other than that it seems fine. the immobiliser is a little annoying having the wave the little fob thing for it to start, dont know if this can easily be removed?