Newbie with questions...

[1958 harry]

Hi, Newbie here with a few questions...

Firstly about me, I'm a VW man at heart, had 9 New Beetles, 2 Aircooled bugs (one a 1958 Multi Show Winning magazine featured car) and a T4 I converted to a Camper. My Current Car(s) are a 2012 Beetle Design 2.0 TDI (140) and a 2012 Nissan Juke 1.5DCI Acenta Sport, unfortunately my beautifal '58 had to be sold last year to renovate my new house .

Anyway I hopefully have a little spare cash so I'm looking for a 4x4 as a toy/bad weather backup to do some Green laning in (I'm new to all this so be gentle!).

I work with one of your members who has two 2.8 Frontera's and he has sold me on their off road capabilities.

I have a budget of £2k max (although I'd like to spend less) and looking on Ebay etc I could get a late 'B(?) model for that sort of money, but they have either the 2.2DTI or V6 in. I've heard the DTI can be troublesome, is this true? What sort of issues do they get? The V6 I hear is thirsty, what are they like on LPG? I dont want a project and I cant weld I want something I can get in and get it off road with minimal hassle.

I know the 2.8's are bullet proof but they are rare and getting on now, I wouldn't mind one so long as its tidy. Early Fronty's a no-no, if I'm going early (pre 99 unless its a 2. I'd rather buy a Pajero or Disco tbh (sorry!)

Anyway looking for advice/pointers/what to look for. Where are they most prone to rot as well?

[fogman]

the only real issue with the dti is fuel pump failure which tends to occur around the 90k mark or unless you run out of fuel , its a £500 ish repair so factor that in as a possible expense .. having said that its a case of if not when and theres plenty out there that have had the pump changed already, fuel wise i think they average around 30 mpg which for a near 2 ton car aint too shabby
the v6 is of course is much thirstier they probably average around high teens/low 20s but if using lpg that would half the fuel bill ish
rot wise the b series aint too bad ( the a isnt either ) just get underneath and have a good look at the chassis etc paying extra care to inspect the rear crossmember which is behind the rear bumper ... they can be the weak spot on a b.
for general green laning the b series is more than capable for your needs.
oh and make sure you have a solid green light when the 4x4 button is pressed that shows its engaged as it should be ... if it flashes then obviously there is a fault ! most other checks would be the same as buying any other type of car i think
it might be worth checking to see if dans ( hipo ) owned it before i guess lol
viewtopic.php?f=46&t=35174

joking apart i think the b series with a nice set of wheels with a bigger offset look sexy

[snapper]

Welcome to the Forum mate, have fun.

The 'B' Series are pretty good, but pound per pound I do prefer the 2.8's, less leccy bits to go wrong

Another thing to consider with the B's is the underside protection. While not a show stopper it's not in the same league as that steel plate under mine that I dropped the truck on while going round Buckley last year.

If I had to make a choice and could talk the Boss into me getting another truck I would go for a 3.2 with a 4" lift and 33" muds on it, if for no other reason than running bugs over....

As for a potential fuel pump failure have a browse in this thread and give awdriver96 a shout. Personally I wouldnt let it worry me too much, that said I would factor the replacement/refurb cost in and budget for it just in case I needed one in the future and may even use it in any negotiations during vehicle purchase.

[carlisletiger]

welcome aboard . what you decide to go for is your choice - each have their own "character" shall we say . the fuel pump MAY go on a DTI , the head gasket WILL go on a 2.2 . I have a b series 2.2 with better offset wheels and a 2" lift AND a new head gasket .If i was buying another i would be going for the 3.2 , simply because at the moment i am only using mine a couple of days a week for a 25 mile round trip to work so the extra fuel costs wouldnt really be an issue . if its your daily drive lpg would be an advantage .
that said the auto box can be tempremental on the 3.2 but whatever you decide to go for ,and whatever breaks on it ,the knowledge is available here to fix it relatively cheaply .
( 3.2 any day of the week )

[fogman]

if you were looking for a project -
viewtopic.php?f=51&t=55390

[fudge]

or i have beed seeing loads of v6's on ebay go sub 500..

and as for the early A... they are not that bad.. and you can get a good one for under £500 then you have loads of cash left for mods

[1958 harry]

Well after driving Snappers 2.8 today (the low mileage one with only 224k on!) I was pleasantly surprised, drove and pulled really well.

There's a tidy 2.2 on a 52 plate just up the road for £1950 with 113k on it, I assume if the pumps been done that's not a bad buy? Assuming its nice and solid

[snapper]

Ahh, yes. The err steering thingy has now been adjusted. No more 'tacking' down the road

As for the nice CLEAN fronty in the village, persade the owner to hand over the keys and we'll take it for a spin ... The old x-country fork lift training/test track just across from the Watchman Radar should be in fine fettle now theres been a bit of rain

[fogman]

ive just had another thought - there are 2 variants of the 2.2dti engine, the later ones ( y 22 i think ) have a different fuel pump which as far as i know is quite a bit more to replace than the older variant should it need replacing, im sure ive seen the figure of £1500 in past threads ! the change over i think was 01/02 ish so it might be worth researching which is in the truck you intend to view/ test drive.
had a quick look and a picture of the older x22 is in the thread below if it looks different to that its the newer y 22

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=52927

[1958 harry]

Its a 52 so I imagine the 'y engine.

Ive also found a very low mileage (45k) 03 sport 2.2dti for £3k which I could be tempted at for the right money. I would assume with only 45k on the pump should be good for a while yet?

[geeks]

I have an X DTi in green i might be parting with soon that would do the job nicely. Have a look at the thread in my signature for more info. However incase I decide not to sell, I can thoroughly recomend a B DTi. Great on fuel, very capable (will go anywhere a 2.8 will) quicker than a 2.8, more comfortable than an A and the heaters are much better However the A series does have its own charm too, I have a 2.0 SWB as well as my LWB B and it is good fun to chuck around..