Should I or shouldn't I? Advice and thoughts needed.

[Hutton]

Thanks Grant. Here she is:-

 

[Gary820]

Nice looking motor

 

[AndyCook]

Welcome, I will have to keep an eye out for your cruiser on the road.
I drive into Aberdeen daily in either a 1.4l Toyota Yaris, or a 3litre Hilux

 

[Ben Stratford]

Lovely motor Hutton, welcome to The last car we ever buy club !!

 

[Brian S]

Sssssweeeet

I like that

 

[GeekOKent]

That green does look nice on a 100. Well done!

 

[clivehorridge]

Nice one, Hutton, very fresh looking!

 

[Hutton]

Welcome, I will have to keep an eye out for your cruiser on the road.
I drive into Aberdeen daily in either a 1.4l Toyota Yaris, or a 3litre Hilux

I'll also keep an eye out for you Andy. I stay in the Hilton area on Rosehill Drive just off North Anderson Drive.

 

[StarCruiser]

Nicely done there Hutton. Now c'mon, you must have had that one in your sights before you posted for that quick a purchase.

 

[Hutton]

Nicely done there Hutton. Now c'mon, you must have had that one in your sights before you posted for that quick a purchase.

I had been browsing Cruisers which were available in my neck of the woods and this one caught my eye. In the process of considering all pros and cons of whether to take the plunge or not I then came to the forum for some learned advice. Armed with such gems of knowledge and encouragement I decided to go for it and phoned the used car dealer yesterday to ask him about the vehicle. Everything seemed ok so my wife and I went today to see the Cruiser. The deal was done, my insurance broker was phoned and then we drove her home. That's the truth guv!

 

[StarCruiser]

Sounds like it was meant to be then.
What's she like underneath H? How many miles?

 

[Hutton]

This is a one lady owner vehicle which has spent its life in Ipswich. Never been off-road so the underside is sound and was totally under sealed about 4 Months ago. She has done 118,000 miles. The only rust I can find is round the rear number plate lights on the top tailgate. There is also some slight rust round the two number plate screws on the lower tailgate. The vehicle still has its fully functioning air suspension which I expect will need converting when it causes problems. Apart from these things and the obvious wear to the seats she seems fine. Keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[davidsmith1307]

Keep an eye on the underseal - I have seen some right states 'freshly undersealed' to cover it over. I'm not saying yours will be like that but don't just assume it's above board. Badly applied Waxoyl is a killer.

 

[Hutton]

Keep an eye on the underseal - I have seen some right states 'freshly undersealed' to cover it over. I'm not saying yours will be like that but don't just assume it's above board. Badly applied Waxoyl is a killer.

Thanks for that advice David. I'll certainly keep an eye on it.

 

[StarCruiser]

Well it has all the hallmarks of a good un H. I have to echo David's post though. There's some that have painstakingly removed underseal fearing moisture being trapped.

The rust you can see can be dealt with. Personally if it were mine I would look at repairing the AHC when the time comes (is it really on air bags or is it the hydraulic system Mr T usually fitted?) rather than removing it unless you plan taking it to remote places maybe. There's help on here from people and posts so things can be done and genuine parts can be sourced at good prices.

 

[Ian Rubie]

I echo the above on the AHC. Service it and keep it on. On a non AHC car you notice when springs start to age and sag because you can see it. On an AHC car, when the springs sag, the AHC system takes the extra load and the car remains level. Eventually this can lead to the AHC system getting overloaded and failing.

AHC is a great system if it is maintained. The key is to get hold of a copy of Tech Stream and check the AHC pressures. Chances are these will be over the specified maximum. The front is relatively easy to bring back, just crank the torsion bars. For the rear you might have to fit spring spacers or replacement springs.

The other thing with AHC is make sure you keep the fluid fresh. I would put a fluid flush high on my list of base lining jobs. It is easy to do and there are plenty of on-line guides.

I had a string of 80s before my 100. For me, and my current usage, my 100 is better in every way than an 80. I know that will not go down well with some on here but for me it is true. It is faster, quieter, handles better, more comfortable and more fuel efficient. The only place it would loose out to an 80 is in extreme off road situations but having replaced an 80 with a Unimog that is out of my system now.

 

[Hutton]

Well it has all the hallmarks of a good un H. I have to echo David's post though. There's some that have painstakingly removed underseal fearing moisture being trapped.

The rust you can see can be dealt with. Personally if it were mine I would look at repairing the AHC when the time comes (is it really on air bags or is it the hydraulic system Mr T usually fitted?) rather than removing it unless you plan taking it to remote places maybe. There's help on here from people and posts so things can be done and genuine parts can be sourced at good prices.

Many thanks for this post StarCruiser. I do like the AHC as my 83 year old mother lives with us and already the low position on the AHC has been great to allow her access to the Cruiser. The vehicle is also all original as per 2001. It even has a functioning SatNav, which although archaic by modern standards, is still part of the original setup. I would therefore like to keep the Cruiser original if I can and so very much appreciate your post. Also, as I don't intend to go to remote places then hopefully the AHC will be repaired when it becomes necessary.

 

[Hutton]

I echo the above on the AHC. Service it and keep it on. On a non AHC car you notice when springs start to age and sag because you can see it. On an AHC car, when the springs sag, the AHC system takes the extra load and the car remains level. Eventually this can lead to the AHC system getting overloaded and failing.

AHC is a great system if it is maintained. The key is to get hold of a copy of Tech Stream and check the AHC pressures. Chances are these will be over the specified maximum. The front is relatively easy to bring back, just crank the torsion bars. For the rear you might have to fit spring spacers or replacement springs.

The other thing with AHC is make sure you keep the fluid fresh. I would put a fluid flush high on my list of base lining jobs. It is easy to do and there are plenty of on-line guides.

I had a string of 80s before my 100. For me, and my current usage, my 100 is better in every way than an 80. I know that will not go down well with some on here but for me it is true. It is faster, quieter, handles better, more comfortable and more fuel efficient. The only place it would loose out to an 80 is in extreme off road situations but having replaced an 80 with a Unimog that is out of my system now.

Another great post for which I am very grateful. This is a great forum packed full of very knowledgable people. Many thanks Ian!

 

[chapel gate]

The ahc on my fathers 2002 still works fine.

 

[chapel gate]

W

I echo the above on the AHC. Service it and keep it on. On a non AHC car you notice when springs start to age and sag because you can see it. On an AHC car, when the springs sag, the AHC system takes the extra load and the car remains level. Eventually this can lead to the AHC system getting overloaded and failing.

AHC is a great system if it is maintained. The key is to get hold of a copy of Tech Stream and check the AHC pressures. Chances are these will be over the specified maximum. The front is relatively easy to bring back, just crank the torsion bars. For the rear you might have to fit spring spacers or replacement springs.

The other thing with AHC is make sure you keep the fluid fresh. I would put a fluid flush high on my list of base lining jobs. It is easy to do and there are plenty of on-line guides.

I had a string of 80s before my 100. For me, and my current usage, my 100 is better in every way than an 80. I know that will not go down well with some on here but for me it is true. It is faster, quieter, handles better, more comfortable and more fuel efficient. The only place it would loose out to an 80 is in extreme off road situations but having replaced an 80 with a Unimog that is out of my system now.

Which moggy ian?