90' Town Ace pre-buy inspection questions

[jhjeff]

Hello all,

I'm looking at buying a JDM 90' Town ace 4x4 with the 1.8L 2C engine in it. I've owned a number of toyota vehicles, but never a JDM or a diesel. The vehicle is not in my area so my plan was to find a local diesel shop to do a pre-buy inspection. Wondering if there are any JDM van, 2C or 4x4 specific concerns that I should make sure to have the mechanic look at. (sorry if the 4x4 question crosses over into that forum section and the heating/cooling does as well, if there are specific threads that have already addressed the questions for this specific model please indicate)

Vehicle has 147k miles.

-From reading other threads here on diesels seems one of main concerns is if head and head gasket are in good shape? (If leaking bubbles in radiator is a sign? Any other ways to check or look for issues?)

-Other specific 2C concerns I should look for?

-A/C and heat are not working currently, no indication of why. Easy to test compressor or other parts to diagnose why not working?

-Any specific ways to assess condition of the 4x4 mechanisms?

-Any known issues with the 90' Town Ace I should look for?

Many thanks,
Jeff

[TheCrippler]

I'd definitely check the AC system. I'd make sure the front and rear work. I regret not checking mine very well when I bought my van.

I looked under the van and opened the hood but I regret not taking off the driver's seat and access panel and getting a really good look at the far side/back of the engine.

You could lock/unlock the hubs. make sure they turn ok. Maybe test the 4x4 and make sure you can get in and out of low?

Check all the glass and window seals. That stuff is hard to get. I cringe at the thought of trying to find a new rear window for my townace with the high roof. If it has the glass roof, check to see if that stuff is in good condition. It would suck to have a leaky roof.

for what its worth. I've had mine over a year now, its running pretty strong but it is slightly annoying to find certain parts. Be prepared to order certain things from Japan :)