oscarsdad Posted July 21, 2012 Report Share Posted July 21, 2012 Just after a bit of advice, mrs has been offered a LWB Rav on a V plate for very cheap money (owner just died)...she wants to change her beetle for it (why we need to both have 4x4s I don't know but since it is a lot cheaper than mine it may become the shooting and dog wagon!). Does anyone have experience of these and what should I look for specifically when I view it next week? Cheers lads Anthony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted July 21, 2012 Report Share Posted July 21, 2012 Not sure I can offer much my old man had an N plate petrol SWB now has an 03 plate derv SWB the N plate was spot on no issues at all had it for 6 years just annual service, did need a cat which was wasn't cheap there pretty solid motors if not the most economic never got stuck on the sand unlike some others and actually piled a few people out with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beardo Posted July 21, 2012 Report Share Posted July 21, 2012 I was working with some pro offroad instructors the other day and they rated them very highly as a good all round 4x4 / road car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
washerboy Posted July 21, 2012 Report Share Posted July 21, 2012 my god father(not marlone brando )...is on his 4th, brilliant . he only ever up grades them and has never had a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloke Posted July 21, 2012 Report Share Posted July 21, 2012 (edited) My daughter has the older 2.0 with the LWB as we live in the middle of nowhere and she has to get to work in all weathers. It has been bombproof and 100% reliable, the only time she couldn't get out was when the snow was so deep it would have torn the valances off. Only problem she has had- there are 2x heat shields under the engine, the outer ones almost always rust and come away after a few years - her garage said they see this a lot and unless you regularly do some fairly serious off-road stuff (For which a Landy would really be a better option) it doesn't need replacing. Tyres aren't cheap, but then again, that is the same for all 4x4's, but with a wash and polish, they still look fine as a family car. It's quite quick and handles fairly well, with a good safety rating - seems like a good choice.. PS.. Having said that, even with the rear seats fully forward, the boot space is not huge, worth checking out if you carry a load of dogs and stuff. Edited July 21, 2012 by Bloke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted July 21, 2012 Report Share Posted July 21, 2012 (edited) Yeah the SWB has a comically small boot think mini, and the Len isn't huge the SWB seats fold easily but no good if you have 3 or more people! A colleague of my mums has had several LWB and apart from routine stuff all pretty good decent tyres goes well off road (limited only by ground clearance) for on road use I would fit road bias tyres to reduce noise and save on fuel the 2.0 petrol is gutsy and torquey was more like a derv car to drive imo) and watch out for jap imports as some are 2wd insurance group is quite high I saw a R plate SWB go for £500 a while ago kicked my self for not getting it but since the snow last year prices have gone right up Have a good look for rust arches and sills ( if good worth getting wax oiled imo Edited July 21, 2012 by HDAV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarsdad Posted July 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2012 Thanks lads, this is a petrol LWB on a V plate with full toyota service history and 60k on the clock and she has been offered first refusal at £400 as they want rid due to bereavement. So seems like a bargain to me....will have a good look at he arches and sills when I go to see it on Monday evening. May even buy I myself if she doesn't have it ( or more realistically may end up buying it for her!). Anthony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted July 21, 2012 Report Share Posted July 21, 2012 Thanks lads, this is a petrol LWB on a V plate with full toyota service history and 60k on the clock and she has been offered first refusal at £400 as they want rid due to bereavement. So seems like a bargain to me....will have a good look at he arches and sills when I go to see it on Monday evening. May even buy I myself if she doesn't have it ( or more realistically may end up buying it for her!). Anthony That sounds very good mate. Online they are £700+ with monster mileage with it being so low mileage check the tyres for splits etc and also the Cam belt has been done (80k iirc ish) but 6 years Dealer should have done it and put a note in engine bay to that effect check the 5th gear works as this is a potential issue. If your thinking of it for offroad check the diff lock (centre only) and drive to all 4 wheels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarsdad Posted July 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2012 Thanks mate, really appreciate the guidance Anthony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted July 21, 2012 Report Share Posted July 21, 2012 TBH it's cheap enough to not worry too much and sounds like its been looked after if it's stood for a while a good blast down motorway will probably clear it out it is afterall a Toyota Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarsdad Posted July 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2012 My thoughts exactly...we are going camping to Devon next wknd so may use it for thar so I can b driven back from the pub instead of me doing all the driving! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ME Posted July 21, 2012 Report Share Posted July 21, 2012 We have had 4 RAV4's in the past. We have an Audi at the moment but Mrs ME wants to get back to a RAV. They are amazingly reliable and a great allrounder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted July 21, 2012 Report Share Posted July 21, 2012 That's worth it alone surely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarsdad Posted July 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2012 (edited) Hmmmm, nothing is ever simple.... Just been and seen car. Cosmetically fine, just age related scrapes etc., can't see any bodywork rust. could do with tyres at some point soon and brakes but that is to be expected. All switches and lights work as they should. BUT they have been told by a local garage that I is worth £1300 book price so should get £1000 at auction so they have increased the price to £800. BIGGER BUT the odometer is not working and has not been working for about 2 years so a conservative estimate is 80k for the mileage. This puts it bang on when it should have had a timing belt, but since the mileage is stuck we do not know. It is an auto not a manual box which I actually prefer and can justify someof the increase in price, it does drive lovely if a Iittle slow, so we have managed to get them down to £700 subject to the timing belt / water pump having been done. They are getting all of the paperwork this afternoon to see if the timing belt has been done. It has 11months MOT so presumably the odometer is not an MOT issue. It is not main dealer history so the book is not fully stamped up, not an issue but can't see in there if belt done. What do you guys reckon? Is there anything extras should be concerned about with the auto transmission? Thanks in advance. Anthony Edited July 22, 2012 by oscarsdad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted July 22, 2012 Report Share Posted July 22, 2012 (edited) :yp: hmm £1300 thats high £900 probably about right , not sure on the Auto box only driven manuals. TBH they either want shot of it and no hassle, or hassle putting it through auction etc. Some thing to bear in mind is probate. If probate hasn't been granted there can be issues selling it and you could have issues with the V5 and DVLA. Some info here: http://www.thelawwizard.com/probate/guides/deceased-car-probate-sell-transfer-mot-insure.html Edited July 22, 2012 by HDAV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarsdad Posted July 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2012 I think the probate is ok as the owner of the car is still alive, but she is keeping her husbands jeep and selling her Rav. I though £1300 was a bit optimistic. By my reckoning by the time is has had brakes and tyres we are looking at at least £1000, but then it should be a solid reliable car. Bloody minefield buying an old car lol! I am kinda hoping the timing belt has not been done so we can walk away from it! Going to take it to a mate's garage if they will let her together a professional opinion on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted July 22, 2012 Report Share Posted July 22, 2012 (edited) hmm tough one my dads SWB got rear ended it was an N plate 90k ish FSH he had just spent £600 getting through MOT new cat and bits, full service etc insurance paid out £1200 which surprised us i thought he would do well to get the excess + £600 back, this was 2 years ago and he bought it 5 years earlier for £3k IIRC but it was a crying shame it was written off he only did about 3k a year in it and was great fun drive, he replaced it with an 03 D4D SWB. Nicer drive but boring in comparison. Only used for towing a boat on and off the beach and going shopping when they are away, he has a volvo estate daily driver. The thing is it's got a dubious history, unkown mileage (the odometer gave up on one of my cars but at 215k) yes in pristine nick it might be worth £1300 on a dealer forecourt (well seems I'm well out looking at prices advertised on autotrader) with warranty and all working. The odometer might be a simple wiring fault but might be a full strip of the transmission, auto boxes are always suspect after 100k and a recon box is more than its worth... at £400 it was too cheap to get picky £700 I guess it depends if the missus really likes it and wants it unless the gearbox or engine blows up you should get your money back in a year or 2. Looking on Autotrader 97-99 plates are £1500-£2200 :o http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201224475548685/sort/default/usedcars/maximum-age/over_10_years_old/quantity-of-doors/5/transmission/automatic/model/rav4/make/toyota/onesearchad/used/radius/1500/postcode/ta218ed/page/1?logcode=p http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201215463888448/sort/default/usedcars/maximum-age/over_10_years_old/quantity-of-doors/5/transmission/automatic/model/rav4/make/toyota/onesearchad/used/radius/1500/postcode/ta218ed/page/1?logcode=p http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201229479219361/sort/default/usedcars/maximum-age/over_10_years_old/quantity-of-doors/5/transmission/automatic/model/rav4/make/toyota/onesearchad/used/radius/1500/postcode/ta218ed/page/1?logcode=p http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Toyota-RAV4-2-0-automatic-GX-/300739996045?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item460580298d http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1999-TOYOTA-RAV-4-2-0-GX-5DR-AUTOMATIC-4x4-ESTATE-/160790568690?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item256fdd5ef2#ht_1185wt_984 Seems they hold value better than i thought... Owner reviews are very positive... http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-reviews/toyota/rav4/9214 next time i see a cheap 3dr GX I think i might have to...... Edited July 22, 2012 by HDAV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecooper1 Posted July 22, 2012 Report Share Posted July 22, 2012 I allways get a second opinion mate, off a mechanic, it just puts your at rest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarsdad Posted July 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2012 That's what I though, there are some on auto trader with 150k on them on an N plate and they are £2k!!! I am minded to think to leave it. May offer £600 if timing belt done and them leave it while we go on holiday. They need to get rid more than we need to buy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matone Posted July 22, 2012 Report Share Posted July 22, 2012 You already have doubts!I`d walk away if I was you,it`s all changed from what you were originally looking at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
triumphant59 Posted July 22, 2012 Report Share Posted July 22, 2012 I bought a 95 swb from a lady who was emigrating about 5 years ago, it was an auto, bit thirsty but we used it through a particularly bad spell in winter and it was unbeleivable! Some , not all have a/c and some have a dif lock, both useful extra's. I actually entered it in a local off road competition. Other entries were landrovers, discoveries, rangerovers etc with all manner of off road extras. They all looked down ther noses at me, I let the road tyres down to about 12 psi, won my class and finished 5th overall!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted July 22, 2012 Report Share Posted July 22, 2012 (edited) I think all the mk1 4x4 manuals have a diff lock, the 4x2 imports don't not sure on autos Edited July 22, 2012 by HDAV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted July 25, 2012 Report Share Posted July 25, 2012 So did you go for it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarsdad Posted July 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2012 Well they claimed the previous owner was extremely meticulous and had all of the receipts - but strangely the receipt for the timing belt allegedly having been done is not there! So we have offered £400 for it as there is minimal financial risk) but I think they are going to try to auction it and after that garage told them £1300 they are putting a reserve of £1000 on it which I think is rather deluded as I can't see how anyone in the trade could buy it to sell on as the mileage is a complete unknown! If it doesn't sell at auction and they are stuck with it then I will offer to take it for £250 and run it into the ground. Thanks for all of the advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted July 25, 2012 Report Share Posted July 25, 2012 Probably best, unknown mileage, unknown belt change, could well be on borrowed time..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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