When you look at the size of the piddley little carb and you know its only 2.25l you are amazed how much fuel it chews through!
2.25 diesels are very slow and the cranks are not that strong.
The v8 is a much better bet and if you plan on using it much you can always go LPG.
Things to check on series -
Chassis especially out-riggers and rear X member. Look above the dumb-irons (leaf spring perches) and tap everwhere you can with a little hammer or screwdriver handle.
Front X members are usually rust proofed with the engine and box oil leaks -
Check the bulkhead down by the lower door hinges and up top along the screen, corners too.
Inside look at the footwells and make sure you look up at the pedal top area - rust here is tricky to get at.
Check the gearbox stays in gear on the over-run and low range is ok too.
Brakes are not a series strong point but it should have a firm pedal and pull up without too much wandering.
Steering should not have more than 1 inch of steering wheel play when straight ahead. Check the steering box mounts too.
Body wise its all alloy so look for cracks in the front guards where they have been stressed by damage and look at the back tub for huge dents where its been overloaded with 2 ton of stone!
Any aftermarket improvements like overdrive - parabolic springs - roll bar etc are all good value.
Cheers hope all that helps.
Muddymattt
