i am looking into buying a townace 1992 or 1994. i have looked here and everywhere for information about them. i talked to people in the industry (car mechanics)they talk about the horror stories they have seen and heard. i have spent hours seaching the web, reading etc.

so here is a couple of questions for all you driving those townaces.

1 is it true in the first year of buying a townace the radiator, cyclinder head or a complete engine rebuild is required.

2 how long after buying a townace do you find the a/c needs replacing (gas).

3 knowing how quickly jap vans rust, how long does a townace starts to go the way of all jap vans after importing into this country (with our salt) 1 year or more.

4 is buying a import direct from a importer better than a dealer, because i have found a big price change between them.

5 with no manual how do you service these townaces.

6 lastly which is better auto or manual townace and what are the performance figures for a townace, mile per gallon, can they keep up with motorway traffic, top speed etc.

what is the difference between a 2.2td and the 2.0td is better to have the 2.2td help on this matter whould be helpful.

i know its a long list of question but when you are buying a unknown car i am sure we have all been here before.

regards

martin




- (#7566) Martin Stalker, 6 Mar 03

Martin,
I have had my TownAce over a year now. I have not had to do, nor expect to do, any repairs to engine, radiator or any thing else mechanical. I have changed and flushed both coolant and engine oil, bleed through brake system, changed transmission fluid and checked A/C (no attention to fluid but needed a disinfectant/deodourising treatment), in fact everything you would do when you obtain a ten year old vehical without history!
This site and AceAnswers are a good source of info and there is an official Toyota manual for the 2CT engine.
As for dealer v direct import the choice is yours. Most dealers give some sort of warranty, one in Bristol gives 2 years!
Almost all of these vehicles are as new underneath. I Waxoyled mine and at the MoT last month the mechanic called all the team in to have a look as they restore classics, they were amazed at the as new condition of a 13 year old car!
Manual v auto - I had never owned an auto before, won't change back now, but it's your choice.
I understand the engine size don't make that much of a change to power.
I get just over 30 miles a gallon, can keep at the national limit on all but the steepest hills (loaded with family), gets caught by side winds.
If you live in near Bristol you are welcome to have a look at mine.
Have a read through on AceAnswers, the editorials if you just want to skip through. And get a test drive you may not like the driving postion!

- (#7567) Clive, 6 Mar 03

I must have answered this one many times before. The upshot is you won't buy any MPV with the kind of spec and condition for such a low price. Yes they have their faults but there's so much more to go wrong with these highly spec'd vehicles. As Clive has already said, AceAnswers should cover it all but to answer your questions in turn:
1. Of course not. It depends how it has been driven and looked after.
2. Re-gassing is usually required every 2 - 4 years
3. Steel rusts when exposed to water and air and accelerated in the presence of salt. Irrespective of the country of origin all vehicles do this. Japs don't salt their roads hence their vehicles don't need inches of underseal caked on their chassis. As soon as you get it, give it a good clean then waxoyl it.
4. Depends. The industry is rife with cowboys unfortunately. However there are also many good traders. Ask around and take advice from others before buying. Plenty of good advice to be had from this group.
5. Pick up all the specs and info from this site and AceAnswers. We've all helped each other out over the years.
6. A bit sluggish. Autos are more popular and easier to source. 23-32mpg 4WD and up to about 40mpg for a 2WD. I've driven a few autos over the years and this has to be the best autobox I've driven. It's lovely to drive on a long haul. I suffer with my back. Any normal car and I'm aching and need to stop 2 hours max. I can easily push it to 4 hours in the Townace.

In summary. If you need space and toys at a low cost then the Townie is it. If you want a racer forget it.

- (#7568) Ian Dunse, 6 Mar 03

Hi. On reading the above two replies to the first message, could you please let me know what "Waxoyl" is. Is it for the body work or for underneath? Many Thanks

- (#7569) Jo, 6 Mar 03

Underneath! I have put ours on the ramp, got underneath, then used a shutz gun to underseal, then waxoyl all of the underside of ours, should never rust from underneath now. I would has at a guess that to have this done at a garage would cost around £100, but maybe less, best get a quote. HTH Rob.

- (#7570) Rob Drinkwater, 6 Mar 03

Thanks Rob

- (#7571) Jo, 6 Mar 03

Hi there, just wondering if you could help persuade me in a decision. I dont have a lot of money but could really use an 8 seater. I've been looking at a spacecruiser 1989 with 112,000 miles from a dealer for £1,700 but then saw a 1990 master ace surf with 70,000 miles from a private sale. He was asking £2000 but I offered him £1,600 for it and I wanted him to get a new MOT on it. The van checked out great but the brakes need minor work and a new front caliper. The mechanic told me he couldn't even find a caliper and that I should just take my money and walk away from it because import parts are so hard to find. I called the Toyota dealer and they said the caliper would cost £370, and £130 to install it. The owner said he was tired of trying to sell it and would just give it to me for £1000 as is. What do you guys think. It sounds great to me, but Im not much at all of a mechanic and I dont know if its hard to find people to work on these vans at a reasonable price. I live in Newcastle.
Thanks for putting up with this long question.

- (#7657) Drew Davis, 12 Mar 03

Drew. You will get a caliper from a breaker but, does it need a caliper ? They are quite a massive and strong item and, I should think, it just needs an overhaul with new seals etc (unless someone has been trying to free off a siezed piston with the wrong tools, ie, a hammer) At the price, the Masterace would be a very good buy but, if you are not a mechanic, expect to pay high bills for routine repairs.
However, there are many "non mechanically minded" owners who belong to this forum and, I think, they get to learn quite quickly with the expert help available.
As Ian says, you won't get any other vehicle anywhere near this spec for the money. I would go for it.

- (#7658) John Davis, 12 Mar 03

Thanks John for getting back to me so quickly. You said I could get a caliper from a breaker. What is a breaker? Im fresh of the boat from America now in Newcastle and dont know anything about these vehicles.
Do you know of any specific mechanics in the Newcastle area who might know more about these vans? The guy who said I needed a new caliper didn't seem to know very much about these "aces".
Also I dont see many questions about the master aces on this forum, are they not as good as the town aces?
Thanks again. This is an amazing site!!! Oh and if I opted for the Space Cruiser mentioned above are they easier for mechanics to work on, or is this master ace a better vehicle even though its an import?
Me and my family will take you out for a meal if your ever in the Newcastle area for answering these questions.

- (#7659) Drew Davis, 12 Mar 03

Drew,
I owned a Cruiser now a Townace, can't recommend them enough! The Cruiser will have lived in UK's salty winters and may be subjected to rust, the Ace (hence AceAnswers) will be an import and possibly rust free. Milage should not be a problem with either, you may even find that the Ace is in Kms!
Now talking with your money I would get the Ace, put it in for an MoT at a local garage and get them to put right, in the cheapest way, any problems. If it is the caliper then Blue Print parts (see AceAnswers - Townace.com) should be able to supply.
£1,000 for a lot of SUV looks good in my view.
Best of luck.

- (#7660) Clive, 13 Mar 03

Drew,
"What is a breaker?"
I don't know what they would be called in the USA but, a "breakers yard" is somewhere where terminally ill vehicles go to die except, they are usually stripped down and the various parts offered for sale.
Check in the splendid Ace Answers lists under "Parts & Maintenance" and you will see some pointers regarding where to look for a "breaker". Perhaps someone else might give some hints where Drew might look for a Breaker near to Newcastle. Unfortunately, the breakers do not have an abundance of Town/Masteraces but there are some about.

- (#7661) John Davis, 13 Mar 03

Drew,
Further to my earlier posting, I have had a word with Bullivants of Derby. I know it's a long way from you but, Bullivants deal in imported vehicles, including Townaces and they have helped me quite a lot when I have needed parts for my Masterace. They do have used spares and are able to obtain secondhand spares, as they are in touch with various Breakers. They tell me that there would be no problem getting a s/h caliper. Also, they can supply the seal kit.(as can many other suppliers) This is the set of seals, dust covers etc, required when renovating a brake caliper. My view is that this is all you might need anyway.
Bullivants are on 01332 671000.
If you do buy the vehicle, and find a competent mechanic, I think he will agree that a "re-seal" of the existing caliper might be all that is required. This is a very straightforward job (I have done mine).

I have just come across the following, posted here some time ago.
Need-A-Part-UK.Oldham, Lancs. Imported vehicle breakers "who have a vast stock of Townace bits"
Tel 0161 626 6336. At least, Oldham is nearer to you than Derby

- (#7705) John Davis, 13 Mar 03

Thanks alot guys for all the info. Ill let you know what we end up doing. You all have been very helpful.

- (#7706) Drew Davis, 13 Mar 03

Thanks guys, we took the plunge and bought the masterace surf. £1,000 what a steal! It appears to be in great condition a mechanic said, we just have to put a couple hundred into it to fix the brakes. Were really happy with it, thanks for all your help. I will call those numbers you gave me for the info on the caliper, and I'm sure you'll hear from us again.

- (#7707) Drew Davis, 14 Mar 03

Having read the recent messages I have had my Liteace for two years, the garage assured us it did not need treating underneath (but as they have been servicing it and not doing what they should I realise now that this advice is probably wrong) Is it too late to wash it down underneath and seal it?
thanks. Jan

- (#7708) Jan Pannell, 17 Mar 03

No not too late. Give it a good clean, power wash, and let it dry. Treat any rust, do you have any?
Then spend a day on your back getting covered. I also treated all the internal body sections. Used 3 of the (2 litre?) larger cans that the pump screws into.
Remember get it dry before you start.
Have fun.....

- (#7709) Clive, 17 Mar 03

I am about to join the Townace fraternity having just bought a 4WD Townie super extra. It's not perfect as I really wanted Captain seats and the curtains and rails seem to have gone missing but it is a manual and having driven manuals from Ford Anglia to 7.5 Tonne truck I didn't really want to spend 3 Grand on an auto and regret it. With all this talk of rust I had a look underneath and although not undersealed it's as clean as a whistle. If curtains and rails are so hard to get hold of I thought I might try a camper van outlet.

- (#7751) Den Johnson, 17 Mar 03

Have just got quote for the waxoyl from local garage for our Liteace, as my husband very reluctant to do job (or anything to do with liteace at all) £150 inc Vat. How does this sound?

- (#7799) Jan Pannell, 20 Mar 03

Sounds a bit steep. I've seen adverts for £80 - £100 near me. Trouble is you don't know what kind of a job you are going to get. Will it be a thorough job covering insides of door panels and box sections or a quick waft with a spray gun on the bits you can see?

This is one job that is best done yourself if you want it doing right.

- (#7800) Ian Dunse, 21 Mar 03