Hi,

I'm about to buy my first Mitsubishi L200 Animal, 2002 model.

Is there anything I should look out for? It's only had 2 owners from new, one being a tree sergury company then to a private person, there isn't any service book, but my guess is a company owning it for the first 9 years of its life it should be pretty well maintained?

Perhaps we should start a list and make it a sticky?

First, all the obvious wear and tear stuff, tyres, brakes, shocks, leaks etc.

Corrosion on the underside. These can look smart from above, but shocking underneath.

Service history. These should have a coolant change every 2nd year or 18k miles, whichever comes first. They can be prone to lunching head gaskets or even heads, so a full history is very, very desirable. The oil change interval on a 2002 is 4500 miles - it's not the end of the world if it's missed a few, but a good bargaining tool, but the coolant changes are a must.

Check it engages 4wd without any flashing dash lights. Ditto the diff lock, if fitted.

But I think the most important tips are general ones.; 1. Don't be fooled into buying because it's shiny shiny and looks nice. 2. Ask yourself why the seller is trying to punt it on. 3. If in doubt get a professional inspection. 4. Don't pay silly money. Some people ask stupid prices, but rarely actually get them. There ain't no shortage of them, so just go find another.

Too many folk end up on here with a broken truck within weeks of buying it, and you sound like a sensible chap tryjng to get a good un.

good tips by Lemmy there,
this would be my checklist when buying a classic


look for a good service history (probably not help for you on this one)
when the belts were last changed
make sure there is no overheating (temp gauge should sit half way)
make sure there are no bubbles in the expansion tank (possible head gasket failure of there is)
make sure there is no play/wobble on the bottom front pulley (potentially very damaging)
check for rust on the cross members (once rust sets in, you'll be chasing it forever)
check the green 4x4 light goes out when in 2wd (if not then you may have vacuum issues to resolve)
check there are no warning lights still on when the engine has started
check for off road damage especially if it's been used commercially
long MOT would be a bonus

Yeah, its a shame about the lack of service book, the price is pretty good a think too, £1850 was on the forecourt for £2195, which I innitially thought was over priced, but since looking about it was pretty good price. It's also got a Ifor Williams rear load cover too.

Similar mileage for oil changes as the performance cars Mitsubishi produce to then?

The general ware and tareofthe vehicle isn'tbad,few little scrapes down the body work, nothing to worry about tho, interior is clean considering it was a tree sergeons truck. themileage at 155k isnt all that bad to I thought? The 4x4 all engages as it should, in regards to that though, when you leave 4x4 mode, does it need to be refersed to disengage it?

No, just disengage. Occasionally it may stick, but speed up, slow down a few times and it pops out. That's normal.

It's your call, but I reckon you'll get a lower miler for less. There's a sub 90k one for 1100 notes in the For Sale section of the forum, so you might want to get registered and have a quick look.

Ah fair enough, and yeah I'm just waiting for the confirmation email thing to come through now.
And fair shout, I'll have a look for it.

Quote: Lemmy wrote in post #2

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Perhaps we should start a list and make it a sticky?

4. Don't pay silly money. Some people ask stupid prices, but rarely actually get them. There ain't no shortage of them, so just go find another.

Too many folk end up on here with a broken truck within weeks of buying it, and you sound like a sensible chap tryjng to get a good un.

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There's and 05 4 life in the for sale section ,2 owners from new PM me if interested as it will hit eBay next week

Al