A question…

I’m looking at a ‘94 super custom 3.0 with 153k miles on the clock. Appears to be in decent shape with some rust here and there on the body but nothing really apparent on the undercarriage or frame (at least not in photos). I’m hoping to go look over the van later this next week. Wondering if there’s anything specific I need to look out for or keep in mind when checking over the van?

I’m somewhat mechanically competent - with time and a good repair manual (and a lot of YouTube research!) but I’ve never owned a diesel and don’t have the faintest idea of what to look for.

Any and all help is most appreciated!

3.0, do you mean the '3L' motor which is actually 2.8 litre? If so be aware that unless it has a turbo it'll be gutless, or do you mean one of the later engines?

Watch out for the very common rusted tailgate; that hunk of (presumably sound deadening) foam in the bottom of it holds water and the rust comes from the inside as a result.

It is the turbo. I will look at the lift gate for sure. Thanks for the tip!

Hello and welcome.

As someone who bought a van last year that I knew would need work (is needing work) these are my thoughts.

1-Do as much prior research as you can. Can you check the vehicle history online?
2-Go through it from end to end and make a list as you go, so you can use these points to negotiate on price. Ask lots of questions. When I inspected mine I took a 3T trolley jack and enouigh tools to test all I wanted. If the seller is evasive be especially cautious. Compared to modern vehicles these are quite simple and robustly made vehicles, but for their time they were quite complex and often highly spec'd.
3-Decide what your red lines could be and be prepared to walk away.
4-Have you space (plus tools, money and time) to take it off the road and fix issues that might arise? It's a 30y old vehicle after all and even if it looks mint, there will be 'issues' even if it's been well looked after.
5-If you can, take someone else who can hopefully be more objective.

HTH