Mazda Bongo and the like, experience?
Discussion
Trabi601 said:
We've been out browsing today - not massively impressed with the quality of vans available out there.
There's a local-ish dealer who has probably 20 of them on his forecourt of various ages and mileages - what struck me is that they all looked very nice on the outside - and most were not yet undersealed, so I could see they were rot free... but the Japanese trash their interiors. Lots of broken bits of trip and cigarette burns.
I'm almost decided on what I want - a facelift 2.0 petrol (most robust of the engines, as I understand it) - or possibly a 2.5 V6 petrol. Aero Cityrunner base van (lots of toys and built in blinds) and I'll send it away to a company in Southampton for a rear kitchen and full dual battery / 240v electric install. Really like white ones with dark tint windows.
Just need to find one.
Bear in mind the Japanese didn't use them as people carriers workers used them to sleep in when working in cities.There's a local-ish dealer who has probably 20 of them on his forecourt of various ages and mileages - what struck me is that they all looked very nice on the outside - and most were not yet undersealed, so I could see they were rot free... but the Japanese trash their interiors. Lots of broken bits of trip and cigarette burns.
I'm almost decided on what I want - a facelift 2.0 petrol (most robust of the engines, as I understand it) - or possibly a 2.5 V6 petrol. Aero Cityrunner base van (lots of toys and built in blinds) and I'll send it away to a company in Southampton for a rear kitchen and full dual battery / 240v electric install. Really like white ones with dark tint windows.
Just need to find one.
Before you get a 2 litre take it on a hilly test drive with a bit of motorway , there pretty gutless up hill as they weigh so much, v6 or diesel is best pick.
There's a mazda bongo owners facebook group that's pretty good lots for sale on there.
http://www.glcautos.co.uk/used-cars-showroom-penll...
I have no connection to that garage at all
But, they sell loads of imported Bongo's and to be fair they all look good
I pass there almost every day and they seem to sell quite well
I have no connection to that garage at all
But, they sell loads of imported Bongo's and to be fair they all look good
I pass there almost every day and they seem to sell quite well
That's where I was today.
Guy on site was really helpful and you're right, they do look nice. From the outside. The 'cab' areas in all of them ranged from tatty to completely trashed, though.
His camper conversions aren't worth the extra, either.
Maybe my expectations are too high - but at the money being asked, I do expect something tidy.
Looking around, most imports seem to be 'grade 3.5' at Japanese auctions - is this the standard I should be expecting?
Guy on site was really helpful and you're right, they do look nice. From the outside. The 'cab' areas in all of them ranged from tatty to completely trashed, though.
His camper conversions aren't worth the extra, either.
Maybe my expectations are too high - but at the money being asked, I do expect something tidy.
Looking around, most imports seem to be 'grade 3.5' at Japanese auctions - is this the standard I should be expecting?
E31Shrew said:
Besides looking on bongo fury.com try Ian Taylor in Stoke on Trent. Always has good selection available
I was there yesterday.Obviously passionate about his Bongos and he was building a very nice slimline side kitchen conversion on a late Aero.
But the rest of the stock left me a bit cold.
I'm currently talking to Paul McKeown from Newacre about 2 vans he's got on a boat right now. Good prices for fresh, very late shape imports - and potentially taking one of those with an LPG conversion to cut the price of longer tours.
He's also got a 2005 with 24k miles coming over - but I'm not sure I want to pay £7.5k for an unconverted van!
Ian Quick is a bit of a odd ball but he has a really good reputation on the bongo fury forums also check out wheelquick in Wigan they also have good long term feedback.
The story i hear from importers is that all the good bongos are already in the country and now at the auctions they have to be less picky because there are less bongo's to choose from.
Re rust it can all be sorted , the overheating issues can be pretty much nipped in the bud by just refreshing the old radiator and rubber hoses that may be perished as there 20 year plus rubber.
The story i hear from importers is that all the good bongos are already in the country and now at the auctions they have to be less picky because there are less bongo's to choose from.
Re rust it can all be sorted , the overheating issues can be pretty much nipped in the bud by just refreshing the old radiator and rubber hoses that may be perished as there 20 year plus rubber.
Croutons said:
Trabi601 said:
Just want to apologise to the OP (Crouton) for hijacking his thread!
No worries, I'm sitting back, reading and learning! Saw an Elgrand today, big yes, cheesy too with the chrome gob. Not sure if that makes it more or less "wannabe" than a T5 to be honest!
Croutons said:
Not sure if that makes it more or less "wannabe" than a T5 to be honest!
Trust me the VW boys are worse than trainspotters.I remember stopping down on a surfers beach near Bude one day, there were rows of T4 and T5s and over in one corner of the carpark were 4 or 5 Bongos all parked together in a show of solidarity. Having the Toyota we felt obliged to go and park with them.
We have owned our (very cheap) 2.5 diesel auto Bongo for just over a year now. It's generally used for weekends in mountainous areas where no two nights are spent in the same place. There have been ups and downs, like any vehicle of its age but in general it does everything a VW would do, but for a lot less money and in a much smaller package overall.
The bad stuff first:
- Fuel consumption is almost as bad as my GTV hovering around 20 miles per gallon
- The radiator split on the M6 causing the temperature to absolutely rocket. It really does fly up, but fortunately we were near a junction and pulled off and stopped before causing any long term problems. New radiator cost about £60 and was a doddle to fit ourselves.
- MOT fail thanks to a very rusty floor (which we did know about). Had the whole lot cut out and replaced £350 - it is a bit fiddly because of all the extra heating pipes which needed stripping out.
and finally, the most painful
- Terminal failure of the automatic gearbox. This was a really difficult decision, and ended up costing almost as much as we paid for the van itself. However, a new transmission and £2500 later and it's running beautifully.
The great stuff:
- 4 Wheel drive gets us in and out of boggy event fields without the slightest bit of stress when our friends converted transits are all struggling
- Narrower than other vans, means it is the perfect vehicle on narrow Lakeland roads and fits snugly up the side of the house
- Really, really easy to work on. I managed an oil and filter plus fuel filter change in less than 2 hours (with only one working leg, so everything takes me a lot longer)
- Warm and comfortable
- Sleeps four with ease
- Properly makes anyone driving smile like a loon
- Cheap to insure
Apologies for reusing the same photo again, but here is our "Mungo, the Bongo, Parks"
The bad stuff first:
- Fuel consumption is almost as bad as my GTV hovering around 20 miles per gallon
- The radiator split on the M6 causing the temperature to absolutely rocket. It really does fly up, but fortunately we were near a junction and pulled off and stopped before causing any long term problems. New radiator cost about £60 and was a doddle to fit ourselves.
- MOT fail thanks to a very rusty floor (which we did know about). Had the whole lot cut out and replaced £350 - it is a bit fiddly because of all the extra heating pipes which needed stripping out.
and finally, the most painful
- Terminal failure of the automatic gearbox. This was a really difficult decision, and ended up costing almost as much as we paid for the van itself. However, a new transmission and £2500 later and it's running beautifully.
The great stuff:
- 4 Wheel drive gets us in and out of boggy event fields without the slightest bit of stress when our friends converted transits are all struggling
- Narrower than other vans, means it is the perfect vehicle on narrow Lakeland roads and fits snugly up the side of the house
- Really, really easy to work on. I managed an oil and filter plus fuel filter change in less than 2 hours (with only one working leg, so everything takes me a lot longer)
- Warm and comfortable
- Sleeps four with ease
- Properly makes anyone driving smile like a loon
- Cheap to insure
Apologies for reusing the same photo again, but here is our "Mungo, the Bongo, Parks"
So, went to see a 2.5 V6 yesterday. It was a shed.
I keep looking at what's out there. A 2.5 petrol seems to command a silly premium, and diesels are rare (owners hang on to them).
I want late and low miles, which means a 2.0 petrol. Are they as underpowered as many people say they are?
I keep looking at what's out there. A 2.5 petrol seems to command a silly premium, and diesels are rare (owners hang on to them).
I want late and low miles, which means a 2.0 petrol. Are they as underpowered as many people say they are?
Trabi601 said:
So, went to see a 2.5 V6 yesterday. It was a shed.
I keep looking at what's out there. A 2.5 petrol seems to command a silly premium, and diesels are rare (owners hang on to them).
I want late and low miles, which means a 2.0 petrol. Are they as underpowered as many people say they are?
Shed as in rusty? I keep looking at what's out there. A 2.5 petrol seems to command a silly premium, and diesels are rare (owners hang on to them).
I want late and low miles, which means a 2.0 petrol. Are they as underpowered as many people say they are?
2 lites are really underpowered on hills.
Trabi601 said:
Not rusty, just really tatty paint, damaged decals, dented sill and the usual trashed interior.
Starting to think there are actually no good ones left.
If it's not rusty and mechanically sound all the above can be sorted easily.Starting to think there are actually no good ones left.
The importers are finding it hard to get hold of good ones as they've already imported the good stuff.
Re the interior mines a n reg so the front seats could do with having new cushions/foam but the dash, door cards etc can easily be sourced from bongo breakers.
Look up mazda bongo owners group on facebook also bongofury they normally have bongos for sale.
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