Epic Roadtrip Bangernomic Style - Part Deux

[Negative Creep]

You may remember back in February I did an impromptu trip around the South Island in an old Nissan Sunny (http://pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=816830&mid=46688&nmt=Epic%20Roadtrip%20-%20Bangernomics%20Style). Well now it's time to head around again and then back up north taking in the winter sights along the way. I didn't fancy pitching a tent in this weather so bought a van. Now the sensible thing would be to buy from a backpacker, or indeed build one up yourself. Now that would just be too easy, so I bought this:











A 1985 Nissan/Datsun (is badged as both) Japanese spec Vanette. Now I've owned some truly miserable stuff in my time, but this really take it to a whole new level. The heater doesn't work, clutch weights two tonnes, doors don't align properly, there's no choke, the seat is now made of foam and you can remove the key from the ignition with the engine still running. It has a column change manual which is insanely fiddly to use and normally results in punching the dash every time you get 3rd. Had a somewhat ignominious start when a mate decided to do some doughnuts in it, which cased the loose battery to touch the bodywork, creating a shower of sparks that set the grease on the gearbox alight. Disaster narrowly averted, but it did fuse the throttle cable and melt the gear linkage

My preparation consists of fitting a stereo and throwing an airbed in the back (or at least I will when I get rid of the sofa that currently in there) and hoping for the best. Internet will be sporadic but I'll keep everyone updated best I can.

[rottie102]

I'm sorry but somebody has to ask it:

WHY???

You Sir are a masochist

[r1ch]

That must be soul destroying to own. Cool.

[soad]

Looks very very basic. Be tempted to spray it to inject some new colour.

[pimping]

simply awesome.

[bigfatnick]

how much can you pick up something like that? Whats it like on fuel? I'm in canada at the moment and the cost of a used car and insurance is far too much to even consider owning one. I'm likely to be going to nz in the next few months and i want something vanish/4x4ish/estateish/roadlegal and insurable.

Thanks

[pimping]

off topic but have i got a massive advert next to my input?

[Negative Creep]

bigfatnick said:

how much can you pick up something like that? Whats it like on fuel? I'm in canada at the moment and the cost of a used car and insurance is far too much to even consider owning one. I'm likely to be going to nz in the next few months and i want something vanish/4x4ish/estateish/roadlegal and insurable.

Thanks

I paid $1200 (around 600gbp) for this one which is pretty cheap for something with a new WOF (their version of the MOT). Not sure how good it is on fuel as of yet but the Sunny was superb and this weighs nothing. Insurance is stupidly cheap and isn't even compulsory whilst fuel is around 70p a litre.

Vehicles are more expensive than the UK, estates don't tend to be that popular and 4x4s carry a price premium as they're always in demand. If you want a cheap van your best bet is to buy a van from one of the backpacker hostels, as it will have all the stuff in it and they may well be desperate to sell so you can make a cheeky bid. The chances of it having been serviced are pretty much zero though.

[bigfatnick]

sweet, cheers mate. i found the same thing with cars over here in canada. We in the uk have it so lucky with used cars. 10 year old cars out here seem to pull in like 50% of the original purchase price.

God bless the uk's must have a new car to beat the jones' mentality!

I've got a few contacts out theres so maybe i can blag something with that. Whats the deal with not needing insurance, i take it if you have an at fault accident your liable for the costs of the other party, even if they drive a ferrari?

[Negative Creep]

First update time, and quite frankly what a fkload of arse this is turning out to be. Went to set off, battery was flat so had to jump start. Ok, maybe just one of those things and a nice run will get it sorted. So we drive to the first stop - hmm this thing doesn't really want to go over 100kph and the fuel gauge is moving rather quickly - but at least we're getting there.

So we stop at the first place, go to book in, get back to the car and.....nothing. No power whatsoever. Starts first time with a jump start, dies again when you turn the lights on. So long story short it goes into the garage who trace the fault to corroded terminals which need to be changed. At least it wasn't a battery or alternator but I'm still $80 down. Onwards again and it is apparent how horrific this van is. I've driven some bks in my time but this is just in a different galaxy. As it gets hilly I could barely do 80 and once we got to a steep hill I just about managed 40kph. It keeps misfiring, the welds on the gear linkage snapped so finding the right gear was impossible. I just stuck to 2nd and 4th to save grief but you have to wrench it into the right gear and always crunches in reverse. It's also doing about 25mpg. Twenty five.

Changed the plugs and filters but made no difference to the terrible idle. Into another garage it goes who readjust the throttle cable so I can actually get full revs this time (seems a bit quicker but won't know for sure until tomorrow.) They tried to repair the linkage but their diagnosis is the clutch is fked. So I can now either spend half the value of the car and my travel money getting a new one fitted or drive the thing until it dies. Only upside is that as it's almost all open road I'll just be sitting in 4th so won't need to change gear much and sleeping in the back isn't too bad

I did manage a few photos though

[Negative Creep]

Think it's time I updated this. Managed to find a friendly garage who fitted new points and set the timing and from that point on it ran a million times better Alpine region but the weather has been surprisingly mild and very sunny. Having said that, I did get to drive though snow one night and with no heater or blower I can officially state that was the most miserable driving experience of my life. A few more pictures:




Queenstown, adventure capital of the South. Note how everyone else there had the common sense to rent a camper



By Thunder Creek Falls






At the Haast Pass

I finished the South Island and went to Wellington (bottom of the North). There due to some slight money issues the trip was put on hold and very little happened. My travel partner has gone to Oz with his girlfriend so just me now. After sorting the money I drove directly north to Auckland and from that point I have begun exploring around.

The best thing is that being off season, the roads and campsites are deserted. Once you're outside of the cities the sense of isolation is awesome. You can pull up somewhere and hear nothing but birdsong at at night it's just a blanket of stars.

So how is the Vanette doing? Hasn't missed a beat since Invercargill (southernmost city). Storms, torrential rain, escaped cows, sand, mud, unpaved roads, Auckland's motorway all failed to stop it. Really do need to fix that gear selector problem though..........



Cape Reigna - the northernmost point of New Zealand, so I've now driven up the entire country


Ninety Mile Beach, actually part of the road network. I was tempted to drive it but the sand was very wet and boggy, I was on my own and didn't know the tide times so decided it wasn't worth the risk


Tarmac? We don't need no stinking tarmac




Lake Taupo


Auckland


These giant Ferns look like something out of Jurassic Park

[rottie102]

Brilliant! I absolutely love NZ and think it's the most beautiful of all countries.
Did you go to hot springs in Taupo?

[anonymous-user]

Still reading your latest post but this looks like brilliant fun

[Negative Creep]

rottie102 said:

Brilliant! I absolutely love NZ and think it's the most beautiful of all countries.
Did you go to hot springs in Taupo?

Didn't go into them but did visit Craters of the Moon. Very impressive!



Oh and I am taking plenty of photos without the van in them, I just like to keep a record of where I've driven it! I don't like appearing in photos so it's the best alternative

[twazzock]

Looks intensely fun! Good luck on your travels and keep us updated

[ExPatDownUnder]

Wow, this takes me back. Sitting here in Sheffield, reminds me of my year (and a bit) living in Christchurch with the Mrs in 2007-8. We did a road trip of a lifetime similar to yours (Chch - Omaru - Lake Pukaki - Wanaka - Queenstown - Dunedin - Invercargill - Milford sound, then around to westport(?) , up the west coast past franz josef, all the way to Nelson and Picton. Amazing, I can't think of another place on earth which could be as beautiful as South Island.

This was our trusty steed:






1989 2.0l Nissan Bluebird Station Wagon. Christened "La Madame" by her previous owner (a german backpacker) cost us $1100, and gave us 12 months of fairly reliable motoring (apart from a clunking cv joint, a faulty fuel gauge, a leaking sunroof and a tendency for the brake fluid to overheat). She even ran sweetly for 50 odd miles on a day trip after I'd put a bit more oil in the engine and left the oil cap on the fence-post in our drive!

Seeing your photo of the gravel track reminded me of driving from christchurch over the port hills to Akaroa on the unsealed road - it was 3 hrs of vibrating hell. It nearly killed the car, the window winders fell off, the passenger front window came loose and slid down half way, the screws holding the sunroof in fell out, the number plate came off, the radio stopped working, the glove box latch broke, and just about everything else had to be re-tightened afterwards.

We sold her in the end, put some free ads up in the local backpackers for $1000, and sold her to a young kiwi girl who turned up and asked if I'd take $950 without even looking at the car!