Early Bongo?

[Bongolia]

Could Mr Takashitainamoto have camped in these in his formative years?
https://goo.gl/photos/yrYhnyKTCcbKShHK7

[Bongolia]

I nearly bought the black split screen one. The builder had passed on and his nephew was selling it for the estate.
A very talented man his uncle. He had fitted it with a turbo 1.8 diesel and auto box, ladder chassis and enormous fatties on the back. I particularly liked the porthole window and rear wheel house covers.
I chose not to buy in the end because it needed some work to finish it!
With hindsight....

[mikeonb4c]

Thing is, with all the TLC in the world you couldn't make one of those into the driving comfort the Bongo will give once restored.

[Bob]

Part of our motoring history, but I drove one years ago and oh goodness, what a thing.

[mikeonb4c]

Part of our motoring history, but I drove one years ago and oh goodness, what a thing.

One of my mates Dad's had one when i was a teenager. Rolled more than a dinghy in a rough sea and a rust through hole in the floor big enough to pee through while on the move, provided you could hold position while rolling through the bends.

[Bongolia]

Yes they wallowed, gear change was interesting, very sluggish too.

Thing is, with all the TLC in the world you couldn't make one of those into the driving comfort the Bongo will give once restored.

Agreed but it would have been interesting. Not sure I would have used it as a serious camper just a thing to get into events for free and maybe take the Bongo as a tender.

[Bob]

We do see a few of these at the steam rallies and they are interesting.

The Dormobile was pretty much the first camper van, other than one off home builds, so we do owe a bit of homage.

[mikeonb4c]

We do see a few of these at the steam rallies and they are interesting.

The Dormobile was pretty much the first camper van, other than one off home builds, so we do owe a bit of homage.

The Dormobile was the reason the VW Type 2 survived and thrived to become a classic, I kid you not, i was there. Today, the Bongo makes the type 2 feel like a Dormobile

[helen&tony]

Hi
Bedford.....I loathe those things
As for the type 2...superb vehicle...once you realise that Bongos are as rusty when you look at a 20 year old version of either, it's down to preference...The Type 2 is ultra reliable, if restored properly....I only had a fuel line let me down once, 5 minutes before going on holiday....a quick rush to the local shop, and repair done in minutes! They are slow, but that's how they were...bring them up to modern power rating, and they are very quick....Muddy fields?.... no problem...the engine is over the wheels at the back.....Space inside...bigger than the Bongo....Kool factor....300%
My Type 2 was 30 years old,and it was a project...I knew it was rusty, but with the right kit, and a will to work hard, anything's possible
Cheers
Helen

[helen&tony]

Hi Bongolia...
Ain't hindsight wonderful....I was looking around in the mid '60s for a decent car to learn how to "do up"...There were so many great vehicles up for grabs as people only wanted new plasticy things in the '60s, with scant regard for classic!...I was looking for anything a bit different, and scanned the pages for old Packards, Allards, Alvises, and eventually settled on Porsche 356 speedster..., and I kept missing them, but a coupe came up for £180.00 and I didn't bite because I wanted a speedster (kick butt time)....Then I was offered an MG "M" type boat-tail in boxes for £35.00 (KB time)...then came a Bristol 400 /401 for £180.00.....in use every day, but only slight carb trouble (Triple carb 6 -cylinder)...more KB time...Now for a big weepie....£120.00 and could have been cajoled into accepting less...an XK 120 Jag....drophead...a rusty door pillar put me off....I could weep an ocean over that one....are you getting the picture that I'm a bit pernickety with my vehicles???....anyway, the list goes on.....As I said , "hindsight"...LOL
Cheers
Helen

[callum]

Even in modern times the price of classic vehicles has increased dramatically.
For reference, i'm 30yo, got my first classic at 22 (i don't count the 1989 MK3 Supra that i sold) in that time i owned, in order
1953 Morris Minor
1970 Triumph Herald Estate
1989 Mini
1983 VW T25
1971 Triumph Herald Convetible
1971 Rover P5b
1960 Morris Minor
1975 Triumph Toledo

Then i had a kid 2 years ago, so that soon stopped!

Back to point...in my experience, all of those are worth considerably more than i sold them for. A Mini in the condition that i had is a good £1000 more than what i sold mine for 4 years ago. I paid £1200 for mine and i have seen ones of similar year, with no mot and some serious rust going for the same.
The '53 Minor is worth a fortune comparatively i assume because of the MOT exemption. I sold that for £3000, but it was heavily modified and had a fresh respray. It didn't pay off the debts i'd accrued building it!

I harbour ambitions to get back into owning a classic, but i'm just not sure i'll be able to afford it! No, i don't class the Bongo as a classic. I class it as old, but, a certain future classic.

[MalcW]

I harbour ambitions to get back into owning a classic, but i'm just not sure i'll be able to afford it! No, i don't class the Bongo as a classic. I class it as old, but, a certain future classic.

I wonder when Bongos/Fredas will start to become classics, rather than just old? After all, cars such as Vauxhall Cavaliers and Ford Sierras now regularly appear in classic car magazines, and are restored rather than scrapped, and they date from the same era. Which begs the question: am I keeping my old van on the road or carrying out a classic vehicle rolling restoration?

[mikeonb4c]

I harbour ambitions to get back into owning a classic, but i'm just not sure i'll be able to afford it! No, i don't class the Bongo as a classic. I class it as old, but, a certain future classic.

I wonder when Bongos/Fredas will start to become classics, rather than just old? After all, cars such as Vauxhall Cavaliers and Ford Sierras now regularly appear in classic car magazines, and are restored rather than scrapped, and they date from the same era. Which begs the question: am I keeping my old van on the road or carrying out a classic vehicle rolling restoration?

For me, the Bongo is a classic because, just like the type 2, it is a classic design, the best all rounder I can think of with so many well thought out and useful features. The only relevance of it getting older is that well kept ones will become rarer. So you are definitely restoring a classic. And no amount of ageing or rarity will make the Morris Marina a classic except/unless there is a 'Joke' category.

[MalcW]

I think so too. I think it's about time that one of the classic car magazines latched onto the alternative (I.e. non-VW) campers, like Bongos/Freda's, Hiace etc.

[Bongolia]

Would I be right in thinking that, apart from US day vans, the Bongo was the only camper van produced by a major manufacturer straight off the line?
Maybe Toyota has?
Anyone know of others?