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2 or 4 wheel drive

Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 8:04 pm
by mellon man
Advice please - I am seriously thinking about buying a Bongo, I've found one that seems to be genuine and all original with low ish millage but it is only a 2 wheel drive model, wondering if 4 wheel drive would be a better choice or not ? but I can only find them with 100 thousand miles plus on them.

Re: 2 or 4 wheel drive

Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 8:11 pm
by Driver+Passengers
mellon man wrote:Advice please - I am seriously thinking about buying a Bongo, I've found one that seems to be genuine and all original with low ish millage but it is only a 2 wheel drive model, wondering if 4 wheel drive would be a better choice or not ? but I can only find them with 100 thousand miles plus on them.
If you're planning on towing stuff in and out of muddy fields, then 4wd definitely. Otherwise, 2wd and decent tyres (esp. in winter) will probably see you alright. There is more to go wrong with the 4wd. Don't worry about mileage too much - focus on the condition and any UK service history it has.

Go on! You know you want one... ;)

Re: 2 or 4 wheel drive

Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 8:58 pm
by scanner
I've had a 2WD since 2007 and have never needed 4WD. However it wears good winter tyres all year round.

As said more to go (very expensively) wrong and you need to keep an eye on wheel/tyre sizes if you don't want to screw it all up big time.

If I were buying a high mileage 4WD I would want to know a lot more about it's history than I would a 2WD of the same age/mileage.

You also need to check all the 4WD bits are still there - some on here have bought a "4WD" and later found out it had no front drive shafts because one or other of the diffs had packed up and it was too expensive to repair/replace.

Re: 2 or 4 wheel drive

Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 9:47 pm
by mellon man
Thanks for helpful advice - I am now an proud owner of a 1995 Japan 2006 UK 2 wheel drive bongo that's done 59,000 genuine miles (import papers and all old MOT 'S as proof) so far all seems O.K. but early days yet.
Any advice on what I should check out before taking her on a long run so I don't get court out.(recently had a full service and MOT)
Also I need to come up with a good name for her would be fun to here what you call yours?

Re: 2 or 4 wheel drive

Posted: Sat Aug 31, 2013 11:48 pm
by squeakers
In Pembrokeshire looking to buy Bongo. Where did you find yours?

Re: 2 or 4 wheel drive

Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 10:53 pm
by cmm303
You dont say what engine you have. Based on my Diesel experience:
  • - Check Cam belt mileage (I think it is recommended to change after 50,000 km on the diesel). If uncertain, change it and get the water pump checked out at the same time.
    - Fit a low coolant alarm (LCA) if one not already fitted. About £70, I think. The most important insurance against expensive overheating damage due to coolant loss which though it does pick up all failure scenarios it is the most cost effective starting point.
    - If anybody touches your cooling system for any reason at all, don't let them unless they know the Bongo's very very very particular bleeding requirements.
    - Spare fuse for AFT. Can't go anywhere if this blows and roof not down.
Campsite, bottle of wine, sunshine ... + bongo = big grin.

Re: 2 or 4 wheel drive

Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 11:18 pm
by hijimhere
2WD and 4WD easy - you can make a 4WD into a 2WD if you so wish( remove rear propshaft) - but yee cannie mac a 2WD intae a 4WD. Pay your money and go for a 4WD - lovely decals lol. Oh early ones like mine tend to have mileage -- the odometer is probably reading kilometers so its devide by 8 and multiply by 5 to give a MILES reading.

Re: 2 or 4 wheel drive

Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 10:37 pm
by mellon man
Thanks for advice found 2 coolant level gauges for Bongo HAYDN at £81.50 including Standard Postage and AUTO JAP SPARES at £75.00 including fast postage -
Which should I go for ?
Or are they both the same thing ?

Re: 2 or 4 wheel drive

Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 10:50 pm
by Simon Jones
hijimhere wrote:2WD and 4WD easy - you can make a 4WD into a 2WD if you so wish( remove rear propshaft) - but yee cannie mac a 2WD intae a 4WD. Pay your money and go for a 4WD - lovely decals lol. Oh early ones like mine tend to have mileage -- the odometer is probably reading kilometers so its devide by 8 and multiply by 5 to give a MILES reading.
Noooo! You can remove the front propshaft to convert to 2WD, but not the rear one otherwise you will massively over stress the transfer box and probably loose all drive.

4WD is brilliant in the snow or on a muddy campsite, but 2WD is perfectly fine for most people. I used to have a 4WD diesel and it got me to work when there was about a foot of snow on the roads and no other vehicles were venturing out. If they made a 4WD V6 I'd have bought one, but as they don't, I've some roll-up tracks that can be put under the rear wheels to give extra grip, but managed so far without resorting to them.

Re: 2 or 4 wheel drive

Posted: Thu Sep 05, 2013 10:05 pm
by cmm303
mellon man wrote:Thanks for advice found 2 coolant level gauges for Bongo HAYDN at £81.50 including Standard Postage and AUTO JAP SPARES at £75.00 including fast postage -
Which should I go for ?
Or are they both the same thing ?
Bought mine from http://www.coolantalarm.co.uk/shop, Haydn himself I think.
The bog standard LCA for Bongo http://www.coolantalarm.co.uk/shop/inde ... roductId=3

Re: 2 or 4 wheel drive

Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 6:55 pm
by dom_e
The only times I've thought 4WD would be useful would have been in the snow. However, I then got a set of winter tyres fitted, which made an enormous difference in winter conditions with my 2WD. Unless you live on a steep hill/lane or plan to do some serious winter or muddy driving, I can't see a need for 4WD if you have winter tyres in winter (probably a good thing with 4WD as well).

Re: 2 or 4 wheel drive

Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2013 6:52 pm
by meek.tv
I've gone from a 2wd to a 4wd and I fancy that the 4wd is a bit heavier on the juice