Bongo Search - Guidance Appreciated!

[moesymoe]

Hi folks,

So I already feel like I'm a Bongo addict, and I don't even have one yet. I've been looking for a camper for a while and after coming across a Bongo recently and learning more about them, my mind is made up as it is exactly what I'm looking for. I went to see one that was available locally, that had just been resprayed and almost fell in the trap of getting too excited about how nice it was inside and how well it drove. But there were a couple of indicators of rust that I now realise are major red flags that there were a lot of hidden issues, so thankfully I dodged a bullet there.

I'm living in Ireland, but unfortunately the market for Bongos here is very small, so the plan at the moment is to find a reliable, affordable Bongo online in the UK and travel over and pick it up.

My ideal Bongo is as follows:
- 4wd 2.5 diesel automatic, AFT
- Full camper side conversion, R&R bed with 2 seatbelts
- <100k miles
- £7000-£8000
- Tow bar, leisure battery

I've been in touch with a variety of the recommended dealers on this site, but most of the bongos on offer are quite a bit above my budget. So I'm trying to figure out what other approach I could take to find a reliable bongo online.

Obviously the main concern when buying sight unseen is rust and trying to find a Bongo that has been treated well on arrival and maintained well since. Ideally, I'd really like to find someone that bought through a dealer that provided the Japan side photos, and had proof of the maintenance carried out since. I notice there was a recent sale on here with this information.

- Overall, I'd love to hear what approach you, as more experienced bongo folks, would take in my situation?
- Do you think my budget is realistic?
- Is it common for sellers to have the original Japan side pictures available or is this unrealistic to expect?
- Do most of the higher quality private sales get sold through dealers, or do they typically come up on ebay or on here?
- In terms of rust, is a little rust to be expected and somewhat acceptable or is it the case that once there is a bit of rust, I should steer clear?
- Any advice on what other key indicators I should be looking for and asking about when in touch with the seller.
- Are there certain dealers that would be more reliable for second hand sales? e.g. JAL seems to focus on fresh imports and the prices are quite high. Southern Bongos and Bongo Camper Van Sales both have some reasonable options available. Any opinions on the quality that can be expected from these sellers?

Thanks,

[Bongolia]

Duplicate post?

[Bob]

Hi, and a warm welcome to BF.

The 'Buying a Bongo' info is a good place to start, then I'd focus on getting a good vehicle.

If you find a good converted one brilliant, but don't buy a great conversion on a poor base motor.

Buying unseen and coming over to collect it has obvious risks unless you buy from a vrey reputable dealer, but you will pay delaer price for that.

Will an owner have photos from Japan? Possibly, but years down the line its current condition that counts.

[mikeonb4c]

Welcome, and excellent advice from Bob. You should be able to get a decent converted Bongo for that budget though my general advice is to set aside £1.5k as self warranty, and you'll have some travel costs also. Buying privately will mean having to be confident you can inspect a Bongo and spot any issues (especially rust, a main consideration). And then you might have to walk away, cost of travel wasted. One dealer who comes to mind as dealing in Bongos that are being resold in the UK and who has a long reputation as a Bongo mechanic and refurbisher is Ian Taylor in Stoke on Trent. He has a good operation and reputation and tackles both mechanical and body work and offers a 3 year warranty on his sales. Another new arrival getting a v strong reputation is Bongospares in Halifax, who are i think now offering Bongos for sale. Then there's 321Away and probably others i know nowt about. There are other good dealers (Wheelquick in Wigan are excellent, JAL and Andys Imports also) but i'm not sure they do much other than import fresh. In summary, you'll get less Bongo for your money from a dealer but (crucial in your hassle) you may get more certainty and less hassle (and ultimately less cost) if you pick the right dealer. One obvious question you'll need to ask them is how does the warranty work if you're in Ireland (personally i'd hope it works so you can take it to a suitable local garage for them to discuss and work on under supervision from the warrantying dealer).

Apologies, rereading your post i see you've tried dealers, but i think the above still stands and the caveat over other routes is implied. Then again, if you're up for risk and more Bongo then try private and keep £1.5k in your back pocket as self warranty. Thats what i did 10 years ago and it worked out for me (though i'd crawled under and over a lot of Bongos before contacting a seller and getting pics emailed before risking a train ticket to the other side of the UK)

[Gasy]

1st Birmingham motors
There fresh imports go for 5-7000 £
Mine was£5000 just done its 5th mot all with no major probs
4x4 2.5td aft 100000km
At there prices you can have some money left over for a conversion
And it's good to try a unconverted as loads do and then decide against having a conversion and op for a awning
Good luck in your search and don't rush it

[moesymoe]

Thanks for all the very useful replies.

In terms of rust, I'd like to get a better sense of the kind of issues to be aware of and the potential severity of these issues. Is it fair to assume that the wheel arches and sills will always need to be replaced eventually (i.e. it is just a matter of time) And if so, does replacing the wheel arches completely resolve the issue, to be as good as new, or is the need to replace the wheel arches a symptom that the overall body has more significant issues.

Also, if a bongo has a small amount of rust, but has been effectively undersealed, does this do a good job of preventing the rust issue from getting worse? Or does this just hide the visual issue but the actual body will be deteriorating underneath with no obvious ways to tell?

I'll take a closer look at those dealers mentioned to see how their options compare to the other potential options across the UK. In the meantime, if there are any current members with a Bongo similar to my description, that are thinking of selling in the next month or so, please get in touch.

Thanks again folks!

[g8dhe]

Wheel arches, sills, front and rear members are the most common rust problems. However there can be other areas affected as one or two of us have found out! This search for Topics might help http://igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/sear ... mit=Search

[moesymoe]

Hi folks,

So the search is still on, but I've managed to narrow in on a couple of possibilities. However, given I'm doing the search remotely, I've had to rely on pictures to determine the extent of potential rust issues. So I'm wondering if the pictures below should cause any concern:

[moesymoe]

[moesymoe]

Apparently these pictures were unwashed and after a trip to the beach which should explain the sand.
Apologies for the picture dumps btw. And really appreciate any advice here as I really don't know what I'm looking for.

This is a 2000 2.5 td 4wd with 80k miles with full side conversion. Looking for 8k.

The radiator was replaced last year as there was some corrosion. So perhaps this is a major red flag already?

Looks well otherwise.

Finally, assuming there are no major red flags with the above, can anyone recommend a reliable bongo mechanic in the Barnstaple area? I wanted to have it looked at if I was considering it seriously but Allans in Plymouth is a bit too far apparently.

Thanks for any input folks!

[Ian]

The photos look OK, bearing in mind it is 17 years old. And I wouldn't worry about a changed radiator too much. But try to find out who performed the work.

There is a Bongo friendly garage in Barnstaple called A&R Auto Repairs see http://www.aandr-autorepairs.co.uk/

[mikeonb4c]

Agree with Ian forasmuch as i can tell what i'm looking at. I'd have liked to see area underneath around rear heater unit (if its not been removed) and metal pipes connecting to it and also where rear arch joins cills and where crossmember joins cills behind front arches (where my first rust hole happened at Bongo only 13yrs old). But look ok. Barnstaple and beaches = salty sea air and sand. Is paintwork in good condition (no matting or pinhole rust spots), and i'd want to pressure wash then refresh waxoyl on underside.

Radiators are generally replaced because they're leaking or blocked. Radiator cross member supports get cut out and new ones welded in due to corrosion. This is a common repair in ageing Bongos but it does flag up what stage in corrosion might be present generally (it was near the first, but not the first, bit of rust repair needed on my 22 yr old Bongo, when it was about 19 years old, and even though it had been professionally waxoyled/dinitroled at 11yrs old). I think its best to expect budgeting for some welding within the next few years. The key thing is to be vigilant (i.e. don't wait for MOT failure to tell you) and source a good outfit to prod with a screwdriver and repair/weld sooner rather than later. I take mine to a great guy (Adrian at Japandirect in Bury - shameless plug!), when MOT is due and we put it up on the hydraulic lift and look everywhere underneath for stuff needing attention even if its not an MOT fail. And i keep an eye out also ehen i'm washing it etc.

Where are you travelling from to view it?

[moesymoe]

Dublin unfortunately. So it's a bit of a trek.

[Bongolia]

Not sure where it is you are viewing the vehicle but another good source of vehicles history is this site;
https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history
If in Eire you may have an equivalent.
Here are some of the areas to watch out for.
https://goo.gl/photos/Rrmcq1oCC3yNLkpE9
The floor pan image applies to both foot wells you will need to lift the mats.
Other ones are front cross member (not shown) you will have to get in between the lower plastic scoop cover and the cross member to feel for that, rear cross member above exhaust behind heat shield, underside where the rear heater unit fits (the image with the two heater pipes exiting),behind the rear bumper corners both sides and inner sills. The image of the pipe work is on the offside underneath these tend to corrode around the support brackets and the tee joints.
Take a good torch, a pen torch, something to prod with, a magnet(from an old speaker is good) and a mirror push any suspect areas gently and check for deflection or "softness" run the magnet (wrapped in cloth) just off the panel surface over any areas you suspect of being filled like the rear arches and measure the pull on the magnet. chances are there will be filler somewhere on the van but it will give an indication of previous work but obviously not the quality.
If you can get any images of areas you have doubts about then post them up and we can take a look at them.
These are extreme images and viewer discretion is advised!
Good Luck!

[mikeonb4c]

Dublin unfortunately. So it's a bit of a trek.

Sorry yes you had said in an earlier post and i missed it. It might be a good investment if a local person was able to nip over and inspect it. Or maybe even the AA/RAC could if suitably briefed with notes such as Bongolias above - you could always enquire. But if i had to take a risk i might say this one is ok. I'd feel better though if i had a backup fund of £2k to deal with the worst in case it happened. With luck you won't need it but..