Hello, new member advice - East Mids. servicing locations

[trackfive]

Good evening, first time posting here. Hello!

I've been wanting a Bongo for years, and finally I have an excuse - a 2yo daughter we want to show a bit of outdoorsy life. I was considering a T4, T5 etc. but they just drive like...vans. And are equipped like... vans. As soon as I had a go in a Bongo I was convinced (which isn't a surprise, I'm a currently-between-cars MX5 man and Mazdas totally have a place in my heart). It was a 2 ton rocket ship compared to the rotten German tin cans I was driving.

Anyway I'm in Nottingham, I'm looking for an AFT, unconverted, facelifted, 2002- 2.5 V6 petrol or 4-pot diesel unit. I'm fine with the fuel consumption figures; now, to find one freshly imported or with minimal rust. That's ongoing, but I have a couple of options locally & I have a plan

So when I do pick one up, where would you recommend servicing? Ideally somewhere a bit closer than Ian Taylor in Stoke - that's a bit of a drive for servicing. Is there anyone in Nottingham/Leicester/Derby who understands how to service one of these?

I'll also be looking to buy a bike rack - can't see much on the forum regarding compatibility of various units with the facelift / buttlift aero roof & spoiler - I see with some the spoiler needs to be removed. I don't really want a towball unit, so anyone with experience of a newer variant and bike rack willing to chime in?

Many thanks.

[TheLongRoad]

Welcome, can’t help with info on garages in your area but try a search on forum for Thule 953.

[Merlot man]

Hello
Should that be the Thule 973 -18 ( fitting kit ) but please don't take my word for it , wait until someone more reliable comes on
And your correct , compared to the t4 these are a revelation !
I too am am mx5 man , mk1 and mk2
Brian

[Bob]

Hi.

Not local to you, but there should be a list of Bongo Friendly garages, likely in the Members' Area.

I'd have a think about a tow ball mounted rack as it won't mean messing with the spoiler, and the tow bar step we have is invaluable.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/273125867664?c ... beffcc62ac

[TheLongRoad]

Thule 953.

Corrected 973 is the one.

[trackfive]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm still van-less at the minute; there's just nothing around, and after a 400 mile round trip to find a blowing head gasket, evidence of ropey maintenance and a serious case of denial, I'm starting to get a bit upset!

Not a whole lot of 2.5 late models around at a reasonable price. I like the last model largely because if you squint, it looks like you won't have to remove the spoiler to have the Thule bike rack on (spoiler is part of the revised AFT and not the tailgate). Yes, I know, they're pretty rare in anything other than 2.0 petrol spec.

I did find a V6 just up the road from me (win) but the photo was taken on a really sunny day. I arrived to find my silver van was in fact a horrendous shade of grandmas-1991-bathroom-tiles-green and silver two-tone.

At this rate I won't even have one for Le Mans! Sad face.

Logical next question; is the 2.0 really that bad in AFT trim? After various test drives, I've found the torque of the 2.5 diesel was superb & ideally matched to the gearbox; the V6 was good with a wrung neck but poor lower down, I could live with it though. I've never driven a 2.0 petrol.

Many thanks.

[mikeonb4c]

The diesel is great, if you can live with the diesel issues. And later models had more complex fuel pumps i'm told plus variable vane turbos with their potential (but not deal breaking issues). And v late model diesels are i think hard to get as Japan (i'm guessing) became increasingly anti diesel. Overall though the Bongo is now a long extinct car. I wonder if you shouldnt rule out getting one that needs work doing on it but that is in fundamentally good condition. Bodywork rust is the big one to watch of course

[TheLongRoad]

Depends on what you are expecting from the 2.0ltr. Keeps up with most traffic in town, happy to bimble along A roads at 55mph, doesn't suffer from as many coolaant issues (although it does share some). The engine is reliable and service cost are less. A bonus is that when the timing belt snaps the engine doesn't destroy itself. Down side, less power and will take its own time up steep hills and you need to check your calender before you overtake. Try one and see what you think, for me it's a holiday vehicle and I just slow down a bit to admre the view.

[trackfive]

Yep, spent a while reading the various posts on here which are really useful. Every third post is 'which engine should I get?' so sorry for being tiresome.

I'm fine with handling known issues as long as I understand what to look out for (what 20 year old vehicle hasn't got issues?) - and to be honest I'm leaning toward a fresh import, and handling the bodywork myself. Therein lies the problem with wanting the exceedingly rare diesel / aero / facelift option! Supply is an issue, although I feel that may change as we get closer to spring & prices and margins go up.

The other option, and I'm not convinced on this, is to buy an older 96-99 model which has had a decent life, more commonly has the engine I want, but with the knowledge that I will indefinitely be chasing rust! This we could use to establish whether we want to invest in a good one. That would still be around 5k though, and harder to shift if we did want to upgrade.

Are there any common performance mods you can perform on the 2.0 to give it some more zing?

Cheers

[Philfish]

Have a look at Andy's Imports from near Norwich. Has various examples of bongos both converted and unconverted. I bought mine from there and hold them in high regard as to their product. Plenty of opportunity for a test drive. My 2.0 litre petrol is slow off the mark but happily drives fully loaded at 60 or just over whilst achieving 30 mpg or over if driving slower, and I believe easier for self servicing wig seemingly less to go wrong.
Good luck

[Flanners]

I think you should consider looking elsewhere as the Bongo is not a performance focused vehicle in any of it's guises.

A fresh import will/should not have any bodywork/rust issues that need sorting, given the Japenese don't use salt etc and the importer's mostly buy top graded vehicles. (save for a few parking dings, alloy scuffs etc)

The Thule goes on the back with no mods on the aero model.

If you found the other variants underpowered then the 2.0 will be/and is a gutless plodder and given what you have written I would say don't bother test driving one; I find the 2.0 a brilliant camper van/utility vehicle as speed and performance was not a consideration in my purhase. There are no economical mods I know of for the 2.0 to increase it's performance.

I have had a quick look on eBay and there are over 100 for sale (£20K down to the £2K snotters/basket cases). To get a decent one you will have to pay the premium for it either privately or trade, or purchase a snotter with a view to an ongoing 'project'. Consider if it is riddled with tin worm it will cost you ££££'s.

[trackfive]

Hiya, not at all - actually I found the performance of the diesel to be astonishingly good considering it's a 2 ton brick, and the v6 to be adequate and vocal considering it's a 2 ton brick. Both engine types in this chassis delivered a surprisingly entertaining drive too, which is nice.

I imagine the 2.0 will be adequate if leisurely - considering it's a 2 ton brick, and is returning slightly better mpg. It can't be as bad as a 64bhp Type 25; at that level you're looking at lack of performance becoming a real safety issue. I just wondered if anyone has squeezed any more out of the FE block in the 2.0, because if you can do so reliably, why not?

I think the budget has swollen to around 12k so we should be able to find something! I'm still considering a 'decent for a couple of years' van to see if we like it.

Cheers, Ben.

[Bob]

To answer the question, 'Why not?' Insurance.

Depending on your risk level a modifed engine can increase premiums Big Time.

Not saying don't do it, but I would look at cost before tweaking.

[Doone]

Realistically there's not a lot you can do to increase the mpg performance. A light foot is your best trick.
There's plenty of info that may help you decide between the models, on THIS LINK

[mikeonb4c]

Hiya, not at all - actually I found the performance of the diesel to be astonishingly good considering it's a 2 ton brick, and the v6 to be adequate and vocal considering it's a 2 ton brick. Both engine types in this chassis delivered a surprisingly entertaining drive too, which is nice.

I'm biased of course cos i have one but i agree the diesel can shift along surprisingly well when you decide to get it going. And it pulls a load in a wonderful relaxed way. Its round bends, and in crosswinds, that the AFT version has to be handled with care. It is nicely balanced, but its top heaviness and soft suspension could bite the unwary, the more so as its otherwise well mannered. But even my mechanic, a man who has worked almost exclusively with Bongos since they first arrived in the UK but prefers a sporty Jag as his own mount, remarked after a test drive that 'it still surprised him how these old diesels could move on down the road at quite such a pace'. Which is a nice extra, since i was only seeking load lugging ability and relaxed driving when I bought it. But they are old and a cautious and knowledgable approach to purchasing is advisable. Best car ever though, in my personal experience.