Buying a Bongo

[Sassyzizzi]

Hi there

I wonder if anybody can help me please.

I have been searching for a Bongo for months and am now confused by the whole search!

I have seen one on Gumtree but the mileage is 100,000, can somebody please let me know if this too high and if I will not get too much wear out of it.

I look forward to hearing back.

Thank you

[Tessie]

A little bit more information might help people to give help/advice.

Which engine is it? How old is it (original build date not import into UK date)? Are you sure the mileage reading is actually in miles as many, if not most, register the distance travelled in kilometres not miles, if it is kms then it has only done 62,137 miles. Remember Bongos are from 16 to 26 years old ( give or take 12 months) so even at 100,000 miles it isn't a very big annual mileage.

Most people wouldn't be too worried about that sort of mileage on a well looked after and regularly serviced Bongo, Rust is a much bigger worry and something to look out for.

[Hazzobongo]

I just bought mine with 95000 on the clock but as said above its in KM so its roughly 60k miles, this ones a diesel and looked after it'll go around the world 7 times at least. Like the previous poster said you need to inspect these front to rear underneath for rust as they're not undersealed in Japan and in the UK the road salt just eats them away, especially the sills, crossmembers and running gear. Mine's only been in the country 3 years and has had a decent underseal applied to the sills and wheel arches so its pretty much free of rust though I intend going over the lot again once the weather warms up.

[Bob]

Welcome aboard.

Might be in the Members' Area, but there's a good Fact Sheet 'Buying a Bongo' which will help.

Good advice so far.

[Ian]

It's not in the members area, it's open access. See https://igmaynard.co.uk/buying/

[Sassyzizzi]

Ok, thanks everyone for taking the time to respond! Sorry to have posted in the wrong area, just getting used to the site. I am not going with this one now, going to view another one on Sunday, bit more expensive but with a roof, JAL conversion with all paperwork (apparently!). I shall check for rust and if it is has been undersealed. In fact I shall do myself a little checklist.

Thanks again all. Hoping to become a "Bongonaut" very soon ...

[Bob]

Never worry about posting in the 'wrong' area, lots of overlap and we're a friendly crew.

[Hazzobongo]

If its a fresh import from them it'll be clean as a whistle underneath like the one I inspected prior to buying mine, the only thing which put me off handing over the nine grand was the salesman lied to me twice and had disconnected the temperature gauge which made me suspicious of the van overall. He'd told me it had just arrived on the friday of the previous week and I was viewing it on Monday but I'd already seen the van weeks before on their site and when we phoned they said they were fresh out of bongos so obviously someone had returned it.

Ask about the servicing and if its had a timing belt change and get them to show you the engine bay to look for oil leaks from the top end, the conversion is likely to be very pretty but its useless if the timing belt snaps as you drive it home, also try out all the switches both in the dash and in the rear. These fresh imports look like brand new vans but they've all been in use for years now.