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Pleasure Wagon


KruJoe

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As mentioned here...
http://autoshite.com/topic/19513-heavy-breathers/

post-1381-0-79489200-1424560173.jpg

...I've had my heart set on one of these Estima things for some time. The desired spec was

  • veg friendly dizzler
  • 4WD
  • eight seater (lay-flat bed-mode-capable)
  • curtains (for discreet dogging / Shitefest activities)
  • not termially borked (oft seen with kippered heads)
  • manual
  • tow-bar
  • sub-bag pricetag

Automatics outnumber manuals by about 50 to 1, that cut down choice too much, so I thought I'd give an auto a chance.

Then I found this one on Gumtree, at £999, the closest one I've seen so far, in Bradford. I thought I'd pop along and see this local one without a tow-bar, have a drive to see if this idea was a good one, make my excuses and leave, waiting for one with full spec, maybe even a manual would turn up.
 
The ad was a bit pants. The title:
CAR FOR SALE!!!!!
With the main of the five poor pictures being an over-exposed diagonal image of the headlining.
But it showed eight months test, and mileage 94,000. But as it counts in km, that's only 58,000 miles. Gotta be worth a look, eh?
The Bangladeshi gentleman seller was so lovely and I couldn't find much fault with it, apart from the blowing of oily fumes from the oil filler cap. In fact he was the one to point out a few scuffs, (I'm not fussed about them really).
I said the fumes worried me a bit, so I'd go home, read up and have a think. He was understanding and seemed unafraid to drop the price, as I was only the second to come and view it in a month on sale. The first chap wanted brand new paintwork on a 20 year old car.

Pics from the first viewing:

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P1030575_zpsuavfhafg.jpg

P1030574_zpsakxfh182.jpg

P1030573_zpsb6nyzlwi.jpg

P1030582_zps5mtr31mz.jpg

P1030577_zps9wkl8jik.jpg

^There's our man.

So we had the Heavy Breathers thread, which put my mind at ease somewhat. But then I got through to an Estima expert at www.gtmotors.co.uk . Big-up to those guys. They told me a blocked breather would have oil spunking out the dipstick tube. We ain't got that here.
He said about the fumes from the cap THEY ALL DO THAT SIR. It's due to the lump being laid on it's side, so there's probably nowt wrong with it if there's no other symptoms of trouble.
SO
Another call to Mr_Bradford and a plan was hatched with the aid of wor Will...

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Good news on the engine breathing. I have a soft spot for this body style as fatha_brookjm had one of the first UK spec Previas, which he got new after trading in his inca gold space cruiser. Thats what 4 kids does to your car choices! In 1990 it looked from another planet.

 

Does that roof flip up?

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It's the mid-nineties, the nicest (and smallest) girl in our glass invites everyone to a birthday party and we find out her Dad drives a spaceship-egg.  It was the strangest thing, all the other parents had things like Volvo 140s, Fiat Unos and Ford Cortinas, we didn't even know what this thing was!

 

I was pretty disappointed when I found out it was a minibus.

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Thanks for your support everyone :)

 

Oh, dear God, you haven't, have you?

Oh yes I have.

 

Second viewing today, with an aim to making a deal.

 

After another poke about with brother Will, it came to the vulgar subject of money... I pulled £700 from my pocket, and Mr_Bradford, still smiling widely, asked if I could manage another 50. Oh ok then :)

 

And' it's tested 'til mid-October, not August as he'd said before.

 

This helpful guide gave me confidence I wasn't looking at a dog:

http://www.estima-motoring.co.uk/Buying%20Guide.htm

So I knew how to properly check the cooling and oils. The auto oil looks a bit brown for my liking, so that'll be due a change. The gears work as they should. The coolant was behaving correctly also, but I'll give a good flush and re-fill with the right stuff. The oil level light gave me the occasional flash, but was showing on the MAX line on the dipper, so maybe it's telling me it's over-full. I'll drain a pint off and see.

 

Pics:

 

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At Anne's on the way home:

 

P1030613_zpsa46e4knc.jpg

 

(Yes, that IS a comedy cartoon anvil in the back of the 205.)

 

P1030614_zpsjky22ap9.jpg

 

Home.

 

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P1030615_zpsjwi33vra.jpg

 

Trailblazers BACK AND FRONT!

 

P1030620_zpswgk0kvj0.jpg

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..cares not for red lights or white lines ...

I knew someone would pick up on it!

That stupid filling station in Saltaire exits right into the mouth of a side street with a red light. There's no way to get out from the pez, and stay behind the line without blocking the way for traffic coming in.

BRAD-MET: MUST TRY HARDER

 

 

So, how does it drive?

Well, it's bus-like after a so long in a small-ish car, but it's not huge. In fact it seemed about 10 or 15% smaller than I thought it would be from the pictures. It's not at all wide (the Previa UK versions are wider).

Visibility is good (apart from the invisible front corners), the seats seem comfy, it's easy to find a nice position, and it's not as sit-up-and-beg as I thought. Ride is nice. I don't normally enjoy the waggly-arsed feeling of a live axeled off roader, and to sit in, you wouldn't know the rear end is so equipped on this. There is some body roll of course, but handling seems neutral and well balanced, and as far as I tested it, the AWD helped the assortment of slightly under-inflated tyres to cling on well in the damp.

Thankfully the gearbox isn't dim-witted at all really, I'm sure I'll be less frustrated at it than my 850 auto.

The most pleasant surprise is the eagerness of "that hopeless Toyota 2.2 TM DollyWobbler "

It pulls hard and long, just the way I like it.

SRSLY, it's not afraid to rev. The turbo comes in smoothly with a nice quiet whistle, and feels eager all the way 'round to the red, defying the bulk. I felt the headwinds on Skipton bypass though.

 

The wagon won't be pressed into service immediately, there are others ahead in the line for attention, but after it's had some TLC, I expect to be enjoying its Charmes on a daily basis.

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  • Very Nice. Especially the face to face back scrabble tournament seats.

Could you do me a favour?  At some point could you measure the "load height" in the back?. The load height is the distance from the floor to the roof at the highest point. I run mobile office vans and have always wondered if these bubble tops had enough height to be used. I need 136cm or above. Ta.

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