no. 2 Diesel ‘scratter van’ PURCHASED!!!!111!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Had a look at this Doblo in the daylight for the first time today, and hoovered out the interior.

 

 

 

To be honest I should have been a bit sharper about buying this, I think I have been quite lucky not to get tigerbummed. It was advertised as an insurance write off, but up and running with an MOT and the logbook available. The guy reckoned 'vans don't need a VIC check' so I should just need to do the headlight and get a taxdisc and i'd be legal.

 

Of course when i got there the guy didn't have any documents for it, 'Yeah yeah i'll defo be getting them off the insurance company in the next day or two' and it also had this problem with going into limp mode occasionally, which he thought was probably down to the exhaust pipe, which seemed plausible as it ran very well most of the time. He inssted it had an MOT, purely on the basis that it has a taxdisc in the windscreen that expired recently (end Jan). This seemed a bit hopeful to me, but looking over it it seemed an honest old van, tyres good, not rotten, CV boots OK and whatnot so I figured it would probably get a test without too much grief anyway.

 

He wanted £700 to end the auction, i bartered him down a bit and agreed to buy it and A-frame it away for 650. I paid a deposit and he gave me a receipt noting 'sold with V5'.

 

When I went to pick it up, he says "i'm very sorry but i've been told today that there is no logbook for this. Soz but theres nowt I can do, although i'll knock you £25 off to pay for a new one" Now the van had gone from needing a headlight and a tax disc, to needing an MOT put on it then either a 4-week wait for a new logbook or a trip to the DVLA office in Notts (if its even still open) to tax/register it in my name and apply for a new logbook. Its hassle innit. I said I wanted a bit more off than £25 on that basis but he was having none of it. I mulled it over and thought that the van seemed fundamentally OK and was not expensive at £625 for an 03 plate so I thought fugg it, having visions of paying £75 for a train ticket to go and pick a different one up off eBay from the arse end of nowhere, and so I brought it home. Checked with VOSA yesterday and it does not need a VIC check fortunately.

 

 

 

It belonged to some builders in Norfolk somewhere, theres several diaries in there of appointments to look at walls to knock down, extensions to build, roof repairs etc and the reg plates are a Norfolk fiat dealer. Theres some history up to 50,000 (currently on 80,000). I got a replacement headlight delivered for £30 and a new downpipe for £40 so with the cost of the MOT and new logbook hopefully i'll have the thing fully legal for 750ish plus the cost of the tax, which is not too bad but hardly a megabarg. Anyway thats the story of the DOBLO which in its defence seems like quite a fun machine to blezz along in, I am looking forward to giving it a blast.

[nigel bickle]

Hey, keep us posted, please, I'll be interested to hear how this goes.

 

I'm recommisionig a Favorit van for similar reasons, I suspect. Bit older, bit cheaper, bit smaller -similar usage.

[RichL]

I think the Notts DLVA office is still open. At least I've not heard it's closed. Hope it all works out.

[Lankytim]

Surely Shrewsbury would be closer? You can pop by and visit Jon Cedric too!

[meggersdog]

There was only one (coded) blue key with my Doblo too.

As for the EML the diagnostic plug is by the fusebox which is behind that panel just below your speaker.The panel needs a hefty tug from the top then swings down.

[dieselnutjob]

Its got keys! But the locks are jammed and the c/l does not work as the battery is flat. Anyway I want it, I'm not looking for an excuse to welch out!

 

It doesn't say that the locks are knackered in the description either. Still not as described.

[Cavcraft]

I think that was a lucky escape, B01.

Never heard that vans don't need a VIC check like, not sure if that's just bollocks or the one you have didn't need one because it was in the wrong sort of accident or something! Anyhow RESULT would appear to be the most apt word here.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Its got keys! But the locks are jammed and the c/l does not work as the battery is flat. Anyway I want it, I'm not looking for an excuse to welch out!

 

It doesn't say that the locks are knackered in the description either. Still not as described.

 

yes it does

 

Drivers door lock stuck, boot lock will not open, so drivers lock will need to be forced prior to sale.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Well I have replaced both headlights on this Doblo, cleaned up the front brakes and given it a good caning up the road today and I have to say its flipping great, with some of the sharpest steering I have encountered yet!!! You can thrash it along as fast as it will got (not very fast) and its a right laugh. I love driving it and cant wait to get some proper miles under its wheels. Hopefully i will get it in for a test this week and then it will be on the road.

[dollywobbler]

Super! I'm sure all of us have had that horrible feeling of "oh shit, was this a good idea?" Some of us with almost every purchase...

 

Glad it seems to be working out. Think small van and everyone seems to think Berlingo, which will usually be utterly shagged out.

[KruJoe]

Top scratting, Mr B!

Do you have the skills for setting up headlights, or does your nice MOT man align them for you?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I don't have the skills for that, and with the wonky front end panels that this van has they're bound to need setting up. Bu i'll let the MOT shop sort that out, theyre usually pretty helpful on that score.

[garbaldy]

Nice van youve snagged, much better than an old blingy.

 

Never heard that vans don't need a VIC check like, not sure if that's just bollocks or the one you have didn't need one because it was in the wrong sort of accident or something! Anyhow RESULT would appear to be the most apt word here.

 

Nope it is gen comercials dont nead a VIC check, just re mot then off to doovla with v5 application for tax disc

i only know this as ive just done a salvage navara and called vosa to check the information the seller gave was correct.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Just got back from a very pleasant trip down to Warwick:

 

 

I was filling 'em like I always do before any towing mission. wondering if the Doblo van was gonna be any cop for A-framing, turns out its a fuggin dab hand man. Drove absolutely great with this rover hung off the back, easily capable of keeping 60mph up on the flat (obv I stuck to 50). Felt totally stable and towed it a treat.

 

Stayed off the motorways on the way back which made for a most agreeable journey through the warwickshire countryside then along the side of the M6 a bit then Lichfield, Stone and on to Nantwich.

 

The Rover is in surprisingly good nick too, obv the head gasket is toast but the rest of it is clean and tidy and unmessed with (except by Rover, I suspect it has had a dose of the old 'project drive' as the interior feels cheap even by their standards).

 

 

 

Having bought it, I can't do a lot with it now due to lack of cash!! I think it will have to wait till next month for me to buy the HG set and get stuck into it. Its a cracking little thing though so i am pretty happy with it.

[cort16]

I see the plates on the towing board of the Rover aren't quite an exact match to the ones on the Doblo.

Looks like a smart little thing though. You could easily fit a medium sized dog or 4 cases of Panda cola from the cash and carry in it.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

No theyre not, that is my Mondeo reg though so any speeding fines will find their way back to me eventually.

[mk2_craig]

Rare beasties those. I have no idea how many came off the production line, but I can see those becoming mega-scarce by the end of the decade. Nice buy, must be tempting to lob a more powerful K in there?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I think I am gonna fix the existing engine, just get it ship shape, then take it to the bo11ox museum and barn it! As you say these are gonna be mega rare in a few years.

[cort16]

There was an MG Van for sale around here recently with the VVC engine in it from the factory. That must be a pretty rare thing too.

[Lankytim]

How did you get the Rover open then?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

The back door opened up no problem! There is something funny going on with the drivers door lock but it has two remote plipper things, both of which work and operate all the door locks.

[AnthonyG]

Result (specially regarding the doors) and definitely one to lay down for the future.

[andrew e]

Have you seen Neil's one on Macdroitwich? All streetwised up FTW!

[andrew e]

[wuvvum]

That looks qualz. I don't think I can ever recall seeing a Rover van on the road (saw an MG version once, but that was years ago) so will be a proper rare bit of kit in a few years' time. Funnily enough my 200 is t'other way round with the locks - the doors are both fine but the boot lock doesn't want to know, either with the key or on the central locking.

[Lord Sterling]

Sweet as Bol. I really like these little 200s. Driven a few of them and they are pretty agreeable.

[Jon]

My friend has one (or did last year), bought new by her dad for his business and then passed on to her after a while. It's identical to yours but for the 54 plate and the diesel engine, which is probably why her and her husband have kept it as it apparently doesn't hang about. One thing that's confused me is the attachment at the base of the rear wiper that looks like it should be a grab handle for an opening rear window which doesn't exist. Not sure if these feature on all 25s or just the van but I'd have thought a seemingly useless bit of material would have been pared down in Project Drive?