C15 D info request

[castros_bro]

I'm off to look at one of these at the weekend as an alternative to repairing my £150 ZX diesel estate.   I know the earlier ones had XUD and later DW8 but that's about my total knowledge. What's the good and bad bits about them? What goes wrong or goes wrong and is too difficult/expensive to fix?  Would fitting rear windows change it's tax category?  Would any run on veg?

 

Thanking you very many

[strangeangel]

I had an XUD one for four years. Good bits - reliable, cheap to run, capacious, comfortable. Bad bits - rust. Never thought about the taxation class thing even though I did fit side windows! They're great vans, the only reason I didn't look for another one this time round was to stop me buying more project bikes

 

Apart from rot the only thing I can think of that's expensive or a PITA to fix is when the trailing arm bearings in the back axle go. You can spot this easily though - if you look at the van from the back and the wheels are leaning in at the top they've gone. Depending on how bad they are they can still pass the MOT (mine did, twice) but eventually it'll be time to replace them or get a secondhand axle.

 

Never owned one of the later DW8 engined ones, but when I was looking for mine I noticed a lot of those being sold as spares or repair after having suffered HGF. Purely anecdotal, but thought I'd mention it anyway...

[jonathan_dyane]

XUD is faster, more economical and more reliable than DW8, but being older a van with the XUD is even more likely to be rotten...

[Six-cylinder]

I had an XUD one for four years. Good bits - reliable, cheap to run, capacious, comfortable. Bad bits - rust. Never thought about the taxation class thing even though I did fit side windows! They're great vans, the only reason I didn't look for another one this time round was to stop me buying more project bikes

 

Apart from rot the only thing I can think of that's expensive or a PITA to fix is when the trailing arm bearings in the back axle go. You can spot this easily though - if you look at the van from the back and the wheels are leaning in at the top they've gone. Depending on how bad they are they can still pass the MOT (mine did, twice) but eventually it'll be time to replace them or get a secondhand axle.

 

Never owned one of the later DW8 engined ones, but when I was looking for mine I noticed a lot of those being sold as spares or repair after having suffered HGF. Purely anecdotal, but thought I'd mention it anyway...

 

Everything above but I have only had mine a few weeks.

 

I still have new love fever so I have been outside to take a fresh photo of it for you.

[dave21478]

I have had them with both engines and there is no real world difference in driving.

 

Watch for rot in the footwells, sills and the tunnel near the handbrake and seatbelt mounts. Cosmetic rust above the cab roof and the bonnet.