8/9+ Seater required - hit me with your (limited) suggestions

[Sealtainn]

So, as some of you may know I have almost enough kids to start my own football team, although thankfully some of them have now grown up and left home - some willingly, others not so much

Anyway, long story short is I am in the process of buying a property in Bulgaria where I plan to early retire to and I want something to get over there and back for the next 2 or 3 years. I'm planning on taking an extended break from work (8 weeks) at a time and go and do some work on the place. Once finished it can be used as an International Autoshite HQ if required as chod is cheap as you like over there and I will have storage and room for fellow shiters to stay should they wish (to run the gauntlet of the kids).

I've had the usual sort of stuff in the past, minibuses (Transit, LDV), Espace, Zafira etc. Due to the number of small children, we now need something with at least 8 seats. Due to when I passed my test, I can drive minibuses upto 17 seats and I also have my Class D. Budget wise looking at £2,000 although would prefer sub £1,000 for bonus shite points

[eddyramrod]

Chevy Caprice station wagon.  Just make sure to get one with the third row of seats.  Bonus, it's LHD so driving Over There a piece of cake!

[Lacquer Peel]

Ssangyong Rodius.

[dieselnutjob]

806 HDI

[Lacquer Peel]

Mazda Roadpacer.

[catsinthewelder]

I borrow a Tourneo now and again and find it great to drive if a little thirsty.

[purplebargeken]

4 MGFs all welded together to form one big MGF MPV.

 

You know it makes sense*.

[brownnova]

Two Reliant Scimitars?

 

That's 8 seats isn't it...

[anonymous user]

Do you just need to move people or loads of stuff at the same time?

There's a cheap, at the moment, Granada limousine on the ebay tat thread a couple of pages back.

[Alexg]

2 grand, 8 seats - job jobbed

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jaguar-XJ-Series-3-2-XJ6-FUNERAL-WEDDING-CAR-LIMOUSINE-6-DOORS-8-SEATER-BLACK-/161934663209

[Bear]

Delica L400 or Chrysler Grand Voyager Limited LX if you want 8 seats. LandRover Defender 110 Country for 12 seats. Otherwise convert a trailer for the smaller kids.

[Sealtainn]

It'll be either or to be honest, just enough room for a couple of cases of clothes etc. I used to have a Ford Dorchester, made an great alternative to the usual 7-seater. Unfortunately this time round, we must have at least 8 seats

[dollywobbler]

Delica L400 is a good shout. They do like a drink, but they're pretty ace.

[Stanky]

Are those SVM endorsed rural busses still knocking about? I think they were mercedes something-or-others and only just run in at 500kn or whatever. You'd probably need to take seats OUT to get down to just 17 seats, but have loads of space for bed/stuff/recover small chod too.

[Bear]

The Delica L400 will do 2-3-3 in the correct form, LWB will leave space for cases and you can also get cases under the rear bench - squashy ones, anyway. The Grand Voyager can come with a 2 3 3 configuration on the earlier shape - don't recall seeing the post 2001 one with a centre bench, but if you can find one the LWB has a remarkable amount of luggage space (by MPV standards).

 

Other than that, my first thought is Transit Torneo.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Ssangyong Rodius.

Just make sure you get the 11 seat version. There must be loads of space in those.

[Sealtainn]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far chaps, some good shouts indeed. I've already messaged Andy re the Merc buses and both are accounted for, however they may have another couple of mutiple personage conveyences for sale so we'll see what that shows up.

In the meantime, seeing as I am in Scotland and I only have a Ford, I found this on the bay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1999-VOLVO-960-AUTO-BLACK-LIMOUSINE-FUNERAL-CAR-8-SEATER-/371558830198?hash=item5682a1d076:g:7vsAAOSwG-1Wya24

[Mr Lobster]

Transit Tourneo. Job done.

 

If you can find one and find one and perhaps more difficultly, insure one a Transit 12 seat bus with the back row of seats removed to make it a nine seater with plenty of boot space would be handy. Minibuses will probably have speed limiters fitted which makes Bulgaria a long way at 62mph.

[djimbob]

I've got a LWB smiley transit ex minibus, I reckon it'd be great for your team

 

I'm sure a lot  of the other MPV's won't be up to continual weight demands like a commercial will be, especially if you're planning long road trips - also I should think Ford parts are readily available in Europe?

 

Maybe a Sprinter minibus would be just as good, although they seem to retain their value more than I think they ought

 

fascinated to know what you decide anyway, good luck

[Sealtainn]

We are looking in the Polski Trambesh region as we have friends living in Maslarevo

[Lacquer Peel]

Nissan Serena

[Bear]

What about the Mercedes V-class? I know they can be found under £2K, I looked at them myself.

[EssDeeWon]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Toyota-Previa-2-4-auto-GL-2-OWNER-CAR-10-CD-CHANGER-/161849975560?hash=item25af02a308:g:WOEAAOSwjVVV1biy

 

£595

[hairnet]

Are those SVM endorsed rural busses still knocking about? I think they were mercedes something-or-others and only just run in at 500kn or whatever. You'd probably need to take seats OUT to get down to just 17 seats, but have loads of space for bed/stuff/recover small chod too.

this or two multiplas welded together

[fatharris]

Aren't grand voyagers mega shit in NCAP ratings? Worth considering if you're ferrying sex trophies around and are fond of them.

 

Sent from my Vodafone 890N using Tapatalk

[rml2345]

Nissan Serena

Diesel for added joy?*

As much as I'd love one, I'm not sure it's possible to actually endorse the Serena due to their mind bending dismalness.

Will seat 8 desperately unhappy people...

[Lacquer Peel]

Diesel for added joy?*

As much as I'd love one, I'm not sure it's possible to actually endorse the Serena due to their mind bending dismalness.

Will seat 8 desperately unhappy people...

I liked my Vanette 2.3 diesel, it handled well for an old school van and was okay once it got going, probably wouldn't have enjoyed it on the motorway, luckily I live 130 miles from the nearest one.

A Serena with the 2.0 petrol and independent rear suspension would be fine I think, if not as refined as an Espace or something.

[spartacus]

Not cheap but I bought my wife, (not the current Mrs S), a Toyota Previa, the newer shape, '51 plate. It's ace and feels pretty much bullet proof. Unlike the Lucida that preceded it, which initially felt bullet proof but had head gasket problems that would shame a K series into Hari-kari.

[Bear]

Aren't grand voyagers mega shit in NCAP ratings? Worth considering if you're ferrying sex trophies around and are fond of them.

 

Sent from my Vodafone 890N using Tapatalk

 

They scored low in EuroNCAP for driver footwell intrusion. Interestingly, in post-crash statistics, they are amongst the safest vehicles. Worth googling if you care; if you don't, remember many of the vehicles considered predate those ratings and are probably really shit.

 

(FWIW I drove my Voyager with my right leg in a foot/ankle cast, using left foot for both pedals. That's how much extra space there is, and when someone ran a red light - left foot emergency stop totally instinctive!).

[wuvvum]

A Serena with the 2.0 petrol and independent rear suspension would be fine I think, if not as refined as an Espace or something.

Weren't the IRS Serenas all top of the range though and thus only 6-seaters?