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

[Alan_Green]

8 seats on a budget and heading to rural Bulgaria? Toyota Condor no doubt. 

But you can't get them in the UK, so it'll have to be a Previa. The Orthodox Jewish folk in East London (big families) all seem to go for 8-seat Previas. In some streets every other car is a Previa. So I'd go for that.    

[wuvvum]

De La Chapelle Parcours.

 

Or a vasectomy.  Although that might be a bit of a stable door / bolted horse suggestion.

[Lacquer Peel]

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

7 apparently.

They thought the IRS was shite.

http://www.theaa.com/allaboutcars/carsearch/car_test_report_PDF.jsp?pdfName=NISSAN_SERENA_2.0SLX_R9615.PDF

[rml2345]

I think as a van it would be quite decent but as a car it's just a bit too unrefined, particularly to drive from here to Bulgaria. Not especially roomy in full 8 seat mode either.

Peugeot Expert/Citroën Dispatch? Popular as big taxis round here and might not be quite so van as some. Bonus points for buying one badged as a Citroën Jumpy.

[Tetleysmooth]

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

 

£595

I love these.

They crack on well for a big old bus with a 2.4 lump.

They do like a drop of petrol though.

That one's very reasonably priced.

[Slartibartfast]

I also have enough children to make up a football team (well, if we include me, my wife and the cat). We roll in a modern Tourneo. It's really good, but thirsty, and not shite money obviously. But 5* Euro NCAP (to my knowledge currently the only 9 seater that is).

 

Before that we had an 04 Tourneo. Really liked it, but mine was mechanically unreliable due to having had an engine swap done by a monkey. Turbo exploded and put it beyond economical repair. But I enjoyed driving it.

[2MB]

Surely the only logical choice is a Peugeot 505 8 seat estate?

[Ghosty]

Sherpa Post Bus?

[Alan_Green]

That looks like my old Previa. Was on LPG so wasn't worried about the thirst.  Dirt cheap and very useful machine. Recommended.

 

But are you sure about this move?  6 kids in Bulgaria means 6 x school fees; 8 x medical/optical/dental bills; 0 x child benefit; 0.1 x income. Unless this is post-kids-moving-out.  

[Slartibartfast]

Actually I believe you can still claim child benefit, although I'm not sure exactly how that works.

[skattrd]

Horsey Horseless familiale

[oldcars]

LDV Maxus, there was a 6 seater on autoreader for £1850, could more seats be added in? There was also a minibus with 10 seats for £2500.

[Pillock]

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

 

I rented a Tourneo once and had to slosh about £90 in for 400 miles or something. Admittedly it hit an indicated 110 (100 on the shatnav) on my private test track with 9 people in, but still. Not exactly cheap.

[Slartibartfast]

I rented a Tourneo once and had to slosh about £90 in for 400 miles or something. Admittedly it hit an indicated 110 (100 on the shatnav) on my private test track with 9 people in, but still. Not exactly cheap.

I'd say that's a little steep. Mine does 30mpg (which equates to about £80 for 570mi approximately). The older ones tend to do better than that because the new one is heavier. The 04 I had did about the same, but wasn't in the best of health.

[Junkman]

Given the requirement, I just can't bring myself towards considering anything non-yank.

A Ford Econoline Chateau Club Wagon.

[Lukas]

Trans-Europe with a car and living in Bulgaria?

 

I would say, get a VW Bus T4 or a Mercedes-Benz Vito. Both of them not that nice or beautiful or fun to drive, but should be quite dependable 

and you get parts and spares everywhere along the way. And every mechanic knows them and knows how to repair them. 

 

The more exotic the car/bus, the more problems in case of a problem. 

[forddeliveryboy]

Met a mechanic who'd replaced the injectors on a ftp Vito at the weekend, trade price and mates' rates = £1600 for four injectors, nothing else.

[jonathan_dyane]

What an excellent plan! I wonder if you might be in a position to help me find a Wartburg when you get set up

[Junkman]

If it must be nonseptic and you really want to shift kit, kaboodle and the kitchen sink, then the solution is a Ford Transit.

[Eddie Honda]

Due to when I passed my test, I can drive minibuses upto 17 seats

 

and I also have my Class D.

 

Full D trumps the lot, but obviously shorter validity periods with medical renewals and meeting Group 2 medical standards.

 

(The restricted D1 (101) due to when you passed your test is hee-haw use** to anyone once you venture outside the UK, so is irrelevant really)

 

 

** well mibbie depending on residency status.

[Sealtainn]

Well with many thanks to Andy and his arm-twisting skills with his boss, it looks like I am shortly to become the proud owner of this fine beast

Autoshite Executive Tours (Shetland Affiliate Branch) will shortly be launched

Plenty of seating for the Mini-Seals and with some of the rear seats removed (so Mrs Seal is able to drive it), we'll have plenty of room for taking stuff over/luggage/animals etc

I am not going to be able to get down to Edinburgh to collect till the end of the month and unless they mind holding onto it, this may be a problem. Would there be any chance of an Autoshite relay upto Aberdeen so I could jump on the boat, collect and get back on the boat? Remuneration in the form of Monopoly money / Shetland Ale / Puffin Poo available 

[aldo135]

I'm in Edinburgh and could drive it up to Aberdeen for you, would even fit on my drive if Andy needs it shifted? Let me know mate

[rml2345]

RML2345 DELIVERY SERVICE AVAILABLE

If it's still at the SVM secret headquarters even better.

[cms206]

Just replied to your PM Wayne, will tee things up with Alistair at head office tomorrow; think he'd be happy to just now have to deal with ebay mongs (got four coaches listed already) so if it's going I reckon it should be okay to hang about for a bit. It's in Glasgow just now, if I get a chance I'll dig it out over the next week or so and get it cleaned up. I'll get more pics but it's mostly as it is in the pictures bar the Irish plate which is now on a Volvo. Or it was the last time I saw the Volvo it was on, it's been getting the engine rebuilt at a contractor since November.

[Lukas]

Good choice. The Sprinter is everywhere in eastern Europe, so many parts, many skilled mechanics. 

[andrew e]

Ask Felly for the relay, he doesn't mind putting the miles in for a suitable vehicle.

[Pillock]

On the plus side, you can luzz some LED rope wire in, a DVD player and 19" TV, a minifridge and spend all Friday night with pissed up lasses on a hen do pressing their arse cheeks against the window.

 

Just remember to clear the novelty willy-shaped sweets out before the minibeings get in for the school run.

[Junkman]

http://www.leboncoin.fr/voitures/939039575.htm?ca=17_s

 

 

The thread can be closed now.