Bedford Rascal what to look out for

[holbeck]

Not for me, one of the young lads at work is thinking about having a Rascal as his first vehicle. 

( I've told him a C15 would be a better idea).

He's  found one locally to look at. Anyone know what he ought to look out for? 

Thanks in advance 

h

 

[rusty998]

Rust is the main concern,  and then being able to keep it locked up safe as they are prime export Chod,  

Tyres are 12" iirc so they can be expensive for the size 

Otherwise make sure it got fluids and doesn't overheat,  but really just rust.

[Zelandeth]

Rust and overheating.  Oh...and rust.  The rust too.

Other than that they're pretty dependable little things.  So long as they don't fall over...

[LightBulbFun]

9 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

Other than that they're pretty dependable little things.  So long as they don't fall over...

are they really that easy to tip over? LOL

I remember watching the top gear episode where richard hammond has one, and I was expecting it to fall over when they took it out on the race track

where of course it dutifly does, but I have wondered did top gear tinker with it to make it fall over or not? (much like how they messed with the Reliant to make it fall over)

 

(if said young chap wants a bedford rascal as his first vehicle, sounds like he would fit in very well on this forum!)

[Zelandeth]

I don't know how hard it is to actually *make* one fall over, but the one I drove *felt* like it was imminently about to every time I even looked at a roundabout or encountered a sidewind.

[Doctormop]

You always remember you're first,

vehicle or sexual experience

Try to guide him to less dangerous memories

Safer options exist in the form of a C1/07/G0 Panda/Picanto flavour but then I never listened to sensible advice when I started driving and my £200 Cortina is a treasured memory of30 years ago.....

Find a decent solid example and fix any mechanical issues as they arise, It will build character.

[Jerzy Woking]

Didn't Tom Ford on Fifth Gear smash his drift Rascal into a wall and received some nasty leg injury? 

 

Edit:. Yes 

 

It's not a softop owned by Fat Harry White is it?

[hairnet]

rust sooty richard hammond rust do you fit? rust smoky engines rust

[holbeck]

5 minutes ago, Jerzy Woking said:

 

Is it a convertible?

You're closer than you think. It's a stripped out caravanette so it does have a pop top! 

[captain_70s]

Is van insurance not also a new level of hilarity as far as pricing goes? I seem to remember my Dad being most displeased when he bought a Corsa van two years ago after 30 odd years of insuring cars...

[Walter White]

I remember a mechanic say they were prone to gearbox problems. 

[busmansholiday]

Once you've driven one and realised that any sort of accident involving the front end is liable to result in amputation of your legs below the knee, your enthusiasm sort of wanes.

[twosmoke300]

RUST - the problem is that being so small/ narrow nearly everything comes into the 300mm prescribed area for MOT purposes

[sierraman]

Watch out for any previous yellow bear puppet owners. 

[sutty2006]

I remember offering to push a Bedford rascal to Copenhagen with a 2.0 auto carlton on the 2008 scally rally. Day one 1000km, and at a steady 50mph I felt sorry for them. They refused the offer. They also broke down. Finished the rally in a hire car. 

 

Tell him good luck. He’ll need it. 

[Bren]

Avoid shite previous owners

[83C]

RK by any chance?

I may be partly responsible for that by sending him occasional links to Rascals that come up for sale. 

To be fair I think it’s a better option than the Piaggio Ape that he also wants....

[Bren]

Just watched the video with Tom Ford. You be safer sat in a crisp packet.

[bunglebus]

Much wantage

 

[martc]

Avoid if the previous owner is listed as 'Fat' Harry White. The suspension will be knackered from continuous 'getting it on with the ladieeeeeez'.

[ETCHY]

5 hours ago, busmansholiday said:

Once you've driven one and realised that any sort of accident involving the front end is liable to result in amputation of your legs below the knee, your enthusiasm sort of wanes.

Yep a mate of mine's mum & dad had one for their business. The one time I rode in it having my kneecap roughly behind the back of the headlamp bowl did focus the mind a bit.

Got to say though I did still rather like it.

[MikeR]

found it

[sierraman]

21 minutes ago, ETCHY said:

Yep a mate of mine's mum & dad had one for their business. The one time I rode in it having my kneecap roughly behind the back of the headlamp bowl did focus the mind a bit.

Got to say though I did still rather like it.

I love the idea of your legs being the crumple zone. Your femurs are actually part of the passive safety features ?

[wuvvum]

I had one years ago.  Winding it up to 80mph on the A47 is one of the scariest things I've ever done.

The rollover incident on Top Gear was deliberate though.  They're not that unstable.

[ETCHY]

The Top Gear thing would be a stunt. When they did the feature on the Reliant Robin they put odd sized wheels on so it would go over easily.  Tossers !

 

[Joey spud]

I used to look after a few of these back in the 90's.

Head gaskets were a bit of a concern on high milers also some would start to burn oil and foul up spark plugs then finally blow lots of oil smoke out their tail pipes.

Most fail to proceeds were down to worn out or faulty points and / or condensers and spark plugs blowing out because they are in a recess in the head and prone to being cross threaded.

My favourite Mot failure on these was severly worn steering idler bushes that really gave them vague handling.

The bush was a rubber/metal conical sleeve and easy enough to replace with a big vice and a hammer and once changed would restore the handling back to just mildly alarming.

Good little vans i used to think and easy to work on.

The in laws had a B reg 3 pot Daihatsu van that was hammered to and fro to St Austell every week with little complaint apart from a cracked head due to the water pump springing a leak.

[RobT]

Can't add anything apart from this local spot.  A homebrew Bambi judging by the prodigious use of rivets, and general panel wobblyness.  Makes me smile every time I see it.

Tell him to get one of these.  He'll be beating them off with a stick.

[Timewaster]

I always loved these when I was a kid. I think it was the shrunk in the wash lorry cab look that appealed. 

 Only drove one once, and got it unintentionally sideways in a car park. 

Empty van on bald tyres was the cause I suspect. 

 

I've got a mate which has a Daihatsu hijet pickup which he shares with his brother. 

They are sizable guys and it always reminds me of this :

[Noel Tidybeard]

*pedant mode on*

Sooty had a Honda Acty

*pedant mode off*

[sierraman]

What sort of comically fast engines could you fit to one of these?