Shite Van - bought!

[Milford Cubicle]

Peugeot Experts and their Citroen and Fiat equivalents are nice things to drive, I drove one with a 1.9D and that was fine, I bet 1.9TDs and HDis are excellent.

[garbaldy]

where abouts are you based as ive never even used my nav for weeks.

[Justin Case]

I know abolutely nothing about Nissan Vanettes, which makes me well qualified to suggest one as a possibility:

 

It was even badge-engineered into the LDV Cub, so you can really have the best of both worlds

[Milford Cubicle]

The passenger car version of the Vanette was once the slowest accelerating car available new in Britain.Shite.

[Jonnyvalenta]

My LDV!

 

It IS pretty bad actually but it was cheap,it's bigger than a Transit and it still has bodywork! Every Transit I looked at (some far younger than the Convoy) was utterly rotten,like virtually all Fords over a few years old....

 

It's more use now as another garden shed than it was on the road

[Cavcraft]

The passenger car version of the Vanette was once the slowest accelerating car available new in Britain.Shite.

Was that the sort of people carrier-ish thing? My mate bought one to tow a big bleeding caravan with and said it was the worse heap of shit he'd ever owned. Bear in mind he once bought a new Maestro and you have a pretty good idea of just how shit the Nissan was

[Milford Cubicle]

Aye the Serena.I think there was a 2.0 petrol version which must have been ok, but the 2.3 diesel was glacially slow.

[CreepingJesus]

LDV's... I had a 200 minibus once. It used to bounce all over the road, couldn't top 55mph (Pug 1.9 non-turbo), and the side door used to open at random. So noisy, you couldn't hear yourself think, far less speak. Voted 'most embarrassing vehicle yet' by our kids (and that's saying something...). A nightmare to park - titchy mirrors and no power steering...the list goes on!But still, it was cheap to buy, and run; and I could fling all the dogs and kids in it, and have a right good laugh. When I worked for Parcelforce, a 400 was always the booby prize - I'd have an Iveco or a Tranny any day, over a 400. The workshop had a stock of recon Pug engines in the corner, so often did they break.The 200/Pilot - not that bad: the 400/Convoy - very much that bad. Van Marmite, I believe.

[Timewaster]

where abouts are you based as ive never even used my nav for weeks.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean, but for the record, I'm just outside Cambridge.

[Cavcraft]

LDV's... I had a 200 minibus once. It used to bounce all over the road, couldn't top 55mph (Pug 1.9 non-turbo), and the side door used to open at random. So noisy, you couldn't hear yourself think, far less speak. Voted 'most embarrassing vehicle yet' by our kids (and that's saying something...). A nightmare to park - titchy mirrors and no power steering...the list goes on!But still, it was cheap to buy, and run; and I could fling all the dogs and kids in it, and have a right good laugh. When I worked for Parcelforce, a 400 was always the booby prize - I'd have an Iveco or a Tranny any day, over a 400. The workshop had a stock of recon Pug engines in the corner, so often did they break.The 200/Pilot - not that bad: the 400/Convoy - very much that bad. Van Marmite, I believe.

I always reckoned the 200s especially were cheap as the P.O had rucks of the bastards so the market became flooded with them. People bought them as first time vans/one offs for house clearances etc and they took loads of shit and never really got maintained which won't have helped.I bought three in one go as a joblot when I only wanted the Transit crew bus that was part of the package.Of the three, two were crew buses with Perkins engines that were incredibly rapid, I was actually holding them back coming home down A roads/lanes.The other was a pick-up with the PSA 1.9 n/a diesel that drove ok-ish but was desperately slow.

[Jon]

I've a sort of soft spot for Pilots but they are defo shite. I used to be a driver at Royal Mail in York and at one point had a regular round driving through the city centre (a heady 4 miles) visiting firms and emptying post boxes. My trusty steed was one of the last 'Sherpa' panel vans RM bought (all posties knew them as that) on a 52 plate. Would drive full pelt over speed bumps and up the cobbled bit of Micklegate as it just took them in its stride. Also enjoyed the drive up The Shambles, slowly bumping up the right kerb, then the left so as to avoid the ancient shops overhanging the narrow street, and bewildering tourists in the process. Happy days! Get one with orange indicators (up to about 51 reg) to retain that farty exhaust note a la Morris Minor.The Convoys aren't great compared to a Tranny but then prices reflect that. The later ones (about 02 on) had the more modern Transit engine (not the 2.5 DI one) but weren't as fast as the Ford versions, probably for a reason. Still, ventilation is toss in both of them. Once had a side door fall off on a Pilot (RM sent out a lass with 2 inch sellotape to fix it with...), so don't expect great build quality.Or just get a Transit.

[Des]

This fellas a big fan of Sherpa BGT things, I seem to recall him helping his mate James convert a chrome bumper one into a Roadster.

 

[dollywobbler]

I've driven a Nissan Vanette Cargo. Surprisingly tail-happy given the complete lack of power!

[Volksy]

What about a Nissan powered Ebro? Top shite if you can find one.

I'd love one of these.. They were sold here for a couple of years, bet none exist now though..

 

[Tayne]

.

[AnthonyG]

If you can find a 1990s one that's not rusted to buggery (not the easiest of tasks, I grant you) , a Transit will be much easier to sell on. But at around £500, you will get LDVs and not too much of anything else. At least there will be two or three to choose from.What about the FWD ones, i.e Renaults, Ivecos, those Fiat/Peugeot/Citroen things?

[warren t claim]

Have you considered a Bedford Midi?Isuzu mechanicals with bonus column shift 5 speed box. Lovely!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

This thread is making me want a sherpa van, any vehicle which is so universally regarded as shite deserves further investigation

[warren t claim]

This thread is making me want a sherpa van, any vehicle which is so universally regarded as shite deserves further investigation

As a former Pilot "pilot" I really don't think they are half as bad as people make out. Sure you have to grease the kingpins every few weeks but that is all part of the pleasure of owning a classic MG.

[mnde]

I don't know what size of van you're really after - all these ^^ are sizeable beasts...

 

...but is a Citroen C15 too small for your needs? There be a decent number on the bay in/around your price range. Mostly white of course. But look at this delectable one in mimosa yellow.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2004-CITROEN-C15- ... 0416880741

 

 

 

I know the seller too - they are a Citroen GS/GSA specialist in Hitchin.

 

It's got HGF etc.etc. so this one might be a better bet:

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Citroen-C15-diese ... 0560379354

 

 

I like these a lot, and surely they've got good resaleability

 

Mark.

[FredTransit]

My LDV! It IS pretty bad actually but it was cheap,it's bigger than a Transit and it still has bodywork! Every Transit I looked at (some far younger than the Convoy) was utterly rotten,like virtually all Fords over a few years old.... It's more use now as another garden shed than it was on the road

Erm, how is the LDV bigger than a transit? A transit can be bigger than a transit (SWB low roof, LWB high roof) they are not all the same size..... As for the rust, I am sort of with you on that. I think the Mk5 (1990s) is the rustiest of the lot. Most of my Mk2s have less rust on em than the Mk5s. Two lutons tested within weeks of each other. My Mk2 (1985) and my mate's Mk5 (1995). Mine needed king pins (to replace the originals, over 20 years old) and the handbrake adjusting. His needed £550 of welding and brakes, plus other little stuff like bulbs!!

[Cavcraft]

Transits do vary wildy in speed and condition too. If you get one I'd suggest a decent test drive on motorways and all kinds, as some do seem quite slow yet others will pull like a train.Chassis rot and rot on the steps are probably the biggest killers but Fred will know more than I do on that one.

[pogweasel]

Re the C15, you'd have thought that if you were a citroen specialist you'd just whip the head off and lash it up before sale... I'd be on it were it not kippered. Then again I don't know what's going on at Chevronics, they also have some mags listed - I clicked to 'buy it now' on them yesterday, today got a refund as they are already sold, and yet there they are again....

[warren t claim]

I'd suggest buying the C15 with a knackered head and inserting a 652cc twin pot early Visa motor for a truly grim motoring experience.

[mnde]

^^ = WINBe the only aircooled C15 owner in the country! Top idea!Mark.

[AnthonyG]

Have you considered a Bedford Midi?Isuzu mechanicals with bonus column shift 5 speed box. Lovely!

My mates had one for the last 5 years - just goes on and on, although it did need a replacement box 3 years ago though. And its rusting to bits, otherwise he loves it.But could you find one these days? We know of three on the road in our area (including Rob's), plus a couple of dead ones, and they don't appear at breakers anymore. Finding parts is a pain, apart from Isuzu mechanical bits.

[brammy777]

Just how long did the Midi carry on? I saw a Vauxhall one the other day, it was super clean and was a P/R plate. But again, they are pretty scarce now, Ive only seen one other in the recent past.

[AnthonyG]

Just how long did the Midi carry on? I saw a Vauxhall one the other day, it was super clean and was a P/R plate. But again, they are pretty scarce now, Ive only seen one other in the recent past.

Midis went from 1984 to 1989 as Bedfords , and 1989 to circa 1996 as 'Vauxhalls', with a very mild facelift. My mate's is a Vauxhall on a G plate.The latest I have seen has been a P reg. They were actually replaced by an older design - the Vauxhall Arena (a rebadged 1980s Renault Trafic) until the Vivaro came out.

[Volksy]

Didn't they do a 'luxury' mpv Midi called an Albany or something, probably trying to grab some sales from the Transit Tourneo

[brammy777]

Ah, thanks for the info! Yeh the Arena was pretty odd, theres a couple on ebay but they all seem to be well over a grand. Still fairly common...

 

Not sure about the Midi MPV but heres something terrible:

Oh and its called Dallas! It just gets better.