Shite Van - bought!

[Guest greenvanman]

Surely for true shite status it HAS to be a Beige Talbot Express/Fiat Ducato/Peugeot J9 (I think) with the wobbly gear linkage and "fall-through" light switches. Not forgetting the on/off exhaust sytems. Try for a petrol model too, for pure shiteness. Has to be a high roof LWB too. With Gaffer tape on the cracked GRP roof where it's been squeezed into an undersized petrol station forecourt. And rusty wheels. And a towbar.... I could go on, but I realised I already am.

I'm surprised Talbot hasn't been along to remind us that the Express was better than all the other vans of its generation because it cost twice as much and it cost a gazillion quid to get the clutch fixed

...but is a Citroen C15 too small for your needs? There be a decent number on the bay in/around your price range.

I have to say I very much like my C15, cheap to run, capacious as the fabled elephant's scrotum etc etc. Try and get one with power steering if you can though...

[Timewaster]

C15 is a bit too small really, but shite without a doubt.Only 3 Midis on t'bay. Sadly not a months ticket between them and the nearest is 85 miles away.I remember the later ones were known internally as "Euro Midi"Still on the lookout, however my watch list is now 5 Transits, 1 Ducato and a Cub.

[Cavcraft]

There was a Tranny with MOT on it in my local rag for 500 rips, can dig out details if any good?I'm not sure where you're located though so could be a bridge too far.

[garbaldy]

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.

well ive not used my nav (navarra pickup) for weeks and if you where not so far away you could have used it as an when required

[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.

well ive not used my nav (navarra pickup) for weeks and if you where not so far away you could have used it as an when required

Ah I see! I didn't get the nav reference.Wasn't sure if it was a backward Van or a tom tom.You see my confusion?Tis a VERY generous offer. Thank you Were there more people of your calibre, the world would be a better place

[Gompo]

 

Not sure about the Midi MPV but heres something terrible:

Oh and its called Dallas! It just gets better.

Terrible? I dont think it's that bad - I'd prefer driving one of them than a VW equivalent anyway..

[brammy777]

I was just being a bit overly harsh, I do not like the Ripcurl stickers though.Million times better than a VW camper though.

[garbaldy]

well to be honest you would have been doing me a favour last year i had to de'seize the rear brakes for the mot and this year i have to do them again as they are stuck fast purelly down to lack off use it has only done 1175 miles since the last moty and more than half that by other people i realy should sell it as its such a waste sitting doing nowt.

[Torsten2001]

I ran two Convoys, in the two years I had them they coped easily with 60k plus a year going from one end of Europe to the other, both had the Transit engine. I would have one again without question.I ran a Pug engined Pilot as a bike transporter for a while, again, never a moments grief, I actively want one now.They're certainly old fashioned and the offset pedals are a pain, literally but they are great for all of that, buy one!

[garycox]

I'll be selling my Transit soon, it's a 1995(N), not too rusty, over 170k but super reliable, I think £600 would be a fair price...It's a 100 SWB semi high top.

[warren t claim]

I saw a uber kool LDV Cub the other day. It was a pick up with a double cab. Nice! A factory special I believe.

[boobydoo]

A van truly worthy of Grand Autoshite status!!

 

[Pete-M]

If you want a truly shite van, LWB, high top, LDV Convoys can be had from most van auctions for pennies. Like £650 for a 54 plater with 30k miles on. I brought a few home from Mannheim in Leeds last year.They are bloody horrible, but the engine and box are probably worth more than £650 and they are huge inside.

[pogweasel]

Did you get a van, squire?

Just spied this old Transit near me, ultra-short MoT but it looks pretty tidy TBH.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FORD-TRANSIT-SWB- ... 0451348660

[Timewaster]

Cheers Pog!That one is already in my watch list as I wait paitently for a few others to treble in price in the last 2 minutes.Cavette's borked Espazz was sugested in another topic. Absolute bargain in he lets it go for £550.Unfortunately yer man with the recovery truck wants a similar figure to go fetch it! (it is 200+ miles )

[Timewaster]

Got one!A suprisingly solid L reg Transit 80.Nice and local, 6 months ticket and a bit of tax£450Collect tommorow, pics sometime.Thanks for your input gents,(incidently I did have a bid or 2 on garycox's ebay auction, but was pipped at the post. Still, maybe I helped his end price and I dont have a 3 hour train ride to fetch it).

[FredTransit]

Yay! I take it it's a DI then, or is it a pinto flavour?

[Cavcraft]

Nice one, hard to go wrong with a Transit, looking forward to pictures.

[garbaldy]

Got one!A suprisingly solid L reg Transit 80.Nice and local, 6 months ticket and a bit of tax£450.

and at a good price. i would wager that you should get that for it when you sell it on they dont seem to drop much further pricewise.

[Timewaster]

Just been and picked it up, quite chuffed to discover that the clutch seems fine, despite the sellers insistance that it was on its last legs The axle is a bit whiney and the heater doesn't but all in all it seems pretty good. Any DI experts on here - Do they take an age to warm up?

[warren t claim]

Mine warmed up really quickly but the heater never gave out any heat. Probably because I ran it without any cooling system for about six months!

[Cavcraft]

Just been and picked it up, quite chuffed to discover that the clutch seems fine, despite the sellers insistance that it was on its last legs The axle is a bit whiney and the heater doesn't but all in all it seems pretty good. Any DI experts on here - Do they take an age to warm up?

Fred will be the right person here I reckon. From memory of Transits the heaters either worked or didn't with no in between.Thinking about it they don't have the same wanky matrix thing ala Cortina did they? May be it'll need bleeding. Clutch on my last one only played up when it's been driven a while, use to judder like a bastard.Temp gauge ok? Any chance could be thermostat related? Axle/diff whine is pretty much built in by the way so no need to worry there I reckon.

[FredTransit]

Just been and picked it up, quite chuffed to discover that the clutch seems fine, despite the sellers insistance that it was on its last legs The axle is a bit whiney and the heater doesn't but all in all it seems pretty good. Any DI experts on here - Do they take an age to warm up?

Keep an eye on the clutch cable adjuster, the Mk5 has a stupid auto adjuster that has wear problems with the ratchet. Can be fine, then will slip, then with adjustment fine again. Some people convert them to the manual cable as used on the Mk2s. No idea how mind!The as Cavette said, axle could whine on for years! For the heater you need a new dial/control, they burn out and stop working, or it could be a blocked heater matrix. The DI is a cold engine though, if it has enough water try partially blocking the rad with something like a clipboard, that should sort it!