Bedford Rascals

[Station]

I've been yearning for one of these for a while, they seem to offer everything I need in a runabout as I seem to always need a lot of space to carry shite about in, and also economy from those F10A engines. Will I curse the day I ever considered buying one, or are they actually OK and what should I look out for? I'd like a red one tbh, in the box format, as I do a bit of long distance driving and the back is a good place to get some kip.

[Mr Lobster]

Not driven one in years but they were ok if a bit small. Not sure about long distance driving in one though

[dollywobbler]

70mph is LOUD. I remember well from my childhood. Van driver at my dad's place reckoned the front end lifted up once at motorway speeds. They're city vans really, not ideal for long distances.Says he who regularly thrashes about in a 2CV...

[Angrydicky]

I'd imagine they might be a bit cramped for sleeping in. I've always fancied a Bedford Bambi, the coachbuilt camper version of the Rascal, as portrayed in Sooty & Co...

[Station]

The Bambi's seem to fetch a couple of grand always, plus have that Sooty image which I doubt I'll ever be able to live with. The car I have has the F10A and it's a bit rough but livable.

[Dukestar25]

Station wrote:

what should I look out for?

Rot everywhere, especially around the front arches and in the floor; make sure the rear suspension is pointing the same way as the front when going in a straight line, and don't take it on motorways. that is probably one of the scariest things you'll ever do. they aren't very smooth or comfy either and a head-on crash will almost certainly guarantee you being in a wheelchair ; they're loaded with the usual Austin Rover Metro/Maestro switches and dials if you like that sort of thing...

[trigger]

Have you got any Fillings?, Because you won't have once you have driven round the block in one... Bouncy!

[Albert Ross]

I have heard that aswell as the front end lifting at Motorway speeds, the rear can also lift under particualry enthusiastic braking.......Witnessed by a friend of mine when these were sold new at the place I work. There was a test to do on Pdi road test which involved passenger looking back whilst driver stamped on the middle pedal. Apparently this did indeed make the rear wheels airborne. Not sure if it was an official test or not.

[Tayne]

.

[Milford Cubicle]

I'd imagine they might be a bit cramped for sleeping in. I've always fancied a Bedford Bambi, the coachbuilt camper version of the Rascal, as portrayed in Sooty & Co...

RONG, i believe that was a Honda Acty.

[trigger]

There's a video on YaTube showing a Maruti version getting the back end up under heavy braking.

[trigger]

In fact buy one and fit a Kawasaki Ninja engine in it!

[wuvvum]

I like Rascals - great for blezzing around town, quite nippy off the line, narrow enough to get through gaps normally reserved for bikes and quite good fun in their own way. Not too great at higher speeds though - and higher speeds in a Rascal is anything above about 45. I wound mine up to an indicated 75 on the A47 once - and it was only once.Oh, and as per above, front arches rot like buggery so likely to be made largely out of Isopon on older vans.

[Guest]

You can make them do wheelies too - set it reversing, then stick it in first and floor it. Same applies to most Kei-vans.

[maxpower]

had a yellow one... sold it to brother in law, a year later it looked like a bruised banana.. rotten with rust

[Tayne]

.

[trigger]

There's lots of Sooty van content here after 5:10 inculding high speed police chase!, Notice how much the van bounces on the cobbles.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbDdQ3cCKyoI'm pretty sure the earlier Sooty van from the 80's was a real van and was a Rascal or Acty unlike the 90's version above.

[trigger]

How sad am i, I've just spend the last 30 mins watching videos of Sooty on youtube looking for the van instead of going to bed!.Anyway It is a ACTY, as can been seen from 6:15.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTBzmbOj ... re=related

[Richard]

I have seen Sooty's van in real life, but I can't remember what it was.

[shite_meister]

There are loads of Rascals over here.I've driven loads of these micro vans including a near-mint Rascal that was my executive company car when I was a service manager (I really loved the van so didn't mind) but apart from the gear-change being awkward for the first few miles and the terrible fuel consumption it was ideal for Jersey but I wouldn't like to travel too far in one.Common steering issue is for the idler bush to wear so if it feels like you're driving a pissed whale then look here, fuel tanks can rot out too.

[Rocket88]

All of the above, plus a thirst for headgaskets, and they do like to rot in all of the places that are a complete sod to repair properly [ahem] As The Reverend Sheitmeister proclaims, Jersey is riddled with the things, as well as those horrible little Daihatsu jobbies with the worst diesel engine in the world.............

[Station]

What's wrong with the fuel consumption, is it bad?

[Angrydicky]

How sad am i, I've just spend the last 30 mins watching videos of Sooty on youtube looking for the van instead of going to bed!.Anyway It is a ACTY, as can been seen from 6:15.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTBzmbOj ... re=related

Hey, I was just going by the 90's version that I remember from my childhood. That IS a Bedford Bambi

[Polystratus]

I'd imagine they might be a bit cramped for sleeping in. I've always fancied a Bedford Bambi, the coachbuilt camper version of the Rascal, as portrayed in Sooty & Co...

 

Nice

[ashmicro]

I'd imagine they might be a bit cramped for sleeping in. I've always fancied a Bedford Bambi, the coachbuilt camper version of the Rascal, as portrayed in Sooty & Co...

 

Nice

That's exactly the same as the one some of neighbours had as their only car. I always thought it must be underpowered, but it can't have been that bad, as the owner and his wife are enormously fat, and it still seemed to go alright.

[Andrew353w]

I had one for a few years as my mobile mechanic van; G 144 AFC where are you now? I sold it to an Arsenal fan in the end... Great for nipping around town and had a payload of a tonne (we were moving house, so all the gardening gravel and concrete went in no problem!) Mine had side doors on both sides and an "up and over" at the back, so flexibility was good and the up and over helped when working on a car in the rain. The Suzuki engine seemed very strong and the economy wasn't too bad, bearing in mind what weight it was moving around. Used its brake pads a bit quick, though...

[saabhappy]

I thought seriously about having one when I was flogging books around book fairs in the 90s and quite a few other booksellers had them, so they had a following.

[Rocket88]

What's wrong with the fuel consumption, is it bad?

It is if you load them up...they are also an epic deathtrap in any sort of head on collision, your knees are the crumple zone. Apparently, one was in a head on with the a cyclist, who walked away, unlike the Rascal driver, who err didn't.

[ProgRocker]

My old man bought a Suzuki ST90 K about 20 years ago. Here it is, next to his MG Maestro:

 

 

It was the first vehicle I had ever driven, in that block of garages.

[M'coli]

they are also an epic deathtrap in any sort of head on collision, your knees are the crumple zone.

There was a Fifth Gear episode where they tried to drift Rascals, it ended with one of the presenters breaking his leg...This one: