People Mover Ideas

[Marty]

Thanks to the over fruitfullness of my loins the Multispaz is full - regrettably we have on occasion the Mother In Law in tow - so the Mrs has decreed that we need to buy a 7 seater MPV type thing.Problem is Im buggered if I know what - I know what I dont like (Zafira's, Espaces, Sceinics, Galaxasharonalambarah's) Im thinking obscure and possibly grey import...Any ideas anyone?Of course if this was the 70's I would just bolt another row of seats in teh boot of the Blingo (like what my dad did with the HA van back in 1970) - but of course using child reins in place of a seatbelt would be frowned upon by the MOT man

[Volksy]

Trailer? Roof Rack? Roofbox?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Pug 505 wagon of course. Stick your mum-in-law in the rearward facing seat so she can open the hatch while driving and chuck bread rolls at pedestrians and following traffic.

[garethj]

Renault 21 Savanna (?) Estate.What the Frenchies with 4 or 5 kids used before MPVs were everywhere.

[reallyloud]

Has to be Japanese really.

 

This Nissan looks ok, but I'd go older. Ratdat has a neat Nissan Caravan which if you can find one would be prefect.

 

 

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Nissan-largo-people-carrier_W0QQitemZ270167812240QQ

 

This Toyota is very tempting.

 

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TOYOTA-SPACE-CRUISER-7-MPV-UK-CAR-8-SEATER-NO-RESERVE_W0QQitemZ130200222716QQ

 

And don't forget to look at the old hiaces, which are probably the neatest looking vans currently in vogue.

[mouseflakes]

I'm with The Testicular One on this - 505 is the way to go. Choose carefully though - they all sem to be looking a little scabby these days.

[Ratdat]

You can pick up import Nissan Caravans like my one for next to bugger all these days. They will seat 8 or you can seat seven and have a little table. The middle seats can face ither way. They are very plush inside and usually have seperate heating and a/c systems for front and rear. Most seem to be 2.0l turbo diesel but some are 2.7 and a few rare ones are petrol. Most are also auto although I have seen a few manuals (mine is manual). They tend to have electric everything, a/c and c/l.

 

 

 

They are handy as unlike most MPV's when you fold the rear most seat forward it's huge inside like a van so you can carry furniture, etc. All the seats fold into a giant bed too.

[Spottedlaurel]

Are they rear-facing 3rd row seats in 505 wagons? Weren’t 504’s front-facing?If rear-facing ones are OK, my Camry does a decent job on that score. But avoid the 3.0 V6 unless you’re prepared to put up with thirst and suspect head gaskets and auto ‘box.Nissan Bassaras seem to be creeping in round here as MPV’s, similar to Toyota Granvia/Mazda Bongo I think. Townaces and even Lucida/Estima probably getting a bit long-in-the tooth now?Daihatsu Hijet?...

[Guest greenvanman]

You can pick up import Nissan Caravans like my one for next to bugger all these days. They will seat 8 or you can seat seven and have a little table. The middle seats can face ither way. They are very plush inside and usually have seperate heating and a/c systems for front and rear. Most seem to be 2.0l turbo diesel but some are 2.7 and a few rare ones are petrol. Most are also auto although I have seen a few manuals (mine is manual). They tend to have electric everything, a/c and c/l..

Or, along the same lines my mate has a Toyota Hiace Super Custom Limited like this:

 

 

with the same sort of interior configuration and high spec as the Nissan above. His has electric curtains and a box to heat pies/cool drinks (one trip I pressed the wrong button and ended up with hot apple juice...) and an electric kettle. And three sunroofs. And some sort of magic trickery that changes the ride from soft to hard when the van feels like it, and for no good reason as far as I can see. But most importantly there's a button on the dash labelled 'Joyful Talk' which activates an intercom between the drivers seat and the passenger compartment Very cool.

[MrRegieRitmo]

One word:Sintra(In about 5 years time it will be the newest vehicle that people will be asking "When did you last see one of those??")

[Volksy]

I think the main problem with Sintras is the atrocious yank build quality. I've heard nothing good about them at all.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Oh no pleeeeze! Those Jap people carriers are just shocking, particulary the narrow track imports with gaudy paint jobs and the rear flid mirrors = plus names like Mazda Freindee Bongo Exceed Chamonix Delicia Big Boy. They're just loser cruisers.A W123 or 124 Benz Estate says that although you neglected to bag up the Old Chap, you know what a good car is.

[pogweasel]

Whilst these Jap vans are very plush and loaded with goodies (I like the JoySpeak thing!), they are all quite vannish, aren't they. Also, every one you see on eBay is parked up in some rubbish-strewn garden on some sink estate with a kippered headgasket. I vote for the 505.Sleek, stylish, shite and still a proper car. Outbid the exporters and nab one. Chip-fat compatible too. They must be moderately easy to drive, my mother in law had one as her first car (+learned to drive & passed test in it) and it did her well for aeons by all accounts, ferrying her brood about (Mrs Pog is one of 5 offspring). Failing that, a nice early espace would go down rather nicely.

[MrRegieRitmo]

Marty, you're a Citroen man - CX Safari or XM estate no good to you?

[Ratdat]

Main problem with Sintras is probably not surviving a crash in onehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXcLzPxn ... re=related

[Marty]

Also, every one you see on eBay is parked up in some rubbish-strewn garden on some sink estate with a kippered headgasket.

I hear what you are saying, and its something that I have wodered about too - are they not a tinsey winsey bit frail?

 

Anyone heard anything good/bad/indifferent about one of these...

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Korean = dead relible, cheap as chips and sensible. Not a '78 1.6 Cortina Estate with a couple of kiddie seats strapped in the back though is it?

[MrRegieRitmo]

Isn't that a Mitsubishi Space Wagon?

[Ratdat]

I hear what you are saying, and its something that I have wodered about too - are they not a tinsey winsey bit frail?

There's too many different models to group them together like that. The Estima/Lucida models have cylinder head problems (cracking) which they are renowned for. Nissan models with the LD23 engine can suffer the same issue but the LD20t-II and TD27t powered models rarely have any problems as they are older engine designs and generally more robust. I think a lot of the problems that people have with this type of vehicle comes from a complete lack of maintainance as to get at most things isn't as easy as on a car. People don't ever check basic stuff like coolant or oil levels because it's not as simple as popping the bonnet.The beauty of vehicles like the Caravan/Homy is they are based on a very rugged commercial unlike ordinary MPV's. Look how popular the Urvan (upon which the Carvan is based) is in third world countries, primarily because they are tough.

[stoterstangen90]

Chevrolet Lumina, Pontiac Transsport or Oldsmobile Shilouette

 

[Marty]

Nissan models with the LD23 engine can suffer the same issue but the LD20t-II and TD27t powered models rarely have any problems.

?Que?Now this is where I fall down when people quote numbers like this - so how do I tell which has what then? (Bit like I get all mystified when peeps say its a B10 or B11 Micra - I think "Huh?" and nod my head and pretend to know).

[Ratdat]

Nissan models with the LD23 engine can suffer the same issue but the LD20t-II and TD27t powered models rarely have any problems.

?Que?Now this is where I fall down when people quote numbers like this - so how do I tell which has what then? (Bit like I get all mystified when peeps say its a B10 or B11 Micra - I think "Huh?" and nod my head and pretend to know).

Thankfully, Nissan engine codes are quite logical. If the prefix has a 'D' then it's a diesel and the number gives the capacity, hence LD23 is a 2.3 diesel. The 'T' after the nuber denoted that it's a turbo, so an TD27 is non-turbo 2.7 diesel and a TD27T is the same but with a turbo. Voila! The mysteries of Nissan engine codes unravelled! If only Toyota ones made as much sense. As for chassis codes.. well those you just have to learn although there is a degree of logic to them.

[michiel]

I second the Chevy Luninana! Can I post this again? Even your grandchildren can hop in!

 

[Mr_Bo11ox]

'Its the cadillac of Minivans'

[Guest greenvanman]

Oh no pleeeeze! Those Jap people carriers are just shocking, particulary the narrow track imports with gaudy paint jobs and the rear flid mirrors = plus names like Mazda Freindee Bongo Exceed Chamonix Delicia Big Boy. They're just loser cruisers.A W123 or 124 Benz Estate says that although you neglected to bag up the Old Chap, you know what a good car is.

Each to their own, I suppose. I know which I'd rather have.

Also, every one you see on eBay is parked up in some rubbish-strewn garden on some sink estate with a kippered headgasket.

That certainly seems to be the case with the old Townace/Liteace models - are they the ones you're thinking of? The Hiace isn't particularly known for that sort of thing, is it?

[Adrian_pt]

Surely an early Espace? Agree with the chap about the joys of a Merc estate though - or how about a Montego Countryman?

[Volksy]

Citroen CX Familiale? In white for the Ghostbusters look

[mouseflakes]

Are they rear-facing 3rd row seats in 505 wagons? Weren’t 504’s front-facing?

You're right SL - they're proper front-facing seats in the 505 with three belts, and even a proper estate-size space behind that third row. Fold them down and it's a very large estate. Fold the second row down and you can then hand paint 'Man-and-a-Van' across the boot hatch.

[AnthonyG]

Toyota Space Cruisers have dodgy handling and rust like buggery. Avoid. TownAces etc can't have great handling either, judging by the axle location and width. Early Toyota Previas/Lucidas (I hear the Mk1s are are not good in a crash) perhaps? Whilst you may not like the looks or the fact that they are boring the mid 1990s on Euro stuff (Espace/806/Galaxy) is much safer and capable than a Japanese panel van with velour brown seats. Since it will be a 'childmobile' aren't safety and practicality are more important than looks/personality?What about a late old shape Transit Tourneo? or VW Caravelle? (the 1990 onwards one)If you got a Tourneo you could pretend you were Richard Briers and his Transit minibus (always misleadingly referred to as 'the Dormobile') in Ever Decreasing Circles. Of course for the full effect you would need a neighbour who is an attractive heterosexual male hairdresser who fancies your wife and drives a MGB, probably a pretty rare combination these days.

[Mr Lobster]

Another 505 vote here. Failing that 21 Savannah (which would probably be my choice as they will be more readily available than a 505) or even if you can find one - Renault did a 7 seat Laguna estate up until about 2000 if you want something modernish.Early Espace would be quite cool as well.